Fated To The Cursed Lycan Prince by Dark Knight
Chapter 1169 Walking The Wire
Crystals POV:
Rufus’ words made me realize that we had dawdled for a considerable amount of time. I hurried to catch up with his long strides.
I told myself that we would find Arron soon, and made sure that I had enough energy for the inevitable battle waiting for us.
Rufus pulled the map out of his pocket. I peered over his shoulder, dumbstruck at what I was seeing. It looked just like an abstract artwork done by some kindergartener! I frowned at the mess of lines and colors. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that this… thing had been designed to purposely confuse and mislead people.
“How are we supposed to read this?” I muttered under my breath.
“We’re heading south,” Rufus said without missing a beat, though he did take a few additional glances at the map before folding it again. He then led me down a side road.
I trailed behind him readily. He always had better navigation skills than me. I had every confidence that he would take us to our destination without a hitch. Sure enough, after passing through a sparse forest, we arrived at a mushroom-shaped building about six floors high.
It was fenced off by a white railing, and two men stood guard at the entrance, both of them wearing blue masks. After a moment’s observation, we learned that only those with invitations were allowed entry. I supposed we were in the right place, then. We moved forward, Rufus presented his invitation, and then we were admitted inside.
Once there, I felt as if I had stepped into another world entirely. Thick tapestries hung on the walls, completely blocking out all the light. No lamps were in sight. Instead, candles lit up the place from their places high up on numerous chandeliers. Up front was a giant stage, and it was lit up more than any other part of the hall.
I soon noticed that everyone around us was wielding a short, wand-like cylinder. But we hadn’t been given anything at all. I flagged down a nearby staff and asked, “Did you guys forget to give us something?”
The man simply shook his head and said, “No. Those are monoculars. We provide them to the members of the audience who might not be able to see clearly due to their distance from the stage. You, however, have VIP seats, so you won’t be needing them “
I nodded in understanding and said nothing more. Rufus pulled me over to our designated seats. We eventually sat down at a platform that afforded us the perfect view of the stage, and there was ample space between the seats, ensuring the patrons of some modicum of privacy.
It was just as well, as our conversations were better kept secret.
Before long, the curtains slowly rose before us, and a clown riding a unicycle appeared onstage. He proceeded to perform one dangerous stunt after another.
As Rufus and I were seated close to the stage, I found myself flinching every time the clown approached Despite knowing that it was all a show, I couldn’t help but fear that he would topple over me at any second.
I leaned back against my chair and grew increasingly vigilant as the seconds ticked by. As it was, I noticed that the clown was wearing a unique mask, one that I had never seen around the amusement park since we arrived.
The clown finally ended his performance, and he picked up a microphone. I realized belatedly that he was also the host of the damn freak show.
He made some introductions before leaving the stage, and another act commenced. I perked up as the spotlight shone on a steel wire suspended above us. I initially thought nothing of it, but I soon discovered that it was a prop for the next act.
As soon as it dawned on me, a slender ankle emerged from the dark, followed by the rest of its body-a ragged, armless boy who looked no older than sixteen.
He ambled slowly down the wire, which was bouncing ever so slightly from his weight.
His shabby appearance was a stark contrast to the glittering stage and the ostentatious decor of the entire hall.
I glanced around the audience in alarm, and was quite horrified to see their blank expressions. They were staring intently at the young man, as though nothing was out of place.
Perhaps they thought that it was all just special effects?
With my heart weighing heavily in my chest, I looked up again. In the next second, however, I felt my heart practically jump to my throat.
The young man did a somersault without warning. I almost screamed, but he managed to land back on the wire with his feet, his body bent at a sharp angle as he struggled to regain his balance.