Hey everyone!
(I'm still working on my phone and I am not satisfied with this chap, sadly I don't know why)
galwidanatitude: I wasn't really sure if I should use the name Claus for the human Cloak, but I chose it for the similarity to Cloak. Really, I was waiting for some Santa Claus jokes.
KarToon12: Answers for you in this chap.
After Stephen awoke from a nice and highly needed sleep he heard someone rummaging in the bathroom, curious he stood up and walked to the door. As he pushed the handle down a thump stopped him from entering – Kathrin was pushing the door close from the inside.
"One second Stephen, were finished in a moment."
In wonder he went back to his bed, sat down on the edge and waited. He heard the two giggling and laughing. The door opened and out came Claus on Kathrin's back – with his clothes on! The duo laughed even harder at Stephen's facial expression of disbelief. The blue clothes were a bit too large just as the cloak around his shoulders was a bit too long. His red hair was shorter now and the sides were fixed to the back of his head. The left overs from the hair cut were badly glued to Claus face to imitate Stephen's beard.
Stephen laughed, hard.
They went to Wong after Claus cleaned his face from the hair and gave Stephen his clothes back with the exception of the cloak – it was still wrapped around Claus. The veteran sorcerer nearly smacked his forehead, that he hadn't thought about going to Lisa. As Wong opened a portal for them, Claus interrupted:
"Stephen can you carry me?" He looked embarrassed to the side. "Lisa wasn't very… joyous after she heard Kathrin talking the last time. I think she wouldn't react well to her grown big and strong."
"It's alright," Stephen laid a hand on the boy's shoulder making him look up again "no need to be embarrassed, normally you carry me, you even fly me around. But you are right, Lisa wouldn't react well. Come on my back."
There was a moment of thinking, about leaving Kathrin with Wong to save her from any ill reaction, on the other hand she was great comfort for Claus and she was a very dear friend. So no leaving of Kathrin behind.
Lisa's shop inside had a completely different inventory than the last time they visited, but it was no less stuffed. Maneuvering between an ancient looking vase on a desk and an old globe, they found the shop-lady, crouching on the floor, ordering books Stephen never would dare to touch because they looked like they would crumble immediately into dust.
"Good evening Lisa, could you spare a moment."
Lisa looked up.
"Oh hello…Dr. Stefan, right? You were the one with the strange last name."
"It's Stephen."
"Than I'm not too far off."
She stood up quickly and due to her size, she hit her head on a box atop of the bookshelf, making it nearly topple off. Wincing she pushed the box further back and brushed imaginary dust of her trousers to cover up the incident.
"Ehm…you did have a cat, didn't you?"
Kathrin appeared hesitantly behind Stephens legs. With the shock she had felt the last time in mind, she looked up expecting to the woman. The pose itself hurt in her neck, as she had to look up even further than Stephen from the floor, but she had promised herself to not shy away for the sake of Claus. Kathrin can take it. The pain of words.
Lisa looked torn. She looked away from the staring cat, scratching the back of her head: "I-…I didn't react well the last time…I acted...inappropriate. Wong gave me a big lecture…I am sorry."
Lisa waited for a reply – words, shouting, anything. What she didn't expect was Kathrin who brushed her head against her leg. Slowly Lisa crouched down and petted Kathrin's head carefully. Collecting a bit of courage, Lisa grabbed with one hand below Kathrin's belly, picking her up and steadied her hinder legs with the other. It was…nice.
Stephen coughed. Lisa snapped out of her thoughts and let Kathrin down. "Oh, excuse me. What do you wanted from me?"
The sorcerer turned a bit so Lisa could see Claus, who kind of hid on his back and explained the situation. "To make it short: you see this is Claus, or the energy-body from the Cloak of Levitation. He and the cloak were separated as we visited a dimension and were attacked. Do you have an idea how to reverse it?"
"Hmm, I indeed have an idea. I could try to simply bind him again to the cloak. Like any other artifact with a complexity like him is done. My problem is that I am not able to perform the needed spell. Not because I don't know how, rather because I lack the energy. I'm at the lowest bottom in a rankin of energy-strength, it's a miracle that I can make a sling-ring every once in a while."
"How could we get the needed energy? Maybe you could teach me the spell."
Lisa shifted her weight from one foot to the other and sighed: "I guess I could teach you how to perform the spell. By the time you are able to master it, it's too late for Cloa- Claus. He looks like he only has a few days left, his skin starts to get a shiny glow."
In a mixture of shock and surprise Stephen turned his head around, the old lady was right. It was barely noticeable but it was there. Lisa continued:
"I need two days to fully prepare everything. You are not allowed to do any more magic tricks besides the portal home, Wong shall bring you back to me in two days. When you are fully rested your energy may be enough to bind Claus and Cloak back together. I can make no promises. Bear in mind that we make the most difficult artifact possible with a whole astral form."
"Thank you very, very much Lisa. We'll see than each other in two days."
Lisa nodded. Claus reached with a hand out to Kathrin and who jumped in his arms. With watery eyes the boy pressed her to his chest and his face into Kathrin's fur. Stephen bid goodbye and opened the portal back home. Before they fully went through, Lisa stopped them for a moment.
"Hey, Kathrin! The collar suits you."
Kathrin smiled back.