ch 5 of rivals and really annoying horns

Chapter 5: Of Rivals and Really Annoying Horns

Kael was mid-dramatic monologue to a group of mildly interested ducks when a trumpet blared across the town square. A loud, obnoxious "Toot-to-tooooooot!" echoed off the cobblestones.

Flap fell out of a tree. Fanglet growled. Mossfang lifted his head, unimpressed.

A red carpet unrolled itself down the main path. Confetti exploded. From the dust emerged a tall teen with golden hair, perfect teeth, and an ego visible from orbit.

"Behold!" he cried. "Your true summoning savior has arrived!"

Nyla squinted. "Oh no. It's him."

Kael raised an eyebrow. "Him who?"

"Cyrus Dandelion. Son of Lord Dandelion the Rich, Tamer Prodigy, and absolute walking migraine."

Cyrus threw sparkles into the air. "I heard a 'summoning amateur' was gaining popularity. Figured I'd drop by and remind people what real summoning looks like."

Kael stepped forward, cape catching the wind. "Well, hello there, Peasant Prince. Welcome to Goosefield. We're famous for explosions and livestock trauma."

Cyrus's eye twitched. "Peasant? I have a platinum summoning license!"

Kael held up his own license, which was laminated and had a tomato stain. "Mine has a bat."

> Challenge Initiated: Rival Showdown — Friendly (But Potentially Explosive)

Villagers gathered, munching popcorn. The mayor leaned out of a window, holding a broom. "If anything catches fire again, you're both on goose-cleaning duty!"

Cyrus snapped his fingers. A gleaming portal opened. From it stepped a shimmering, silver-maned lion with armor and wings.

> Beast: Skyfang, Noble-Class Celestial Beast. Loyalty: Annoyingly High.

Kael muttered, "Show-off."

He sliced his palm. Magic flared.

> Attempting Summon: Obsidian Grub? ... Cancelled. Attempting Summon: Something Better. Beast Summoned: Dustpaw – Shadow-Class Cunning Catbeast. Element: Earth/Smoke.

A sleek feline slinked out of the shadows. It yawned, licked its paw, then sat on Kael's foot.

The crowd applauded.

Nyla clapped too. "You summoned a shadow-cat! That's actually rare."

Kael grinned. "She picked me, obviously."

Dustpaw curled her tail around his leg.

Cyrus scowled. "Whatever. Let's settle this with a friendly match."

> Mini-Battle Activated: Friendly Summon-Off. First to Three Cheers Wins.

Round 1: Skyfang launched into the air and did loops. Fanglet chased his tail and ran into a barrel.

Winner: Skyfang. Applause Count – Cyrus: 1, Kael: 0

Round 2: Dustpaw disappeared, reappeared behind Skyfang, and dropped a fish on his head.

Skyfang screeched. The audience roared with laughter.

Winner: Kael. Applause Count – Cyrus: 1, Kael: 1

Round 3: Kael and Cyrus both summoned at once. Skyfang glowed. Kael channeled deep.

> Beast Attempted: ??? Critical Mana Surge! Random Summon Triggered!

A giant spectral goose rose from the sky, its eyes glowing with ghostly fire. It honked.

Everyone screamed.

The mayor dropped his broom.

"NOT AGAIN!"

Kael panicked. "Abort! Cancel! Unsummon!"

> Beast Unsummoned: Goose of Eternal Echoes. Town Saved. Reputation: +1 Heroic, -2 Goose-Related

Cyrus blinked. "I… I forfeit."

Kael dusted himself off. "Thank you. Thank you. No more geese today."

The crowd gave a standing ovation. Someone threw a pie. Kael caught it.

Later that evening, Kael sat under a tree with Nyla and his beasts. Dustpaw slept on his chest.

"Hey," Nyla said. "You did good."

He grinned. "One step closer to glory, my friend. One beast at a time."

A goose honked in the distance.

Everyone went silent.

Kael sighed. "...I'm going to bed."