Warning: Mentions of murder. Non-graphic-description of vomiting also occurs in this chapter, and I warn this in case there are those triggered by it.

2. Invitation

Geist The Bloody waited by the carousel when Kamiizumi came back to the carnival the next night, still sporting those bloodstained clothes of his. Despite his bloody appearance, Kamiizumi found that the smell of cotton candy helped to offset the scent of dried blood the other man carried.

"You came." Geist raised an eyebrow, lips pursed briefly, before he giggled. "You came!"

"Yes." Kamiizumi stated, giving one nod. "I did."

"What made you come back?"

What did make him come back? Kamiizumi was surprised the other man would dare ask him about that, given what happened the previous night.

"You. You made me come back. You did suggest that I come back to see you again, after all. You said you wanted to see me. I thought I'd oblige that request."

The other looked incredulous at the statement, perhaps truly surprised. But then he giggled, his whole body shuddering again as he ran a gloved hand through short, messy brown locks.

"Wonderful!" The Bloody smiled his toothy smile, and he gracefully offered a hand to the Swordmaster. "Come, follow. I have things to show you…that is, if you want to see them."

Kamiizumi gazed down at Geist's hand, took a breath, and placed his hand in the other's own. He wasn't quite sure what the man was playing at, or why he would act like this towards him.

But…he wanted to know more about this place.

And about him.

He wanted to know more about him.

In The Past

Geist woke.

He inhaled slowly, then gagged at the iron stench. He knew that smell too well, from the wounds he'd healed with his magic to seeing his late wife give birth.

Something itched in his mind as he got up, realizing he was on the ground. He soon realized he felt something damp on his fingers.

What…?

He groggily gazed down at his hands.

They were dripping with blood.

The man shrieked as he tried to wipe it off, using his coat to help, but soon realized that was as bloody as the rest. Gagging at the sight once more, he felt his stomach turn and he knew it couldn't be good.

Bending over, using one hand to lean against a post as he threw up, he tried to recall what happened but it was a blur in his head. Wait, no…something was coming back to him now.

Blood dripping, oozing out of skin.

Shallow cries of mercy.

A smile across his face as the knife dug deep into flesh.

"You woke up."

Geist looked up to see none other than the Ringmaster who'd warmly greeted him and his son at the gates, the man who'd invited them to see that special show. Geist coughed up the last of his vomit, wiping his mouth with a clean part of his sleeve as he looked to the other man. He nearly put a hand to his face but then pulled it back, reminded by the smell of blood on it. It was all coming back to him, now. His jaw clenched as he looked up at the Ringmaster.

"You…where am I?" Geist looked around, realizing someone was else was absent—his son was absent. "Where is my son!?"

The Ringmaster tilted his head to his left, and Geist looked in the same direction.

His son was not there, but it was a man. And just like Geist, he was covered in blood as well. The distinct difference between the two, however, was that Geist was alive.

This man was dead, given that he wasn't moving. The knives sticking out of his body did not help the image. Geist fought the instinct to vomit again as he looked to the Ringmaster.

"I didn't…do this, did I?"

The Ringmaster was silent, gazing at him neutrally through the black mask.

"Have mercy!"

"You had none, so why should I!?"

"N-no, no—AAHGH!"

"Did I do this?" Geist repeated, snarling as he turned to fully face the Ringmaster. He hated how the man refused to answer, hated how the man was silent!

"Tell me!"

He lunged at the man, grabbing him by the collar. The Ringmaster pushed back at him, and the two soon ended up grappling with each other. Geist tried to let go of one of the other's hands so he could grab him by the neck, but the younger man wasn't letting go. Silently, roughly, they continued to struggle.

One more dagger.

Snicker-snack!

He left him dead.

And went galumphing back, bathing in his blood—!

The wind was knocked out of Geist's lungs, for a moment, as the Ringmaster suddenly headbutted him before pushing him into nearby crates, knocking them over. The older man groaned at the aching that began in his head, then hissed as he realized one of the now-broken crate shards also cut into his shoulder. As he used a hand to begin pulling at it, he paused, shaking his head and letting go of it.

"U-Undo…"

The shard pulled out by itself, clattering onto the ground. Geist grimaced as he saw his own blood begin dripping from the wound, and he used "undo" on that as well as he heard the Ringmaster speak.

"You did it, Geist. You killed him."

…

A giggle.

A roar of laughter, slicing and dicing ever so madly, ever so prettily.

"You ambitious man…vengeance is finally…mine…"

Present Day

Kamiizumi gazed around the carnival as he and Geist walked past several booths. Despite it all the lights put out and the rest of the carnies having gone to sleep, as Geist earlier explained to him, there was this strange sort of charm to the area that remained.

Perhaps it was the fading smell of popcorn and cotton candy that did the trick, or the fact that he was still in the company of one (and possibly only) carnie that was still awake right now. Either way, it was still charming, despite this carnival being so empty.

He grimaced as he felt the dryness of his throat. He hadn't drank anything prior to arriving, something he now regretted. Either he got a cup of tea or water soon, or interact with water in some way…

He caught sight of one of the signs hanging in front of the entrance to a tent.

The Siren: Coming Soon

"Siren?"

Geist blinked, looking to him. "Hm?"

"The Siren." Kamiizumi nearly croaked, looking to Geist. "That's what the sign says. Did you acquire a new act recently? Is…this what you want to show me?"

The other man chuckled slightly as he looked to the sign. "Well…yes, actually. The Siren itself is not available quite yet, but I thought…why not show a special someone what the area they reside in looks like?"

A sneak peek at an upcoming attraction? It made Kamiizumi wonder where they recruited this Siren in the first place. He was still holding Geist's hand as the other looked around in case anyone else was nearby and watching. Once Geist was sure the coast was clear, he pushed aside the tent flap and led him inside.

Green and blue silk hung from the rods and other supporting columns the tent had. A half-circle of empty seats were in front of a large, circular pool. As the two men neared the pool, Kamiizumi saw that it was already filled with water. His parched throat wanted to drink from it, but he knew he didn't have to do that to appease himself, either.

Besides, drinking from a pool meant for swimming in would be rather strange.

"It's beautiful." Kamiizumi managed, looking to Geist. "I think the Siren would like it."

Geist chuckled slightly, a half-grin on his face as he looked to him. "I'm glad to hear that! I did decorate it myself, after all."

"Did you, now…?" Kamiizumi looked around the tent, inhaling slowly. There was something ethereal about the area, despite its simple décor. Perhaps it was the pool that glimmered in the moonlight filtering through the cloth walls and ceiling of the tent that helped with the effect. "I'm surprised."

The other sheepishly giggled. "Surprising people is my specialty."

The thirst was getting to him. The parchedness he felt, not just in his throat, but also elsewhere. Nearly burning, if he wanted to describe it that way.

"Geist?"

The other blinked, looking to him. "Yes, Kamiizumi?"

The Swordmaster swallowed, looking to the water, then up at him.

"Is it okay if I just…sit by the pool and dip my legs in? Just for a few moments?"

Geist looked slightly puzzled at the request, but nodded in approval.

"It is fine. The Siren won't mind."

The Swordmaster stared a bit. "The Siren is already in this pool?"

The Bloody chuckled. "Oh, no. They're not in there now, I assure you."

"I-I see."

The Swordmaster didn't waste any time as he sat down by the edge of the water. As he reached down to pull off his sandals, putting them to the side before pulling up the skirt of his kimono, the silk cloth bunched up just above his knees.

"…Your legs."

He looked to Geist as the other spoke, and then to his lower legs, exposed and scaly for the other to see. Running a hand over his lower right leg, he grimaced as he felt how dry it was. The texture was somewhat leathery, but not quite—it was hard to explain. He dipped his legs into the water, and he inhaled slowly as he savoured the coolness sinking into them.

"I see you noticed." The Swordmaster sighed and looked to the water, water pooling around his knees as he used both hands to keep the skirt of his kimono hiked up to prevent it getting wet. He debated over whether he should tell Geist what he wanted to tell him. It was risky, and in a way this secret gave him a freakish sort of quality to him. Any ordinary person might be disgusted by such a thing.

But then again, this place was a carnival, and Geist was nowhere close to ordinary. Perhaps they would accept it. He decided to take that risk.

As Geist sat down next to him, Kamiizumi turned his head to face him properly as he spoke.

"I was a military commander in a civil war, some years ago." He started. "One of my subordinates released a Toxic Mist, despite my explicit banning of it, that decimated many of our foes and some of our own forces. I survived, but," He gestured to his legs, "I wasn't left unscathed."

Geist was silent as he gazed at the other's scaly legs, and motioned for him to continue. The other sighed.

"Despite attempted treatment to remedy the effects of the toxins, they ended up mutating my legs so they look like this. Going without water for too long is more deadly to me than any normal person. In a way, it's my 'freak' quality."

A weary chuckle escaped his lips.

"Ever since the war, I've been travelling on my own. I rarely stick to one place because of the reputation I've earned due to my actions and what happened back then, and it's difficult to be on the go all the time without enough water on hand. I'm sorry…that you had to find out."

Geist frowned a little, shaking his head.

"That's not something to be sorry about." He quipped. "It's not your fault you ended up this way, is it?"

Kamiizumi looked to him, lips pressed together firmly before stiffly nodding.

"Geist, it is. I was the commander, I should take responsi—"

"It is not your fault." The other cut in. Red eyes gazed right into Kamiizumi's own, and the Swordmaster felt himself freeze, if only for a moment. "You didn't order the foolish subordinate to do it."

Kamiizumi fell silent. He wanted to argue otherwise, but the other man was right with what he said. It wasn't like Kamiizumi himself hadn't released the Toxic Mist, after all.

Geist took note of his silence, and he looked away for a moment in thought. He then looked to Kamiizumi again, asking.

"Is it only your legs that are this scaly-looking?"

The Swordmaster found it odd the other changed the subject so soon, but answered anyway.

"Yes. I'm not sure what I'd do if my whole body looked that way."

"Well…" Geist offered him a soft smile. "It's not as bad as you think. I mean," He looked a little sheepish, "The conditions that come with it, such as your relentless thirst, are unfortunate. But something tells me that you have a taste for the water no one else does."

"A...taste?" Kamiizumi wasn't sure what to make of that statement.

Geist chuckled. "Yes. A taste. It's almost like you and the water are a good match for each other."

"I don't know if that's supposed to be a compliment, but…thank you."

Both men chuckled at that.

In The Past

Geist went quiet as the last of what happened before crossed his mind. He felt his eyes go wide as he stared up at the Ringmaster, trying not to gag further on the scent of blood.

"I…." He looked to the corpse of the man, and then up at the Ringmaster. "Who…who was it that I killed?"

The Ringmaster walked forwards, getting onto a knee to face him properly.

"The man you killed," He stated, his voice neutral, "Was my father. Griede Geneolgia. The ambitious man, you called him. I can see why you consider him so, Geist Grace."

Geist put a hand to his own mouth, and did not pull it away despite the bloody stench. It was an instinct, a fear, that people might recognize him. Ever since the Plague, he never liked being recognized by others.

"You know me."

The words flew out of Geist's mouth faster than he thought, just as he lowered his hand.

"How..?"

The Ringmaster gazed at him, keeping that strange neutral look.

"The sight of your son with you tipped me off." He explained smoothly. "It's not every day that one sees a smoking, glowing suit of armor."

The other man growled. "That is my son you are talking about, and he is more than a suit of armor."

"Of course, of course…forgive me. I didn't mean to demean your son, Geist. Speaking of which…he is perfectly safe and unharmed, if you must know where he is. I can bring you to him after I'm finished explaining things."

Geist forced himself to take a deep breath, nodding numbly. He just wanted to see his son. What good was it now, knowing that he'd murdered a man? But the name Griede reminded him of the Plague from so long ago.

"So…" Geist looked to the corpse, then to the Ringmaster. "Is that all I did? You let me kill your father? You sought me out for that purpose?"

"I admit that was part of it. I believe you had a taste for revenge that needed sating, and you seemed awfully satisfied once my father did kick the bucket." The Ringmaster smirked, and Geist grimaced at that. "I see you don't fully remember—that's a look I've seen in other's eyes."

"Why else do you want me?" Geist demanded. He was still uneasy about the other man, watching him closely.

The Ringmaster smiled.

"Because I think you and your son would be good to have in this carnival. What you want is along the lines of what the rest of us want, too."

"And that is….?"

Present Day

"What was it like?"

Geist blinked, looking to Kamiizumi sitting across him. Both of them were still sitting by the pool, but noticeably enough Kamiizumi had pulled his legs out of the water at some point, the skirt of his kimono covering them entirely and hiding the scaly bits from view.

"Pardon?" Geist managed, blinking. "Apologies, I wasn't…quite there at the moment."

"What was it like," Kamiizumi repeated, "When first you joined this carnival?"

Geist hummed, moving to stand. Kamiizumi did so as well. After a moment, the Bloody looked to him.

"Well," Geist's hand rose, gently touching the other's cheek, "It didn't have you in it."

Kamiizumi hadn't expected the other to touch him in such a manner. He nearly jumped at the touch, feeling how cold Geist's hand was despite being covered by a glove, but he did not fully jerk away from it, either. He stayed silent, daring to gaze into Geist's eyes, silently. Geist gazed back in return, not letting go, but not tightening his grip, either.

Kamiizumi broke the stare, closing his eyes for a moment, before opening them again.

"Is this an invitation for me to join?"

It was only then that Geist lowered his hand from the Swordmaster's chin, letting it fall to his side and resting there.

"Only if you want to."

The Swordmaster thought he saw a little half-smile on Geist's face. The bloody man chuckled slightly, his attention completely on the other, and there was the hint of something in his eyes. Kamiizumi wasn't sure what it was, but it wasn't anything malicious.

If anything, the man was truly inviting him to join.

"I…"

Kamiizumi opened his mouth to speak, but faltered, closing it. Geist frowned softly.

"I'm not forcing you to choose now." The Bloody managed, and there was a bit of guilt in those eyes of his. "You can come back and tell me then, if that is helpful."

"Why ask me to join in the first place?" Kamiizumi finally managed. "I'm grateful that you'd give me this opportunity, but we only just met the other night, and I don't know if whoever is in charge of this place would approve…"

"Oh, 'Tsuna—Leave it to me." Geist responded, and Kamiizumi felt the other place his hands in his own. "I plan to talk to the Ringmaster about this. We need some more helping hands here, after all, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind another joining us on our journey. He'll approve."

The Swordmaster nodded, squeezing the other's hands.

"I understand." He whispered. "I trust you."

He saw Geist smile softly again, and Kamiizumi couldn't help but grin in return.

Geist looked around, then to him.

"You should go." He whispered. "The others might wake soon."

"Yes, of course…" Kamiizumi let go of his hands, moving towards the exit of the tent, but then he felt Geist gently grab his hand again. "Hm?" He looked to the other. "What is it?"

Geist hesitated, letting go of him, before speaking.

"Go through the back entrance." He uttered. "I'll wait for you by this tent."

The other nodded. "I will. And…" He paused, looking down, then up at him. "Thank you, Geist."

The Bloody simply gave him a silent smile before Kamiizumi left the tent.

He'd only just left the tent when he heard someone speak.

"I saw you with him, you know."

Kamiizumi turned to see someone, leaning against a pole supporting the tent where he and Geist were in. His hair was green, obviously dyed, with a pale streak in it, obvious in the light from the lanterns hanging around the carnival. This person couldn't be beyond teenage years given how he looked, and yet he was smoking a pipe.

Kamiizumi tried not to inhale the pipe's smoke, waving it out of his face with one hand. "Saw me with who?" He asked, frowning.

The other scoffed, turning to fully face him, thick red shoulder-pads, collar, and buttons contrasting with the darkness of his long, black coat, and Kamiizumi thought he saw silver glinting from the jacket cuffs.

"The reaper, that's who." Smoke kept coming from his lips, and the older man found himself increasingly despising the stench. "Don't play the innocent frog role. I know you're seeing that scorpion."

"Seeing him?" He felt his ears warm at such a suggestion. "I only met him just yesterday."

"And yet you're the type to wander, right? You don't usually stick around one place."

Kamiizumi hadn't told the teen that. Eyes narrowing, a thick weight rose in his chest as he examined the teen, giving him a look.

"You eavesdropped on the both of us." Kamiizumi's voice was stoic. It hadn't been this stoic in so long. "Why should I listen to someone who'd be so rude to do that?"

"Because," The teen snapped, "You don't want to be near that guy. He's not exactly an amiable kind of guy, if you get what I mean."

"I understand he has his…unconventional side with all the blood." Kamiizumi stated. "But he's a lot kinder than he looks."

"No, you don't. You don't get it." The teen went over to him, glaring up at him. "He might look like he's playing nice, but trust me—you don't want to be near him. What happened to the frog when it agreed to let the scorpion ride on its back across the water? Think about it."

Before Kamiizumi could say another word, the teen turned and ran off.

"Wait! What do you mean by…?"

Kamiizumi rushed after him, but as he turned a corner in the attempt to follow, the guy was gone. The Swordmaster frowned, shaking his head.

Why do people keep disappearing? Or rather, how do they do that?

He needed to talk to Geist the next night about this. And more.