Norbert, without even looking behind himself, sprinted away from the smoke he knew lapping at his heels. Whipping his head around, looking for a way out, and seeing the level above him, Norbert leaping as high as he could, reaching for the next level above him. The rock came towards him, about a meter until the floor began. Norbert's hands slammed into the stone, trying to grip it. Instead, his hands fell as he fell back to the ground floor.
Rolling on the ground, Norbert continued forward, getting on his feet; the torch left behind him as he continued, with no time to pick it back up. Whispering to himself under his breath, saying a prayer, Norbert asked Luck, "Please, show me a path out of here."
Eyes closed, Norbert continued to pump, getting to the closest entryway possible. Suddenly, light entered his eyes; a golden line came into his vision, skidding as he stared at where it trailed to, the path of light showing him entering one of the archways to the left of the one he was aiming for.
Changing his course, Norbert sprinted as fast as he could, pumping energy throughout his body, not caring for the side effects that could now happen to him. Charging forward, one hand cupped over Obsius to protect her from the wind as they flew towards the archway.
Turning his head slightly towards the blue smoke, changing to his magic vision, Norbert looked at the smoke. Nearly tripping in surprise, Norbert faced forward again as he stared at the archway, passing through, changing to night vision as he focused on his eyes, not wanting to miss anything in the dark.
After realising that something was taken from the obelisk, he recalls what he saw, the smoke act, as he now wonders its purpose. The smoke seemed to grasp forward, like a young child interested in the world and trying to find its place. Tentatively, it reached out with its tentacles, tracing over the stone walls and floors, caressing the magic circles and runes that Norbert had found there.
Inquisitively, it would reach out, trying to find the next thing it needed, and then going to that place. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be leaving these lesser tunnels, just forming higher and higher as it tried to reach the ceiling. Norbert was sure it was going out the same way he came in, to expand throughout the jungle, searching for whatever was taken from it.
Focusing on what was ahead of him; Norbert continued sprinting forward, following Luck's path. As Norbert continued going forward, eyes gazing at the side, for instance, he saw a stick figure with a circle, sitting on a throne as one with a triangle lay beheaded next to the figure.
Nearly tripping over something, Norbert continued going down the hallway, seeing as it started to get smaller and smaller, with no other passageways on it—just more murals and writing that he couldn't read in his haste.
"Hey, Obsius, if you could remind me to come back here and explore, that would be good." He said while puffing out his breath, watching as it formed in front of him in the light before disappearing. Continuing forward, Norbert made his way across, the light suddenly disappearing. Norbert, not stopping, not knowing what could have happened, but pushed forward too late to go back now.
As he continued forward, the ground went out beneath his legs. He slid on the stone floor with arms out on each side. He tried to put his feet under him to continue running. But every time he did, he spun around instead, nearly tumbling before catching his balance and skidding on his butt again.
As Norbert continued sliding, he felt his legs hit something, the change to now going flat, sending him spinning around as he protected his head from the strange room he found himself in. Still, Norbert felt Obsius sit on his head, chirping at him.
"Yeah, I should have been more prepared instead of rushing in and out like a fool. You don't need to tell me twice." Norbert said to the bird.
Getting on his feet again, Norbert walked forward, staring at the room he found himself in now. He stopped before the archway in the centre of the room, black like the obelisk now far above him. Stepping closer, Norbert placed his hand on it, blue smoke instantly coming off it as he stepped backwards, taking his hand off the archway leading to nothing.
As Norbert stared at the portal that formed in front of his face. Looking up at the ceiling, Norbert asked, "So Luck, I'm assuming you want me to go through".
In front of him, a mote of light appeared. Nodding with the confirmation that he received, Norbert stepped forward, Obsius landing on his shoulder as Norbert stepped through, hoping he wouldn't travel too far from the jungle.
His foot first went through, feeling it stretch up towards the sky as the rest of his body followed. Going all the way through, Norbert felt his foot start to fall, visions flashing through his mind of when he first entered the world of Masanu. Feeling his body start to fall, he screamed instinctively as he began plummeting.
AHHHHHH, Norbert screamed at the top of his lungs.
After a moment of screaming, his body smashed into the ground; in shock, Norbert stared around, the room completely white within his vision.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
"Hah, you should have seen your face." the words came from the room as he stared forward, Norbert moving his head about, turning off the night vision as he stared at where the voice was coming from. Getting on his hands and knees, he stared at Luck, sitting in her chair, sipping a drink with a smile on her face.
Standing up, now realising he was in the white room where he met up with Luck. Walking forward, Norbert went to the free chair, removing his backpack as he fell into it. "How?" Norbert asked Luck.
Smiling as she sipped her tea, the cup now to her mouth, taking a delicate sip. "Well, it was a bit tricky with the timings, but thankfully, all the others were fine with the slight minute delay. Need to share your reaction with the others as payment." Luck said to Norbert.
Leaning forward, Norbert picked up his teacup and saucer, bringing it to his mouth and having a sip as well, the floral taste hitting his lips, happy that it wasn't an elixir position, not wanting to live with the backlash at the moment.
"So, what will happen when I head back over there?" Norbert asked the goddess sitting in front of him, still unable to hide her smile.
"The same as any portal, just going to continue out the other side. I only snagged you in the passage. You will go where that is needed." She said. She took another sip before continuing, "But that's enough about that; I have something important to ask you, a task from someone else." she said, not giving Norbert any details and remaining cryptic.
"So, what is it you want me to do?" Norbert asked Luck, wanting to cut through it to the heart of what she wanted.
"It's not something that I want; it's something from another god, the one of alchemy, Grosly." Luck said.
"Wait, Grosly, doesn't that ring a bell somewhere?" Norbert asked Luck.
Obsius is twittering in response to Norbert, Luck just nodding in response. "So, his champion is in a tight pinch, so he asked me if we can assist. So, I said you would, but for a price." Luck said, flourishing a bottle out from between her legs. Leaning forward, she placed it on the table, spinning it as Norbert watched it slowly spiral towards him.
"Is it worth it?" Norbert asked Luck as he leaned forward and picked up the bottle. Feeling the glass bottle's grooves, he saw the same silver dragon that topped off the elixirs he had previously. Norbert stared at it, flicking the dragon stopper, seeing smoke waft out, the green liquid inside spinning around, swirling constantly as Norbert held it still. Curious, Norbert stared at it, with a different colour of green than the endurance elixirs he had previously. He knew it wouldn't be just a simple elixir for Luck to give it so dramatically, especially after the several that he already knew about the reduced effects. Norbert looked up at Luck, seeing the look on her face, written all over it the single word.
Duh
"I believe it is worth it; what it does, I don't exactly know. I wanted to make it a surprise, but all I know is that it is good." Luck said.
Norbert nodded as he placed it to his lips. "And what exactly do I need to do?" Norbert asked her, lowering it back down.
"His champion needs some help back on Earth; it was confirmed that you would be able to help them out, especially after having that." She said to him, taking another sip of her tea.
"And how will this champion get in contact with me?" Norbert asked her.
"Well, your phone number, of course; I memorised it. A handy little thing, those phones. So, you going to take it or what?" Luck said, her tea now finished as she placed it on the coffee table, Norbert hearing the saucer rattle on the table.
Shrugging his shoulders, Norbert said, "Well, you haven't led me wrong yet." Norbert said, unstopping the bottle and downing the liquid as quickly as possible. Finishing it off, Norbert licked his lips, getting a drop off as his mouth filled with limes.
"Whew, it's good you took it. Would have been embarrassing otherwise." Luck said to him.
Norbert just stared at her as he felt his stomach rumble; focusing for a second, he felt it settle, a tingling going to his muscles as they felt like they were finally relaxing after a stint. Clutching his heart, Norbert looked down as the pain fled him. Opening up his shirt, Norbert looked, the once black spot surrounded by purple now having a light green sheen around it. The purple that was once surrounding quickly fled from him. Looking back up to Luck, a tear rolled down his cheek as he wiped it away.
"Say your thanks to him, even for what I know it has done already," Norbert said to her.
"But that's not all it does; if it's Grosly, that little ball of black and green will have a few more surprises in store." Luck responded.
Remembering what Luck said beforehand, "Wait, what do you mean that the good I drank it?" Norbert asked her.
"It's best if you start getting changed. I don't know how long it will be until you need to depart. I cannot extend it to match you this time so that they could call it early." Luck said.
Norbert, standing up, looked around for the clothes he had left there, took them off Norbert, changed his clothes, and dumped his backpack as he prepared to be taken. "You didn't answer my question," Norbert said to her.
"Well, that's because I already said I would. How else would I have the position here?" Luck told him.
Norbert stopped momentarily, hearing a chirp from Obsius, kicking him back in motion. "You are annoying. You come back with me again?" Norbert asked Luck.
"As much as I would love to, sadly, not this time." Luck responded, Norbert, seeing her shoulders slump forward, the easy smile now slightly strained on her face.
"All good, there's always next time," Norbert said, now entirely changed clothes, as he placed the mask on his lap.
"What are you bringing that for?" Luck asked him, pointing to his cheap mask on his lap, having removed it from the backpack, now his helmet sitting there.
"Have a feeling it might be handy. And yes, I remember that magic doesn't work over there, so no need for either of you to remind me." Norbert said, looking at both Obsius and Luck.
Luck held her arms up in surrender as Obsius chirped at Norbert before hopping onto his shoulder, leaving a complete mess on the table. Norbert just stared at Obsius as he wondered what the bird was thinking.
Picking his cup back up, Norbert continued to sip on it. "So Luck, thank for the light to get out of there ..." Norbert continued to sip and talk to Obsius, chatting as he relaxed, not knowing when the next time he would be able to have a pleasant conversation with someone, just for the sake of having a conversation.
All too quickly, a circle appeared underneath Norbert. Quickly placing the cup and saucer on the table, Norbert stood up, donning the mask as it flashed red. Saluting to Luck, who nodded in return, he left Luck alone in a flash of light.
"And once again, you're whisked away to early Norbert." Luck said to the empty room, taking her tea back up, now cold and sipping.