Agreeing in principle...

Jarlath

Jadis agrees to our terms.

Of course she agrees to our terms! Seems to see clearly that this challenge at least has a chance (though perhaps her suspicious mind doesn't believe our sincerity totally) at survival (let alone returning to power). She's smart enough to realize that, standing back in an increasingly frigid land of Narnia though she may, we could still very well kill her where she stands!

But still....

But still she's worried. I can see it in her eyes as she accepts "in principle"....

....

Heh, in principle... Fine diplomatic way in the arcane realms of diplomacy that she means to only appear to agree, meanwhile trying to somehow wiggle herself into a situation best befitting her (and least befitting us).

So when she protests that while, in principle, she agrees to fight me, she feels that I would have an unfair advantage over her in a magical battle. Her argument, you see, stems from the fact that our magery worked back in that other land while her's did not. That fact frightens her, I feel. No, she doesn't say it (and tries to hide it), but she fears that whatever allowed our magery to work where her failed her gives me an unfair advantage.

Meaning, bottom line, is that she fears I'm going to clean her clock!

Sooo, instead, she tries to wiggle her situation where she feels most comfortable, given all the unknowns.

Maybe her experience with magic users tells her that this course of action is best. Maybe her reality has it where most magic users are so enamored to the ways of magic of magic that they sneer at the physical, and thus turn out to be dogmeat when facing a fight outside the realm of magic (i.e. they're piss poor fighters in melee combat). She figures that I am the same way, and since (from what I've read) she's familiar enough with the sword she'll clean my clock in swordplay! Oh yes, I do remember that the swords of Narnia impart magical skills into their users, but in a fight she would win. It would be her own experience and skills along with the sword's skills (figure that she'd learn how to combine the two instead of fighting it) against a naturally unskilled opponent (who's relying upon the sword's magical skills only).

.....

Can see how that would/could work out. It's an almost pitiful ploy, really, but I guess it's the best hand she's playing. Myself, after joining my new family upon becoming a Champion, my father had been rather....insistent that I at least learn some basic melee combat skills and not rely on magery alone for defensive and offensive need...

She seems taken aback that I and the others agree to her counterproposal instead of arguing.... That and perhaps a bit desperate? Especially after Astra informs her that this counterproposal constituted a fresh challenge with me as the challenged (vice her, as before). Meaning that she didn't figure that it meant that by "Code Duella", I get to chose the weapons!

And she gets a further deep surprise (of dismay) at some of the weaponry that Alicai 4 pulls out from a satchel she'd been carrying! Beleive that one or two things in there were gifts from her analog sisters, the brides of Manfox Fred. Seems that all of the Alicias had been gifted with a knack for scientific tools and....weaponry. Yes, so being that Jadis had spent a bit of time in London (sometime during the 19th century I believe), I feel she'd probably at least learned about what "revolvers" and such can do.... Perhaps from only in passing when normal, more well behaved Londoners were talking about the happenings from across the "pond", over in the "Wild West". But whilst Roland (the Gunslinger) himself taught me the basics of gunplay, I pass over that...

Staff versus staff might not seem to be especially lethal to unlearned spectators, but they'd be wrong....

She looks increasingly shocked when she, upon taking up her staff, feeling that while it's magical....it's not imparting any skills upon her above and beyond whatever she'd learned naturally....

1. "Begin," Astra shouts before Jadis can try to draw this out any longer....

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