The brutal summer heat was finally relenting as the sun slipped beneath the tree tops and the great peaks of the carnival?s tents but left the promise of a steamy evening in its stead. As day turned into early dusk, the excitement within the clearing only increased. A carnival was fun no matter the hour but at night it?s appeal took on an almost dangerous edge as the children were shuffled off to bed and those on the brink of adulthood took to the dirt thoroughways.

Amid the squeals of delight and horror from the House of Mirrors, the defeated groans from before the rigged games of strength and accuracy, and the seemingly magical musical strands from the steam calliope that could be heard for miles around, a pair of men did business.

The short, caricature of a man seemed to fancy himself the ringleader of the operation or so it would seem by the look of his sequined red jacket and matching top hat. The hat was pulled from his full head of dark hair to make an exuberant sweep to motion his lean companion within the private confines of a brightly colored canvas tent beneath the foreboding shadow of the Ferris Wheel. In a conservative suit with a briefcase at his side, the second man appeared a mere afterthought in comparison but he did not seem to notice as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stepped inside the tent without pausing in his conversation. ?While your operation does seem finely run indeed, Mr. Magliovich, I do not yet see why my client might be interested in investing in such an operation. I know you and your companions are new to our area so I will advise you that there are many such carnivals operating throughout the countryside. They typically fail to see much of a profit.?

Magloivich gave a warm laugh as if a delightful challenge had been laid at his feet and clapped his thick ostentatiously ringed hands together, sparking the oil lanterns in the tent to light at his command. ?You haven?t yet seen the best part, Mr. Smith.?

Aware that he was playing the role of audience to an experienced showman, the accountant gave a thin-lipped frown at the parlor trick as his eyes adjusted to the light and finally took in the surroundings. Gooseflesh crept up his neck, alerting him that he and Magloivich were not alone before his eyes could find the tent?s other occupants. The lamp light bounced around the room casting eerie shadows over the faces that stared out at him from behind bars or through glass enclosures. Some of their mouths moved as if speaking, growling, or screaming but the sound never made it through the invisible magical sound proofing that must be in place.

Mr. Smith gave a surprised gasp which caused a grin of delight to erupt on Magloivich?s lips as the desired reaction was achieved. The handle of the briefcase slipped from Mr. Smith?s hand and he slowly approached a large barred cage in which a giant hairy creature was hunched in the corner with an oversized mitt of a hand over his face. The hand dropped as Mr. Smith came closer, revealing the cyclops?s single eye and a distinctively frightened expression on his features.

?Oh my,? Mr. Smith murmured beneath his breath.

?Careful of the invisible fencing, Mr. Smith,? Mr. Magloivich stated gently as he approached several steps behind. ?Glass panels and metal bars are not enough to confine most of these fantastic specimens. We reinforce them with indestructible magical borders for the creatures? safety as well as the paying customers.?

The warning was more than enough for Mr. Smith who came to a stop several feet in front of the cage and, although he was drawn to reach through the bars and touch the beast, he resisted the temptation. The cyclops gave a sad unheard moan and averted his eye from the spectators. ?What is this thing??

?He is a Bungisngis -- a one-eyed giant from a remote island nation,? Magliovich replied in a matter-of-fact tone. He crossed his arms over his chest after placing his hat back top his head. ?My father started this collection. It?s amazing how many rare magical creatures are on the brink of extinction. We decided to protect them by bringing them into our show.?

Beside the Bungisnigis? enclosure, a scantily clad meliae -- a dryad of ash trees -- peeked out from behind the stump of a tree that had been included in her otherwise bare glass housing. Her delicate fingers wrapped around the tree, their elegant tips sinking into the bark. Next over, a tiny winged beast that Mr. Smith could not even identify was perched in a fanciful Victorian bird cage with its iridescent wings folded around its body. There were dozens of them in all shapes, sizes, and genders. Each was more rare and more miraculous than the last.

Following Mr. Smith?s gaze, Magliovich could not resist the urge to point out some of his favorites like a stamp collector overlooking his portfolio. He took a step towards a water filled tank to point out an oversized frog-like being that had bat wings where its forelegs should have been and a long thin reed of a tail with what appeared to be a stinger jutting out of the end. ?Here is a Water Leaper. They?ve been hunted and destroyed for years because people blamed them for absolutely anything that went wrong in the waterways -- from snapped fishing lines to drowned children. We find them as harmless as a fruit fly.?

?That one looks perfectly human,? Mr. Smith commented with furrowed brows as he stepped closer to a glass enclosure that housed a rather miserable looking brunette.

Magliovich gave a proud smile as one of the gems of his display was noticed. ?She does. But that is the wonder of the Kumiho Shapeshifters, is it not? They can look so perfectly human.?

A pair of dark brown eyes lifted to meet Mr. Smith in an angry silent challenge as he approached. Mr. Smith shook his head in wonder. ?I have never seen one in person but you are right. They do indeed. Are they truly as mischievous as they are said to be??

?Every bit,? Magliovich replied solemnly, clasping his fingers before his face as he studied the young woman?s indignant expression. ?You wouldn?t believe the extra precautions we have had to take since bringing her here. They aren?t inherently evil but they are very much the Cheshire Cat of the magical world. They call this one Beast or Intern Beast.?

Mr. Smith placed his fists on his hips and tilted his head to the side in a similar examination. ?I thought the Kumiho Shapeshifters had found refuge in RhyDin.?

?Yes,? the ringleader admitted in a tone that was careful not to admit too much. ?There is a sizable group there with their leader. Marc Franco is what they call him. It seems that this one got separated from the group. They are in such danger alone and in an environment where they are misunderstood and feared.?

However, the accountant for a potential investor could not be allowed to come so close to the truth. Quickly, Magliovich dove into every showman?s favorite manipulative technique -- distraction. ?And here is a Rainbow Serpent,? Magliovich stated, nodding towards another tank, this one without water, holding a rainbow covered snake that when not wrapped around a log as it currently was had to be at least a full four feet in length.

Awestruck, Mr. Smith turned to Magliovich, shaking his head in disbelief of the marvelous creatures. ?What is this place??

The question earned another warm laugh as the ringleader spread his arms wide. ?Welcome to the greatest side show in all the multiverse, Mr. Smith.?