Can't Beat Real Magic

I had to admit to myself that I was actually a bit worried. While I knew I was the real Mage, I had no idea what this fake Mage had in store. How many people had she fooled thus far, and how had she done it? I paced back and forth, kicking at some small pebbles in my path. And now, I had wagered Aggie. We didn’t even give him any say.

Aggie sat on a rock not far from me, watching me pace. He rocked back and forth while holding his feet together. “Akari, why are ya so worried? Yer the real Mage, after all. This will be a breeze! Looking forward to that wagon!”

I spun towards him, my brows furrowed. “How do we know she’s actually fake? Maybe there’s only one Mage at a time, but it could be possible that other humans have magic still, despite what you demons thought. And if not, it could be even worse. What if she has one of your magic tattoos?”

“I told ya, it’s impossible.” He waved the suggestion off. “First off, I would have known right away. Second off, a human can’t control a demon’s power that easily. They’d hafta have some sorta container for it, like a demonic stone, which isn’t something ya can get in the human world. It’s even difficult to come by in the demon plane. She’s got nothing.”

I frowned. He was so certain, but I felt the anxiety nagging away at me. “What if a demon gave it to her? I know you said you should be the only demon over here, but is it possible that another demon could visit, even if they couldn’t stay?”

“That would be really difficult, and no demon is dumb enough to wanna visit ya humans. The amount of energy it would take alone to open a passage between the worlds ain’t worth it. It took an army of demons the first time to shift it out of it. Yer just thinking crazy.”

Maybe he was right, and I was just letting my mind wildly wander, but something about her confidence had me concerned. Even though I knew I was the real Mage, if she could mimic my powers, it would be hard to convince her cohorts elsewise. They were going to be biased against me from the get-go. I had to make sure there was no way she could defeat me.

I resumed my pacing. I needed to get more information about the legend and the Mage. Was there some specific spell that she was well known for? They were right about me traveling with the Demon Lord though. I knew it would draw weird attention, but it also was the easiest way to learn magic, and I hadn’t been wrong about that. Even if for some reason this Elena had some real magic, there was no way she could have had a teacher as good as mine. Yeah, it would all be okay. It had to be.

Aggie hopped off of his rock and caught my wrist. I hadn’t even realized I was bringing my hand up to my mouth until he stopped me. I used to chew my fingers a lot as a child, but I spent lots of years in therapy and disgusting tasting products to break that habit. I fell right back into it when I was under a lot of stress though, like I was right now.

“Ya trying to eat yerself?” Aggie frowned.

“Bad habit from when I was young. Guess I didn’t get rid of it like I thought.”

He let go of my wrist and I let my hand drop. Didn’t want to start that back up again. I closed my eyes and took slow, deep breaths to calm myself. It always seemed to be a temporary fix, but keeping my anger in check was always a challenge. It did the trick to bring me back to a normal level, at least.

It was odd to me though that I hadn’t even felt this level of anxiety when I first got to this world. I was alone in an unknown place, lying in the middle of some ruins, and I barely batted an eyelash. Of course, back then, it felt like a dream. It could have even been the afterlife as far as I was concerned. But now, it was striking with extreme force. I felt like I was suddenly losing my mind.

Aggie patted me on the back. “Ya know it’s gonna be fine, right? What’s gotcha in such a tizzy?”

“I don’t know.” I closed my eyes once again and pinched my brow. “I just have a bad feeling, like something big is going to happen.”

“Hm, well, ya should never dismiss a Mage’s misgivings. Shouldn’t be anything up with this little lass, but I’ll poke around and see if I can find anything. Jut focus on showing her up in the meantime. Go for something big, light stuff on fire. Ya like that sorta thing, don’tcha?”

I pouted at him, but I really couldn’t argue. I really did like lighting things on fire. Maybe it would make me feel better.

“Okay, okay, you’re right. I just need to stay calm and keep and go big or go home.”

I adjusted my cape, trying to do anything to keep my mind busy. I turned towards Aggie and made a face. “Just don’t keep anything you find from me, okay? Even if it’s scary.”

He let out a chuckle. “Man, Akari, yer so weird. But I got this. Ya just focus on Elena.”

One of the members of Elena’s troupe came and found us a short time after. They claimed they were giving us time to get ready, but there was no need to prep anything when the magic came from inside. I wanted to figure out Elena’s trick before we went up against each other, but it wasn’t like there was some magic marker pointing me in the right direction. Aggie already shot down most of my theories about what it could be, so I was completely at a loss. For all I knew, she was going to throw down like some kind of exploding seeds or the like.

I think what really bothered me about her was how much she reminded me of the girls that bullied me in school. On the outside, they were pretty and dainty, acting nice when there were others around. As soon as my back was turned, they changed, becoming cruel and malicious. It wasn’t just name calling or inappropriate pranks; sometimes it even became physical. For them, it had been mostly hair pulling and pinching. Those girls were careful to never leave any marks on me. But even if there were no physical wounds, the scars on me mentally still hadn’t faded to this day. I had just wanted to be left alone, but they always found me and tormented me as much as they could.

No one else believed me, of course. Those girls bullies? Not a chance! They were so sweet and gentle, wouldn’t hurt a fly. But they were like spiders dipping their webs in honey, attracting as many as they could and targeting those that they felt were beneath them. I was one of their favorite targets for more than a decade. I didn’t miss them at all.

In this world though, I could actually stand up against Elena. It didn’t matter what her comrades thought. Whatever trick she had up her sleeve, my magic would beat it. Mine was real, not just some parlor trick. I had to just trust in that and not focus on the negativity. It was really really hard for me not to. I was pretty much a pessimist all the time. Optimism was never my strong suit.

We let the man led us to the center of their makeshift camp. They cleared an area and blocked it off with colorful flags, a circular ring for us to perform in. We were really just putting on a show as far as they believed. Too bad for them that there was more to me than just showmanship.

The members of the caravan stood along the outside, some of them bringing out small wooden benches to push around the ring. Others were already seated, from other benches to colorful blankets spread out on the ground. It was slowly reminding me more of a circus every time they added something new. Just as I was wondering if they were going to bring out some sort of snacks, a woman appeared with a large basket full of just that.

I didn’t like being on display. I could just ignore the audience at least and focus on Elena. She was talking to one of her comrades, looking like she was just about to go for a leisurely stroll. I wanted to wipe that smug look off her face. Maybe slam her into the ground and dirty up her pretty clothes. She was so fake. Every smile and giggle she passed to her comrades made my blood boil. It was so obviously an act, how could anyone fall for it? I hoped they were just obliging her, but I felt that some of them may have actually believed she was that good of a person. That made me twitch even thinking about it.

Aggie took up a spot on one of the benches near the ring of flags. He wasn’t worried about any blowback from the magic, especially since he dealt with mine enough he knew what he could handle. While he felt nothing amiss about Elena, at least he was willing to coddle me and put faith in my unease. He watched her closely, the look in his eyes like a hawk watching its prey. I felt the twinge of his magic as he brought it to life. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, but no one else reacted, not even Elena. Demonic magic was out.

They motioned for me to enter the ring. I sighed and stepped in, meeting Elena in the center. She gave me a smile, but I met her with a cold glare. I was on to her, no matter what everyone else thought.

A man stepped forward wearing a bowtie and a tall hat. The ringleader, I surmised. Sure enough, a moment later, he started barking out the introductions.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Let us witness this once-in-a-lifetime event! These two women both claim to be the Mage, but there can only be one! They will wow us with their spectacular magic and you, the crowd, will decide on the winner!”

The crowd went wild. This was just a private showing for the caravan, but they were having fun with all of this. I knew they thought that I would be defeated, but I was ready to make them eat their words. I wanted to knock Elena down a peg or two and see her crawling at my feet. The only way to beat a bully was to become one.

“Our challengers today are the mysterious traveler, Miss Akari! She’ll be facing off with our very own Mage, the fabulous Miss Elena!”

And of course, while only Aggie clapped for me, the whole crowd rose up in a roar for Elena. They shouted and clapped, cheering her on as they jumped about in their seats. I’d show them all. I felt the heat within me rising.

“Now, who will be going first today?” He turned back towards us.

Elena gave him a curtsy. Her cutesy act made me sick. She gave him a sweet smile. “Well, since Miss Akari is our guest, I think it’s only proper to let her go first.”

“Very well. Miss Akari, any objections?”

I shook my head. “No, that will be fine.”

I could already see where this was going. She was going to wait to see what I would do then one-up me. I already planned for that and knew exactly how to play it. I’d start small, making it seem like she could easily beat me. My magic was heating up inside of me, itching for a chance to break free. I would let the magic go wild after her. Time to be like Aggie and show off.

I let only a little of my magic out for now, bringing up small flames on my fingers. I held out my hand, letting the audience see. The flames overtook my hand, settling into my palm. It was a small fireball, but easy to put together quickly. It was harder keeping the rest of my magic from surging in than it was making it.

Elena covered her mouth and let out a delicate giggle. Ew.

“Impressive, but that fire is quite small. Allow me to show you how a real Mage works her spells.”

I waited to see if I felt any ping of magic. She brought up her hand and opened her palm. She raised her other hand over it, moving it over quickly. I smelled something strange as she moved. I thought I caught a glimpse of something sprinkling down from her hand, some kind of powder. I didn’t know what it was, but I definitely knew it wasn’t magic.

Fire sprang to life in her hand. It sparkled from the powder and danced off her palm. Small bursts of flames flickered to life. While hers was flashy, it didn’t last long. It burnt out with one last burst, this time forming a large flaming ball. When it ended, she took a deep bow. The crowd was going wild. Perfect timing for me.

All the while she did her performance, I held onto my little ball of fire. I gave her a smile, trying to mimic that fake one that was constantly plastered on her face.

“Oh, Miss Elena, that was quite a performance. I should have known not to go for something as simple as a small fireball. Pardon my rudeness. I’ll match you better.”

“What-” Elena tried to get out, but the fire was already building in my hand. I let it grow until it took over the entire of my hand. I put my other hand towards it, starting to build it with both hands.

Elena backed up, the intensity of the heat getting to her. She blocked her face. “What is that? How are you doing that?”

“I told you.” I took a step forward. The ringleader fled from the ring, breaking apart the string of flags in the process. The heat was starting to reach the first layer of the crowd. They scattered with panicked shouts. Benches were toppled over, food spilled across the ground. Only Aggie remained, calmly watching the fire build in my hands.

“I’m the Mage!” I shouted. I lifted my arms over my head and let the fire continue building. The whole caravan was fleeing from me. I felt giddy watching them stumble over one another, bumping into one another and even into the tents. The first of them started to go down. Man, these guys were sooo stupid.

“Just leave the wagon and the horses,” Aggie commented from his seat on the bench. He reclined backwards, his arms behind his head. He closed his eyes and hummed to himself.

“Got it.”

I let the fire go, laughing all the way. It caught on the colored banners and tents, sending them up in flames. If they wanted to play at Mage, they got to meet the wrath of the real Mage. I’d teach them to never take advantage of anyone ever again.

Elena crawled away, her legs and arms shaking beneath her. Tears streamed down her face. She muttered to herself, begging for forgiveness from both me and the gods above. It felt good. I definitely loved this power.

I went a little longer before Aggie finally stood up off the bench. He stretched his arms over his head and stifled a yawn. “So, shall we go see about our wagon? Might as well get some distance before nightfall.”

I brought my magic back inside, the fireball instantly dissipating. I exhaled and brought the fire within me back to a gentle glow.

“Yeah, sounds good to me. Maybe we can take some of their food as an extra bonus.”

“Mage, yer a mean one!” Aggie laughed.

“I am working with the Demon Lord.”

“Ya got that right!”

We found the wagon easily and loaded it up with some barrels, only stopping to take a quick peak inside. One contained some fruit, another grain, another dried meats, and the last one was full of water. The rest we left behind- we didn’t want them to starve. After loading up the wagon, I climbed in the back, resting my arms over the back of the driver’s seat. Aggie took up the reigns.

“Giddy-up!”