Cato

Runs Freakshow

BIO:


Cato: An Origin Story

Perhaps it was the way the breeze billowed through the Shatterskull Circus grounds. Perhaps it was the clouds gently floating overhead. Perhaps it was the fact that the circus had grown stagnant and profits were down for the first time in years. Whatever the reason, Walter found himself with a feeling of whimsy. An odd boredom sensation but an innate desire growing and festering within. He found he could contain himself no longer. He spread his great wings and set off for the plaguelands beyond.

The breeze was gentle this morning. Awash with feelings of calm, Walter set his sights on the wyrmwood acid pits. Something about the way they breathed was comforting. Assuming, of course, he went nowhere near them.

Today, oddly enough, was a rather unusual day. For his treks to the wyrmwood acid pits rarely saw him come across other dragons. But today, a young coatl had found its way into the plaguelands, its head stuck fast in one of the wyrmwood pits like an ostrich hiding from hunters.

Walter acted quickly, swooping down and pulling the coatl out with his strong claws. A struggle at first, but eventually the coatl's head popped out of the pit like a cork from champagne.

"Are you alright?" Walter asked, catching his breath.

"My word," the coatl uttered, flabbergastered at his predicament, "Those strange creatures sure do seem hungry today. How peculiar, these silly fellows!"

Walter was taken aback, but not just at the coatl's eccentric nature. He had seen many plague dragons with rotting skin, but none quite like this one. It seemed as if the flesh had been completely torn from his face and extremeties.

"I-I'm sorry... but... are you...?"

The coatl snapped his attention to Walter, his eyes widening and grinning from ear to ear.

"HI!" the coatl bellowed, "You're quite a funny looking Plague Spirit!". He approached carefully, eyes darting around from left to right. "Did you touch the magic flying elephant too?" he whispered.

Walter blinked. And then blinked again. His mouth hang agape, taking in everything before him.

"OH!" the coatl shrieked, "You're here to collect your magic beans! Of course you are! My mistake!"

"What?" Walter babbled, "I... no, I'm not here for magic beans..."

"Oh?" the coatl played with a coin he'd now taken out of his pocket, rolling it over his knuckles with surprising precision. "Then what, pray tell, would you summon the-" he sucked in a huge breath, his voice now booming like a circus ringmaster "-ILLUSTRIOUS AND MAGNIFICENT CATO THE GREAT AND POWERFUL... THE THIRD?"

Walter shook his head and breathed a sigh, but not without a sly grin breaking through.

"Listen," he continued, "Perhaps you and I could help each other out... Cato, was it?"

"THE ILLUSTRIOUS AND MAGNIFICENT CATO THE GREAT AND-"

"Yes, yes..." Walter cut in, "Tell me, have you ever heard of the Shatterskull Circus?"

Walter and Cato spoke for hours, Cato seemingly... distracted, Walter growing ever more frustrated.

Cato finally snapped his attention back to Walter after several hours on conversation, drawing his focus away from the weirdly shaped butterfly he'd seen.

"ALRIGHT!" he announced, "You've convinced me! I, THE ILLUSTRIOUS AND MAGNIFICENT CATO THE GREAT AND POWERFUL THE THIRD, shall grace your burlesque house with my continued presence and support."

"It's not a-" Walter interjected, but held his tongue. He'd be here for several hours more if he tried to explain. Instead, he cleared his throat and said "Thank you."

"Come now, Jeeves! We must make haste if we're ever going to make it by seven frogs!" He pulled out a rather ornate, yet broken beyond repair, pocket watch, dropping but one eye upon its surface. "It's already 4 elegant hams, Jeeves! TO THE SQUIRREL CAR!"

With that, Cato spun on one foot to face the opposite direction and sauntered off, rather enthusiastically, towards the sun now dipping beyond the horizon. Walter shook his head with a smile.

"At least it won't be boring around here anymore."

Fantastic bio by AlexanderTaryon

Beautiful art by Starbrite