The Otherworlders Academy - An Original Teen Fantasy

S2-Ep. 5.14 (R) - I swear to the gods!

After a few minutes, the crowd settles into their seats and the lights dim.

The woman who was manning the door suddenly appears at the center of the ring.

Glimmering underneath the spotlight, she raises her top hat, unleashing a bright pink, bouffant hairdo that's as ostentatious as is her introduction.

"Ladies and gentlemen, nobles and plebs," she belts out, her voice rising above the din and commanding everyone's attention. "Welcome to tonight's entertainment! We cordially invite you to sit back, relax, and enjoy a night of wonder, spectacle, daring feats, and remarkable sights!"

With a flourish of her hand, she bows deeply and calls out, "First up, a dance from the heavens!" And with that, she backs off of the makeshift stage.

At this point the main act commences. Suddenly, the tent fills with a thick fog illuminated by red lights that sit at the periphery of the stage.

In the midst of the fog, three aerialists drop from the ceiling, spiraling down like celestial beings, their bodies twisting gracefully as they unfurl from an enormous length of shiny, silver fabric.

Tethered to their silk, the aerialists swing back and forth, fluidly twisting and turning, all the while performing an intricate dance, looping and twining around each other high above the heads of the spellbound audience.

It's absolutely stunning.

In fact, each performance dazzles more than the last. After the aerialists, there's a troupe of goth performers who do an intricate mime that seems to be recreating a great and mighty battle between the races, with the eventual victors being, of course, the Vampyric kingdom.

Cameron and Jake roll their eyes at this.

Then there's a daring juggler who manages to deftly toss three daggers, two torches, and a skull with extraordinary precision.

And just when the show looks to be winding down, out come the animals.

The Vampyr audience claps fervently, their "ooohs" and "aaahs" filling the space as a mustachioed animal trainer in a leopard-print spandex one-piece and a black vest and tailcoat leads a menagerie of animals out to the center of the stage.

First, there's a baby elephant, followed by a Siberian tiger, an orangutan, and a miniature pony.

And then to the boys horror, out comes a gaunt looking polar bear.

They watch, appalled, as the creature lumbers listlessly to the middle of the stage, moving so slowly and dragging its paws as if weighed down and oppressed by the hot, humid, stifling air trapping him in the tent.

Sebastian and Cameron share a quick glance of dismay, their faces mirroring each other's sense of dread.

Jake, on the other hand, seethes.

His hands ball into fists at his sides, and his entire body begins to shake with barely contained rage.

Meanwhile, the animal trainer leads the animals into the center of the stage to form a circle. And with a sharp whistle, he lifts up his riding crop, issuing the silent command for the show to begin.

In response to the trainer's gesture, all the animals stand up on their hind legs and paw at the air — all except for the polar bear, who's far too weak and dehydrated to move.

In fact, in his condition, the poor thing can barely stay standing on his feet.

Frustrated, the animal trainer unfurls his whip and stalks over to the creature.