Norbert nodded his approval taking off his jacket and top, heading behind the chair with his sack of belongings. Quickly, he donned them as he sat down in the chair, putting his boots on. Looking down at his waist, confirming everything was where it should be, he looked up to Luck and Count von Count staring at him.
"What?" Norbert asked the two of them.
Count von Count stared at Luck. "Does he not know how to change clothes in the shift?" he whispered to Luck, leaning down to lower his voice, Norbert still able to hear the vampire.
Luck, smiling behind her cup, whispered loudly back, "Has a hard case of magic-dysfunction, can't make it come out properly; many people have tried, but none have prevailed."
Norbert rolled his eyes as he leaned forward, picking up the teacup and saucer next to Obsius, still eating the biscuit on a saucer of her own.
Taking a sip, the floral scent of roses and macadamia nuts filled his mouth. The warmth followed afterwards as the warm liquid filled his throat, filling his belly. Closing his eyes in contempt, he was whisked away to the hill near his town, the sun beating on his skin as he stared up at the clouds, wondering what the fluffy shapes could be.
SMACK
Opening his eyes, he saw Count von Count, a finger twirling around his ear, Luck moving her body away, Norbert seeing the ruffles in the vampire's clothes, the faint marks of a handprint.
"Really?" Norbert said accusingly to Count von Count in reply, Obsius chirping in confirmation to Norbert's outcry before sitting down on the saucer, flapping her wings before getting comfortable and closing her eyes.
"Anything you want to ask?" Norbert said to Luck, raising an eyebrow in question.
Staring back with a distant expression before nodding, "Oh yeah, how did it go with Grosly's champion? Said he's talking with them now." She responded.
Norbert nodded his approval. "Well, at least the kid is out of that sticky situation; he doesn’t need much help on this side, I assume?" Norbert asked, half thinking to himself and the events of the night, instinctively shuddering as he felt his body peppered by bullets.
"Oh, and let Grosly know that his potion helped me out." Norbert said while pointing to his chest. "Most of it is gone now or under control, and it saved me on this occasion." Norbert whispered, "Thought wouldn't have needed it if I didn't need to go halfway across the world and fight a bunch of gangsters."
"So, what now?" Norbert asked, pointing at Count von Count, "You practically clung onto me to come with me, so there must be some reason for it?"
Rubbing the back of his head, he said, "Well, it was just so boring being over there, and I wanted to get some magic in my lungs." He finished. Norbert just raised an eyebrow as the vampire stared back at him, knowing Count von Count had something else up his sleeve.
"And you may be thinking, what else do I have up my sleeve? Well, that is very astute of you, for I have this!" He shouted, brandishing a letter with a wax seal over it, the red wax Norbert just catching what looked like a fang on it and some writing around the circle.
Norbert nodded at the envelope as he took another sip. "So, what's in the envelope?" Norbert asked.
Count von Count makes it disappear up his sleeve again. "Oh, nothing much, just some updates on Earth for those over here, nothing significant, bureaucracy be like that."
Norbert nodded in response, draining the rest of his tea, now had gone lukewarm and placing it down on the saucer on the coffee table. Picking up Obsius, Norbert leaned over, ruffling through his backpack, organising it together.
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Pulling it over his shoulder, beaming at Luck before a frown appeared, "Well, I don't know what I'm going to do in that tomb being trapped underground.”
COUGH
Norbert, taken from his thoughts, looked over, seeing Luck holding her hand over her mouth. Looking up, speaking, "Well, you remember how I led you underground to that activated chamber? Well, that was a teleportation, so good job, you're not underground anymore."
As a light appeared under his feet, Count von Count stepped quickly towards him, the two interlocking hands as darkness consumed his vision.
***
The wind rushed through his hair, his coat flapping behind him. Staring around him, Norbert saw the once familiar sight of the ground rushing towards him as he stared at the trees again, covering the ground beneath him. Looking to the side, this time, there was no river cutting the forest below him.
To the side, Norbert saw Count von Count shielding himself from the sun as it came down on him, his skin already starting to blister slightly. Norbert angled his body over there, Obsius far above the pair, taking its leisurely time to come down.
Next to Norbert, the vampire shouts to him, "Give me some of your blood!"
Norbert just stared at him as the wind rushed through him. "I know you don't need my blood!" Norbert shouted back.
"Dang it, was worth a try. Now hold on, this shouldn't get too bumpy!" Count von Count shouted to Norbert as the two came together. Norbert is clinging onto the vampire, the wind rushing even faster.
Going in head first like a torpedo, Norbert felt himself start to spin around. Closing his eyes, Norbert just waited, hearing Count von Count chant in his ear.
The sun getting out of his eye as he felt himself slow down. Tipping around to be the right way around, Norbert opened his eyes; he saw a massive parachute coming out of Count von Count's back, the red material Norbert saw undulating above him.
The wind stopped rushing past them, only a gentle breeze on his face as they gently floated on the wind. Obsius landed on his shoulder, giving an amused tweet at the sight of them falling to their deaths.
Ignoring the bird, Norbert looked over to Count von Count, a strained look on his face, his skin continuing to go redder and redder under the light, blisters appearing on the skin, each popping, leaving indents as the vampire was slowly being eaten away. He cast his eyes towards the ground, being hit with vertigo as the canopy slowly came to meet them.
As the three of them slowly came down, the smell of bacon now wafting into Norbert's nose from the vampire being cooked alive. Not wanting to look at what was happening to the man, his silence was the only support he could give.
The leaves now brushed against his boots, feeling Count von Count wiggling underneath him; Norbert looked up, seeing the vampire nod in reply.
Instantly, the red parachute disappeared, engulfing the three in light and hitting the trees first. Norbert let go and began tumbling through them. He spun through it, covering his head with his arms as he was whipped around, bashing through the branches, thankful for the backpack to protect his back.
His shirt got caught in the branch as it dug into Norbert, pushing him around, cartwheeling him on the ground before throwing him back the way he came. Smashing into a tree, Norbert landed on the branch, looking up at the tear through the canopy he created during his fall.
Looking down at the ground, through the branches, Norbert saw the jungle floor below him, seeing the same plants as before. Happy that he didn't go to some far-off place, cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted, "COUNT VON COUNT! WHERE ARE YOU!"
The birds in the trees take flight from the noise. The flapping of wings, staring as they left him all alone. Listening for a reply as silence filled the jungle, the lack of noise making the hairs on the back of his neck prickle up. Counting to ten, after not hearing anything, Norbert looked to the floor, plotting a way to get down.
Seeing the branch beneath him, Norbert stepped off, arms out as he grasped it, flinging himself on top of it. Spotting the next one, Norbert jumped off, quickly descending the tree.
On the floor, Norbert took off sprinting, looking up at the scar in the canopy, confirming that he was heading in the correct direction. After heading back over himself in a zig-zag pattern, Norbert explored the jungle.
***
Tweeting of a bird broke Norbert from his run, only half paying attention to the area around him. An object darted for his face, not caring about moving out of the way as it smashed into him. Smiling at the bird, the white specks formed on it.
"So, you know where the vampire is?" Norbert asked the bird.
Obsius gave a condescending chirp in reply. Norbert just smiled as he followed the bird. The two of them made their way through the jungle, swiping at branches and vines as they blocked their path. Smelling it before seeing the vampire, the cooked flesh filling the area around them. The bird chirping and taking off behind a tree, Norbert walked around.
Looking down on the ground, exclaiming, "Look what the cat dragged in, you look like utter shit."