The Owl and The Athlete
Chapter 5: Training day
By
Neztro
author's note:
I would like to issue a challenge to any and all of my readers… if you can guess who is tristans relative on the boiling isles before the reveal in chapter 26 first then I will allow to decide what fanfic to continue working on whenever I finish the asmodean. Your first of three hints are as follows: they work for the bad guys… you will receive hint number 2 on chapter 15 and hint number 3 after the agony of the witch chapter
a blast of red fire skirted past tristan's hair. If he was dodged a split second too late he would have some serious burns.
Eda threw another firebolt and tristan dodged again… this time sending back a dart of purple energy.
Eda blocked it with a barrier which absorbed the bolt taking no further damage.
Tristan and eda then used a spell circle to summon another bolt from each of them that collide with power crackling… they both absorbed each other.
Eda bent over and started panting. "Not bad kid, you can actually keep up when I'm putting a quarter effort into it."
Tristan was just as tired. "Same eda, it Is great practice… but I'm sweating like a dog out here… how's about a break?"
"y-you tired?" Eda taunted meanwhile heaving.
"I think we both are… let's get something to drink."
Eda summoned two bottles of a witch energy drink known as cackle and threw tristan a bottle of the red liquid.
Tristan chugged the drink and felt his energy instantly returned… he began stretching as his muscles began to crackle with energy. "that's some good stuff."
"I know, expensive too… or it would be if I paid for it." Eda said.
The two witches sat outside enjoying the sunny day.
Both tristan and eda enjoyed the warm weather and despised the cold… which made them closer.
"you're really improving kid… why do you seem so glum?"
"it feels like I'm close to reaching ceiling and I don't know if I'm ready to peak. I need to grow stronger to protect luz… what if my being born on earth means I'm not as powerful as most witches my age?"
"Cut that hogwash… you have achieved a power that witches of the oracle track take years to achieve… and it is so precise. I mean sure it's random but at least it gives you a clear vision most oracle precogs only see signs of what is about to happen rather then what actually is going to happen."
"Yeah and is it true that it takes a master of oracle magic to have it infused with your body?"
"Yes, I do believe so… or a cocky natural like yourself… I have to say I always wanted to infuse myself with oracle magic but I never seemed to have the patience for it."
"thanks eda… welp let's get back to training… what round are we on, five or was it six?"
"ten, we are on the tenth round and we still don't have a winner."
the two witches began to square up. Both where stretching and cracking their knuckles.
"you're going down young blood…"
"you first old lady… try not to pull a hip."
"Oh you got joke huh, how's about this!" Eda summons a lightning bolt at tristan.
The lightning streaked forward faster then the eye can see. But tristan was let his body do all the work as he leapt out of the radius of the blast which barreled toward the owl house.
The beam hit hooty hard as he shook. "I don't feel so good." he said through his hoots.
"that can't be good."
Hooty began to shake uncontrollable as spat up different household objects including luz.
"Hey guys, how's the duel going?" Luz asked, trying to play it off as cool.
"great… you good?" Tristan asked.
"Yeah I'm fi- aaaahh!" a Small drawer landed on Luz's Leg making the girl cry out in pain.
"Luz!" Both tristan and eda exclaimed running to The human girl.
"Calm down kid, I'll get this off you."
Both tristan and eda lifted up the drawer and threw it off the girl.
"How bad does it look?" Luz asked straining to to stay up.
Tristan looked at her leg and saw it was already bruised. He began feeling it and each time luz winced he shook his head. "at the very least it's sprained. I've seen this a hundred times before with my teammates."
"whelp that seattles it kid, you're on bed rest until you're healed… luckily I know where some healers coven glyphs are hidden so I'd say about a week of bed rest."
"Okay, ah man… I really wanted to do magic." Luz said disappointed.
Tristan then lifted Luz and carried her to the bed while eda grabbed some gauze and other things to magic up a cast.
Tristan helped luz through the whole process and when it was done luz was propped up on the futon.
"this bites, I already don't like this." She said crossing her arms.
"I know what will make you feel better," Tristan turned on the crystal to show the witches dueling cup which his instincts told him would be on this channel.
"that's cool but I don't want to watch magic, I want to do magic… how is that supposed to make me happy?"
"Oh, this shows to help you stave off boredom… this will make you happy… king get down here!"
"No!" King shouted from up the stairs. "I look stupid!"
"Eda! King isn't doing what I tell him even though he still has chores for stealing your potion."
"King! Do as tristan says or so help me I'll add more chores."
a little squeek of rage echoed from upstairs as king came stopping down in a nurses outfit.
Luz's eyes widen as she let out a couple soft moans.
"That is what is supposed to make you feel better…" Tristan grabbed king and placed him on top of luz who immediately cuddled the creature holding him close and kissing him.
"Thank you Tristan!"
"No problem Light bright, now get some rest and enjoy your show and if you need anything just yell."
"i'll get you for this tristan!" King exclaimed his body being crushed in luz's vice like grip.
Tristan walked outside and then sat on the stoop feeling terrible.
It was not too long before eda noticed this and came to check on Tristan.
"Hey kid, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine…"
"well that's a lie… tell me what's wrong?" Eda sat next to tristan and made sure she was close.
Tristan let out a sigh and looked out into the distance "I just feel bad for what happened to luz…"
"why? It's not your fault I'm the one who used the spell and you dodged out of it…"
"that's what I mean I make decisions and they affect the ones I love… and sometimes I get a vision to make the right decision… what if the vision doesn't come when I need it to and Luz or someone else pays for it."
Eda placed her hand on Tristan's shoulder and pulled him to her. "Look kid, I know it seems like your powers are weird but they are still developing and it won't be too long until you've mastered oracle magic."
"yeah, I just wish there was a way for me to get better right now." Tristan said obviously distraught.
Eda began to think about what her apprentice just said. "I think there may be a way." eda said walking back to the house and grabbing her staff.
"so what's the way?"
"we are going to the scrying pools!" eda declared laying her staff down and letting tristan get on.
The two began to fly into the distant isles until they came to the skull of the titan. Eda landed on the forehead and let tristan follow her.
"what are we doing here? I thought we were going to the scryig pools?"
"We are! There is a portal that leads to her that only those who can perform oracle magic can get across… I've been dying to get in there but my oracle magic is not as strongly focused as yours."
"are you telling me that I'm better at oracle magic then you?"
"yes… you don't need to rub it in." Eda groaned as they climbed down into the skull of find the hidden rune gate.
"alright what do we do?" Tristan asked.
"stand in the center and chant with me." eda said standing in the center. Tristan joins the witch and they began chanting the same thing.
After awhile the portal teleports them to a dark room poorly illuminated by purple light.
"where are we?" Tristan asked,
"Under the isles I'd presume. Now hurry up and let's find where the pools are?"
"what exactly are the scrying pools?"
"they are a powerful source of oracle magic and is only used by the oracle coven when they need a big ritual… you drink the water you get a massive power boost… perfect for the training and mastery of magic."
"Cool, but how are we gonna find it? I assume this place is huge and probably guarded against magic."
"most magic yes, but you're an oracle… you just need to attune to the forces of this place and boom you know where everything is. Try it." eda placed her hand on the runes inlaid on the walls. Her eyes turned a deep purple as she began to sync with the tower.
"Got it… now you." eda said suddenly feeling pumped.
Tristan placed his hand on the seal and began to hum as the power radiated in him. He knew where everything was in this facility and where to find it.
He and eda nodded with each other and headed to the store room where they could find outfits to better hide.
Both tristan and eda grabbed the clothes and put them on all the while holding a conversation.
"so you and luz aren't together?" Eda asked pulling the hood on her purple robe.
"No, we're childhood friends… why does everyone assume that?"
"Because you two don't strike me as the type to become pals. I mean she's a nerd and you're a jock… you don't even technically like magic which is strange due to your heritage."
"well, when we were kids me and luz were both picked on… her for being weird and me for my appearance… then one day I was watching luz cheer for our middle school team and suddenly a ball was about to hit her on the face. I ran to her and grabbed the ball then threw it back at the team.. it went clear into the other side of the school building. After that I was recruited to the football team and eventually became a starter and won our high school team the championship."
"I bet they felt bad for making fun of you then… they stopped after that right?"
"Nope, they just stopped in public… but they still called me elf boy in private and other things… I always hated them for it."
"then why did you play for them? Why not go back to just hanging with luz."
"Protection… if I played for the team and did well then nobody would mess with me or luz… at least not publicly."
Eda stared at tristan and smiled. This kid when I first met him struck me as a dumb sports loving meathead but I can see that he's intelligent and kind… I guess you can't judge a book by it's cover.
The two snuck through the corridors of the scrying pool. As they got closer tristan could feel the radiance of the pool's power.
"I can feel it's pure magic. To think belos would allow this source of pure wild magic to thrive… well I guess it fits with everything fitting a purpose… bastard." she said under her breath.
"you really hate him don't you?" Tristan didn't know much about belos besides the most basic knowledge and the heresay that eda proclaimed.
The pair of witches took a couple steps down the corridor when tristan began feeling light headed. He felt his vision grow blurry for a few moments. When his eyes opened he was inside a cell and he saw eda being led away from the cell.
He saw belos in his white robe and golden mask with the horns sticking out. He then saw eda being turned to stone… he watched as the vision was pushed back then saw both of them being captured at the scrying pools.
"eda, we need to run…" Tristan said, grabbing eda's hand.
"what but we're so close to getting the pool's powers."
"we need to run… now!" Tristan pulled eda away and dashed back to the entrance rune.
When the two arrived tristan turned a corner when he saw the rune light up.
Out of the rune came four men in emperor's coven robes with the same bird masks. In front of them was a three goot tall red skinned demon with a claw making up her hair.
"spread out and find the intruders… the rune's detection spell picked up on intruders which means at least one of them is an oracle coven traitor." she said in a high pitch voice.
Both eda and tristan ran away and hide inside the changing room.
"Gotta love your precognition… now how are we gonna escape?"
"It's my fault…"
"Kid, no time for self pity… we have to come up with an escape plan."
"But, I just wanted to be powerful and now you're gonna get turned to stone and I'll be imprisoned… all for my selfishness."
Eda ran up and slapped tristan. "Listen to me… you're a good kid and you do your best and that's all anyone can ask of you."
Tristan grabbed his cheek and gasped… "y-you're right… and I have a plan."
the two discussed their plan in hushed whispers as they waited for a guard to pass by them once they did… eda used an illusion to make it appear that someone was running down the hall.
"Hey! Stop! In the name of the emperor!" the guard ran and called for back up.
Both eda and tristan snickered as they ran to see the rune unguarded. Eda and tristan used magic to teleport out then fly away.
"I'm sorry for almost getting you caught…"
"Forget it kid, that was fun and besides you did the right thing. I've known many witches to give up a friend in the pursuit of power… you are a good kid tristan."
"thanks eda, I love you."
Eda froze and then went flushed.
"I'm sorry… I made it weird didn't I."
"N-no… it's just not even king has told me he loves me… it's just strange hearing it from a kid who I kinda stole from."
"water under the bridge eda… let's go home."
The two flew off and tristan was unaware that eda's heart was warmed by his gesture… the only person who told her she loved her was her parents… and lily.
Son of the dragon:
thanks writing the scenes of maternal eda toward tristan and the mama owlbeast is actually an idea I took from fanfics that have eda with a son and the episode where she turns as she recognizes her scent on the boy… love that. Second yes the lilith relationship will be rocky to say the least… and as for raine… dib voice engage: you'll see zim, they'll all see!
Son of the dragon 2:
Yeah Lilith's actions will make tristan quite upset
Alexc1209
yes… someone… totally not foreshadowing… totally.