Parvenu: [5] Son & Heir/Sun & Air

"Paul? Do you want to help us with the grand finale?" G called out hopefully.

"I can't turn down an opportunity like that. I'll be right back." Paul said to his father and Elder Tisthmus before dashing away to join his brothers.

"He told me that you're not really of the Huell people." Elder Tisthmus said absently as they watched the grand finale ramping up to the next level.

"That's right. I adapt to the realm we're visiting to make it easier to interact with the indigenous people and address their concerns." D said as he kept the majority of his attention on the celebration.

With Paul's arrival, intermittent fireworks of all colors began snapping and flashing in the air above the delighted crowd.

"So are you a demon, like your son?" Elder Tisthmus asked cautiously.

"No. Paul is adopted. I'm an Earth Realm witch. I have a biological son, he's the clown playing the calliope." D said proudly.

"What a glorious spirit he seems to have."

"Yes. And I'm so happy to see it. I had hoped that coming here would end up affording a chance for him to learn more about himself." D said honestly, then thought to add, "The other two, the Pegasus and the unicorn, can be counted as my sons as well, although they've come to me more recently."

"It bodes well for them to have such power and for them to put it to such delightful use." Elder Tisthmus said warmly.

"I suppose so." D cautiously agreed, then explained, "I'm still expecting at least one of them to make a questionable decision and need to be bailed out."

"I can't speak regarding the others, but Paul seems to be quite level-headed. He appears to be willing to explore and try new things while maintaining a reasonable amount of restraint. I've noticed that the young of the Huell rarely take delight in their magic, except in the context of a competition. They craft elaborate spells to outdo each other and prove how strong they are in their magic. But what good is strength that isn't directed to a purpose? What good is magic that is meaningless?"

"I'm sure that some people would say that the magic we're witnessing right now is frivolous and perhaps even meaningless." D stated simply.

"This combination of music and magic is uplifting. It inspires and brings joy into the world." Elder Tisthmus said frankly.

"And competitive magic doesn't?" D asked curiously.

"I suppose it's a matter of degrees. The uplifting magic and the competitive magic can both provide inspiration, but they can also both be misused and taken to an unhealthy extreme."

"Yes. I'm a fan of moderation. Maybe not in all things, but where it makes sense." D said simply.

"I can see the value in what you're saying. With your moderation philosophy you're providing the nurturing that your sons need to develop a sense of security. At the same time, you're allowing them the freedom to gain self confidence that they will need in their later lives."

"I hope you're right because I don't have a backup plan if it doesn't work."

"From what I've seen of Paul, you won't need one. Keep doing what you're doing and I'm sure your boys will be fine." Elder Tisthmus said confidently.

"I'm glad you think so, but there's a lot more going on with them than you can see, and a lot more than I can tell you. Let's just say that there are forces at play over which I have little to no control."

"Let me guess... In-laws? Work? Perhaps a vengeful old rival? Such things happen, and not just to you. I don't know what forces you're talking about, but I can assure you that we all have things pulling and tearing at us, trying to destroy what we're trying to build. It's called life." Elder Tisthmus said sagely.

"Thank you for putting it into perspective for me, Elder. I'll try to keep that in mind." D said sincerely, then thought to add, "I was told about a performance by a fairy dance troop and was thinking of taking the boys. Would you care to attend with us?"

After a moment to consider, Elder Tisthmus finally said, "I suppose there wouldn't be any harm. If there is a problem with my people, I'm confident that they will seek me out."

"It looks like the boys are about to give their grand finale." D said with a smile.

"Their uninhibited celebration amazes me. It brings me joy just watching them." Elder Tisthmus said wistfully.

"Then I'm sure you'll understand why I'd like to preserve this moment in some fashion."

"How's that?" Elder Tisthmus asked curiously.

D made a quick gesture that could easily be mistaken for him swatting at a flying insect. Once he was done, he finally said, "I've made a quick imprint that I can render in an album later. It's something like a photograph, except that I don't have the bother of a camera."

"I hear your words, but I don't understand what you're saying." Elder Tisthmus said slowly.

"Your people may not have developed that technology." D said speculatively, then continued, "I just caught the image of a frozen moment that I'll be able to go back to and make a painting or sketch of it so that I can be reminded of the events of this day."

"How would that be different from me going home and sketching what I've seen from memory?" Elder Tisthmus asked curiously.

"I'll have access to a little more detail and I'll be able to turn it so that I can get the best viewing angle, but it'll end up being basically the same thing."

The fireballs started popping in rapid succession while ribbons and confetti continued to fill the air. People were cheering and bouncing with joy as they followed along with G's grandiose music. Mr. Sticks was the embodiment of emotion as he took his dancing to a nearly acrobatic degree.

"Little showoff." D said fondly.

A blinding series of flashes and pops preceded a jarring moment of darkness and silence.

Even D, who had seen it coming, held his breath in anticipation.

A dim haze of Wizard's lights cast a warm glow over the crowd as the carnival seemed to come into focus all around them.

"Did we just travel to another realm?" Elder Tisthmus asked uncertainly.

"No. I'm sure we didn't. Although that combination of lights, sounds, and sorcery illusions made it seem as though we did for a moment." D confirmed.

"What a joyous, delightful thing. I'm so glad that I visited tonight." Elder Tisthmus said with a tranquil smile.

"Boys! There's going to be a show starting in a few minutes. We need to be going." D called loudly to be heard by all his boys.

"Is that the one Bob was telling us about?" Paul asked, a little breathlessly as he ran up to his father and the elder.

"Yes. Shows tend to start at the top of the hour, so we should be going if we want to see the beginning." D said seriously.

"Guys! Come on! We're going to see a show. A friend of mine is going to be part of it." Paul called to his brothers as he transformed back to his human-looking, waking self.

G remained in his clown form and approached with Mah Zah once again perched on his shoulder.

Lex and Lucky simultaneously transformed from their animal forms back into their fully human looking appearance, Lex choosing his 'Cousin Lex' form.

"Can our new friends come with us?" Lucky asked hopefully.

Paul seemed to be about to answer, but instead looked at his father with question.

"Yes. Of course they can. I'm sure the fairy troop will appreciate the show of interest in their production." D said as he gestured for his boys to follow.

Mr. Sticks fell in at D's side, which was his rightful place.

"Thanks for showing them how it's done." D said to his companion with a level of affection born from familiarity.

* * * * *

"I think clowns are wonderful." A young voice said from behind G.

He glanced behind him and saw an adolescent Huell boy looking back at him with undisguised adoration.

Before G could think of how to respond, the boy continued, "I was just wanting to know, how do you become one?"

"It's different for different people." Grief said as he fell into step at G's side

G motioned for the boy to walk between him and Grief.

"I became a clown as a way to escape from my problems." Grief said honestly.

"Do you regret it?" G asked curiously, not having the vaguest inkling of Grief's history.

"No. Not at all. I love being a clown. I'm just saying that not everyone becomes one the same way, or for the same reasons. I think it's important for our friend here to know that before he makes any important decisions."

"My name is Wombee." The boy timidly contributed.

"That sounds like a pretty good name for a clown." G said frankly.

"Really?" Wombee asked hopefully.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" G asked with an exaggerated smirk.

"Well, actually..." Wombee trailed off as he watched carefully for G's reaction.

"Wombee, my name is Grief, and this is my nephew G. If you're interested in learning about clowns, I can tell you about some things that aren't common knowledge. I'm guessing that G's mother was acting true to form and not sharing important information. So it'll be good for him to hear this, too."

"You mean he became a clown without knowing what he was doing?" Wombee asked cautiously.

"I was born a clown. From what Dad said, I get it from my mom. But I don't know much more about it than that." G said simply, then further explained, "She left before I was really old enough to understand very much."

"I don't know how things went for her after she left the carnival, but while she was here, she was one of the stronger clowns. Being both a witch and a clown gives us two different wells to draw from." Grief carefully explained.

"Your mom was a witch and a clown?" Wombee asked in amazement.

"Yes. And so are we both." G confirmed, indicating Grief and himself.

"Being both doesn't make us super powerful or anything. It just gives us a few extra resources." Grief explained.

"I think I noticed that just now, I wasn't using my illusion spells the way I'm used to. Everything I did was smaller, faster, and more colorful."

"I think that is mostly an expression of your clownistry, it encourages you to adapt to your audience." Grief said speculatively.

"If I had to describe what it felt like, it would be that I was trying to amaze instead of impress." G said thoughtfully.

"That's a good way of putting it. You're learning sorcery, right?" Grief asked seriously.

"Yeah, mainly illusions." G confirmed, then thought to add, "I'm also pretty strong with air manipulations."

"You mentioned that before. I could see that being a really good mastery back where I'm from, but from what little I know of it, I don't imagine there's much call for it in your world." Grief said seriously.

As G shook his head in confirmation, Wombee cautiously asked, "So you're not from the same world as G?"

"No, I'm not. G is from Earth and I'm from Goltha." Grief easily responded.

After a moment to search his memory, G finally admitted, "I don't know where that is."

"It's a lesser realm, about a century or so behind yours in its social development. It's all witches and rangles, none of the mundane humans that you're accustomed to."

"You have people without any magic at all in your world?" Wombee asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah. The funny thing is, we've been living with them for thousands of years and they still haven't figured out that we really exist." G said with a chuckle at the absurdity of it.

"Even though the mundanes think they run the place, the Earth Realm is still a hub for several interdimensional species. D exposed me to a little bit of what goes on behind the scenes with regulating the gates... Let's just say that I'm glad I'm a clown." Grief said honestly.

"Grief, do you want to lead the way, since this is your home?" D asked from the front of the formidable crowd that had developed.

"No, thank you. I have some clown business to take care of right now. Go ahead." Grief responded seriously.

D made eye contact and gave a decisive nod to confirm that he had received the message. From his expression, there was no doubt that he wasn't disappointed with Grief's response. He had simply been offering Grief the leadership role as an acknowledgement of his familiarity with the carnival.

"Wombee, it looks like we're going to be in an amphitheater for a little while and we probably won't be able to talk as much as we might like. Do you have any big important questions for us before we go in?" Grief asked seriously.

"I've wanted to be a clown since I was old enough to understand what clowns are." Wombee said seriously.

"What are they?" G asked curiously, then qualified, "I'm interested to know how you see it."

Grief nodded his agreement with G.

"Clowns are every joy and every fear that you've ever felt, all brought to life, so that they can be expressed and felt and eventually accepted." Wombee said slowly, obviously struggling to put it into words.

"Um, okay. If I thought about it for a dozen years, I probably never would have come up with that answer, but I think you're probably right. That not only covers what we are, but also why." G said honestly, then looked to his uncle for confirmation.

"If you've already got that part, then the rest of it is mostly just dress-up." Grief said frankly.

"But what about the magic?" Wombee asked curiously.

"The more you commit to being a clown, the more the magic will 'help' you. Usually, it will follow your lead, or it may whisper suggestions in your ear. As you continue on, the magic will manifest to cause the unlikely and absurd to consistently fall into place around you." Grief carefully explained.

"So you don't control it? It just happens?" Wombee asked curiously.

"You don't control it, but it doesn't control you, either. After a while, you begin to get familiar with certain patterns and you'll know if you do a thing, you'll get a particular result... usually something comical." Grief said honestly.

"I notice that both of you have make-up that changes depending on how you're feeling. Is that something you do, or does it just happen?" Wombee asked cautiously.

"I was magically transformed into a clown, all of a sudden, so I didn't go through the usual development process that most clowns do." Grief said frankly.

"I was born with it, so I never had to put on make-up, not even once." G said honestly.

"But I've been around enough clowns who are starting out to know that most of them start off by doing everything manually or with another type of magic. As they get stronger in their clownistry, they gradually develop their full-fledged clown abilities." Grief carefully explained.

"Is there anything we need to know about before we go into this place?" G asked as they approached the grand entrance to the amphitheater.

"Just do your best to be respectful and not distract from the performance. The performers work hard to try and give you your money's worth in entertainment." Grief said honestly.

D waved them on through, indicating that he had paid for all of them, including Wombee and Elder Tisthmus.

G did a quick visual survey and accounted for his entire family as they entered.

* * * * *

Paul was honestly at a loss for words when he saw the performers take the stage.

Although he intellectually knew that the members of the carnival transformed to accommodate the realm that they were visiting, he didn't follow through with that train of thought to speculate that the fairy troop might be comprised of something other than typical fairies.

When the donkey goblins with fairy wings took the stage, Paul stared in absolute shock.

There was a small orchestra present who began playing some relatively complicated music, and did so competently.

As the music began to play, the stout little Huell fairies took their places and very precisely worked through the intricate forms of a dance, which had been choreographed to conform exactly to the formal music.

Although the collection of pot-bellied gray creatures with floppy ears were almost comical at first sight, Paul couldn't help but admire the precision with which they performed their dance.

Every member of their dance troop moved in perfect unison and performed flawlessly.

The music was a bit formal for Paul's taste. Once he had acknowledged within himself his admiration of the dancers for their performance, all he had left was to witness more of the same.

While what the dancers were doing wasn't strictly repetition, there was enough 'sameness' to it to make the whole thing blur into something of a slog.

A movement in the scaffolding above the stage caught Paul's attention and he was happy to see a sudden flash of blue.

Before he could even formulate a reaction, Bob dropped into the midst of the dancers, who all immediately froze at the intrusion.

Likewise, the orchestra stopped playing, causing a pregnant pause in both sound and action.

One trumpet began to play a radically different style of music from what they had been playing before.

Bob began moving to the beat of the single horn, and was captivating in his exuberance.

One by one, the members of the orchestra joined in with the horn as the dancers also seemed to be catching on to what was happening.

As Bob joyfully flailed and bobbed on the stage amongst the dancers, they changed their style of dance completely.

The orchestra, the dancers and Bob worked together to bring the entire production to a momentous conclusion.

The assembled audience erupted into spontaneous applause at the delightful and joyous turn that the performance had taken.

Paul joined in, clapping and cheering his sincere admiration for both the initial performance as well as Bob's contribution.

On his shoulder, Ginh Zah let out a few screeches and a fireball or two to express her own appreciation of a truly entertaining performance.

Before Paul could discuss it with his family, he noticed that someone had joined their group and was speaking rather seriously with Lex and Lucky.

* * * * *

As Paul approached, G, Grief, and a Huell boy joined him to investigate the situation that was developing.

"We've seen the power that you have. You can fix this. You can make it like it's supposed to be." The slight woman with bluish-gray skin said firmly.

"She's from the Hall of Mirrors." G quietly explained.

"That's Sia. I know her from when I worked here before." Grief quickly supplied, then thought to add, "Paul, this is Wombee."

"Nice to meet you." Paul said to the boy, then turned to the others and asked, "What does she want with Lucky?"

"That's a good question. Let's find out." G said assertively.

"He's the alpha." Paul said with a slight grin at Grief.

"Good to know." Grief said with an uncertain smile in return.

* * * * *

"Nassir's not been able to run his booth properly since he lost his arm. I saw your magic, I felt it. What you were able to do in the Hall of Mirrors was far beyond anything I can do. You can fix his arm and make things be right for him again." Sia said with certainty.

"I don't know anything about healing." Lucky protested.

"You can fix his mechanical arm to work properly." Sia clarified exasperatedly, as though Lucky should somehow already know.

"Oh, that." Grief said in realization.

"What is it?" G asked curiously.

"My other magic, that isn't clown magic, has to do with charms and mechanics. I tried to help Nassir with his prosthetic arm, but it was beyond my ability." Grief explained.

"If it's more than you can handle, what does she expect Lucky to do about it?" Paul asked curiously.

"I don't know. Something must have happened to make her think that Lucky has an ability that could help." Grief said uncertainly.

"Yeah. We're not really sure about that either. It happened in the Hall of Mirrors, it was kind of a wishcraft thing." G said uncomfortably.

"That would do it. Wishcraft skirts the limitations of known magic by eliminating the process and focusing entirely on the result. It's a very dangerous type of magic to employ because the cost is usually impossible to anticipate." Grief said slowly as he tried to calculate just how many ways this could go wrong for them.

"Let me guess, is that Nassir?" Paul asked as he indicated a stout Huell man determinedly approaching with a large cumbersome mechanical arm that could easily be seen at a distance.

"Yes. Hortense is a Djinn who's sworn to his service. She's been driving herself and everyone around her crazy because she can't fulfill Nassir's wish, for him to regain full use of his arm." Grief explained.

"But she think's Lucky's different kind of magic can do what she can't?" G asked cautiously.

"Yes." Grief confirmed, then explained, "And it makes sense. If Lucky really does have wishcraft, he can magically call for a result and the magical world around him will provide the means for it to be accomplished. It's basically like writing a blank check to get what you want."

"What kind of payment does it usually call for?" Paul asked slowly, already having some slight idea.

"Anything, really. Sometimes it calls for something beloved to be sacrificed or even a life price. If the magic is powerful enough, it can even spawn a new reality, where the thing wished for is at the center of the universe's reason for being. If that thing ends up being lost, the whole universe collapses in on itself." Grief said frankly.

"You don't think Lucky could do that, do you?" Paul asked G uncertainly.

"I don't know. After what I saw him do in the Hall of Mirrors... he actually might be able to." G reluctantly confirmed.

"No wonder Sia sought him out. This could very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity for Nassir." Grief said anxiously.

"I can't work or be of any use with this damned thing hanging off me. Hortensia says you can make it work like it's supposed to." Nassir declared upon his arrival.

"This isn't really the best place to be doing this." D calmly interjected.

"Piss off. If this boy can fix my arm, then we need to get on with it." Nassir said firmly.

"It's okay Uncle D." Lucky said with an adoring smile at him, then he turned to Nassir with a cold look and said, "You need to be careful what you wish for, and who you wish it from."

"Can you do it?" Nassir asked without further prelude.

"I can fix your arm, but I can't fix you." Lucky carefully answered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nassir asked cautiously, showing the first signs of concern for his actions.

"Do you want your arm fixed? Do you really want it?" Lucky asked seriously as he held Nassir's gaze.

"The loss of my arm has been the cause of my ruination. The restoration of it will allow me to return to my glory days." Nassir said with certainty.

"I'll ask again. Is a functioning arm what you really want?" Lucky asked slowly.

"Yes." Nassir responded without hesitation.

"Then so shall it be." Lucky said as he focused his attention to the arm hanging at Nassir's side.

The dull metal arm reduced in size and became noticeably shinier and more streamlined.

Nassir experimentally raised the arm and easily made a fist.

"What's the cost for this?" Sia asked cautiously.

"Now you ask?" Lucky asked with a malicious chuckle.

"What do you want?" Sia demanded to know.

"Nothing at the moment." Lucky said simply, then added, "Go ahead and live your life. Return to your glory days or maybe even forge some more glorious ones. But you need to know that the arm now has a mind and spirit of its own. If you mistreat it or blame it for your failures in life, it can and will return to me."

"You can't do that." Nassir snapped.

"Really?" Lucky asked with a smile, then focused on the arm and said, "Farook, come to me."

The arm easily detached from Nassir and flew through the air to land gently in Lucky's outstretched hand.

"I give you this so that no matter where you are, you can come back to me." Lucky said as he made an insanely complicated gesture.

Paul recognized the spell diagram etched on the back of the metallic hand as being a reverse summoning circle, although it was far more complex than any diagram that he had ever created.

"Farook, if you decide to return to me, this is what you have to look forward to." Lucky said as he turned himself half around and transformed into a Pegasus. However, the winged horse now had two pairs of wings, one of them made of glorious shiny metal.

The Pegasus turned in place one more time and Lucky returned to his waking form.

"Go on, Farook, it's time for you to start your next adventure." Lucky said as he released the metallic arm in a slow, underhanded pitch in Nassir's direction.

The arm sailed through the air and easily attached itself to Nassir's shoulder.

"Zephyr? Do you want to come out? You might enjoy this." Lex asked as he did the most simplified version of a nuggle summons.

The moisture in the air began to coalesce, and finally took form as a kelpie, standing directly in front of Lex, looking up at him.

"Yeah. I think Zah Zah will like being able to look down on everything." Lucky said enthusiastically as he opened his coat.

Without any indication of effort, concentration, or even a spell being cast, the cat-like creature bounded out into the open.

"We're going to go do something fun and I thought that you might like to go with us." Lucky said hopefully.

Zah Zah looked around suspiciously. When she spotted Zephyr, she growled a snarling hiss in his direction.

Zephyr turned his head and his eyes briefly glowed red. Without blinking, he slowly exhaled a foul green fog back at the pseudo-cat/demon.

"Play nice, you two." Paul said with a smile.

"They are playing nice. Nobody's died yet." Lucky said frankly.

"He's got a point." Lex said supportively.

To Be Continued...

Editor's notes:

That was certainly an interesting chapter.

Of course that doesn't surprise me at all.

Lucky seems to have grasped some of his power and used it well and properly.

He has an ability to see the right thing to do to help others improve their situation, and he always seems to be able to pull the right proverbial rabbit out of the proverbial hat and use it as it needs to be used to provide the best possible outcome.

I think that D's idea of bringing the boys to this realm was quite a good one. I love how he gives his sons the chance to use their skills and abilities to the best advantage for everyone.

It is kind of funny that D never quite seems to know what will happen or how it will mesh with what he had originally intended to happen.

Thank you, MM for another wonderful chapter.

I can hardly wait for the next chapter.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher