I’d Win

“I am Eryth Yoazu, daughter of Almza Yoazu. It is true as you inferred, I am but a doll.”

Ah crap I didn’t think she was listening yet. That’s a bad first impression for ya.

“Oh I’m sorry for calling you a doll, I didn’t mean anything bad by it.” Trying to patch together this already dead in the water first meeting.

“Why deny your words their meaning? It is as you say, I am just a doll. But even though I’m a doll that doesn’t change who I am. I’m me, Eryth.”

She taps her timber foot on the ground, posing with her arms flexed, trying to show off a powerful stance. It’s a little hard to believe in her strength since she’s like half a foot shorter than I am, but to play along I decided to recoil at her bolstering strength and durability of just a doll. Which may have been the wrong course of action…

“I am the strongest barrier magician in the world, my shields can block out any and all attacks from any foe ever to exist!” She exclaims, puffing out her chest to appear even stronger.

“Yeah right on! But hey even if you can block all attacks you still can’t win a fight.” I say, challenging her remark of being the strongest.

“WHAT!?” She stomps in anger, “This guy immediately dogs on me, like excuse me, who do you even think you are!”

“I’m–”

“This is King, some random guy I found outside. Eryth I want you to tutor him and teach him how to use magic” Almza says cutting off what was going to be my epic introduction.

“WHAT!? Tutor this bum, he doesn’t look like he knows the first thing about good magicians and I’m supposed to teach him how to be one, yuck ew. And I’m not gonna call this guy King, A BIG HELL NO TO THAT.”

“erm… My name is actually King, you like literally have to call me King!”

“Nah I don’t care. Bleh” She sticks out her wooden tongue and makes a shooing motion with her hands.

Turning to look up to Almza I plead, hoping for him to change his mind on this…

“Hey Almza, why can’t you just teach me a thing or three? Like clearly Eryth doesn’t like me already. She’s being really mean too, is she like twelve or something?”

Almza looks down to me, with almost a darkened glare. I don’t think he likes what I said about his daughter.

Quickly his head shifts back to his daughter, a more brightened look.

“Look at you two, already bonding so well. Look look I’ll help out too, you’ll basically be a little team of budding magicians and go on adventures! Think you can handle that responsibility?”

“WHAT AN ADVENTURE WITH JUST HIM/HER!?” We both scream out in unison.

“Precisely. Now since that’s out of the way let’s see who will be the party leader.”

“Me, it’s me, I’m the party leader. This pleb literally knows nothing about magic; he's not allowed to have such a title.” Eryth poking fun at my lack of magical experience.

“Nuh uh- I’ve shot my fair share of fireballs and caused a good number of explosions, I’m plenty prepared to take on the title of party leader!” Pointing a finger of defiance at Eryth.

It seems Eryth was shocked by my remark. Did she actually believe I had zero talent at all, or rather not a single lick of knowledge about magic?

“Oh my, it seems we cannot decide on a leader… Luckily for the two of you there are ways of determining things like this. With a classic test of strength.” Almza says, clapping his hands together to grab our attention.

“A 1v1, Eryth vs King, the prize being: title of leader. Does that sound good?”

Eryth now with a competitive spirit seems to have forgotten all about not wanting to tutor me magic. She seems to be all about being called the better, more skilled person.

“OK LET’S FIGHT!! RAAA!” She jumps into the air lunging toward me!

“WAIT WHAT!? NO!

Vwoooooom

Almza’s arm glows blue again, his temporal magic activating, freezing Eryth mid-flight.

“Hold your horses now ya silly goose, we’ll do this outside. There’s too many breakable things in here.”

She’s a bit scary, but I’ve got a shovel, she doesn’t.

I don’t think I’ll lose…

Nah I’d win.

END CHAPTER 6