Carrick chuckled at Zek’s pun, either intended or not. ”I always rose to the challenge.” he said grinning then nodding, ”Good looking lot though. Can’t say I blame ‘em. I would have charged fer me help too.”

Watching Zek wave his stomach around he laughed again, ”Sure they’d charge ya fer the lessons. Cash is kings round here.” he said not even attempting the belly dancing some people were just born with it. He however was just born with his wings and tail and good looks.

The lights kicked back on and Carrick looked around for a familiar face but saw none. Just a stranger who stood off to the side of the entrance studying them. He blinked and waved then looked to Zek, ”You know her?” Carrick asked before hearing the voice of Tiny behind them, “Half-pint, relive the spotlight later. Time to catch up, we’re all pumped you decided to visit.” Carrick looked back to the strange woman who stood at the entrance then turned to Zek.

”Yer in fer it now mate, never partied with the circus folk before have ya? About to get wild!” he said as he hopped a few times grinned and then went after tiny.

Zek’s brief visit to cloud nine was only marred by the cost of belly dancing lessons. “Awww,” he said dejectedly. He stopped moving his tummy around. Oh well, he’d just stick to his normal stuff, which was still flippin’ amazing. Belly dancing would just make him unbearable.

So he’d stick the idea on the back burner.

He twisted his head around and blinked owlishly in the direction of the person Canton indicated. He looked her up and down. He stuck his tongue out in concentration. He scratched his head. He rubbed his chin. Both of those actions were more difficult than normal since his body hadn’t twisted to follow his head. He swiveled to his freakishly feathered friend. “Nope. I absolutely do not. Want me to introduce you to her?” Zek had played wingman before. He was great at it. He was great at everything he did. But he’d never actually played wingman to a man with wings, so for once in his life, Zek was potentially outclassed.

But thunder booed and ruined the moment. The gorilla guy wanted them to parrrrtayyyyy. Zek immediately forgot what Birdcat had been talking about and eagerly followed behind. “I’ve only heard legends, whispers of wonder!” he said giddily like a Zek in a candy shop.

He handed the woman his bag of trash as they passed her and completely ignored both her dirty look and the funny little tune she was singing under her breath.

Time to party!

Mismatched colored eyes opened weakly as his eyes narrowed to adjust to the daylight as he regained consciousness. His stomach was full how much did he eat last night? His stomach churrned the way it would after over eating and then he suddenly felt it turn for the worse. Turning and throwing up whiskey, fried dough and sugar he wiped his mouth and stared at the vomit as it slide down the mesh flooring that was littered with hay.

”Wha- what happened?” he looked around and found a dead cigar in an ashtray next to a half empty bottle. ”Zek...” Carrick called out weakly, he was with Zek he remembered that he also had a flashback remembered taking turns throwing knives at each other no one got hit except for Tiny.

Reaching for the bottle he took a swig, a long one to get rid of the taste of vomit. ”Tiny...” there was a fight, his knuckles were red and bloodied. Carrick coughed and cursed running a hand through his hair. Where was his shirt?

There was flying, he remembered carrying someone. Did he shift? Carrick reached down to where his pants normally were after a night of drinking and looked down. He was wearing a Tarzan looking loincloth and cursed again. Where was his pants? Fumbling in the hay he found them slightly ripped and slightly burnt.

His tail thrashed behind him suddenly aware of something around it, a pink bow. ”Nice look.” reaching into his pockets for his phone he realized it was missing. Wallet was still there and so were his keys. The only thing he had that he didn’t from the night before was a lighter. Did someone take his magic tricks? He recalled throwing some cards at a hat, he lost.

Pulling the lighter and coughing slightly as he started to light the half burnt cigar he stood slowly. Why was it so bright? He walked over to the cage door and pushed the gate trying to open it. ”Fer **** sakes...” he shook it realizing he was locked in a cage. Again.

”Ayyyyeee!!!” Carrick called out trying to get someone’s attention. Trying to ignore the singing he was hearing in the back of his head.

“Oh hey, Clay!” Zek said as he passed Featherbrain’s cage with a tray of raw meat, some cups of some blue liquid, and slices of various cheeses and fruits. “Glad to see you up and at it! Dude, that party was siiick!” he said brightly.

Zek plunked himself down on a bale of hay near his pal’s cage. He sat the tray beside him and snagged a slice of cheese and a grape. He then leaned back against a taller bale of hay and kicked his feet up on Birdcat’s cage.

“Shew, my feet are still hurting from all that jumping and jigging. Who knew the bearded lady could freestyle like that? It’s like I was telling Lizardskin earlier, ‘you just shouldn’t judge people based on their follicle giftings alone - dance should always factor into the equation.” Zek nodded knowingly and chased down the cheese and fruit with a cup of the blue stuff. It tasted weird but had an edge to it.

He was supposed to be bringing the food to the ringmaster’s assistant’s dog’s tent, but Zek figured they could wait a bit. So far people hadn’t really given him much to do so he’d kinda assigned himself some tasks.

Then his eyes widened. “Oh! Do you like my my uniform? Fortunately it already matched my hat!” Zek jumped to his sore feet and gave an overdramatic twirl before ending it with a slap on his own rump. “I think it really brings out my eyes. What do you think?”

The shifter’s head was splitting as he puffed the chewed cigar. The taste made him focus on anything but his stomach and the bars around him. His tail swayed happily when Zek appeared in an interesting get up. Did someone have that here or did Zek already have it? The raw steak made his stomach cringe as Zek got closer and kicked his feet up.

”Told ya.” he said leaning his head against the cold bars realizing it felt better than he wanted it to. All it did was remind him he was in a cage. Upon mentioning the dancing Carrick recalled Zek and the bearded lady together and he started smirking. She might have been asking about Zek last night and Carrick gave her the thumbs up. ”Think she likes ya.” he chuckled slightly watching him eat the cheese.

”That suit is you man.” Carrick said giving Zek a half-hearted thumbs up.

”How long was I out and have ya seen me phone? Pretty sure I got ta get back to the school. Someone might have noticed I was gone... also where is that singing coming from?” he asked cleaning his ears then looking around his cigar lighting up as he inhaled.

Zek stared at Cageboy with wide eyed glee. “You really think she likes me?” he squeed. “Awesome! I’ll bet she could teach me some of those belly dancing moves then! She’s got to have picked up some over the years, right?” Zek already had the pants and veils, he just didn’t have the moves. Not yet, anyhow.

But soon things would be different.

Zek would’ve feigned a blush at the compliment, which wouldn’t have been seen through the caked on white makeup and black domino mask. He batted at one of the dangly balls instead. They were very fun to play with, he’d decided. So smooth yet slightly squishy. He figured they were just felt-covered cotton, but still cool, you know? “Shucks, you’ll make me blush!” he said. Maybe later he could actually apply some blush. Hmmm.

Zek nibbled on another piece of cheese. He frowned. At Carter’s question, not at the cheese. The cheese was yummy. “Umm, maybe eight? Twelve hours?” he said. “You partied a ton. Like, I’m actually jealous of you. I’m used to staying up all night anyways, but like, only if I’d slept during the day, ‘cause of my job, you know? But you were all over the place.” Zek grinned. “Why, you even challenged that big tough guy, the one with all the muscles...Shorty? Smallfry? Atomy? The uncle you didn’t have? Anyways, you even challenged him to arm wrestling and then when you lost you tried to fight him and WHAM, POW, KABAM, you went down so hard.”

Zek started giggling. Some of that story was even true! He offered the plate of food over to the guy. “I think you’re still out of it, man. Closest thing around here to singing is Lizardskin polishing his scales. And I wouldn’t call a rock tumbler singing. Like, not at all.”

Carrick shrugged, ”Probably. Had no business learning a unicycle but here we are.” Carrick said with a smirk and a long inhale from his cigar. There was a lot of things he picked up with his time in the circus most of them would never be applicable to the real world but that didn’t stop it from being fun. Carrick also didn’t have the heart to tell Zek he might have been offered to learn to belly dance for a favor. Something he said he’d do but had no intentions of doing.

Cat like eyes zeroed in on the balls dangling from Zek’s hat and he was tempted to reach out and swat at them. He fought the urge though not everyone knew he had cat like tendencies and the Irishman didn’t like to advertise said tendencies so he focused on something else like his make-up. ”Gene do yer face up or is it Al now?” he asked before tapping his nose. ”Ya got a little in the right nostril. Try not to snort nothing.” he smirked and looked back around his locked cage.

”Tiny...” he said trying to recall everything. He took another pull from the bottle already feeling it again. It helped the oncoming headaches that he would no doubt have. He was supposed to be at the mansion. Under house arrest. Did anyone know he was missing? His first thoughts were to the Princess then he shook those thoughts away. Why was he thinking about her now? Yeah

”Yeah well, I’m sure I gave him a run fer his money.” lied Carrick though he was lying to himself more than anything. ”Lizard skin?” he nodded his head then shook it, ”Nah, less graveling more... angellic?” he said looking around. ”It’s beautiful I just want it to stop.” he shrugged and then tapped on the gate. ”How about ya open the door and we can get out of ‘ere. Got to be home and check in otherwise I’ll be trading this cage fer a smaller one and I don’t like small spaces.”

Carrigan didn’t seem to want any of the snacks off the tray so Zek shrugged and pulled it back to him. He swiped some more cheese and then screwed his face up in concentration. “Um, Gene, I think?” he said, completely unaware of who Gene and Al were. “Wait, which one has the mole on his hip?” Talented guys, either of them. Zek had never done clown makeup before so it was a new experience. Turns out you didn’t just paint your face white and be done! There was actual artistry to it! He’d also swiped some of their stuff as well in case he needed it another time.

But apparently Gene or Al hadn’t quite been perfect. “Oh, thanks man,” Zek said nonchalantly as he stuck his finger up his nose and wiggled it around before extracting it. “That better?” he asked as he tilted his head back and leaned it closer so Birdcat could have a good view up his nose.

“Oh yes, definitely. You really gave Tin-Tin a hard time. Why, I do believe it took him a whole four seconds to whup you!” Zek said in pure fabrication. There hadn’t been a fight at all - Tiny seemed too nice and cool for that, especially toward Catbird. But sometimes the truth was just boring. Besides, with the headache Zek was confident Carson had, he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in his various body pains.

Also, Zek was bored because he’d spent the day making up work for himself. After he was told to be a clown and given his costume, the big wigs (and the people wearing them) had all seemed to forget Zek even existed. They didn’t even train him! So Zek just naturally figured he’d have to learn on the job by clowning around all day.

Which brought him to this point. He shook his head, which was spectacular in its own right since his head could move further to the sides than most and the balls just went crazy back and forth. Now if only he’d gotten bells as well! “No can do, buddy boy. If we go home now, we’re gonna miss the show! The big finale got bumped up a couple of hours because of a special performance. Don’t you remember any of that? You even agreed to be in it,” Zek said as he stuffed his face with fruit and cheese.

After a swig of blue liquid, he carefully dabbed at his lipstuck mouth. “And you’re just hearing things now. There’s nothing angelic going on around here. Except for some angel food cake I saw at a concession stand. Although that reminds me - who was that singer we heard last night at the party? Lady had some pipes!”

”That be Gene, don’t know why he needs to show everyone that mole. Been the same since I was here the first time.” he said rubbing his face and inhaling his cigar his stomach turning at the sight of the food now. So he looked away to see if he could see anyone else. A little irritated that Zek still hadn’t let him out of the cage. ”Much.” Carrick nodded. While he was irritated with Zek he was also a performer so knew looks were an important part of the show.

”Two seconds longer than last time!” he said hefting the bottle and giving Zek a cheers, ever since he first got to the circus when he was a kid Tiny had been there. Good and bad and given Carrick’s aggressive nature it was perfect because he had someone to yell at and hit when he ‘couldn’t use words like an adult’. He was his father’s son after all.

”Oh...” Carrick said trying to recall the events from last night still feeling most of it was a blurr. ”Does sound like me doesn’t it?” he let out a loud sigh, ”Well ya mind tracking down me phone and letting the mansion know I’m, alive?” he paused then shook his head, ”Ah they’ll be fine.” it was just one more performance and ever since stepping in the center ring he had the performer’s itch.

”Lady has some pipes.” Carrick agreed, was she the one that was still singing? Why couldn’t Zek hear it? Carrick tried to remmeber her face not just the voice ‘Mate?’ his head was swimming from everything the last thing he needed was his beast form telling him what to do.

”One last show.” he said changing his voice into a gruff tired one, ”Getting too old for this.” he looked to Zek, ”I’ll need some elephant ears. How long I got?”

It wasn’t that Zek didn’t trust Birdcat’s opinion as to whether or not the makeup boogie was gone, even though he didn’t (he would’ve lied, himself), but Zek really wanted to try out his new stolen makeup talents. He flicked a wrist and opened the compact that appeared in his hand. He helf it up to his face and made a bunch of faces at it while inspecting his face.

Man, he was a handsome devil.

“I thought so,” Zek said innocently as he gently dabbed around his face with a powder puff. He’d thought Caryton getting in a fight and epically losing had sounded like him as well. Of course, Zek was a superb judge of character so he wasn’t surprised that Catbird bought the lie so quickly. Then again, they’d both gotten up to a lot of fun things during the night’s entertainment. Don’t even get him started about the thing with the pineapple and the wet noodle!

He was touching up his lipstick when Carrie mentioned his phone. “Yeah, that’s exactly what the singer lady said last night when you gave her your phone. Nothing to worry about, everyone was fine, just have fun. Gave ‘er my phone too. She was collecting them or something. It was dead anyways.” He capped the lipstick and slid it back where he’d been keeping it. “Also, it wasn’t mine, so no big loss.”

Looking flawless once again, Zek returned the compact to its hiding spot (a tricky thing to do in his skintight outfit but he was just that good) and jiggled his head so the balls on his hat/headpiece would dance. “El oh el, dude! Get your game face on! You’re not too old. All you gotta do is pretend to fight some guy and you’re done. No big deal.” Zek smiled. Kids these days.

“Although come to think of it, the ringmaster did say it would be lifechanging and then something about a big break and that their sponsors were going to reap so much or something. I don’t really know - I was on stilts at the time.” Zek shrugged. Whaddya gonna do?

He vanished the tray of food and apparated a second one by rolling a ball into the cage. “Here, take some of mine. And anything else you want,” Zek said. “Turns out, I can get all the free food I want. I just gotta go up to someone and say it’s for the ringmaster and nobody questions it. This job has some great perks!”

He gave a quick hop and then a couple of toe-touches and then slapped the bars of the cage. “Alight, Richtor, I’m off. Again, get your game face on - the ones with a beak and way more fur and feathers. Show starts in ten minutes, so you probably need to be in position in twenty minutes. You’re like the last act or something. I’ve gotta take what’s left of the food to the dog and then I see ya in the arena! Ciao!” Zek blew the winged dude a kiss and then went skipping off out of the tent.

”Must have wanted to charge it fer us. What a helpful lady” he said recalling her singing and immediately drifting off to a day dream about them doing a duet. It would kill in almost any setting. They could even take their act on the road and become famous overnight. ‘The amazing ….. and Carrick!’ her name wasn’t that important anyways he just knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with what’s her name and her voice wondrous voice.

The shifter blinked when he heard Zek tell him it was lifechanging, ”Aye, imagine it is otherwise everyone would be doing it, and let’s face it not everyone has the skills I got.” he said tooting his own horn when it came to singing. Fight? Who was he going to fight? Carrick stared at the clown in front of him.

He sipped his bottle, ”How’d ya like the stilts?” he asked before stepping back to the large amounts of fried food. ”With the fried dough and sugar in this pile alone....” he shook his head. ”This is gonna be my best performance yet. Just make sure ya get more food. They won’t be happy their losing their two best performers!” he’d show the ringmaster and the sponsors he deserved to be on his own with what’s her face.

Ten minutes! The shifter looked abck to Zek who blew him a kiss and then shook his head. He at least need a half hour... the shifter sighed as Zek left walked over to the corner of the cage and then forced himself to purge everything in his stomach so he could start from scratch.

“It’s a small world after all~” Zek sang as he skipped along around the path to the ringmaster’s assistant’s dog. And Carlton had said there were no animals at the circus! Well, he was about to be right. It would be an absolute shame if the dog accidentally ate the steak Zek had prepared for him. Or drank the one particular cup of blue liquid. And to think, Zek still had like three gallons of kerosene left in the tank!

“Hum de dum de, de dum dee dum day,” he sang, forgetting the actual lyrics and substituting his own.

There was a definite energy in the air. The crowds were streaming toward the big top, just like the night before, and there was a rush and a hubbub. There were far more people, too. It was like everyone who’d been there yesterday was coming back today and bringing friends. This was the life!

And the carnies and performers were really getting into it, too. Everyone was rushing about for last minute preparations and there was such a fierce expectation to everything.

“Hey buddy! Bobblehead!” came a shout.

Zek swiveled his head to look.

“Yeah you!” said the voice. It was another clown, one with a more traditional and less flattering outfit that Zek’s own, complete with a wildly-colored wig and big red nose. “Help us out with this, wouldja?” He was indicating a large wood crate that he and two other clowns were awkwardly trying to get off of a broken wagon. It looked like an axle had broken.

Well, when in Rome, do what the Romans do. When in a circus, make sure you cuss. “$#&*%@^# yeah, man!” Zek said and traipsed over to halfheartedly help them lift the crate. It was a nice sized one. Why, Zek figured he could easily nap in there! “Why, this would make a great napping place. Plenty of room for a person to lay down! Or a bunch of people, if you didn’t mind sharing some space!”

Between some grunts, a couple of the clowns started laughing nervously. “Yeah, totally,” one of them said. The first clown who’d called Zek over just glare. “What’s wrong with you, man?” he said in a spitfire whisper. “Shut up!”

Zek shrugged and mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key. He’d always thought being quiet was more of a mime thing, but then again, Zek had never been a professional clown before. Maybe you had to start off with physical comedy first before you were allowed to work your way up to the verbal stuff? And when would he get props?

It didn’t take them long to move the crate into yet another tent. This one had a bunch more crates just like it. Zek would have to remember this place - it seemed great to kick back in. Hmm, in fact, maybe he should consider getting such a crate for himself. Could be handy keeping one in storage in case he needed a quick nap.

When they sat the crate down, Zek heard a low moan. He shrugged. One of the clowns probably lifted with his back instead of his legs. Eh. “Help me,” came a quiet voice. Zek just caught the eye of a clown and shrugged, putting a finger on his lips and raising his hands in a “What can you do?” gesture. He couldn’t help it if a clown was bad at lifting.

“Alright boys, let's get in position, show’s about to start,” the first clown said and he started marching toward the big top. Zek followed silently and merrily in his wake.

”That’s right champ... clear the evil... get the poison outta ya.” he said giving himself a pep talk. The shifter dry heaved in the corner of his cage where he already spewed from earlier. ”One last show... then ya can sleep it off...” he caught a wiff of some garbage or a porta-john. ” Oh that’s the on-hurrrrrrphhh!!!!”

A few minutes later Carrick stood wiping his mouth on his arm shaking it off. ”Like a champ.” he took a pull from the cigar and exhaled trying to get rid of the taste of vomit. He looked back at the food wondering if he should scarf some more before he went on. “O’Conner, sssssssoooo nicessss to meet you, heard sssssooooo much about you.”

The shifter looked to the vomit again and then inhaled through the cigar the ashes turning into a bright cherry red as he pulled. ”Sssssssorrryyyyy. Have we met?” he said trying to be funny as he sighed and turned towards the voice. The singing he could be heard again in the background and he ignored the woman with a weird lisp. It was closer now and he wanted to see who was singing because... what a voice.

Mismatched colored eyes fixed on the woman from last night the one who sang and the one whose voice he had been hearing in the back of his head. It was so beautiful even his beast form questioned it, ‘Mate?’ It also happened to be the source of the woman with the lisp.

Carrick was hungover and pretty sore from the night before but he turned on his swagger leaning into the bars his tail flicking behind him. He purred forgetting she had a snake like tongue that flicked at him, ”Been thinking about that voice all night, love. Hands down the best voice I’ve heard. Care ta sing ta me again before I go on and turn up the wow?” the Tarzan loincloth really help him pull off the confidence and the whiskey.

“I do need you at your bessst.” she said as she stepped forward into the light. The woman was wearing the same thing as last night which wasn’t anything to outstanding and her scaly complexion reflected the light as she got closer. He eyed her tongue flicking at him again and his pupils rounded and then glossed over. The purring grew louder from the shifter the closer she got. His eyes met her cold snake like eyes and he smiled flashing his pointed canines. She wasn’t normally the type of woman he went for but he seemed enamored. He was in love.

The snake lady opened her mouth and began to sing, “I need you in the besssst ssssshape tonight. You’re going to make ussss ssssoooo much money.” The shifter crouched down to get closer to her. ”Anything fer ya love, just name it. I’ll give ya the sun yer name till me dying days. Just... don’t stop singing.” she gave him a wide smile glad mutant hybrids were so easy.

She unlocked the cage and Carrick dropped the bottle of whiskey and the cigar into the pile of hay below him zonked out of his mind. He was in love what did he care? The shifter hoped out of the cage and followed the love of his life to the door into the big top. “You’ll know what to do when you go out there. Just put on the besssst ssssshow you’ve ever done and I’ll ssssssing to you. All you want.” she said smiling more while her tongue flicked at him.

”Sure thing.” he said lifting his thumbs up now concerned for his cue. The singing still giving him a stupid grin on his face.

In the big top another ringmaster walked out, one Carrick didn’t recognize. “Ladies and Gentlemen.... Welcome to the best show. Where all our performers are up for grabs....” the lights dimmed and the music started. Meanwhile Carrick clapped like an idiot waiting for his cue the singing still echoing in his head.

The crowds were gathered, the bleachers filled. The concessions had been bought and the exhibits had been viewed. Rides had been ridden, performances gawked at, and all day long, nay! All week long, the festivities had been building to this. Promises of things to come. Hey kid, come back at the end of the week! It’ll be the best thing you’ve ever seen! Hey Miss, ready for a dream to come true? Sir, sir! Tomorrow will thrill you like nothing else!

There were promises, rumors. What was going to happen? What was in store? Weren't circuses old-fashioned? There was disbelief. There was uncertainty. Could it live up to its hype?

Could this change their lives?

Even doubters couldn’t resist, almost like a thought had been placed in their heads, a seductive seed growing root and taking hold. The circus. The circus. This circus. This show. Tonight. The night. The greatest show ever.

The lights went out in the big top and the crowd gasped and lapsed into silence.

A handclap. Spotlight on a man in a flamboyant tuxedo-esque jacket with a fancy hat. He spoke into a microphone hidden someone on him.

“Tonight, you will see things you’ve never encountered. You will face things you’ve never imagined. You will confront your deepest fears and realize your greatest triumphs. For I now give you...the show.”

The light winked out and darkness reigned. And then the music began. The band began to play and orbs of light exploded in the air and the show started.

Acrobats soaring through the air, fire breathers dancing through their flames, stilted men and women gave mock battles.

And at some point, the clowns came out.

“Awwww yeeaaahhhhhh!” Zek cried out in glee as he smashed a pie in another clown's face and dodged a leg sweep. Clown fights!

Zek was a clown. Never a more perfect role ever existed for someone Carrick knew. He seemed to have perfected the role since Carrick last saw him. ”I know him.” Carrick said pointing out Zek in makeup as he dodged a leg sweep. “Yeah? Who cares?” said a stage hand who was busy moving something heavy behind him. Obviously not interested in a stirring performance or talking to someone in a loincloth.

“Carrickkkkk.... time to get ready... oh and here...” the charmer handed Carrick something that looked like breakaway for a horse but it had something resembling a ball gag to it. ”That’s gonna be a no for me love...” he said missing the rest of Zek’s performance wishing he could see the rest of the show. ”Not really me thing... We can try at some point. We don’t like the whole leash thing.” it restrained the neck and it didn’t let him move which was important while performing.

“.....” the charmer hesitated her forked tongue flicking at him. He should have done what she wanted. It was working so well before right? “.....jussssst don’t talk when you ssssshift....” The shifter smirked, ”Careful darling, yer starting to sound like an Ex.” he laughed and then took a few steps away from everyone behind the curtain.

It was a quick and painless shift which was weird, normally he could feel them. This one seemed almost peaceful. Maybe it was the singing. The glassed eyed Gryphon hopped in front of the curtain and lowered as was requested by the song. Someone hopped onto his back.

The Ring Master cleared his throat and waited for the spot light to turn on him before speaking, “And what a bunch of rambunctious Rrrrrrrrapscallions!” he turned quickly brandishing his cape the spotlight turning a hue of blue as fire erupted up from around him. He twirled his mustache a bit as he spoke to add to his character.

“We spread the word this was a show to remember, we have some... creates nay beasts, fearsome yet beautiful forgotten by time and trust me... they are all very real...” the flames behind him died down. Grabbing his hat into a bow and lifting his cane. “I give you the last of his kind, a creature straight out a fairy tale... The one and only Gryphon!!!!” the spotlight died down and he vanished into the darkness hoping Carrick still remembered most of his stunts. The boy was always unpredictable at best.

Carrick’s large form folded it’s wings and snapped at the person riding him. They had spurrs. What a @@@@. His bird like beak opened and he chirpped once before hearing the singing again and his eyes glossed back over. He was performing. He almost forgot.

Spurrs aside Carrick lowered and let out a loud roar before charging out feeling the spotlights on him. Once it was following him he snapped his wings open mid run and leapt into the air belting out a screech and turning while the rider hang on. His heart was racing, he could hear the ‘awe’ , some were screaming ‘look’ while someone Carrick was tempted to dive bomb called him a ‘fake’. This was what he lived for, an audience.