A slow clap echoed through the training tent causing one of the tigers' ears to pin back against her mangy fur.
Omeo sighed, he hated seeing the effects of the harsh treatment given to the animals. He gave the tiger a soft head pat in an attempt to reassure her.
"There, there, mate."
"You're getting better, I can tell." Killara chided tying their dreadlocks into an electric blue blob atop their head.
"Thank you." Omeo responded dryly. He sheathed his machete and took a swig from his wooden cup, which sat on a nearby barrel.
Killara was an interesting character, despite knowing them his entire life Omeo still felt detached, Their humor was dry and confusing and on top of that he still couldn't figure out whether they were male or female.
They were never close so he never felt a need to ask, but he had always wondered about it, that and why they always had such ornate skimpy clothing, despite being so poor.
"It's my turn to use the tent."
"What are you gonna do hex me?" Omeo smirked.
Killara glared at him.
"I just might," they uttered softly, a playful grin sneaking onto their face, as they ran their fingers softly over a glittering purple crystal which hung from their neck. They planted their black platform boots into the ground at the center of the tent, watching as the other four tigers tripped over each other getting out of their way. The creatures crowded around Omeo.
Their eyes closed, a luminescent purple began to glow from their fingertips. They opened their eyes, only to reveal a whiteness that had spread across where their iris and pupil used to reside.
Omeo barely caught his machete in time. It's worn leather handle tugging on his arm yearning to follow Killara's command, he never grew tired of watching them. He wished more than anything that he had a a more useful magic gift rather than his boring tiger whispering.
He patted Shona --his oldest tiger-- on the head softly, he did love them though. She nuzzled him with her massive orange head, her adolescent son Casper biting her on her neck playfully, his three legs dancing on the dirt packed ground like happy little pieces of popcorn.
Omeo took another deep breath before grabbing his wooden cup, and sheathing his knife he gestured to his tigers to follow him. The air was cool, he didn't know exactly where they were at the moment, probably somewhere near Oregan judging from the air temperature. He strode through night with faux confidence, his massive bare chest covered in soft pink scars, his three huge cats following at his heels all the way until he reached his tent.
He tapped the canvas a few times.
"Ya home?"
"Yeah." came a muffled reply from somewhere inside the small tent hut.
Omeo lifted up the flap entrance and walked into the tent.
His roommate Marbh was sprawled on a small plastic covered mattress similar to the ones used for naptime in pre schools. He was wearing a white nylon tank top which was stained with monster and his shoulder length chestnut hair was wet and sticking to his freckled skin, not exactly what Omeo imagined to be a high class mage. Omeo rolled his eyes as he walked inside the tent, his tigers immediately curling up in the corner for a nap on the faded red rug.
"Very prepared I see." Omeo chided, his fatigued voice riddled with sarcasm.
Marbh sat up and rubbed his eyes, his face did not convey the seriousness that Omeo was hoping for. Although he wasn't surprised, despite never taking drugs Marbh had always been a bit of an actual crackhead, adulting had never been his strong suit.
"Well, are you ready?" Omeo prodded, using every bit of self control he had not to spit at Marbh.
"Is Killara goin?" Marb asked calmly as he tied up his crusty van hightops with his black stained fingers.
"I-I don't think so, why would she?"
"Wait, they're a girl?"
"W-well I don't know, don't know if she's a boy either."
"Well maybe they nothin." Marbh drained the last bit of monster from his can after he said this. His slight southern accent always seemed to thicken after he'd drank that much monster, he was drowsy and his speech was slow and twangy. He casually added the can to his pyramid sitting next to his mattress before standing up next to Omeo.
"They can't be nothing, that's not how that works." Omeo spat in frustration
Marbh strode past Omeo to grab his worn out navy blue backpack sitting next to the flap.
"What? Do you prefer the term neither?"
"I prefer the term girl!"
"Dude relax, just because you like them dudn't mean they gotta be a girl."
"I am not gay!" Omeo muttered
"Good for you, they're not a dude."
"But you said they're not a girl!"
"Let's give your little brain a break why don't we." Marbh smirked as he said this.
Omeo spun around to face him
"The hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Just ask them dude." Marbh swung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out of the tent after he said this.
"I don't want to be rude!" he whined
"Then don't ask it rudely."
Omeo followed and they walked in silence in the dark of the circus camp for a while before Marbh piped up just before they reached the glowing practice tent.
"You know it probably would be best to bring them, they could do some sort of spelly type thing to make us successful or whatever," Marbh made jazz hands as he said this which were most likely meant to resemble magic.
Omeo fidgeted with the tip of Casper's ear and ran his other hand through his shiny black crew cut, his navy blue eyes winced a bit at the thought of interrupting Killara.
"Ok then, go invite them." he chuckled nervously
"No… you gotta do it, and ask em what the hell they are." Marbh's request seemed more like a demand as usual.
Omeo grunted angrily in response, he kicked up some dust before heading towards the tent.
Marbh's sarcastic voice faded as Omeo and Casper got farther and farther away, but he could still make out his taunts.
"Don't have too much fun buddy!"
Omeo ignored him and continued to stride forth towards the tent, his palms sweating and his lip in between his teeth, he finally arrived at the entrance.
Before he could open the flap, the glowing disappeared and Killara strutted out through the flap, ducking underneath Omeo's arm. They seemed to completely ignore his presence.
"W-wait! Killara?" His voice cracked, however he managed to get it out loudly enough.
Killara stopped in their tracks and spun around to face Omeo, their purple eyeshadow framing their honey brown irises which seemed to glow under the full moon.
Omeo faltered for words for a second before placing his hand on the back of his neck, he looked down at the dirt and brought himself to speak.
"Could you maybe go with me and Marbh? W-were goin to the gravesite, to get something for Athol. Thought you could maybe come with us for protection from… uh-" he faltered for the right word that wouldn't offend the child of the spirits.
Killara raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to finish.
"From the supernatural."
"I could use a distraction that's for sure." Their voice had a pleasant feminine gravel to it, which made Omeo blush behind the cover of darkness.
"Ok…" Omeo's voice trailed off as he glanced over at Marbh who was currently making aggressive hand gestures nearly fifty yards away.
"And one more thing." Omeo dug one of his combat boots into the dirt as he thought about how to phrase this.
"Um… there's been something I've been wanting to ask ya… are you, like a b-"
"I'm not."
"What."
"I said I'm not do you need me to say it again?" Killara snapped, obviously tired of the topic.
"But… I wanna know how to refer to you… I mean are you a he or a she or…."
"Whatever you want I don't care."
"Oh.. ok." Omeo's meek response seemed to echo through the chilly atmosphere before Marbh broke the silence by shuffling over next to them.
"Wha- how did you get here so fast?" Omeo exclaimed in response.
Marbh smirked, standing at about five foot ten he was quite a bit shorter than Omeo which he found very annoying since he was taller than most of his other friends. Even Killara was a bit taller than him, at least in their platform boots. He stood on his tip toes as he glared into the eyes of a very confused Killara.
Omeo pulled Marbh back by his tank top before gesturing to the rest of the group to follow him.
Marbh skipped along across the clearing in the middle of the circle of circus tents while the other two trodden along behind him.
"I think the monster's wearing off." Omeo muttered
"Don't you mean kicking in?"
"No, unfortunately this is what he's like normally, caffeine's got a reverse effect for some reason on that one." Omeo fought against his australian accent as it threatened to slide into his voice.
"Interesting…"
"That's one way to put it."
"How far is this Athol?" Killara looked up at Omeo as they said this.
Omeo looked away, conscious of the fact that they were passing a flickering street lamp; he didn't want to take a chance of Killara seeing him look like a flustered tomato.
"Well, according to legend the journey to Athol's shelter is about three weeks walk from the magick well but we'll take a bus for most of it since now there's a city in between."
Killara gave a soft nod in response to this.
Suddenly they had reached the end of the clearing where Marbh was waiting for them playing drums on his own legs.
"Y'all ready for some zombie hunting!" Marbh jumped up and down as he said this making fake bomb noises.
Killara chuckled. They then pulled a small cork bottle filled with some sort of gray powder.
"I can cast a transportation spell to the gravesite…. But we'll have to be outside the tent circle."
"Is that… you know, safe?" Omeo faltered slightly as he said this. Despite being infatuated with magick he had never been brave enough to gamble with it.
"As long as you do what I say and don't think of anything that Nogomain wouldn't like."
"The who?"
"I bet he'd like this." Marbh jumped onto a nearby dumpster.
"Marbh… NO." Omeo spat.
Marbh smirked and began to pelvic thrust on top of the dumpster causing pieces of cardboard and a few eggshells to fall out onto the dusty ground.
Killara couldn't manage an expression other than confusion, Omeo dragged his right palm against his face and groaned.
"I'm not sure what he would think of that." Killara responded finally
Omeo dragged Marbh off the dumpster, Marbh stumbled across the dust until he finally fell into a bush.
Killara turned towards Omeo and Casper, who was laying on the floor, his white head resting on Omeo's combat boots.
"There's no reason to bring the cat, I can't send him back on his own and we can't take 'em on the bus to Athol."
Omeo furrowed his eyebrows.
"But…"
"I can't take him Omi, you've gotta send him back." Killara chided calmly
Omeo breathed in deeply, kneeling down into the dust he growled softly into Casper's ear. Who stood up and began to limp back to the tent.
"What did ya say?" Marbh questioned as he sipped the remnants of a monster that he found in the dumpster.
"I-I told him to go back to the tent with his mother."
Marbh nodded and turned to Killara with his arms outstretched, he let the can clank onto the floor.
"Zap me magic ladyboy person!" he exclaimed.
Killara smiled.
"That's the best zap of euphoria I've gotten in a while." They admitted.
Killara then dumped the powder on the ground into an interesting rune shape and began to speak over it.
"Abwei ada dedliwan git."
With this a soft green glow rose from the pile of ash providing a sort of portal shape big enough for even Omeo to walk through.