Thread: The Mystic Wonders [ParalyzingLullaby & Enos]

RE The Mystic Wonders The ringleader's assistant, a tall wiry woman in her late twenties named Nadia Kristoff, surveyed the scene with a low groan of frustration. The ringleader was a middle aged woman who rarely handled the circus work herself, preferring to give orders from her tent and let her assistant and the staff handle everything, she rarely felt the need to explain herself and gave little direction, leaving her daughter Nadia to interpret her orders and try to explain them to the often frustrated and overworked staff. With a shake of her head Nadia let her staff deal with the obstinate snake creature while she turned her attention to a rugged looking, muscular man who was holding a map and staring impatiently at her. What do you have for me now Ben? she asked with equal impatience, her voice low for a woman and holding a bit of rasp, but not unpleasant to the ear. It was a voice that suited her face, sharp, with high cheekbones and large eyes sporting dark circles from long nights pouring over the books and working on routines. Her tightly curled red hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, sleek and tidy on top and erupting into wild, shoulder length curls below the ribbon that held it in place. Attractive in her own way but not conventionally so. Her black as midnight eyes glared unblinkingly at her mother's former lover. For once, something that might make ye happy, lass Ben replied. Ben Lennox was a gigantic man, solidly built and nearly six and a half feet tall. He had coarse, whitening blond hair closely cropped to his head and perpetual stubble on his strong chin. In another life he would have been very handsome, with his lightly tanned skin and deep blue eyes but life as a mercenary and treasure hunter had roughened his looks, making his face weathered and craggy beyond what his forty three years would have otherwise allowed him. He unrolled his map and pointed, There, more of yar snake people. I reckon that's where the man who sold ye that one, he gestured to the serpent creature in his cage, Found 'im, he drawled in his gravelly brogue. I wos thinkin' ta meself that it might do yar show some good to find out more about these creatures or maybe even catch a second one. I even heard there was treasure there and tha good laird knows we need all tha help we can get when it comes to our finances, the Scotsman paused and waited for Nadia to study the map and take in what he'd just told her. Nadia looked over at the creature in the cage and then back at Ben, We can barely handle this one, she jerked her thumb over her shoulder, I don't think we need another...but you do have a point, we are running low on funds and treasure might be a good way to solve that, she said. Mother's latest idea was to go hunting for a unicorn. a unicorn , Ben, we got lucky that a live snake-man landed in our laps but I think this menagerie of mythical creatures is starting to get out of hand, most of them really don't even exist...she just thinks they do! she heaved a deep sigh. Ben frowned, the kid was tired, that much was obvious, running this circus while her mother continued to live a life of delusional fantasy was wearing her out and he gave Nadia a rough pat, Tell ye what, we'll let that bearded lady run this show for a few months while you and I go on an expedition ta find this snake city, then we'll get ourselves a heap of treasure, get rich, and rest easy for awhile, aye? he suggested. Nadia gave him a grateful smile, It's a deal, give me that map so I can study it and you can take your men over to the big tent at the edge of camp and wash up, I'll send you all some dinner in half an hour, and with that she dismissed him and went to sit on a barrel near the snake man's cage to pour over the thick parchment. The bearded lady and the handler were already going off for their own break leaving her alone with the creature and the map...