The forest path Mariella had shown them was narrow and winding, covered with overgrown roots and vines that snagged on Serafine's cloak every few steps.
Despite the inconvenience, it was the safest route to avoid bounty hunters. Mariella was leading the way, calm and collected, while Serafine and Calix trailed behind, though Calix's constant sighing made Serafine seriously consider tripping him with one of the vines.
"Are you quite done?" she finally snapped, glaring over her shoulder at the sulking boy.
"I just… I don't understand why she's here," Calix grumbled, gesturing toward Mariella as if she couldn't hear every word.
Mariella, however, was unbothered. "Because I know the way out of this cursed forest. Unless you'd prefer we go back and explain to the guards why our dear lady savior wearing the faces of their dearly departed patrons?"
Calix mumbled something incoherent, and Serafine smirked. "That's what I thought. Now stop sulking, Calix, or I'll give you another reason to sulk."
They hadn't been walking long when they heard the unmistakable sounds of chatter and laughter up ahead. Serafine's hand went instinctively to the dagger at her hip, an accessory she'd "borrowed" from one of last night's corpses. Calix, ever the human shield, stepped in front of her.
"It's just a caravan," Mariella said, her tone even. She pointed toward the source of the noise, where a brightly painted wagon trundled down the path, pulled by two horses. Around it danced a group of performers in garish costumes, juggling pins and breathing small bursts of fire.
"Oh, perfect," Serafine muttered. "Traveling circus rejects. Exactly what we need."
The performers noticed them and waved enthusiastically. One of them, a tall man with a ridiculous feathered hat, bounded over. "Hail, travelers! What a day to cross paths with destiny!"
"I'm sorry, is 'destiny' the name of your act? Or are you just naturally insufferable?"
The man laughed, clearly not grasping her sarcasm. "No, no, madam! We are the Glorious Gleemen of Gladeshire, spreading joy and wonder across the land! Might I interest you in a dazzling performance?"
"We're actually just passing through—" Calix began, but Serafine interrupted, placing a hand on the man's shoulder with a smile so fake it practically sparkled.
"Actually, we'd love to join you! We're weary travelers in need of some good company."
Calix looked like he wanted to strangle her. "What are you doing?" he hissed under his breath.
"Saving us from walking for another five hours," Serafine hissed back. "Do you really want to keep listening to your own whining?"
The feathered hat man, who introduced himself as Barnaby, was thrilled to have them join. Within minutes, Serafine, Calix, and Mariella were perched on the wagon, surrounded by performers practicing their routines. Serafine charmed her way into their good graces with ease, complimenting their costumes and pretending to be utterly fascinated by their tales of past performances.
"You're too kind, my lady!" one of the jugglers gushed, his face practically glowing from her praise.
"It's nothing," Serafine said modestly, waving a hand. "I simply appreciate talent when I see it."
Calix rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't get stuck. He sat in sullen silence, glancing every so often at Mariella, who was politely clapping along to a fire-eater's routine.
"Why don't you just marry her already?" he muttered under his breath.
"What was that, Calix?" Serafine asked sweetly, leaning toward him.
"Nothing," he grumbled, crossing his arms.
The real trouble began when one of the performers, a young woman named Lysette, started gossiping about the latest news from the nearby towns.
"Did you hear about the chaos in Tarok's Tavern?" she asked, her voice tinged with excitement. "Apparently, there were zombies! And the culprits were two masked strangers!"
"Oh? How dreadful."
"Right? They say the strangers wore disguises so perfect, they could've been anyone. Makes you wonder who you can trust these days!" Lysette giggled.
Mariella glanced nervously at Serafine, who gave her a subtle shake of the head.
"Well, let's hope they're long gone," Serafine said lightly.
Lysette nodded, oblivious. "Oh, absolutely. But enough about that—shall we show you our juggling act?"
Before Serafine could respond, her Ruination System suddenly pinged.
[New Ability Unlocked: Believer Boost!]
'Oh, right. The thing that makes me stronger if I impress people,' she thought. Her lips curved into a mischievous smile.
"Actually," she said, cutting into Lysette's explanation of the juggling act, "why don't I help you spice it up a little?"
Lysette looked intrigued. "What do you mean?"
"Just a little magic trick," Serafine said, waving her fingers dramatically. She activated her new ability, channeling her energy into the performers' act.
The result was instant. The juggling pins lit up with an ethereal glow, leaving trails of light in the air. The fire-eater's flames turned blue and gold, dancing like living creatures. Even the acrobat's flips seemed impossibly graceful, as if gravity itself had decided to take the day off.
The performers were stunned and so was the growing crowd that had gathered to watch. Cheers and applause erupted as people demanded an encore.
"Serafine, what did you do?" Calix whispered urgently.
"Enhanced the experience," she said with a shrug. "You should be thanking me."
But the situation quickly spiraled out of control. The performers, drunk on their newfound brilliance, began pushing themselves harder and harder. The fire-eater accidentally set his own hat on fire. The juggler tried to juggle flaming pins and ended up with singed eyebrows.
And then the acrobat miscalculated a leap and landed on the edge of the wagon, tipping it over and sending everyone sprawling into the dirt.
"Oops," Serafine said innocently, brushing herself off as chaos erupted around her.
The crowd began booing, throwing whatever they could get their hands on at the performers. Barnaby, the feathered hat leader, turned to Serafine with wide eyes.
"What happened?!"
"Maybe you just weren't ready for the big leagues," Serafine said with a sympathetic pat on his shoulder. "Better luck next time."
As they made their escape, Calix shot her a withering look. "That was not necessary."
"Oh, relax," she said, grinning. "Now we've got a great story to tell and a wagon to ourselves."
"Next time, could we maybe avoid making enemies everywhere we go?"
"No promises," Serafine said cheerfully, hopping back onto the wagon.
As the now-empty wagon trundled down the road, Serafine leaned back and smiled to herself. She could already feel her Ruination Points ticking upward.
'Believer Boost is going to be fun,' she thought.