Norbert opened the door slowly, thankful it didn't creak. Ahead was a spiral staircase, coming out of the stone chute he found himself in, no handrail for him to grip "Definitely not safe". Tilting his head up the stairs of the next flight blocking his vision, torches positioned half on each side, twice in a circle.
Running up the stairs two at a time, not knowing how much time he had until he was caught, Norbert went up the stairs, seeing doorways going out further; the higher up he went, the more precise the air became, not realising the smells he must have been surrounded by in the dungeon, alarmed at how long he had stayed there.
Reaching the top, Norbert stepped through the doorway, opening the stone door again. The sun was beating down on him, squinting and covering the sun with his eyes; he looked around as his eyes quickly adjusted to the light.
Spinning around, he realised he was at the bottom of the valley, not from one of the wall of the ravine like he was expecting. Turning around, he saw the base dotted with these mounds he saw before, standing out the front of one now. Turning around, he looked around the side, sprinting off as he gazed at the side.
On either side of the walls, Norbert saw more guards lining, staring at him as he continued sprinting through the ravine. Just staring at him, unmoving as he waved to them, not showing any reaction to his appearance. Dismissing them, he continued forward, knowing they could go after him if desired, not knowing why they would hold back.
As he continued to run, passing more mounds of stone, their entrances blocked by doors; not wanting to get caught looking at every little thing, Norbert continued to run, passing the doorways deep underground.
The sun blocked out his eyes. Norbert looked up, passing the first bridge; squinting, he saw people lean over the side, pointing at him. Unable to hear what they were saying due to the distance, he continued to run forward, them not interrupting his travels.
Dust billowing focusing on just getting to the end and where he was supposed to go by the owner of the guards, Norbert nearly tripped on debris. Skidding to a stop, Norbert saw pieces of wood strewn about the ground. Skidding to a stop under the bridge's shade, he looked up; people were also staring at him on this bridge.
Their eyes fell to the side, recognising the same path he had taken before, surprised to see no guards lining the side. Spinning around, confirming that the other paths had guards on the sides just staring at him.
"Hey, Luck, just wondering if that's where I should head?" Norbert asked, nodding to the direction of the unguarded path. A single mote of light appeared before him; nodding his thanks, Norbert jogged toward the empty path up.
Taking it easy across the earth and watching the ravine in the daylight, he was surprised to see nothing new; it all looked the same as before. The same rocky walls, doors posted up at intervals, the same hard compacted earth and rocky walls. Thanking his stars for the night vision elixir the mystery person had given him. Knowing that it helped in his many ventures already.
Jogging up the empty path as he continued to look around, now on the other side of the bridge, he could once more make out people staring at him. Waving to them, he saw the ones on the bridge point back to him, hoping they enjoyed the show.
Remembering places from the night raid, the soldiers he had beaten down before on his way up to the platform. Lost in thought when he didn't go any higher, having reached the platform where he had fought Arzlan. Seeing the gashes and craters in the rock, still not repaired after who knows how long it had been.
As he looked around, a scowl on his face remembering how he reacted in the battle and how he again couldn't hold back the giant, his eyes glazed over a table in the centre. The round stone table with two seats around it, one already filled, leads further along. Staring at the person, Norbert noticed it was another cat person like Krrrasna; standing behind them was a woman, who Norbert would guess as being Korean with hair as black as ravens going down past her shoulders.
Staring between them, Norbert looked to the side, and the path continued upwards. Slowly skirting around, the person on the table not moving their head at all. Now on the side and about to take up, Norbert took his step on the slope up; as his foot came down, a black wall of darkness appeared. Turning around, he saw the woman staring at him, now knowing the source of the shadows.
Reaching for the dagger on his belt, he flung it at her; as he started walking backwards, hitting the barrier, a black ball surrounded the dagger right before it hit her, the ball of darkness moving towards the centre of the table before it disappeared, the dagger clattering against the stone.
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"It's worth a try", Norbert grumbled to himself as he sat down on the remaining chair, reaching forward as he grabbed the dagger from the centre, placing it back in its sheath.
As he drummed his fingers on the desk waiting for one of those to say something, Norbert remembered his Masanu lessons, needing to flick his brain into that gear. "Well?" He asked.
Only receiving silence in response, Norbert threw his arms up in annoyance as he rocked back and forth on the chair, waiting for something to happen.
As the shadows moved over the ground, neither spoke as Norbert leaned back in his seat, wondering how far it would take until he tipped backwards. Pushing it too far, he did fall backwards; just before his seat hit the ground, he was stopped by a black pillow that pushed him back up so the chair was stable.
Norbert nodded his thanks to the woman standing for saving him. Norbert began whistling a tune to himself; by now, the sun three quarters through the sky, the shadows lengthening. The bridge that was once packed on the side, staring at him, was now empty. Taking the dagger, he started flipping the dagger in the air, catching it by the blade or the handle before throwing it again.
If he got cut, he healed himself quickly with the energy, his veins purple for a moment before it healed again. As he waited, whistling and throwing the dagger down the path leading down from the top, a line of men came down, wearing only the barest clothes, as they began placing dish after dish on the table.
The last one placed a platter before Norbert; as he opened the dish, his translator from before sitting there. Plucking it off the metal dish, Norbert saw it was shining, having been recently charged. Placing it around his neck and under his shirt, the comfortable weight now around his neck. "So, going to talk now?" Norbert asked.
The brown-furred cat person did not receive a response as they took a plate and began eating on the cutlery on the side. Norbert's stomach grumbling, he took a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing on it.
As he began to chew, his quiet stomach now grumbling again, hunger pains popping through him; taking his next piece, Norbert also devoured this; the more he ate, the hungrier he felt, taking plate after plate, not even seeing what he put in his mouth anymore, just a devouring creature.
When the hunger finally abated, platters surrounded him, and the people came back, taking the plates and clearing the table, placing two mugs on it, already filled with a liquid. Norbert took a thick and sweet sip, remembering him of need.
"So, we gonna talk or what?" Norbert asked, directed towards the person on the other end of the table. The person taking the mug as they swished it around, nearly making the liquid fall out before she took a sip and placed it back down.
"You came here quicker than expected," The cat person said.
Norbert just stared at them. Not believing all they were saying after all this time, "Really, you've got to be pulling my leg here. After all this time. That is what you have to say to me!" Norbert said, voice getting louder and louder the longer he talked.
"I think that is enough conversing for today. I will see you tomorrow," the cat person said.
Norbert, now thoroughly annoyed. Forcing energy through his body Norbert gripped the stone table, flipping it towards the others. The table blocking their vision of Norbert as he charged forward, fist punching through the table where the cat person would be.
His fist smashing the table as it connected, his hand stopped, not feeling the squishiness he expected, the black barrier there again. Staring at it, Norbert pulled his fist back, punching it as hard as he could. Still, nothing happened to the wall of darkness. Sitting back on the chair, Norbert waited, tapping his foot on the ground for the barrier to disappear.
As he waited, the barrier disappeared, the cat person sipping their drink like nothing happened. "So what now?" Norbert asked, the person still there.
Without saying a word, they stepped out of their chair and began walking up the path, the woman with black hair standing still. Turning his head around to watch the cat person, he couldn't see her anymore.
"Don't mind, Tashen, she's just annoyed at your very existence", the black-haired woman said, sitting in the now empty chair. Norbert just stared at her, feeling his eyelid twitch in frustration.
"And what did I do that my existence is such a sour thought for her," Norbert said, tapping his foot on the ground.
"Well, her prisoners under her care were captured by an individual chasing after a train, only for them to get captured by Arzlan, who brought them to her prison facility here," she said, flourishing her hands around them. "Before they were rereleased, a train stole; Arzlan was the only one able to bring in someone. And the cherry on top, the cell she specifically designed for you, was destroyed hours after you woke up." She finished her rant.
Norbert held his finger up, "Firstly, the only reason I got apprehended in the first place is because of you and your stupid barriers, not Arzlan." Dropping one finger down, Norbert continued, "Second, I would have gotten out much sooner if I tried; seriously, who leaves a prison unguarded like that." Dropping his second finger down, only one finger remains, "And third… I can't think of a third thing, but you get the gist; her anger has nothing to do with me."
"So throwing a table at someone is a custom where you're from," Hyeon asked, Norbert grating his teeth.
"Look, is there even a point to this? Everyone here knows that you can't hold me down. The only reason why I'm not out there is because of you. So let me ask you this. How long can you stay awake for?" Norbert asked, grinning and staring down, doing his best Kubrick stare, fingers crossed his intimidation would work.