11. History: Ringmaster Asthar and Contortionist Therius

Summary: One night after being asked by Calista about the past, Asthar decides it's a good opportunity to tell her about how he and Therius started Carnevale di Felicita.

Characters: Acrobat Calista, Ringmaster Asthar, Contortionist Therius, Arganan

"Ringmaster?"

"Yes?"

Asthar and Calista sat in the in the Ringmaster's tent with Therius. The Ringmaster put the Acrobat and the Contortionist in charge of counting up the money earned from past events.

The Acrobat looked up from counting the money to face Asthar. "How did you and Therius come up with the idea to start this carnival? Why even start it at all?"

Therius blinked, looking to Calista. "I thought I already answered that question earlier, Calista." The Contortionist started. "That we just want to bring happiness to people, despite the illness spreading all over the Empire and all. To remind people that they shouldn't let everything feel bleak to them just because of something like that."

Asthar chuckled a bit, grinning. "I suppose that does make for a good answer, though as of how the origins of the carnival were created...well, let's just say it all started with seeing how sad everyone else was."

"Sad?" Calista repeated, an eyebrow perking upwards in interest. "And who do you mean by 'everyone,' Ringmaster?"

Asthar smiled at her still, but it was leaning towards the grim side. "You see, it was when the diseases started spreading. Everyone began to be more lifeless, just going through the motions. I couldn't stand everyone being so sad. Neither could Therius. At the time, we used to be knights. But we left."

Calista blinked. "But...knights help people, don't they? Why did you leave knighthood, then?"

Therius bit his lower lip. "The so-called knights you see nowadays were just as sad as the people. They had no aspiration to lift their mood, and they only seemed to care more for themselves. Some people only tried to become knights just so that they could afford enough medicine to treat their sick family members, to have enough food. They only joined for the sake of getting a paid job, to help themselves and not others."

"But if they were getting those jobs to be knights to get enough money to help their families, isn't that alone noble enough?"

The Contortionist let out a slow sigh, nodding. "Yes, it was. But then they grew arrogant with the riches they could gain from the work as knights, grew selfish. All we could do was watch. We could not help them stay as they were when they first joined, to help people and to do with what they were paid with to help their own families also. So we left."

Asthar took up the topic from there, continuing where Therius ended. "Therius and I traveled for a while, just wandering, and then we thought of something. Since no one else was going to bring joy to the people to forget their pains for a little while...why not us? So we started up the carnival with nothing but one or two tents, and wandered all over the place to find people to recruit. We found Yurick first, then Mirania. After that, it was Dagran, Zoran and Ariela."

Therius smiled slightly. "The Gurak brothers Zesha and Zepha followed after that, shortly followed by Syrenne and Lowell. Then you, Jirall and Zael came along...and now we have your uncle, Count Arganan."

"I see...thank you for telling me, Ringmaster." Calista smiled. "You started this carnival to bring happiness to the people. That's a noble goal..."

"Thank you." Asthar hesitated, before speaking. "Calista, I should probably tell you this. Your uncle and I were talking earlier about him setting up a portable laboratory in his tent of sorts, to research and find a cure for the disease around the entire Empire. He's already convinced himself that you're just going to say no to going back to Lazulis, so..." He looked up at her as he trailed off.

Calista bit her lower lip. "My uncle is...trying to find a cure...?" She repeated.

She couldn't believe that. Her uncle never liked to get his hands dirty directly with any situation offered to him, as far as she remembered, ever since her parents' death. It was like as if he felt unworthy to scratch more than just the surface of something.

But now he was plunging into something dangerous completely. Finding a cure would mean testing things out, and what if those tests went wrong? Her uncle's condition could get worse...he could even die.

"Ringmaster!" The tent flap opened, only for Arganan to rush in. He panted a bit, trying to catch his breath as Asthar turned to him.

"What is it, Arganan?"

Arganan looked up at him, taking a deep breath. "You said that running a lab would obviously require money, yes? I was thinking...I could be a carnie. A Knife Thrower. I could...attract more customers that way."

Calista stared at her uncle in disbelief. "Since when could you throw knives?"

Her uncle responded by taking out a knife (Asthar recognized it as one of the knives they used to cut the chicken they bought for dinner) and throwing it straight at a poster, hitting the figure of Jirall on the poster right between the eyes.

Asthar let out a low whistle. "Impressive, considering you did that so quickly." He commented.

"Thank you."

Therius and Calista just exchanged glances, before Therius looked to Asthar. "Ringmaster, does this mean.."

"Well," Asthar started, "Considering that it will take extra money to build a laboratory, a new act might be just what we need to do that." He grinned. "Very well, Arganan. Welcome to the Carnevale di Felicita-for real."

Arganan grinned slightly. "Thank you..."

"...Though we're going to need to do something about your appearance. I doubt you want your cover blown, do you?"

Arganan winced at that. "True."

Calista bit her lower lip. "Are you sure this is...safe?"

Arganan sighed, looking to his niece. "Calista. I know you don't approve of this, but if we're going to find a cure, we have to take some risks."

Therius, meanwhile, was thinking up names. "Names for a Knife Thrower...Arsen? Ace...?"

Asthar chuckled. "I like the sound of it. Knife Thrower Ace. Wonderful name for a Knife Thrower, isn't it?"

Even Arganan didn't know how to respond to that this time, as he was exchanging awkward glances with Therius and Calista.

Author note: So...introducing our newest (and probably my last) carnie in the fic, Knife Thrower Ace AKA Count Arganan. XD You're probably wondering how I put him together, so the explanation is below. XD

Knife Thrower Ace/Arganan: You know how Count Arganan was deadly with the way he treated people in the game, since he was rough with Calista and is also mentioned to have people 'disappear' after having trouble with him? I originally wanted him as a medium but I thought it would be too close to what Fortuneteller Mirania already does, and Knife Throwers can be deadly with their knives and all, so that is why I have him in that role. XD

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing so far, and I really appreciate it! XD If any of you want to request any certain carnie History chapter to be up next, go ahead and suggest it in the reviews! The remaining options are:

Clown Zael, Acrobat Calista, and Gamemaster Jirall

Tamer Zoran and Ticketkeeper Ariela

The Illusionists, Zesha and Zepha

Strongwoman Syrenne, Strongman Dagran and Icebreather Lowell

Firebreather Yurick

Fortuneteller Mirania

Knife Thrower Ace/Count Arganan

Hope to see you next chapter, and thanks for reading! XD