Nocturnio (23.12.9978 AS)

Tristan was eating dinner with Nana. It had been months since both of them had enjoyed dinner together, not only because Tristan was sent on a mission to ‘Terra’ for a little more than a month, but also because Nana had become so busy with her Café.

“I missed this.” Nana said with a motherly smile on her face.

“Yeah, I also missed this, especially your food, no one cooks as good as you!” Tristan said with a bright smile on his face, stuffing food in his mouth.

“I didn’t mean the food.” Nana answered a little offended.

“I know, but still your food is the little extra” Tristan said, choking a little as he tried to swallow his food. “You know I’m not a picky eater, but all I ate in Terra was bugs and other kinds of vermin!” Tristan said, shuddering thinking back on Erika’s cuisine and on his time Training with Schattenklinge.

Nana nodded, and reached Tristan a glass of water.

“Thanks, do you still eat the potato salad?” Tristan asked and took the bowl with the rests of the salad they had been eating and served another portion leaving nothing behind after checking with Nana, who shook her head.

“I know they didn’t give you to eat properly, but you’ll get sick if you continue eating so much.” Nana said and looked towards her Commu.

“I do quite a lot of sports; I think I can handle one portion more than usual.” Tristan said confident in his abilities of digest everything without getting sick.

“If you say so.” Nana said setting her cutlery by side. “Actually, I have to return to the office today, there are quite a few things I have to take care of. You see, we are now planning to open a store in Obscurati!” Nana said, putting the brightest fake smile she could.

“So, you’ll leave now?” Tristan said disappointed. Although, he was happy for Nana of her business flourishing, he was still sad they didn’t spend as much time together as they used to.

“If it’s fine with you, I would like to leave now.”

“Yeah, it’s fine by me.” Tristan said with a fake smile on his face.

“Really?”

“Yup, I’ll clean up after finishing eating and read a book later.” Tristan said with continuing to put his fake smile.

“Great!” Nana said, stood up and gave Tristan a kiss on his forehead before running towards her room to change and leave the apartment.

After a few minutes, she appeared once again in front of Tristan. “Good night, please don’t make anything unnecessary, if you need anything, you know how to use your Commu right?”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Tristan chuckled a little as he heard these words. “Of course I know and don’t worry, I won’t do anything stupid, so it’s no problem Laura and Dolores aren’t in the apartment next door.

Although, now they could afford a new bigger, more luxurious apartment or even a house, Tristan and Nana had decided to stay in their old apartment next to Laura and Dolores, not only because of the location, but also because they already were used to it.

After Nana had left the house, Tristan did the dishes and went to his room; he activated his illusion magic, creating a clone of himself. There were worlds between the first clone he had created five years ago and the one he had created now. This new clone was even able to speak and to touch things; so to say it was the perfect illusion and Tristan’s only spell on Emperor Tier.

“Are we going to the Lab?” Schattenklinge that had grown out of Tristan’s shadows asked with an intrigued voice. He knew Tristan’s goal right now wasn’t to research some magic to get stronger like he used to, but to actually learn more about fencing and other fighting methods.

“No, we aren’t going to my Lab, now we are visiting one of my other dimensions.” Tristan said and closed his eyes

His active ability allowed him to open gates to wherever he wanted; three special dimensions included. One of these dimensions he used as his lab, the other he used as his armory and the last one, well he never dared to even enter it, since it was such a strange place he feared he would lose himself if he spent too much time in there.

When Tristan reopened his eyes, he found himself in an empty room, everything around him was black. It was the ‘Resonance Room’ as he called it, although, room was the wrong word to describe the empty space, since there were no walls, or at least one couldn’t perceive them.

“Where are we?” Schattenklinge asked with a curious voice that started to repeat itself again and again. “Cool an echo! Echo!” Schattenlilnge exclaimed happily, with a childish tone.

“Quit that!” Tristan warned him, but it was too late, the sounds had already started to overlap with one another, forcing Tristan and Schattenkling to their knees.

“What’s with this room?” Schattenklinge said with a pained voice. “And why did you bring us here?”

“I don’t have a clue what this room is, but it’s part of my active.” Tristan answered honestly to Schattenklinge’s first question. Whit all his might, Tristan tried to stand up and too cast magic,cancel the resonance in the room, but the sonic waves kept interfering with the magic circle he was about to create.

“Dang it… And to your second question, I want you to train me here!” Tristan said, putting a fake smile at Schattenklinge that had also managed to stand up but still was all shaky in his knees.

“Sounds, interesting” Schattenklinge answered with a sadistic smile on his face. “But before you learn to fight here, you’ll need to learn to fight for real in a normal realm.”

“I thought, you would say so.” Tristan nodded, grabbed Schattenklinge and closed his eyes. “That’s why I prepared this.” Reopened his eyes and found himself in a gym like room.

“What you even got another room?” Schattenklinge asked baffled.

“No, this is in the same dimension as my Lab, just a little further away, so Abigail won’t disturb us while we train.” Tristan explained to Schattenklinge, who nodded to Tristan’s words.

“Good, that’s better, but what you need now, is a training partner at the same level as you, whose strength is your weakness. I could play that part, but it is way more motivating to train with someone who is giving his all same as you, than with one that is way up out of your league.”

“Yeah, but I’m motivated enough to learn everything it takes from you.”

“I don’t doubt you’re motivated, but for someone on your level, it still would be better to train with someone your level!” Schattenklinge said annoyed.

“Ok, ok, I get it; you don’t want to hold back while fighting, right?” Tristan asked with an accusing tone.

“Erm… like I said you need someone on your level for the motivation!” Schattenklinge said in a flustered tone.

“Got it” Tristan said with an annoyed voice. “Well, at least I know someone to fill that role, the question is how to bring her here.”