Teodor Osadci's Story

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“And so, ladies and gentlemen, I ask you once more: do you believe in magic?” The smooth, masculine voice seemed to wash over the crowd, many of who were still watching wide-eyed, their mouths varying degrees of agape, and there was no response save that stillness. A Little smile, inscrutable and ever-so-slightly amused, graced the masked man’s expression, and into the silence rang the sharp sound of a snap, causing the multitude of white doves circling the air to burst into showers of multicolored flowers, the petals of which rained down on the people present, only to vanish entirely at the moment they made contact with anything solid.

This, as he knew it would, at last produced some kind of reaction, and the wizard bowed deeply at the waist to the sounds of thunderous applause. And what else would he receive? Every last one of the acts in this circus was world-class, and his was no exception. Indeed, he had been plying his trade for longer than any save the ringmaster himself, and had grown quite adept at playing the heartstrings and emotional responses of his audience, as though his fingers plucked over the harpstrings of their very souls.

There was something in that, something there. That sentiment hit on something he could not quite put to better, clearer words, and even as the curtain came down and he rose from his bow, deftly unmasking himself and blinking bright crimson eyes as they adjusted to the dark, he still wondered at it. There was something… off about him, and there had been since he’d joined this Cirque. It was the way he felt to his own magic, as though there was something vital in most people that he and his fellows lacked. Most days, it did not bother him, and he chose not to linger on the slight discomfiture overmuch. Others… others he would spend in feverish contemplation, at least until he managed to bury himself into his books instead.

With a soft exhalation that sounded suspiciously like a sigh, the magician allowed his stage-smile to drop into his more common neutral expression, and set about the work of packing up his things. He was often the last act of the evening, and he could hear the crowd waking itself from its daze and filing slowly out of the tent. Once they were gone, he reopened the curtain with a gesture, bidding it fold itself neatly with a flick of his wrist. This was the sort of mundane magic he didn’t allow the crowds to see. There was a very delicate balance to be maintained between performing acts fantastical enough to seem magical but also showy enough, studied that someone could also choose to believe them illusions. He understood that the Church did not still hunt witches and warlocks, but there was no mistaking that if his secret was discovered by any outside his fellow Cirque members, it would be his ruin.

With the aid of such everyday spells, even his considerable amount of equipment was packed up in no time, done even as the ringmaster entered the tent, a certain feline hot on his heels. Jasper recognized the cat, but he said nothing, being a man generally disposed to silence anyhow.

Instead, he carefully removed the white gloves from his hands as their… employer was hardly the right word, but it would do for now- spoke, congratulating them all on a job well done. Be that as it may, Jasper had been with the Cirque long enough to recognize a lean night when he saw one; they probably needed to start filling more seats, and as quickly as possible. Even so, he kept his thoughts on this matter to himself. Cedric would know already, and if the others didn’t, he had no intention of worrying them.

Gaston was the first to leave, offering the lot of them a wave, which Jasper returned politely with a raised hand. Their resident fortuneteller, Riza, was the first to actually speak after the announcement, though the words were not directed at him, but at Juliette, and so he paid the conversation no mind. It would be impolite to eavesdrop, even if they were easily-audible. Closing his briefcase with a decisive click, the magician stacked it atop the rest of his things, and then took his leave as well. He did not require much sleep, whatever the reason, and so he’d probably spend the next few hours with his books, before swinging into the hammock in his wagon and dozing until the predawn hours.

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The ocelot sat among the audience, enjoying the show as they did. Her appearance had, as it usually did, at first caused a localized stir in those who noticed her, but it soon became evident enough that she was in fact one of the circus animals, and probably allowed to wander around because she was harmless. This of course earned her much petting and cooing speech, particularly from children, and she was only too happy to let that be as it was. She did this sometimes, transforming and moving among the crowd to watch her friends ply their trades, and today’s performance was drawing to a close, as it usually did, with Jasper’s magic show.

She delighted in the colorful displays, and also in watching the crowd’s reactions to them. There was a lot of gasping and murmurs, which eventually just turned into awed silence. Gaston tended to almost worry them, causing many half-fearful cries when he breathed his flames, which turned into smiling cheers when he was successful. The twins astounded, causing even the most jaded of adult eyes to go round with shock, and Juliette in the sky received many oohs and ahs. Each act had its own unique flavor, and she loved that about this place.

Eventually, Esther’s feline ears perked; he was outside. Slipping away from the enraptured crowd, she made her way outside the tent on noiseless paws, just making it out before the magician released the audience from his spell. She found the ringmaster outside the tent, and made her way there, sitting beside him as the last vestiges of the throng left at last. She felt… content there, beside her rescuer and watching her livelihood almost from the outside. How she truly did love everything about this place, from the bright colors to the nights spent in a wagon to the amusement her friends could always give her. Even the collective silence that pooled between Jasper and Teodor, or the color of Riza’s hair, or the sound Gaston’s footsteps made. All of these little, inconsequential things were precious to her.

Mr. Donovan was making his way into the tent now, and she followed quietly at his heels, expecting that he’d probably address them now. In this respect, she was not disappointed, and she glanced around the tent. She’d taken care of the animal cages and her own supplies earlier, and it looked as though most everyone else was done already also.

They’d be on the road again at sunrise. For her, that sort of thing hadn’t even been an adjustment. Her entire life, Esther had been a nomad, and this was simply a more exciting version of that. Some nights, the forest called to her, but she knew she wasn’t permitted to leave. A small price to pay for all he’d given her. Gaston and Jasper were the first to leave, but Esther was in no particular hurry. She’d meander back to her wagon eventually, but it was not an inconvenience to wait until the others did so before she did as well.

Teodor watched from his seat as Jasper finished his act. He of course knew it was real magic, and the children believed, but the adults just took it for fantastic illusions and slight of hand. Jasper, he knew could do the fake magic tricks as well, after centuries of experience, but it wasn’t his preference. AS the crowded applauded, Teo joined in for a few claps, then got up and pushed the curtain open. He was greeted by bright sunlight, and a large open field. Beyond that was the nearest city. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a night on the town, or ate out. He could still remember the last day he and Manuela spent together as free people.

“Teo!” Manuela’s sweet voice sang out from the trees. Teodor could hear her crunching in the leaves. He chased after her and finally caught up. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear.

“Got you!”

Manuela let out a squeal and tried to wiggle loose from his grip. Her struggling caused them both to fall onto the ground. They laughed for a while, and it was the first time they had in a while. It had been over 5 years since they had seen their parents, and the freedom they now owned was intoxicating. “Teodor, what’s that?” Manny asked and sat up, pointing at a large tent-like structure with torches set up around it.

“I don’t know,” Teo said and stood up. He held out a hand to his sister and helped her up. “Let’s go.” Manny smiled and brushed off her green dress. They made their way over to the Cirque, not knowing they were taking their last three steps. Manny saw Cedric and she blushed. Teodor noticed her and shook his head. “Let’s go ask him what this is.”

“Pardon me!” Manuela called out to the man in a sweet swing song voice. Her Romanian accent was strong when she spoke English. She assumed that was the language he spoke. He looked English. She kept her gaze on his eyes. As he explained the Cirque, she was intoxicated with the idea of living forever. “I’m an entertainer,” she mused. That was the only way for her and Teodor to get money at the moment. “And my brother and I are special.” She looked to her twin, who seemed slightly uneasy. He wasn’t fond of the idea of eternity, but the look in his sister’s eyes broke his heart.

“Yes,” He said and put his head against his sisters, and they fused together. “Siamese twins by choice.”

Within the hour they had signed the contract and sold their souls. For a while, he tried to enjoy himself, but he found it impossible to forgive himself for letting his sister do this.

He took a deep breath and returned into the ring in time to hear Cedric’s announcement. He walked over to his space wheel and rolled it over to his wagon. He laid down and soon he was fast asleep.



Manuela was sitting next to her brother, watching Jasper’s show in awe. She never grew bored of it. Even after 400 years, she was still amazed by his magic shows, and his astounding voice, asking the crowd to question reality. She joined the crowd in their applause and smiled brightly. When she sat back down, Teodor had disappeared. She frowned, but was then crowded by a group of people. Most were children, asking if she could show them her tricks again.

“Of course, but not all of them.” She smiled. She still had on her spandex body suit and extravagant make-up, so she felt she couldn’t refuse. She twisted herself into a pretzel, then unfolded and stood up again. She puffed her cheeks out while she thought. “What do you guys want to see?” she asked. All of a sudden she heard the familiar sound of Gaston’s laugh and kids laughing as well. The few children that were talking to her, took off to go talk to Gaston. She smiled and walked over as well.

“Quite the star, huh?” She smiled and winked at him. Cedric walked over and told them to rest, they were leaving early. She frowned and walked over to her wagon. She noticed that Teodor had returned and was fast asleep. She wasn’t looking forward to the early morning. She sighed climbed into her wagon. She stripped off the suffocating body suit and pulled on a flowy floral dress. She fixed her hair and stepped out, barefooted and leaned against her wagon, looking for a way to entertain herself.

The heat from the spot lights beat down on her as she wrapped her legs and arms around the deep red silk that reached just above the dirt floor below. The air has humid, and seemed only intensified by the packed bodies of the audience that circled below. Time seemed infinite to Juliette as she danced above their heads, feeling the rush of the moment with every oh and ah…but soon it came time for her to take her bow, and with a raised of both hands and a brilliant smile, the young Aerial silk acrobat said her goodnight to the audience that for that short moment had been hers.
Cedric’s deep voiced filled the room as she made her bow allowing her to make a quick exit as her assured the children the magic was far from over. A smile covered her face as Juliette stood behind a prop awaiting the end of the night…..Jasper’s magic act.

His entrance was made and silence filled the once noisy tent. Although the secret to his act was far from unknown to Juliette, she still watched in awe every time he set foot in the center of the ring. Magic was a thing of wonder, and the idea that true wizards existed only added to that feeling.
Jasper’s act went on for some time, but soon the tent flap was closed and the acts were free to roam the now empty ring. Juliette had just begun to roll up a mat when Cedric made his presence known, Esther sneaking behind him.

The news they would be leaving was no shock to Juliette. Even in her short time here, just four months she now realized, they had traveled to more towns than she could count on one hand….not to mention the countries! The idea of how Cedric managed it was a mystery, and Juliette often wondered how a single day could allow them enough time to make such distance.
But that was just one of the mysteries of the circus, she decided as she said her goodnights and made her way to the wagon she now called home. She had just gotten to the door when a familiar voice grazed her ears“Hey, Riza.” Juliette said with a smile “Same as every day.”

As she turned to face the fortune teller, and shadow moving just beyond the trees caught her eye, and she glanced twice in shock…but it was gone just as face as it came. It was only a few moments later Cedric’s voice echoed through the empty field “To your wagons, all of you! Get rest now. There won’t be time in the morning for sleeping in!”

Nodding her head to Riza, Juliette gave the woman a soft goodnight as Cedric’s more panicked voiced called “Goodnight all!” Closing her door with a sigh she couldn't help but wonder what had gotten under Cedric's skin so quickly.

As she lay in her bed, Juliette’s gaze kept wondering to the window just to her right. Just has she rose to close the curtain, the shadow showed itself…only thing time closer. Kneeling to get a better look, Juliette wiped the fog from the glass and gazed to the darken world outside. Suddenly, a loud knock sounded as if a person had hit the wooden side of her small home. Jumping up she scampered to the door, ripping it open with a harshly whispered “Hello?” Steeping out into the empty field, Juliette continued searching for the person responsible for the loud bang, and called softly into the darkness awaiting a reply.

After searching for what seemed like ages and receiving no answer, Juliette closed her door with a slight click, unaware of the shadow that stood just behind her. Turning to return to bed, she couldn’t help but feel like she wasn’t alone, but as sleep over took her, the feeling eased away and a blissful sigh escaped her lips. The girl never knew of the smirking figure that rested in a darken corner….eager to reunite with an old companion.