Karl woke up with a set the day after his big duel. "Off to hell" he commented incorrectly, while holding a hand in the side where Gabe's blow had penetrated Shadow's defense.
"Good morning" it came over from the corner of the room. Where the shadow stood and relaxed. "Good morning shadow, how long is this going to hurt, and what time is it?" Karl asked as he worked his way out of bed again.
“It's going to hurt most of the day. The only reason you could stand yesterday was because of all the mana and adrenaline you pumped around your body. I counted at least 4 ribs that were broken after that blow. we really need to train you more in the first dance. Gabe should never have hit you after activating it. It's a little over 9, so it's good you started school on a Friday. “Shadow sounded incredibly disappointed with Karl's business the night before. "It sounds like a good idea, did not like to be turned into a boxing pillow so easy." Karl replied as he searched for his socks.
"What about some stronger spells, I could barely do anything to Gabe with my mana balls." shadow Karl threw his shirt before answering
“I'm a little unsure what's going to happen if I give you your first actual destruction move, if you can turn a Category 0 into a Category 1 artillery spell, with a little bit of blood, I'll not even think about what you can do with an actual artillery spell. ”
Karl could not bear to let a small smile creep up on his face. "Don't worry, I promise not to experiment without your permission." Karl promised quietly as he walked towards the door.
"Shall we have some breakfast" was the last thing Karl had to say before he started working his way down the stairs. Karl just knew that this was going to hurt so much going up stairs today.
Down in the living room, his parents were well into breakfast when he came downstairs. "Good morning, good to see you are on your feet again" It was still so strange for Karl that his father could sound genuinely happy to see him.
"I may be up and walking again, but my ribs are taking my life." commented Karl as he gently sat down at the table. only now did he notice what was on the table.
A huge stack of pancakes was placed on the table. Karl could not grasp his eyes at all, and it was evident in his face. "We thought we could celebrate your first won duel with one of your favorite dishes for breakfast," laughed his mother.
Karl did not hesitate to dive into the mountain of pancakes, forgotten was the pain in the side. "By the way, we'll have guests this afternoon." started his father, “One of your mother's childhood friends is coming by, it's been a long time since we talked to him. do you remember Niels? ” he asked Karl.
“I can not say I do. Should I? ” his father looked down a little at his coffee. “No it may well fit you can not remember him, but it may be you can remember his daughter, you played so much together when you were very young, what is it now her name is… .. when yes Amira that was her name . Why is it that we never see her here again? she used to come by so often when you went to kindergarten together…. ” his father kept talking for a while, but Karl did not hear any more.
How could he forget that they had known each other while they were little? why were they stopped seeing? Karl's world came to a complete standstill.
"Karl ... Karl ... KARL!" it was his mother's voice that drew him back to reality, "What ... what wait I'm awake now." replied Karl groggy. "They take you really hard on those ribs?" laughed his father who was on his way out to the kitchen with the plates from breakfast.
“I think I go out into the garden and start exercising a little. When would your friend be here? ” asked Karl as he slipped out towards the garden to get away from his father's laughter. "A little over 1 he expected to come, now do not destroy my garden or yourself." shouted his father from the kitchen. "Hi! shadow do you come with ”asked Karl and only now noticed that shadow was sitting with a roll of pancakes in his hand and was about to take a big bite.
"Yes yes come now, what do you want to work on?" Karl stood for a while and enjoyed the sunlight, "I think I want to hear something about the theory behind the first destruction spell you have for me, and then something more about how I keep going in the first dance."
*****
“Now come Karl tag and get yourself together. You were better at this dance yesterday than you are now, what the fuck is wrong with you? ” sounded Shadow's voice grinning as he corrected Karl's stand.
"I do not know" was all Karl could answer. "I know you have not got your head in this. Please do not say what you are distracted by Amira coming by with her parents? ” asked the shadow and began to laugh out loud as Karl's face contracted in a sour face.
"I'm not distracted by Amira, why should I be?" He shouted angrily. “Okay it's simply too good to be true. The big strong Karl who did not hesitate to use magic to control his first day of school and started a big duel with another warlock, can not concentrate due to a girl. " shadow was now lying on the grass and was dying of laughter.
If it had not been for the fact that it was because of Karl he laughed, it would have been fun for Karl to watch a shadow roll around the earth.
"I'm not distracted by her, just because she looks good I do not need to be distracted by her" shouted Karl even louder and this time shadows laughter was backed by his father's laughter.
"Okay this is too funny, my little magician is in love." he got japped out between the laughter outbursts. “DDDDDaaaaaddddd… .it's not funny. I'm not in love with her. ” Karl's voice was approaching shrill tones now.
“Not in love with her, now I have to laugh. Who was it specifically practiced to make an invisible mana ball just to be able to push her so he could be the hero and grab her. ” shadow had now completely given up trying to control his laughter.
"Shut up or I'll blow you both up," Karl hissed as he began to call out his mana. Instead of reacting aggressively as Karl had anticipated, the two laughers just looked at each other before starting to laugh even more.
Karl got enough now and hurried up to the bathroom to take a bath and get away from the laughter a bit. It was simply too humiliating what he had just experienced, how someone could endure it Karl could not understand.
****
"Well, are you about to be ready for guests to come, or should you just spend 5 minutes more daydreaming about Amira" shadow laughed scornfully, while Karl stood and looked in the mirror.
"Hahahaha… really funny." started Karl as he tried to decide if the sweater was nice enough or if he should find someone else to put on. "I think this one is good enough, by the way shadow, if you can stop laughing at me for a moment, then I have a question." shadow laughed a little longer but straightened up and asked "what is it"
Karl slammed into the mirror "Do I still have the illusion running?" shadow looked wondering at Karl "No it disappeared when you fainted and you have not put it on again, why?" Karl got a strange look in his eyes. “How can it be that I almost look like the self of my illusion? my jaw is more defined than yesterday and my skin looks very clean. ” shadows just start to gnaw again.
“You were in a magical duel where you pushed yourself incredibly hard yesterday, all the mana you pumped through your body has accelerated maturation and tuned your body closer to its optimal appearance and effect. It's the same function that is about to have healed your ribs ”explained shadow calmly. Karl did not have time to think about it when he heard a car drive into the driveway. "Then it's now," he thought before walking up the stairs.
Karl could not see the door from the top of the stairs, so he started walking down it as he used to. he reached halfway down the stairs before he could begin to see what was happening down the hall.
The first thing that came to mind was his mother's yellow summer dress, which she was so happy to wear, so he had almost expected to see it. The next thing he could see was a woman in her early 50s with a pair of beautiful blue eyes who seemed to be laughing, how eyes could laugh Karl did not quite understand, but it was a thought he had thought many times.
Her face was complete with a cute little nose and framed by long black hair. She had probably looked wildly good 30 kg and 20 years ago. Karl guessed it must be Amira's mother.
The next thing that came to mind now when Karl was down on step number 9 was a tall ruffled man with gray hair. It was just not what caught Karl's eyes, it was more the fine gray shirt the gentleman was wearing and saw the green eyes that stood in stark contrast to all the gray. There was nothing to doubt that it was Amira’s father, those eyes were too green for anything else.
It was clear to see that Amira had the best genes from both sides. Her mother's soft face and her father's slender body and green eyes. It went fine to get down the stairs until step number 5.
The step of hell cheated Karl. he had remembered it when he stepped down on number 6, but he was so distracted by the last person in the hallway that he forgot to skip the step. With a crunch and sounds of something slipping, Karl smoked forward down the last stretch of the stairs.
He landed with a bang at the foot of the stairs and gave a peep immediately. there was complete silence in the hallway and Karl immediately looked up to see if he could save the situation. What met him was Amira’s worried face and an outstretched hand. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly as she held a hand to her mouth. It quickly dawned on Karl that they were all holding one hand to their mouths and at once he could hear them all trying to hold back the laughter.
"Yes I'm okay it takes more for me to get hurt" Karl replied grumpily as he took the outstretched hand and pulled himself up. "Thank you for taking the fight off for me" Karl thought in his quiet mind "it was so little" was all he got back
The reason he had fallen was clear. One was the stupid step he really had to get his dad to fix. Another was the beautiful girl who helped him up again. The beautiful eyes lit up again with cheerfulness and Karl could not even bring himself to get mad at her.
However, it was not her eyes that had caught his eye to begin with. it was the beautiful red summer dress she was wearing. It sat so beautifully on her and tightened all the right places. "Well, if we're done laughing at Karl, then the living room is covered," commented Karl's mother, still laughing.
"A cup of coffee would be nice to rinse the fun down with." replied Amira’s father. Into the living room, they all walked quickly, with Karl rolling at the back, taking care of his wounded ego. Karl's father met them in the living room. "Hello everyone thinks it's best if we just introduce ourselves again, know for sure that Karl can not remember you properly, unless his little walk down the stairs has kickstarted his memory" laughed his father as he raised an eyebrow and struck with his head out towards the hallway.
"Let me start, the name is Torkild, I am married to the beautiful woman in the yellow dress who met you in the hallway." started Karl's father and nodded towards Karl's mother. "I'm tove, married to the joker over there" started Karl's mother and waved his hand in the direction of Karl's father. "And mother of our block major, as you probably all know by the name Karl" his mother said happily, and could not completely keep the humor out of her voice.
Karl was so embarrassed now that he just kept his mouth shut and looked at his parents angrily. "Then it's definitely our turn." started Amira's father. "I go by the name Niels and my beautiful wife obeys everything from treasure to Anesofie." Niels got a good slap on the shoulder by his aforementioned wife. "Now that my dear husband took the honor of handing over my name, I can present our little princess…" "MOTHER!" Amira screamed loudly, but her mother continued relentlessly, "we baptized Amira". now it was not only Karl who was red in the head.
“How good it is to see you back here in the house Amira, can you remember how you two used to play around here when you were little, what is it now? 10 years ago. Where does the time go, however, ”exclaimed Torkild.
"Yes it is a long time ago now, always enjoyed coming over and getting a cup of coffee here while they played" commented Niels. "Now that you mentioned coffee, should we not have a cup while we talk about the time that has passed?" asked Tove as she pulled a chair out at the table.
everyone quickly settled in, somehow the adults manage to make sure that Karl and Amira end up sitting right next to each other. They sat so close to the small table that they almost touched each other, and Karl could swear that the air had suddenly become electric. They sat there for a long time talking together and enjoying the coffee. Niels said that they were sad that they had disappeared like this 10 years ago, but he had received an offer of a job, which required him to leave immediately. They were, of course, forgiven immediately. Karl and Amira took turns getting embarrassed as their parents told embarrassing stories from their upbringing. It was not long before Karl got enough and left the table and went out into the garden.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Out in the garden, Karl slowly begins to walk through steps to the first shadow dance to get them even cleaner, he did not add mana as he would not risk that there were some of them inside the living room who saw him disappear such.
"You know you have an audience, don't you?" it suddenly sounded in Karl's head. Karl stopped halfway through his 30th review of the technique. "Do not stop for my sake" was Amira's voice from the terrace.
"Like to see you do it, it almost looks like you're dancing" she continued calmly. Karl did not know exactly what to say so he answered the first thing that occurred to him
"It's not so strange, it's a martial arts technique called the shadow's first dance, dawn flicker" Amira just stood and smiled calmly. "Did not know you went to martial arts" she commented. "I do not do that either, a friend teaches me at home." Karl replied slowly. Karl listed on the terrace and sat down on the railing that separated the garden and terrace while he said it.
"Do you remember how we used to play around in the garden when we were little?" Amira asked in a low voice. "After I was just reminded of it so yeah, had honestly forgotten it." Karl replied cautiously and did not know how she would react, but she continued as if he had not said anything.
“I have a funny memory from a summer, or that is, I think it is a memory, but am not sure. Some of the parts of the memory do not make much sense. ” here she hesitated a little "Tell, it may be I can explain it" Karl interjected quickly.
Amira looked at Karl a little. It looked like she was looking for something, but Karl could not put his finger on what it could be, but she seemed to find what she was looking for. “I have a memory of sitting under the apple tree over there and you made an apple float down to us. But it is impossible it would require you to know magic. ” she laughed shyly and shook her head.
"Hey shadow, is it possible that I did it when I was very young?" it went a bit before the shadow answer but karl almost lost his jaw after shadows answer. "You could, remember you can use storytelling magic, so if you'd asked the world to give you an apple, you might instinctively have called on your mana to impress your friend."
It took a while before Karl knew what to answer. "Maybe it's not entirely wrong what you remember, let me show you something exciting I've discovered I can." started Karl as he walked down the grass again.
"You must promise me not to freak out okay" he said a little louder as he sat down in the ready stand for his shadow dance. "Okay…. I do not freak out ”Amira replied and gave Karl her full attention.
"Please please do not panic" ran through Karl's head constantly as he got ready. Suddenly Karl called out his mana "Dawn flicker" he said loud and clear, and using the technique, in an instant he went from standing in front of a pillar in the middle of the grass, which had been Karl's sparring partner for the last few days, to stand behind it, ready to hit it in the “back”. Armira was completely shocked "What was that" she got stammered out when she came to herself again. "I have discovered that I can do magic" Karl replied cautiously and waited for it to click and she would run her way.
Before Amira had time to say or do anything, the adults came out of the living room "Hi Karl, what is it your mother just told me, can you read your grandmother's book" Niels asked aloud. Karl just stood there glaring and looking at his parents wondering and a little worried.
"Don't worry," his mother started, "Niels knew my family's secret and had told Anesophie stories about what my mother could do." Karl exhaled hard, he did not even know he was holding his breath.
"Okay… it makes it a little easier to explain Amira this so" commented Karl. Amira looked back and forth from her father and to Karl “Explain to me what? How can you teleport? ” she asked confused.
“Can you already teleport yourself? How long have you been a warlock? ” asked Niels and Karl could see he was having a hard time holding back his enthusiasm. "I can not really teleport, I just move so fast and in a way that it looks like I am teleporting." replied Karl.
"If we're going to talk about my abilities, shadow should be here too." Do not freak them out too much, I can really like Amira so now do not scare her away "begged Karl in his thoughts" Now that you can admit that you can like her, I must behave nicely ”Replied shadow before switching out of Karl's shadow.
Instead of Shadow's normal ghostly fog, he materialized as a black and white version of Karl. "Good day Amira, good to finally meet you, you just had to know how much I have had to hear that the fool has sat and commented on how beautiful you are" started shadow and continued before Karl could comment, even though everyone could see that he would try to deny it.
“For those who do not know, I am Karl's guide and do my best to teach him everything from martial arts to how the void works to magic. And by the way, my name is Shadow ”everyone stood a little and hesitated after Shadow's speech. "Tove, has your son called a shadow element as his guide?" asked Niels. "Yes," replied Karl's mother with a big smile.
"The same demon type that your mother told you was among the oldest and strongest demons?" he asked again and again the answer was a short yes. "Okay kid you have my official permission to date my girl." exclaimed Niels.
Amira did not hesitate to show how much air could be in her lungs "DDDDAAADDDD !!!!" Karl was sure they could hear her right in the center of town. "What honey?" Niels asked calmly, "You can not just go and say that kind of thing, and are not you supposed to try to scare boys away from me?" Amira asked completely out of it.
“Normally, but if he decided to do it, then I had nothing to say, with a little practice he can get everything he wants. He's probably the best son-in-law I could think of, he's going to have money and power. So I do not see the problem. " Niels answered calmly.
After the small episode, things quickly calmed down again. There was a lot of talk about Karl's abilities, and Amira promised not to share it with anyone at school. After Amira and her parents were taken home, Karl took and ate dinner with his parents and then early to bed, he would have a long day of training ahead of him tomorrow.
In addition to spending his Sunday practicing dawn flicker more, he was allowed to try his hand at his first actual destruction spell.
****
"Okay let me get it all right, I take and pretend I have to pull a bow up like I want to shoot an arrow?" Karl asked as he stood looking at the target that stood at the other end of the square in the gravel pit.
"Yes you just have to let your mana be the arrow." replied shadow who again lay in an armchair and relaxed. "Okay here goes nothing" commented Karl, as he pretended to tighten a bow. In between his hands a light blue arrow flickered forth. It was not an impressive arrow, in fact you had to be very generous if you had to call it an arrow, it was more just a line in the air. "Okay well then you just release it while aiming at the target" it sounded lazy from shadow.
"Arcane arrow" whispered Karl and pretended to let go of the arrow. With a faint whistle and an even more swearing dong, the arrow hit the target. The problem was just that Karl did not hit the middle or did any significant damage with the arrow. “Let’s see, you did it right, you just have to practice a lot. When you can do it just by saying the name and pointing then you are about to be there ”commented shadow still lying on his chair. Karl could well sense that it would be a long day.
After several hours of training, Karl took a short break. "Hey shadow, I came to think of something." started Karl "okay this sounds tense, you think?" inserted shadow and even came to laugh at it. "Yeah yeah you just laugh, but that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, I think I have a bad conscience." told Karl sourly. "Over what though?" asked shadow as he turned towards Karl.
"Do you remember her Emilia I made you film give me a blowjob?" "Yes what about her?" “I just do not feel good about how I treated her. I was in the middle of a power trip and did not think about how bad it was and how wrong it all was. ” Karl replied in a weak voice.
"And it has nothing to do with you being laughed at yesterday?" asked shadow and now looked Karl straight in the eye. "Yes, I think I completely forgot to think about how much I myself hated being teased, and then I go and do such things to a girl who has not really done anything to me. I think I will say sorry to her tomorrow. ” finished Karl. "It sounds like a good idea, but it's tomorrow, now you have to go back to training."
As Monday rolled around the corner, Karl found himself incredibly nervous. Would she be mad? would she reveal him? Would she be known to him at all? There were so many questions in his head "Calm down now Karl, it will probably work, we will find a solution no matter what, but take it now and look up from your shoes and see who is standing right in front of you" Karl obeyed as he used to, in front of him was the answer to all he questions, or at least her who could give him the answers.
"Has that seat been taken?" Amira asked quietly as she pointed to the seat next to him in the bus. "No, finally sit down." he replied happily. Although he tried to seem relaxed on the surface, he was completely up and running inside.
She was not angry, she wanted to talk to him, this day could get better. "Hello..hello some at home?" laughed Amira as she waved a hand in front of his eyes. "Yes of course was just lost in thought" Karl replied quickly "well done" laughed shadow "Keep your mouth shut no one has called you" snapped Karl. “So what are you going to spend the day on today. Some bullies you have to beat or have you got it out of your system? Amira asked.
"I have not planned anything other than that I have someone I should have apologized to today, I did some less nice things that made her very upset." the answer Karl. “I must rather have found her now before we go back to class.
Karl and Amira spent most of the day gossiping about everything between heaven and earth. Andreas was still not back in school, but Karl had not expected it either after the trip he got. Although Karl's perspective had changed a bit over the weekend. then he still did not have much left over for someone who actively advocated trying to brainwash him into being his slave.
He was ready to also give Andreas a chance to prove he could be better, just as he hoped Emilia would forgive him now. But first he just had to find her and get her on two hands. It turned out not to be the big problem. Karl found her standing out in the hallway talking to 2 other girls he did not know. "Hi Emilia, can we talk a little" Karl asked cautiously. She turned completely pale, and rolled her eyes. "Yes, we can," she replied quietly.
"Can we go in there, would like to talk to you alone." asked Karl, pointing to an empty classroom. "Yes," she replied after a short hesitation.
Inside the room, Emilia stood as far away from Karl as she could.
hi Emilia just listen to me, I would like to apologize for what I did and, ask if there is a way I can make it right again. I know well it was wrong of me, I just had a bad day and hope you will forgive me." he chattered quickly.
Emilia stood completely petrified for a few seconds, but just before Karl had to say more she answered. “I do not know how you can make it right again, but I am willing to forgive you. I can well see for myself how it was not nice of me to hiss at you when you came with my clothes to me. Should we say that everything is fine and we start all over again? ” she asked quietly as she held out a hand to Karl. "Yes, we can," he replied, shaking her hand. They reached right out of the room again when the bell rang and they were each going their separate ways. Karl met up with Amira again in the last hour and told her that now he had calmed down again.
"It was good, let's see. It was a day without any situations and trouble, that is so 50% of your 3rd high school year you have managed now without trouble, it is a good start ”said Amira laughing. Even though it was himself who was made fun of, Karl could not help but laugh with, there was just something about Amira's laughter that made him want to laugh with.
On the way home in the bus, they agreed to meet in the gravel pit so Karl could show her what he had learned, and then he would take the book with him so she could see it. "It's a date" Amira got fired when she jumped off the bus, and Karl turned bright red in the head.
Karl almost jumped in the door and gave his mother a big hug when he saw her. "Well what has got you in such a good mood darling" she asked curiously.
"I think I have a date tonight with Amira" Karl replied without thinking about it. “A date ??” asked his mother. "Yes a date, at least that's what she said, we agreed to meet down in the gravel pit so I could show her what I can and show her Grandma's book." the answer Karl happy.
"Well honey" start his mother "It's not a date it's just a saying, but before you hang on to the muzzle it's a good sign. She has even opened up about the idea of going on a single date with you now. And remember what her father said. ”
Karl lost a bit of joy, but it could not completely knock him out, "Then I just have to do my best tonight to impress her enough that she will go out with me." he replied confidently before running up the stairs to get ready. Karl was out early in the gravel pit and in the process of warming up when Amira showed up. "What do you want to hear about first?" Karl asked immediately. "I do not know that will surprise me" Amira replied and smiled big.
Karl took it as a challenge and made a big deal out of keeping her entertained all evening with everything from embarrassing stories about how he had overloaded manaboldt the spell and it therefore had not worked, to his fight with Andreas and then he went through the theory and the symbolism behind the first on summons incantation. At one point, he enticed her to strike out after him so he could show her dawn flicker properly.
When evening was over and they were about to go home, Karl had the courage to ask the question he had on his mind. "What Mira, your father made fun of, I could be the best son-in-law he could have and I find you incredibly beautiful and funny, so I thought about whether .. you know .. you would… you know ..." Karl got laid out strongly, but it was difficult. "Yes?" she asked, making a came now further motion with her hand. "I just wanted to hear ifyouwouldgoonasingledatewithme." exclaimed Karl quickly. "Of what did you say?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Calm down now Karl she does not bite" commented shadow who had kept his mouth shut for the last few minutes. "Shadow is right I do not bite, breathe and try again."
Karl took a deep breath. "I asked if you would go on a single date with me." there was complete silence in the gravel pit. Amira stood for a while looking at the guy before lifting a finger to her cheek as if she was really considering something important. "Do you know what Karl, I think that sounds like a good idea, shall we say on Friday?" she replied.
"Uhhh… yes of course I'm already looking forward to it." Karl replied and was about to jump for joy. "I do too, see you tomorrow, look forward to Friday, sleep well." she said before stepping up the road that led out of the gravel pit. Karl waited until she was out of sight before he started dancing around himself "I have a date with Amira, I have a date with Amira…" such he was for some time before he hurried home.