Zuri woke up to the sound of clanging armor and someone yelling, "Lady Zelaria is at it again!"
She groaned.
"Already? It's only… what… 8 a.m.?!"
Rowan appeared, looking like he'd aged ten years overnight.
"Morning, Lady… Zuri. Big day today," he whispered nervously.
"Big day?" Zuri asked, sitting up. "Did I schedule a big day? Was there a memo?"
Rowan shushed her. "No… it's the first official magical challenge! The council is… um… expecting you to participate."
Zuri blinked. "Challenge? What kind of challenge? Are we talking a bake-off, a duel, or… interpretive dance?"
Rowan groaned. "It's magic. Real magic. If you fail… well… let's just say the council doesn't like chaos."
Zuri rubbed her temples. "Oh no. I'm going to fail. Definitely going to fail. I can barely keep an orb still, and now they expect me to—what exactly?"
Before Rowan could answer, a puff of smoke appeared behind her. The baby dragon—now fully hatched and slightly taller than a toaster—peeked over her shoulder.
Zuri blinked. "Oh, great. You're here for moral support?"
The dragon chirped. Tiny sparks flew from its mouth.
"Yeah, I didn't think so," Zuri muttered.
---
The magical challenge was simple… in theory:
Summon a small elemental, control it for five minutes, and avoid property damage.
Zuri stared at the glowing circle drawn on the floor.
"Summon an elemental," she muttered. "Sure. Easy. Totally easy. Totally."
She waved her hands dramatically, whispering words she barely understood.
Nothing happened.
"Okay… maybe it needs… focus."
She stared at the circle, imagined a cute little fire spirit… and… POOF!
A tiny creature appeared… but it looked more like a flaming potato with legs than a majestic elemental.
Rowan's jaw dropped. "Uh… that's… adorable?"
The council gasped.
Caden, standing at the back, tried not to laugh. "Interesting… interpretation."
Zuri glared at the flaming potato. "You. Follow. My. Commands!"
The elemental wobbled, flipped upside down, and rolled into a wall, leaving a small scorch mark.
"Chaos… again," Zuri whispered.
The dragon sneezed a tiny flame. The elemental shrieked. The council muttered among themselves.
"Is she… evil?" someone whispered.
Zuri threw her hands up. "I SWEAR I'M NOT! I'm just… creatively challenged!"
Caden stepped forward, hiding a grin. "Perhaps we can guide her…"
Zuri blinked. "Guide me? Oh, yes! Finally! Someone who understands! Lead the way, brave prince!"
Caden's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Step back. Let's try control through focus… not chaos."
Rowan muttered under his breath, "Focus… not chaos… easy to say when you aren't about to set the castle on fire."
---
By the end of the challenge, Zuri had:
Accidentally set fire to one tapestry
Made the elemental chase the dragon
Tripped over Rowan
Somehow impressed Caden with an unintentional clever spell
Zuri flopped on the floor, panting.
"So… I didn't fail?" she asked hopefully.
Caden nodded slowly. "You… didn't fail. But let's… refine your methods."
Zuri grinned. "Refine. Fancy word for 'more chaos'."
The dragon chirped in agreement.
Zuri laughed. "Perfect. Chaos squad, assemble!"
Somewhere in the shadows, Zelaria's ghost hissed:
"She's… stronger than I anticipated. This is going to be… interesting."
---