Wind billowing past him, Norbert grabbed onto the ledge, swinging himself around the underneath the dock he was just on and landing on the ring of the docks again. Backpack somehow still in hand, Norbert reached inside, taking the powder and throwing it in all directions once lit.
Smoke and flames erupting around him, Norbert shot out of the smoke as he sprinted. Everyone on this level was staring at him and the commotion that he caused. I looked around and saw that this level was the same as the one above, with everything shifting slightly to the side. Racing around the tree, pushing past people as they screamed around him, Norbert was looking to ensure he was being followed.
Quickly whipping his head behind him, Norbert made eye contact with the guards on this floor. Smiling back, he breathed as hard out as he could, making his mask glow red with his breath and saw the guards reach out to a necklace under their clothes, holding it as they started talking to someone and nodding. The guards too far away for Norbert to pick up on the conversation, but happy with them being after him.
Stepping backwards and continuing with the crowd, he saw the guards let go of whatever they held and head after him. Spinning around now, Norbert continued rushing past, pushing over as many people as possible as he screamed like a beast, feet thumping on the wooden dock.
Angling to the side, Norbert made his way from the tree's base and towards the airships. The crew of each stood them as they looked out to the panic on the dock, looking if anyone would come on them to escape the panic. Now, most people weren't; most passengers and workers were intimidated by the line of people that death stared at them. Norbert watched them visibly stop their run before returning and joining the crowd, to be lost within.
On the other hand, Norbert didn't stop when faced with the wall, instead hopping on with his sword out. Lightning fast, with the energy now entirely within him as he knew he was on a timer at this speed, he stuck his sword into the balloon, feeling the material give way as air shot out. Using the momentum of the sword to slow down to launch him into the air and onto the next airship's balloon.
Stopping for a moment, turning around, seeing the ship he previously was on sink, only to be stopped by the ropes holding the craft still in the wind, now taunt as the weight was slowly added to it. People on board stared at Norbert, a few of them shaking their fists in annoyance. One of the people walked towards the back of the craft, the highest point, as magic circles swirled around.
Placing their hand on one part of the circle with runes inside, Norbert stood, amazed when the airship started to rise again. Leaning over the balloon, Norbert saw the air shimmering underneath, his clothes slightly being blown backwards by the air it was being created to keep itself lifted. I watched as the crew started tying it down, throwing more ropes out as they held their hands out, multiple magic circles appearing.
Happy that he wouldn't cause any damage due to the safety features, Norbert jumped off his current airship and went to the next one. As he leapt off, he sliced this one; the balloon was slightly more prominent as he was pushed forward.
Now, the guards, seeing what he was doing, and the crew of all the airships knowing he would be target number one for a while. Leaping off the current one, slicing it was well; the ones ahead of him were already planning for his arrival. People stood on the docks, tying a rope to support them as others lined the side, ready to sling whatever they could at him. Leaping forward, Norbert was met with a wall of objects hurtling towards him, seeing spells, knives and even a spatula that Norbert didn't know how it got up there. He continued to run forward.
As he jumped over again, now on his fifth airship, he quickly ran to the other side, seeing the guards starting to stream in from the trunk. Twisting to the side as a crate was chucked at him, watching as it fell below and out of sight, as he followed it, he saw the city. The fires had died out all around, the city's lights brighter than any night he had seen.
Skidding to a stop on top of one of the balloons, he stared out, squinting and focusing on his eyes changing his vision to see in the dark, and pumping energy into them to allow the change to be greater. The world went to greys as his vision zoomed in, seeing the people in the streets, ones that generally weren't out at that time he could see. Children in bedclothes are clutching onto their parents with jackets hastily thrown on them. Panic-stricken on their face as their eyes caught like a deer in headlights, pleased at what they saw in the middle of the night.
Pain shot out the back of his head as he rubbed it, staring at a broken crate near his feet. Looking back at the dock, with the people crowding around the airship he was on—a line of people is waiting for him to jump to the next one. Staring down at the many levels below, Norbert filled with airships. This one, now not being lucky anymore, Norbert stood up and did a salute, touching his hand to his forehead as he raised it in front of him at an angle before stepping off.
Once more, the wind blew him as he turned around in the air, seeing the underside of the airships and Andree's massive magic circles underneath, blowing air down and getting caught in the current, thrown off course as he began spinning through the air now far off to the side of the docks plummeting through the air. The wooden boardwalks now several meters away and getting further by the second.
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He went into a skydiver's pose as he spun and tumbled in the air. Arms shaking with the wind buffeting them, Norbert held them out, finally gaining some control as the levels zipped by. Staring around, Norbert saw Obsius far above him diving as well, the bird scrunched up, trying to go as fast as it could.
Norbert angled himself forward, not knowing what the bird could do, heading back towards the docks again. Surrounded himself by energy, Norbert waited for impact with the dock. And impact it did.
The first just clipped one section of the wood, but instead of bouncing off and away again, it drew him in as he smashed through it. Norbert went past the level onto the next one, crying in pain. Time seems to slow down between the platforms. Norbert looked around, unable to move as shards of wood rained down on him.
Looking at everyone on the dock, Norbert saw only a couple of guards on this floor, the rest filled with people looking to go to the next place. He was staring at the more minor airships than the ones above. Some have items to move around, but most are just for people. Even at this time, he saw people loading on, no large bags on them, just backpacks or enough for a day trip, it would seem.
Wondering where you could go on one of these things and if he could get one back to Flair-
CRASH
SMACK
CRUNCH
The dock he was looking at met his face as he once again met with the dock, bursting through. As he felt his body compact before, a groan filled his ears, and he was falling once more. Staring up, Norbert saw Obsius still chasing after him as he started closing his eyes.
BANG
AAARRRRGHHH!
Norbert screamed as he finally stopped; the energy pumping in him suddenly woke him from unconsciousness as pain wrapped against his body. Shooting up into a sitting position, Norbert stared around him, trying to capture everything there. Quickly, everybody backed up, leaving him in a circle. Slowly getting to his feet, head still spinning, Norbert swayed as he stared at the people.
Thankful at not seeing any guards in the crowd of passengers and crew around him, Norbert saw their clothes were slightly dirty but well put together. People of all ages formed out of the crowd. He started up; his jaw opened as he saw the damage he had caused above. He saw hole after hole in the dock up, slowly getting smaller. Around each, he saw people sticking their heads out, staring down at him.
Shaking his head to stop the world from spinning, Norbert walked to the edge, looking down. Thankful that no guards had found him and still had a couple of floors left, Norbert dropped down, feet first, as he landed. Nobody was around him, the commission from before clearing everyone out, not wanting to be near the place of impact.
Dropping down the levels one by one, Norbert quickly made his way down, happy with his distraction, and now wanted to head to the casino to see what was happening there and why the city was in flames.
Jumping down several more times, now just focusing on getting out, Norbert made it to the bottom floor; no more docks for him to land on. As he stared down, still tens of meters above even the tallest building, stepping back, he looked around the dock, sighing at what he saw.
Unlike the others, this one was filled with guards, all holding their arms out, spears in hand, as the two parties made eye contact with each other, just staring.
One at the front, wielding a sword on his hip, stood apart from the crowd, closer than the others. "What is your business here?" The leader of the guards asked.
Norbert backed away as he looked down the side, trying to find a way out. The dock swam with guards stopping him from using the elevator in the tree; not like he knew how it operated in the first place.
"Just a bit of mischief and mayhem, that's all," Norbert replied, a plan forming in his mind, though not a good one. All around him, the airships had been cleared; on the other outer reaches of the planks, guards were there as well, stopping him from hitching a ride on one of the airships.
"And your friends around the city, what's the reason for doing this? What do you gain? Who do you work for?" the leader asked, berating Norbert with questions.
About to open his mouth just slightly, Norbert shook his head while chuckling, "Enough stalling for time. I'm going to get out of here, and there isn't anything you can do to stop me." Norbert said.
Before the leader could respond or call an order, Norbert took out his two daggers, holding one in each hand as he ran forward on the dock branch. Sprinting, gaining as much forward momentum as possible, he jumped in the gap just as the branch met the central ring, dropping underneath.
The wind grabbed his clothes once again, and Norbert free-fell, slowly losing momentum forward before he was dropping again. Angling forward, Norbert could see the ground coming up towards him, but before that, the great tree trunk appeared, just as he had planned.
He held his hands in front of him as he clenched onto the daggers, ready for his shoulders to protest with the shock he would give them. As he met the trunk, the two daggers dug into the tree as he angled it downwards.
SNAP
One of the daggers broke free. Dropping it, Norbert dug his fingers in, screaming out in pain as he slowed down, the ground coming closer and closer. Finally stopping, his hand numb, unable to move his fingers properly, he looked around and saw the top of a building just below him. Scrunching his feet up, Norbert pushed against the tree, shooting forward.
Tumbling as he made it onto the roof, the stone slates angled downward as he spread his body out, trying to stop himself from falling down and into the street. Legs kicking, he finally stopped when they caught something. Hearing a groan, he scuttled back up the roof, seeing the gutter had caught him and stopped his tumble again.
Breathing heavily after the action, he stared at his bloody hand, seething in pain as he felt the damage he had caused. Watching as it repaired before his eyes. Catching his breath, he took the mask off and held it beside him, staring at the tree and the docks far above.
He saw something fall; he smiled as Obsius came into view and sat beside his hand. Groaning, Norbert got onto his feet, placing the mask in his backpack as he looked for where to go next to get out of the attention of the people he was sure chasing after him.