the magician at the circus nearby. She's an expert at doing illusions and the like, not to mention that she's very good."

"Thank you, at least it's a start" sighed Zena, "though I don't know how much I would like seeing more dumb magic."

"Well, you can always meet her after the show" Rachal said as she cleaned the table with a clean rag, "her name is Madam Bludfeather, and her show should be finished soon so you might be able to catch her." Zena then nodded as she opened the door, and headed out towards the circus.

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Meanwhile, in the Escapist's hideout

Julia tried everything she could to find a way to escape the warehouse, but it was useless. She couldn't even find a blade that wasn't dull or flexible, probably for use in her captor's magic acts. In her wait she searched the warehouse out of curiosity, finding many things, most of which weren't magic supplies but stolen artifacts. She was even surprised to find the insides of a giant clock, as if it was from a clock tower. She jumped as she heard the door quickly open and close and the Escapist walk in.

"Sorry to keep you waiting my dear, but I thought you might be hungry" apologized the Escapist as he placed the bag of food on a table.

"I'm not hungry" Julia mumbled, turning away from her captor.

"Well, it's here if you want some" offered the Escapist, sitting down in a chair and pulling out a large glass bottle of amber liquid. A small glass appeared in his hand as he began poring and drinking the liquid. Julia noticed that the liquid in question was a rare beverage known as Brandy.

"I thought hybrids couldn't handle consuming alcohol?" asked Julia.

The Escapist turned his head and replied, "your right, they can't."

"But, your drinking it" Julia pointed out. The Escapist didn't answer her as he continued having his dinner. There was silence from then on out, neither of them talking to each other until the next day.

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"Madam BludFeather?" Zena asked as she looked at the female Cardinal hybrid wearing a very glamorous if not skimpy dress.

"Yes, how may I help the great Zena" replied BludFeather, giving a bow to the large wolfess.

"I'm glad to hear that my reputation proceeds me" Zena replied with a slightly more cheerful tone.

"Of course, being a traveling circus we all fear being attacked by bandits, though thankfully you made traveling safer for all of us", thanked the curvy cardinal as she sat down in a nearby chair, "now, what confuses me is why a great warrior like you would come and visit a little entertainer like me? Do you have a party you want me to perform at?"

"No, I need your help" Zena confessed, "someone's life could be at steak and I need to know how you do those magic tricks."

"Are you trying to trick me into revealing my secrets?" BludFeather asked slyly, though Zena gave BludFeather a viewer with all recorded pictures and video of the Escapist on it.

"His name is The Escapist. This b@stard kidnapped my lover, stole my most precious possessions, and just stole the clock in the clock tower a few hours ago" Zena informed the magician with a stern tone in her voice, "he was able to do this apparently with the assistance of the same tricks that you used in your show."

BludFeather looked at the pictures surprised and started replaying the videos over and over again. "This guy is amazing, his misdirections are so subtle, the deceptions are astounding, not to mention the forethought and planning is..."

"So can you tell me how he's doing some of these things or not" interrupted Zena.

BludFeather crossed her legs and sighed, "kind of, at least not without in depth study and review. Though what I can tell you is that he's controlling you like puppets. For example, the clock probably isn't even real in the first place."

"What?" Zena asked, immediately wondering if this woman was crazy, "that clock has been there for thousands of years".

"What I'm saying is that your criminal stole it a long time before you even got there" BludFeather then pointed at Zena when she was rushing down the tower, "and when everyone's sight was misdirected to you and the Escapist at the bottom of the tower, he probably remotely caused the fake front of the clock to fold down and probably self destruct."

"So, it was gone the entire time?"

"Yep, and the problem is, it's hard to tell what's real and whats fake without knowing how he prepared it."

"Can you give me some good advice?"