The weeks within the Cirque were silent and calm. Many Scarfoxes had enjoyed their time so far within the many available activities and games, shows, and storytelling. The Ringmaster and Pierro were proud of what they had achieved today after being gone for such a long time. Astral was enjoying his time alongside Alta and the Mini God sleeping upon his scarved arms. The other biomes were just having fun decorating whenever they could and celebrating the month of the Moon’s light. All seemed well.
It was Pierro who noticed it first.
The distractions that the Cirque brought to everyone around kept them from seeing the horrors dripping along the side of the wall. For the first time in a long time, Pierro’s eyes opened to the scene of the shield of light shrinking, and in shock, all his wonderful, shaped balloons slipped from his plush grip. He stumbled for a moment as he turned around to quickly find the Ringmaster. The surrounding Scarfoxes noticed the panic and the strange look in his eyes, wondering what it was, they looked in the direction of his previous standing point. More corrupted Mist continued to spill itself over the wall and the light of the moon began to shrink. Horrid panic screams slowly started to fill the area, as Scarfoxes began to run away from the edges of the protective light of the moon.
Shadow-like shapes of a giant beast sunk into the shield but it still bounced off. The beast sunk back into the creeping Mist that pushed itself on the light. It was for a mere second that the beast showed itself to those still at the edge but not long enough to capture the detail of their body. Swift even to the quickest eye. This was going to be a long night.
Jeremiah and Astral once again had been in casual conversation at the main office. Laughter filled the decorated room surrounded by teas and treats. However, that laughter was soon replaced by screams from the outside of the main tent. Jeremiah looked at Astral with concern and Astral rose from his seat only to be greeted with a rushed opening of the door. Pierro stood trying to catch himself in how to quickly explain the situation.
“The wall… The light is shrinking!!” he finally called out.
“WHAT?!” Jeremiah quickly stood from his seat. “Explain!”
“The corrupted Mist is dripping from the wall’s edges and the light of the moon seems to be shrinking. Everyone is in a panic Jeremiah!” Pierro explained as quickly as he could before darting off again.
“What in the Realm is going on? This has never happened.” Jeremiah moved around his desk and headed for the door. “Astral, has something like this happened before.”
Astral, too, was panicking but more of a worry to say anything further.
Jeremiah frowned, “Spill it Astral, if you know something that can deal with something like this you need to tell me, otherwise those beasts are going to unsew every single one of us.”
Astral once more hesitated to speak of anything and lowered his head to look at the Mini God, who looked to be in distress from his facial expression.
“I - … there is a lot that needs to be said but I cannot explain everything now… “Astral stuttered.
“Dammit, Astral this isn’t the time for one of your riddles. I need your help to try and keep everyone safe until the last hour of the night!” Jeremiah looked angered and could no longer stay still. He quickly darted away from Astral to join Pierro and fight off whatever was trying to break through the barrier.
Astral gazed at the door in silence for a moment and looked back at the Mini God. The many thoughts and voices Astral was hearing were making it hard for him to think of what to do. He would have to do it.
He would have to bring forth the Clock Tower into the Cirque.
Astral began his stride to the outside of the main building, walking among the workers. Those who were ready for a battle and those who were too afraid of whatever impending disaster was to come. There was a tinge of annoyance and another of worry within his Mist.
“It is too early… I am sorry… the power is Unstable, and I can only do so much to keep it under control. From here on out, everyone will know and see. It will be up to them and their choices. I did the best that I could to keep it hidden for as long as I could but eventually, tales and secrets blend and become a living story and others will bear witness to a legend who had long been forgotten, truths that have been kept in silence… this is the turning point of events and there is no escaping it…”
He walked in silence while comforting a pained Mini God in his arms. The Chronicle Book appeared beside him.
“Master is it time?” a gentle voice spoke from the book.
“It seems so… please summon the Clock Tower. I need to finish the remaining threads…”
“As you wish.”
With an eerie golden glow on the book’s pages, Astral walked out to see the impending disaster. The entire wall and the entrance were now covered in pure corrupted Mist. Some Scarfoxes were helping barricade the surrounding area from all sides using their Mist. Others were being guided by Jeremiah to prepare weapons of Moon’s light to fend off the creatures. Pierro was commanding small mist-like creatures to find and bring back any Scarfoxes that did not know of the situation. Everything was in shambles. Scarfoxes were shaking in fear –
“He wouldn’t want this…”
There were a few who held each other in comfort…
“He just wanted everyone to enjoy themselves…”
Some were still missing…
“He would hate to see anyone in pain…”
The Clock Tower appeared overhead, floating in all its glory above the main building in a cloud of Mist. Astral lifted himself off the ground with the Mini God in hand. Floating upward towards the entrance of the Clock Tower.
“Astral!! We need your help!” Jeremiah called out to him from the ground.
Astral returned his gaze to the Ringmaster, “All will be well soon, Jeremiah, please trust me and hold the beast as best as you can!” Without hesitation, he entered the Clock Tower. Jeremiah gazed up at him until he heard, “IT’S COMING!!”. Jeremiah pans around and sees a cloud of Mist approaching.
“Astral you better be right! EVERYONE TO YOUR PLACES!” He commanded as he grabbed his whip from the side of his right hip. Pressing his finger to the moonstone on the hilt of his whip and letting his Mist seep out and be absorbed by the stone, Jeremiah’s whip began to glow with the light of the moon.
“Magia, protect us all!”