Catching humans with a Chimera
“Ladies and gentlemen! The one… the only… Lestur the Chimera!” Around Ron, the crowd went wild, even as he could hear his parents both gasp. “Lestur has been trained since birth by his handler Peter Jarlov. Today, we see the ultimate act of trust between the pair as Peter falls from a 9 foot platform…to be caught by Lestur…in his mouth!” The Ringmaster bowed his head as the audience went wild again, disappearing in clouds of dark gray smoke. As it dissipated, Lestur came stalking forward, growling. Peter came up behind him, clad in a silver jacket with a black pawprint on the shoulder, which was promptly discarded onto the floor as he grabbed a hold of the metal ladder and started to climb.
Harry peeked through the left hand curtains, face hidden by the shadows of the spotlights as he watched Peter. Ani, Leo, and Kitty crowded behind him, staring as the head of the Jarlov family prepared himself for the act. “I’m scared,” Ani whispered, her head ducking under Harry’s arm to get a better view. “Lestur’s trained. He knows not to eat Peter,” Leo whispered back, resting his head on Harry’s, who squirmed. “Why am I your headrest?” He complained. “Because you’re short and you’re my brother. Now shut up, the music’s on,”
The crowd waited with bated breath as Peter threw his arms out in a dramatic flair, before practically launching himself off the platform, Lestur rising to meet him with open jaw. Distressed whispers rose in volume, and some of the parents covered the eyes of their children, eyes wide in panic. There seemed to be a period where Peter was suspended in free fall, before Lestur’s mouth closed around him. A shrill scream rang out from somewhere in the audience, and the rest of the Big Top seemed to hold their breath, waiting, as Lestur landed with a soft thump. He bent his head down, before turning around and sitting, revealing that, safe in between his paws, was Peter, arms thrown out again with a grin on his face. There was a pause of amazement, and then the ring exploded in cheers and thundering applause.
Leo nudged Ani. “See? I told you he’d be alright. Come on, let’s get back to the change rooms. We’re up next Harry,”