The tent flap rustled open as Joren and Tsunami stepped inside.

  The room was comforting and relaxing compared to the carnival outside, lit by the small lantern hanging on the center pole. The others had already returned from their night of activities, scattered around the room in various ways.

  Gus sat on his bed, munching on a candied apple. Willow next to him with her boots kicked off, inspecting her stuffed animal prize. Rico was sat on Joren's bed, adjusting something he had taken apart, while Bart sat cross-legged on the floor inspecting a strange bolt he brought back from one of the rides.

  Each of them glanced towards them as they entered, curious as to who was following Joren.

  “Uh, Joren?” Gus said slowly, still chewing the candied apple. “You pick up a friend out there?”

  Willow looked between the two of them, her brows raised in interest.

  Joren rubbed his face, still feeling hazy from earlier.

  “Something like that,” he said.

  Tsunami stepped forward and lightly bowed.

  “My name is Tsunami,” he said calmly. "I'm a old friend of Joren's.

  Bart immediately leaned forward with interest.

  “Ah,” he said. “We've heard of you.”

  “So that’s the famous Tsunami,” he said, taking another bite of the apple. “Didn’t think we’d actually get to meet you.”

  Willow looked between them with a mischievous smile. “Joren talks about you like some wandering legend.”

  Tsunami gave a small shrug. “I prefer handsome traveler. Really gets the local ladies, you know?"

  “Wait,” Rico said, turning his focus away from whatever he was working on. “Does this mean you found the courier?”

  “Not exactly,” he said quietly.

  Gus noticed the tone immediately.

  “What happened?” Gus asked. "Joren, you don't look so great, either."

  Joren looked around the room at all of them. “It's a long story."

  And so, Joren told them what his night looked like, starting from when he gambled away his clothes and got his fortune.

  At first the story sounded ridiculous, then it turned into a nightmare. Each of them held on to every word like it was a scary story you would tell at the campfire, but they knew Joren was telling the truth. That part unsettled them.

  Rico stared at Joren after he finished. “That thing tried to eat you?”

  “Yeah,” Joren said. “It all felt so real. Looking back at it now, it was obviously weird, but it didn’t feel wrong at the time.”

  “You didn’t notice anything strange?”

  “I did,” Joren admitted. “But for whatever reason, it all made sense somehow and I found some explanation for each."

  Bart shrugged. “Sounds like he was being hypnotized.”

  Joren nodded slowly. “That’s what it felt like. I was… drifting. I saw flashes of the real tent at times.”

  Gus shook his head slowly. “And that monster is still out there?”

  Tsunami spoke before Joren could answer. “Yes.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  That answer hung in the room.

  “I found the courier’s satchel earlier tonight in a different area of the city. The letters were still inside, so I'm guessing he met the fate you almost had. I’m just glad I found you in time.”

  Joren glanced up, unaware of that information as well. "Wait, you didn't mention that. Did he take anything?"

  "Everything was left untouched," Tsunami replied, "So I guess the only bright side of this whole ordeal is that the letters didn't get into the wrong hands."

  “That’s… horrifying,” Willow muttered.

  Bart, however, looked more thoughtful than disturbed.

  “A monster that lures people through false visions,” he said, drumming the strange bolt against the floor. “Fascinating.”

  Gus shot him a look. “Bart.”

  “What?” Bart said defensively. “I can be fascinated and concerned at the same time.”

  "I think he had the delusion portrait. I read in the registry that this power has been known to cause hallucinations and hysteria." Joren said.

  Bart tilted his head slightly.

  “Delusion portrait?” he asked.

  Joren nodded. “That’s what the registry called it anyway. I just don't remember seeing anything about people hallucinating entire cities.”

  Tsunami crossed his arms. "I think I know why that is."

  Everyone looked at Tsunami now.

  "I'm sure some of you are at least aware of it," Tsunami continued. "But Auspex evolve and change with their powers. Have any of you heard the stories of Auspex who took on the characteristics of their portrait?"

  “No.”

  “Well sometimes people become the portrait, embodying the gods' and their desires.”

  Rico leaned forward. “You mean like people physically changing?”

  Tsunami nodded. "The more in tune one is with their portrait, the more they become what it represents. Joren, you've grown a ton since we last saw each other. Do you feel more connected to your portrait?”

  "I guess so. I felt like that when we were in Duskfen fighting the alligator. The star I created was huge and felt natural, but I was so drained afterward."

  “That sounds like the supernova god or whatever helped you out in times of stress. I’ve felt similar things myself, and now I can somewhat turn my body into water.”

  Bart tapped the bolt against the floor thoughtfully. “So that means this clown is becoming more like the embodiment of his power.”

  “Exactly right,” Tsunami said. "It's not a fact, but every Auspex should be able to evolve their form and powers. I'd guess fear or life energy is what helps him grow and evolve his power, hence why he looked like that and tried to eat you."

  “Technically speaking,” Rico added, scratched his chin, “that means the carnival is the perfect environment for him.”

  Everyone looked at him.

  “Well think about it,” Rico continued. “Huge crowds and half the people here are already dressed up. You could walk past him ten times and never realize it.”

  “So what do we do about this?” Joren asked.

  Tsunami looked toward the lantern hanging from the center pole, thinking it over.

  “Tomorrow morning,” he said, “I’ll speak with the city officials about it. I have a contact there who can put out some search parties and look for Big Top without causing panic. What will you guys do?”

  “Probably the same thing we were already doing,” he said. “Just keep moving on.”

  “We’re travelers,” Willow added. “Carnival City was just a stop along the way.”

  Rico chimed in. "So where do we go now? We can't stay here if we might get eaten in our sleep."

  Joren thought for a moment. "Tsunami mentioned the other night that Clousand would be a good next stop."

  "Clousand?" They asked in unison.

  "Yeah, it's the massive floating islands. It's supposed to be overhead soon."

  Bart slowly lifted the bolt he’d been inspecting.

  “Floating islands,” he repeated thoughtfully. “I think I’ve been to one of them before.”

  “Dang it, I was sure you hadn’t.” Joren said.

  “Hold on,” Rico said, pointing at Joren. “You mean actual floating islands?”

  Joren nodded.

  Gus leaned back slowly. “I feel like that should be impossible, but you’re making it sound so natural.”

  “Think about it,” Rico said. “If the islands move around the world, that means trade routes move with them.”

  Bart nodded approvingly.

  “Aerial commerce.”

  “Exactly!” Rico said. “Merchants wouldn’t need ships or caravans. The market would come to them.”

  Joren shrugged.

  “That’s what Tsunami said. Apparently Clousand is one of the biggest trading hubs in the world.”

  “Statistically speaking,” Bart added, “a large city also means a higher chance of encountering interesting problems.”

  Gus groaned. “Please stop hoping for problems.”

  Tsunami glanced over at Joren with mild surprise, then nodded. “If you leave tomorrow and head east about thirty miles, you should find a small port city where an airship will take you up for the next two days or so."

  Rico’s eyes lit up instantly.

  “Airships too?” he said, practically leaping from the bed. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

  Gus scratched the back of his head. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the floating islands part.”

  Willow leaned back on her elbows. "Well, it sounds like a plan then. Let's get out of here first thing in the morning. I don't want to run into Big Top again."

  Tsunami pushed off the tent pole and stepped toward the flap.

  “I’ll report what happened tonight to the city officials in the morning,” he said. “They’ll want to keep an eye out for that clown.”

  He paused before stepping outside.

  “And Joren,” he added, glancing back, “try not to wander into any more mysterious tents tonight.”

  Joren gave a half-smile in return. "Will do. Thank you for everything, Tsunami."