Cyrus awoke, shivering in the morning cold. A silvery mist hung low on the ground, and despite the sun’s best attempt to warm the world, the cold remained. Cyrus looked over and saw Henry standing at the edge of the clearing. He was rubbing his face again with the tube in his hand. Cyrus was less suspicious this time around, having gotten to know Henry better, but he still had no idea what that strange knight was doing.

“Hey,” Cyrus called out, causing Henry to jump.

“Good morning,” Henry said in his deeper voice. He turned around, sporting his full-on mustache and beard. “I picked us some breakfast in this morning glory and now I’m grooming my purest essence of manhood!”

Cyrus forgot about Henry’s shifty behavior when he caught a glimpse of the pile of nuts at his feet. It wasn’t quite the room service he got at the castle, but he did like not having to move much to get his food.

Henry turned away to shove the mysterious tube in his satchel and when he turned around, the pile was gone and Cyrus was at his feet. He stretched and twisted his body. “That gave me the energy I needed. I’m ready to go to the Moonlit Village and get some real grub.”

“At least you’re motivated,” Henry said, “But remember why we’re going there. We need any lead on the whereabouts of the princess and what’s going on in this town.”

“Right. That makes me doubly motivated,” Cyrus said, his thoughts consumed with the beauty of the princess.

The two packed their belongings and headed out of the clearing. In the morning light, the sun glinted on the frost covered leaves. Even a homebody like Cyrus knew that frost in the dead of summer was unusual. Every time they passed under a shady tree, Cyrus felt an evil presence that lay in the shadows. He tried his best to ignore it, as Henry didn’t seem to notice it at all. After an hour of treading through the forest, the two teenagers emerged from the trees into a field of yellow wheat. Cyrus breathed easy knowing the shadows wouldn’t torment him anymore.

“Harvest season sure comes early in your land,” Henry remarked. “Things mature fast.”

“It doesn’t,” Cyrus responded “I usually get my best bread and cider in the fall.”

“That is mighty odd since last time I checked it was summer,” Henry said, “But it doesn’t matter because I think I see the village way over yonder.”

Sure enough, if Cyrus craned his neck and squinted his eyes, he could see wooden arches that lead to a host of buildings with metal roofing. On the outskirts of town, there was a host of blue and white striped tents.

“I wonder what that’s all about?” Cyrus asked.

The two made their way to the edge of the town, where a young man stood outside the gates. He sported grey robes and kept his dark hair at a boyish short length. Most remarkably, he sported an unnaturally big smile. “Howdy travelers,” he said, bobbing his head.

“Who’re you?” Cyrus asked. “And why are you so happy?”

“I’m Nick,” the young man said, “And the reason I’m happy is because the Blue Moon Circus Troupe is in town.”

“The Blue Moon Circus?” Cyrus asked. “Aren’t they the most famous circus in all of the kingdom? I always wished to see them, but that would mean going outside the castle.”

“The castle?” Nick said, his eyes were as white and wide as the eyeball bats. “Are you by chance Prince Cyrus?”

“It is nice to know-even out in the boonies-that the people know my name and face,” Cyrus boasted.

“Actually, some goofy guy came in here looking for a person of your description. I wouldn’t know otherwise,” Nick said with an earnest smile.

Henry chuckled as Cyrus’ mouth hung open. “Goofy guy?! Could that possibly be…Is he alive?!”

Cyrus grabbed Nick’s hand and began to shake it frantically. “Oh please, tell me where he is! I’m so happy he’s alive.”

“Sure,” Nick responded with a grin. “He’s visiting the Blue Moon Circus grounds, and since it’s my job to let travelers know about this great event, I’ll gladly take you there. They could always use some new heads to see the attractions.”

Nick walked ahead, leaving Cyrus and Henry to follow behind him. “What do you think of this lout?” Henry asked.

“He seems nice enough, but his teeth are so white. I didn’t know people in the boonies knew about brick tooth paste.”

Henry slapped his head. “Good lord, that’s really all you care about? Not that his eyes are wide and unblinking and he’s always smiling like a stark raving loony?”

“I’d be smiling too if the carnival was in town!” Cyrus said, with a wide grin to match. Henry just rolled his eyes.

They followed the man past the wooden fence into the carnival grounds where a white mist lingered on the cold earth. The many tents showcased everything from archery games run by barkers where players shot eyeball demons and won a cute stuffed dragons, to knife throwers spinning people on a bullseye (the particular victim participating in it seemed perfectly calm with a great big smile on his face) to gaggles of clowns who harassed unsuspecting kids.

“I despise clowns,” Henry muttered. “The whole lot of them.”

“Why? Are you scarred of them?” Cyrus asked with a superior smirk on his face.

“You think a knight like me fears a bunch of painted ruffians?” Henry said. “It’s just that I’m part of the official clown defense force. Trinity had a traumatic incident with a clown when she was younger and her over-protective parents have me accompany her to carnivals to ward them off. They’re surprisingly tenacious and always play tricks on me instead. I hate those honking nose ragamuffins.”

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“Oh come on, I’m sure they’re not that bad…”

Unfortunately, two clowns caught sight of Cyrus and accosted him. Sporting blue and white face paint respectively, the blue faced clown wore a top hat, a barker suit and had grotesque yellow teeth painted on the outside of his mouth along with a black nose ball. His eyes were fully black. The white faced clown had paint on his mouth to emulate stitching and dark arrows painted below his eyes. He wore a cross between chain-mail and a jesters outfit. He wielded a curved sword. Cyrus screamed immediately when he saw them. “Mommy!”

He hid behind Henry, who gave a tough look right back at the spooky clowns. The blue faced barker clown gave a manic laugh in Henry’s face. “Looks like he doesn’t have the guts to challenge Morales the silent swordsman, but it looks like you do!

Henry smiled with confidence. “Of course, have at me, you lout.”

“Please, do it in my name,” Cyrus exclaimed. “I think I wet my pants.”

The mime produced a second sword from his sheathe and handed it to Henry. Morales began to swing haphazardly, and the impulsive Henry rushed in with his sword, accidentally puncturing the mime. The sloshing sound of diced organs filled the air and blood splattered all over Cyrus and Henry. Morales held his chest as it reddened through his clothes and he fell backwards.

“Oh….my….lord!” Henry exclaimed, holding his hand to his face. “I didn’t mean to kill him…I.”

The blue faced clown got in Henry’s face. “You killed a mute and now he’s dead silent. Oh the tragic irony.”

Henry began to shake his head. He had no idea what to do until Cyrus spoke. “Why does his blood taste like my cook’s tomato sauce?”

Henry looked on the ground and saw Morales removing a retractable sword from his chest. A burst package of tomato sauce leaked down his chest, and as he stood up, he mimed false outrage at Henry. He raised his hands, held his them to his mouth and then took another package of tomato sauce and threw it at Henry’s face.

Drenched in tomato sauce, Henry muttered like a dog left out in the rain, “ And this is why I hate clowns.”

Cyrus fetched a towel that lay on a nearby crate and handed it to Henry. He began wiping his face and muttering under his breath. The two clowns made dark sneers at Henry and Cyrus before they were startled by a somewhat nasally but bold voice, “I command you to cease your debauchery, clowns.”

Cyrus and Henry looked up and saw a tan skinned man in a dark tunic. His hair was frizzy and he gave a gallant smile. His right arm was in a sling, and his left arm was held by a short haired young woman with a round face and large blue eyes. She wore a blue doctor’s robe. “Archibald!” Cyrus exclaimed. “I can’t believe you’re alive.”

“One second, princey,” Archibald said with a serious nod. “I’ve got a bone to pick with these jokers.”

He turned to the two clowns and advanced towards them with a grave expression. He thrust his good hand in their face. “Clowns are supposed to bring merriment and joy to comedy challenged people, not anger and irritation.”

“Comedy challenged?!” Henry shouted. “I resent that.”

Archibald closed one eye recounting his painful past. “I’ve had noble houses not want to book me because they were afraid I’d squirt them with water and scare their children, all while laughing manically. You, my friends, give our occupation a bad name.”

The blue faced clown growled. “Oh great, an ethical clown. Let’s get out of here.”

The barker and Morales headed off to irritate other fair goers leaving Cyrus and Henry to greet the wayward jester and his lady friend.

“My hero,” Henry said, holding his hands together. “I mean, salutations fellow servant of royalty. I’m happy to see you survived your ordeal!”

Cyrus ran to hug Archibald but the Majester quickly held up his hand. “Careful now princey poo. I survived my ordeal in the pit, just got a bit of a busted arm. Luckily, I found my way into town and this beautiful woman treated my wounds”—Archibald leaned forward into Cyrus. “I call her Sadie Belle the doctor of inappropriate sounding prognoses.”

“Archibald,” Sadie Belle intoned in the manner of a concerned nurse. “Don’t overextend yourself, you don’t want to hurt your bone.”

He leaned into Cyrus. “See what I mean, girl makes it all too easy.”

“So how did you survive?” Henry asked.

“Well wouldn’t you believe I had a little bit of pixie dust left in my shoe. Caused me to float right before I splattered. I still fell on my arm, but it’s better than breaking your whole body,” Archibald cawed. “But I must say, I’m very happy to see you two in one piece.”

Henry, nodded and looked off into the distance. “I’m surprised too we’re alive…one golem later.”

Archibald pumped his hand. “You two beat it?”

Henry crossed his arms. “Together. Yes. If it weren’t for this blue blooded fop and his surprisingly quick wit, I would have been devoured.”

“I knew I was right to have confidence in my prince,” Archibald said with a knowing smile. “Keep this up, Cyrus, and you’ll be a great king in no time.”

Cyrus beamed with pride. He had done right in his mentor’s eyes. After all of his mishaps and mistakes, it felt good to receive praise.

“Archibald…we’ve been investigating this town for suspicious behavior. Have you seen anything off?” The knight asked.

“Quite a bit. A bunch of clowns that aren’t funny, but you’re already well aware of that.”

Henry slapped his forehead. “Come with us, I’m personally going to get to the bottom of this.”

“All righty, knighty.” Archibald said, and he and his new lady friend followed Henry on his determined mission.

As they strode further through the carnival, the group saw a huge pinstriped tent where a giant carnival poster hung from the front. A blue moon shone over the silhouette of a curvaceous woman with a short, rounded bob hair cut and elegant thin arms. She stood on a stage and struck a sensual pose with her hips jutting out. Emblazoned on the top were the words: “Coming once in a Blue Moon, the amazing Rosemary.”

“Yowza!” Archibald said and Sadie angrily puffed up her round face and smacked his arm in jealousy.

“Owch!” Archibald cried in his nasally voice and flinched badly from the pain.

“Oh my… I’m so sorry!” Sadie said, realizing her mistake.

Cyrus, though young and immature, still found himself allured by a fully developed woman. He asked Nick. “Who is this lady?”

Nick, with a hint of white drool on his face sucked it in and said, “Ah yes. The beautiful, sensuous chanteuse Rosemary. She’s the newest addition to the troupe. She may be the only woman in the troupe, but the way she reaches out and grabs our hearts with her velvet vocal chords makes everyone else seem so insignificant. The sword swallower may as well swallow licorice for all I care.”

“Ooh, I want to see her too,” Cyrus said. “Don’t you want to see her Henry?”

“I could care less to see some lowly broad who earns her silver by having men gape at her,” Henry said with his hands crossed.

“Oh, you’re one of those kind of boys,” Cyrus said with a wink. “I get you. Don’t worry, my parents are very lenient with that!”

Henry’s face changed to the color of a tomato and he waved his hands. “I don’t mean that at all! Women are the greatest gift to men! I just don’t think going to see this woman is going to help us advance in our mission.”

“Aw come on,” Nick gushed causing Sadie Belle to turn her head in disgust. “You’ll be just as love struck as me when you see her perform in the moonlight.”

“The moonlight…” Henry muttered. “So that’s the strange lady who performs in the moonlight on the edge of town. And by strange behavior from the townsfolk, it’s just a bunch of men spilling their mead over a seductress.”

“Case closed,” said Cyrus. “But at least we’ve got a nice carnival.”

“Let’s celebrate our closed case with a nice round at the bar,” Archibald exclaimed. “It’s all on me!”

“Take care guys,” Nick said with a grin still plastered on his face. “And I hope you will see Rosemary when the time comes.”

Cyrus waved goodbye; but just as he did, he saw Nick’s shadow split right down the middle, revealing it had two heads. He turned his head back and Nick’s shadow had changed back to normal. As he headed towards town, Cyrus couldn’t get that image out of his head. Something was certainly off about this village, even if he didn’t know what.