Spellsinger, Chapter 14: Battle of the Blazing Stars, Part 1

(If you’re reading the original edition, this is the first half of Chapter 12.)

I’d like to point out that this is the first chapter in this book where there’s no major changes between editions! Okay, there’s one minor change regarding the make of Kara’s pimped-out jacket, but that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

Anyway, Kara finally makes it to the ballroom (I know, I said dining room in the last post — that’s an error on my part), where Adriane awaits. Adriane has decorated the room with posters of her jamming on a guitar, and she enters the spotlight in a very pimped-out outfit: “shiny silver pants, black crop top emblazoned with the words ROCK ‘N ROLL WARRIOR, silver boots, and sunglasses”. And somehow she’s managed to get Technicolor Dream Hair. Of course, us readers know that this isn’t Adriane, but a Skultum impersonator; but Kara doesn’t know that.

Not!Adriane proceeds to perform her own rock-and-roll version of “Anything You Can Do”. Sorry, no audio, but you do get lyrics:

One, two — take a look at you
You’re standing there, you think I care
But don’t you know
Anything you can do
I can do better

Three, four — you’re such a bore
It’s all about me, can’t you see
That in the end
Anything you can do
I can do better

And this devolves into some bickering and some arguing over semantics. Apparently singing in the concert — what Kara and not!Adriane plan on doing — is not the same as singing in the contest. Not!Adriane also accuses Kara of stealing the unicorn horn and cheating in the contest. Kara is shocked, but has no time to stand around like an idiot because it’s time for — you guessed it — a boss battle.

Boss: Adriane?
Oh damn! Seriously? Who saw that coming?
Attacks: Girl, she’s been in the party since the beginning. You know this.

But unlike regular Adriane, not!Adriane can shoot lightning and create shields by playing on her guitar! (Because whenever you fight a party member in an RPG, they suddenly gain new abilities they only use in THAT PARTICULAR BATTLE.) Thank goodness Kara brought that unicorn horn, because she’s able to deflect all those lightning bolts and magically throw food at not!Adriane. I’m not gonna bother describing the battle in much detail; just watch the clip below from the 5:30 mark (it’s from the Scott Pilgrim game) and pretend the last minute or so is the girls throwing food at each other:

Instead of not!Adriane exploding into veggies and Canadian coins, however, the chapter ends with Kara using the unicorn horn to change the images on the posters. Now they all sport Kara singing and looking generally attractive. This isn’t the end of the boss battle, though….

Next time: Emily reads a comic book and finally figures out what’s going on.