Four more left in front of Norbert; wincing at having to take another one, feeling it all in his stomach sloshing around. Moving his eyes up from the bottles, he looked at Elizabeth. "Do I need to have them all now?" He asked, almost pleading as his stomach grumbled beneath him.
"It would be best to have them all now. Don't know if you will have the time later?" She said. Norbert raised an eyebrow in suspicion before taking his second strength, quickly downing it.
The taste and smell that was once so nice are now becoming sickly, like having too much vanilla extract in one sitting, and the sweetness starts to become too strong, becoming bitter and making you want to chuck up. Swallowing down the bile, Norbert focused on breathing as his heart started racing and stopped in his chest. Norbert thought he would die either trying to break out from his ribs or becoming so still.
"Can I have a distraction?" Norbert asked Elizabeth as he slowly moved his hand forward, taking his third strength elixir of the sitting and forcing his body to move slowly and carefully, not wanting to break anything accidentally.
"Nah, you just need to get through it, that simple. Just mind over matter." She said. Norbert just nodded as if he understood the woman before him wouldn't allow others to submit to weakness that easily.
Holding it up, Norbert placed it in the box again and began uncorking the others, dropping the corks onto the table. Staring at the box with its straw wrapping and divided into ten segments, he stared at the four potions.
He was halfway through them, a manageable amount to get through. Just a couple of sips, and he was there. Breathing deeply in, Norbert held it for a second, envisioning himself quickly going through one and then the next.
Breathing out, Norbert whispered, "Mind over matter," Before going for the second and third strength. Shoving both to his lips, Norbert sucked them dry as quickly as possible, his other hand already moving to the next bottle orange for agility. Placing the emptied strength on the desk, Norbert swallowed it, still feeling a bit on his tongue before the next bottle was at his lips.
Not even thinking he was on the third, his entire body tried to resist it. Pulsing energy through his body, Norbert grabbed the last two resistances, drinking them simultaneously, gulping them down as quickly as possible, and not caring for etiquette in the office.
Dropping both of those on the desk, Norbert just sat back in the chair, body spasming now and again as he forced the energy within to die down, not wanting to use it yet and allow his body to become accustomed to it.
Just focusing on his breathing, Norbert stared at the ceiling above, seeing his vision flicker between normal, a white sheen which he assumed was night vision, and when he could almost see through it, what was inside the stone with magic.
The white spider webs now blazed with colours, allowing Norbert to track where it went before it became a kaleidoscope of colour, and he needed to close his eyes, drowning out the sensory input from it.
Slowly Norbert's breathing calmed down, his body no longer moving by itself. Opening his eyes, vision slightly blurry from tears, he wiped it, seeing a mix of black and blood streaks on his arm. Focusing in front of him on the empty bottles, Norbert's vision slowly focused, not believing the amount he had.
Looking down at himself, Norbert could see slight stains where the blackness had seeped through his clothes. Leaning over the chair, Norbert could see it pooling down the legs and going on the stone floor, happy it would at least be easy to clean.
Looking back at the desk, Norbert slowly and carefully placed the corks back on the bottles and the bottles in the slots he took them from. With his task done, Norbert looked up, seeing Elizabeth smiling and nodding at his achievement.
"Is it possible to clean my clothes?" Norbert asked
With a flick of her hand, Norbert felt water splash on him before the wind began blowing through his hair and buffeting his clothes. Needing to close his eyes, Norbert just waited for it to finish. Once the winds abated, Norbert opened his eyes again, looking down and seeing his body now clean, though slightly damp.
"Thanks, didn't expect you to clean them yourself", Norbert said, nodding.
Elizabeth leaned forward, took the empty bottles back, and placed them on her desk. "Didn't expect you to have them all honestly, and with practically no mess…" She finished
Norbert just shrugged his shoulders. "It is a gift. Now was there anything else you wanted to ask me?" Norbert asked, leaving the conversation open.
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"That's about all for me; I just wanted to know who was raking me dry once more and what you did to put a fire in Arzlan's belly", Elizabeth finished. Norbert just nodded before he remembered what he saw in the mountain.
"There was one thing I was enquiring about, though," Norbert asked, not hearing a decline from Elizabeth, Norbert continued "On my way through the Great Divide, there was a massive mural of these shapes getting chosen only for them to fight each other, one clear victor before enough victors amassed and they too would fight? Any idea what it's about, as you seem to be a collector of knowledge?" Norbert asked
"Why thank you for the compliment, but I have no clue what you could be talking about", Elizabeth finished.
Norbert just nodded, "Well, with that, I'm off then", He said. Carefully Norbert got to his feet, stepping away from the desk.
"Take care, Norbert," Elizabeth said. Norbert just nodded.
As he reached for the door, the room was bathed in light. Snapping his eyes down, Norbert saw the magic circle appear around him. "Oh shit", Norbert said as he turned to Elizabeth. Their eyes popped out of his head when he saw a similar light around her.
"Shi-"She said before Norbert was consumed in darkness.
The next moment Norbert looked; he was in the white room again, staring at the double doors. Sitting on one of the chairs was Luck, staring at him as he arrived there. Tapping her foot on the floor, Norbert heard it echo; on her lap was the geography book, open to a dragon bird sitting on a tree.
Norbert just stared at her, trying to catalogue his thoughts, placing Elizabeth in the back of his mind. Norbert looked at Luck, trying to remember the last thing they were doing. Scanning his memories, Norbert was struck with it, being plucked away and asking Luck to come to Earth with him next time, not giving her a chance to say anything.
Feeling guilty, Norbert slowly walked over, happy that he could adequately control his body. Sitting in his chair, Norbert dropped the sack of coins, happy that he could keep them after his interaction with Elizabeth.
Dropping into the seat, Norbert sighed, gazing at the ceiling above him, staring at it. Norbert flicked to his magic vision, wondering what it looked like. Staring at the ceiling, Norbert was blinded by the light, feeling his skull begin to crack and bend.
Closing his eyes, Norbert screamed out, "AHHHH, shit shitty shit!" he continued to curse as he held his hands over his eyes and head, forcing it all to remain together.
"That was stupid," Luck said. Norbert winced at the noise as he waited for the pain to subside. After several moments Norbert moved his hand from his head, only a normal ache from a headache.
Norbert twisting his head and squinting his eyes, only seeing the room as usual, he gazed at Luck, still in the same position as she looked at the book on her lap.
"What?" Norbert asked, mind still reeling from the pain it experienced.
"Looking at this place with magic sight. You're lucky you didn't stare at me, or we wouldn't have this conversation. Brain turned to goo," She added at the end, Norbert just shaking his head at the thought, trying not to gag.
"And what has gotten you in such a mood, the first time I've seen you annoyed," He added.
Luck looked at him, slamming the book shut, Norbert wincing at the sound before she placed it on the coffee table between them. Crossing her legs, Norbert saw she was in a pink nightie this time instead of her usual clothes. On her head, a white sleeping cap.
Breathing in sincerely, saying "It is rude to leave a girl hanging for as long as you did," She said, arms crossed.
Norbert watched, not believing what he was seeing. Gone was the regal god he saw long ago; now was just a pouting child. Thinking about what he did to get into this situation, Norbert just shook his head; trying to unpack that Pandora's Box would be useless anyway.
"Ok, I'm sorry it was rude of me to knowingly ask a question that you couldn't answer until much later than ask you for more things," Norbert said, bowing slightly. Biting the bullet and hoping it would appease her.
"Sooooo….." Luck asked Norbert.
"So, would you be willing to come to Earth and act as my girlfriend or acquaintance, whatever is easiest for you to get my roommate off my back?" Norbert asked, knowing that this was not the most eloquent way to ask someone, but he got straight to the point.
Luck tapped the tip of her finger against her chin. "Hmmm, let me see. Am I able to make time? We need to move this over there and cancel that plan. Hmmm, I guess I can squeeze you in", she finished, grinning at Norbert in return.
Norbert was about to open his mouth. "And you better get changed now; I feel like it's ending, but we can always talk at your place, "Luck said.
Norbert just nodded and quickly ran to his sack of clothes, changing out of his Frontier gear and leaving the pile of coins. Taking off his pendant, Norbert quickly changed into what he had been wearing before.
Finished, Norbert turned around, seeing two Luck's staring back at him. "This one here is an avatar; just stay next to her, and she will go with you" Norbert nodded as the one in hiking clothes stood beside him.
As the lights surrounded Norbert, the original Luck added, "Also, make sure you bring her back next time," she waved at Norbert.
Wondering about the logistics that were to happen, Norbert was surrounded by darkness.
Falling to the ground, Norbert took Luck with her, the two spiralling there. Norbert remembered he was leaping to catch his items when he left here—the bang sounded through the quiet house.
Norbert looked to Luck, asking, "Do you even know English" Norbert asked.
"I'm not that stupid to come to a strange land without being able to speak or read the language; that would just be dumb." Luck finished. Norbert laughed at her jab at him; Land Luck joined in two as the pair rolled around the room, trying to hold in the giggles.
"Can you be quiet, Norbert? Some of us are …." Norbert turned around when he heard his sister Cassandra whispering down the corridor outside his room. Before he could move, she flicked the light switch on, Norbert staring back at her. Cassandra stared wide-eyed, going back between Norbert and Luck.
Turning off the light, she closed the door. Before reopening it, "I want a good story out of this tomorrow. Also, don't try and hide her from Mum," Cassandra said, the door closing with a resounding click throughout the room.
Norbert just stared at Luck, wondering how much trouble he was about to get into.