Norbert looked at the couple discussing together. Standing sheepishly to the side, he waited for the outcome, hoping it would benefit all. With hands waving between them, an agreement seemed to be made. Once more, the man walked back to his pile and, picked up the knife, continued working.
The woman came over and indicated once more for Norbert to follow. Into the house from the back, they went. Passing the room and the one he woke up in, the woman knocked on the door; hearing feet pad on the floor, the door slowly opened and out popped the little boy.
With a smile on his face, the two exchanged words before finally an agreement was made. The woman entered the room, and the boy left it and ran outside to his father. Norbert looked outside, following the little boy and stopping as the door closed behind him. Looking at the room, it was the same as before. Looking around, Norbert went and placed the wolf pelt over a chair; looking at it and seeing it caked with filth, he picked it up again.
Turning back to the mother, he pointed to the pelt and made washing gestures. Turning to exit, Norbert saw Obsius sitting on the rail, with a flick of his wrist, motioning for the bird to follow the two set off for the river, Obsius sitting in its usual throne, being Norbert's head.
Arriving at the river, Norbert felt the water, the hairs on his arms standing up from the chill. First, taking off the pelt, he dipped his hand in the water and rinsed off what he found there. After some time, it was clean enough that it shouldn't smell anymore. Peeling the shirt off his back, Norbert looked in horror at the atrocities while carrying it. With a breath of air, he once more cleaned it out; when placed in the river, the area around the water went darker. Norbert looked at it with a shock that so much filth could be on a single garment.
With determination renewed, Norbert continued to scrub it until the water finally was not changing colour around it. Unable to completely clean it off, however, were a couple of spots here and there. Placing it on a rock beside the river, Norbert looked around, making sure nobody else was around before taking off his clothes, so they would remain dry and hopped into the river as well. The cold water engulfed him, making him speed up his work of getting clean as quickly as possible.
Before realising it, he was back out of the water, wiping himself down with his mostly clean shirt before putting his clothes back on. With no top, Norbert returned to the cabin to dry the clothing items on the rail outside. Obsius was already there waiting for Norbert, not wanting to get wet while he was there, leaving his clothes on the rail to dry. Norbert once more entered the cabin.
In the area's kitchen, Norbert assumed the woman was moving items about this way and that. Wondering what she was doing, she suddenly stopped, raised her hands and said something; before his very eyes, a ball of flames appeared in her hand before shooting over to the stove, catching the logs that were there on fire instantly, the pan on top started sizzling, seeing the vapour coming off it.
Moving towards it, Norbert looked closer at the stove, knowing that the heat transfer through the metal should have taken a lot longer than that. Reaching for it, Norbert held his hand just off the metal, not feeling any heat, he slowly touched it with his finger; when he did, Norbert instantly pulled his finger back out of instinct, expecting the heat to be there, surprised that it was not Norbert stared inquisitively at it, having a look around looking for markings or anything odd that could be happening to cause the reaction.
Partway through his investigation, he was interrupted by giggling. Turning around, he saw the mother with a smile on her face and trying to hold back her laughter. She slowly stopped at his look of anger, her shoulders no longer shaking. She stared back at him with a twinkling of amusement still in her eye as she returned to cooking.
Looking over her shoulder, he saw items that should have been familiar, like potatoes, garlic and broccoli, but something was always wrong. The potato's skin was too tough, and the colour darker than usual. The broccoli looked like broccolini due to the size, but a lighter green, like a lettuce leaf and the garlic was the size of his hand. Amazed at the proportions, he looked at what else was sitting there: the meat. The same as always, with no weird flecks in it, colour oozing out or not glowing in any weird way.
Relieved that, at least, that was how Norbert looked as she placed the meat on a tray in the oven; Norbert quickly looked inside, dropping onto the ground and seeing some markings at the top before the metal door closed, sealing it off. Norbert quickly got onto his feet and stood before a pot was brought out and placed on the stove, moving the sizzling pan off to the side. The woman poured water from a jug into it before placing the pieces of vegetables and pouring the contents into the pan. With that, she placed the lid on top and turned around to look at him, smiling.
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Waiting, she just looked at him, feeling like he was a naughty boy again about to get grilled if he didn't spill. Norbert sighed.
"You're not going to understand this, I'm pretty sure, but I hope this is what you're after. It all started; oh boy, I don't even know anymore; the switching has wholly done my head in. Has it been a week or a month since I last left here? I couldn't tell you, and you can't tell me. But it all started briefly when I was sitting in class, not minding my business, when a light "...
And Norbert began explaining his story, his ups and downs, finding out that he wasn't dead when he hit the canopy, travelling through the forest, Obsius and Earth. Norbert kept talking, the mother smiling and nodding along, like she understood everything he was saying, occasionally stirring the pot or checking the meat in the oven.
Norbert continued speaking, sometimes laughing at the stupidity of what he had found, of these thoughts of this world and glossing over the parts of how he retrieved the wolf. With his story finished, Norbert started talking about his future
"Are there schools in this place as well? What of religion, and is what you did magic or something else? If so, can it be taught to even someone like me? It would be pretty cool to be able to do magic, creating fireballs and throwing them at foes. But I can already do magic, seeing how much stronger I have gotten. Guess it would just be nice to see something new, experience things I never would be able to, do things for the fun of it" Smiling in contentment, Norbert slowly went quiet, thinking about his future. Hoping that it would be just sunshine and rainbows, but thinking about what his experience in this world has been, Norbert doubted if it could indeed happen.
With a tap, Norbert was shaken from his little world, the mother holding some plates and indicating to the table. Taking the wooden plates, Norbert set the four out, seeing that he was obviously to stay at least the night here. Hoping that the payment was accepted for however long, it took him to find a way to live in this world, at least he took one worry off his back.
Placing the cutlery and the cups on the table, it was all set up; smiling at a job well done, he walked back over to retrieve the jug and placed it on the table. With that, the mother took the meat out of the oven, a wave of smells greeting Norbert and making his mouth water.
With that, she added to the pot and let it simmer for some more time. Knowing it would take some time to cook; Norbert looked outside at the father and son, showing how to tend to the animal. Walking back to the front, Norbert sat once more on the porch; Obsius, still on the rail, looked outside, not bothering to move for him. Feeling his shirt, Norbert was surprised that it was mostly dry. Putting it on himself, he felt relieved to be appropriately clothed again.
Re-positioning the fur to remain in the sun for the last rays, Norbert felt it, believing it should all be dry again. Sitting with Obsius, Norbert looked out as the sun again came down for another day. Looking at the world as it slowly fell asleep. People in the fields are coming home for the day, shops are closing down, and others are still going strong, pouring in after another long day.
Breathing in, Norbert lay on the porch, looking at the roof above him. Just waiting and living in the moment, happy for the little bit, and can't wait for the food that would soon come. The boy appeared in his vision, pulling on his arm and waving inside.
Turning around, Norbert got up onto his feet and entered, looking at the table before him.
Looking down, the bowls were being made, and chatter was happening between the people in the room. The boy pulled a chair out and pointed for Norbert to sit in it. Sitting down, he waited expectantly; feeling something on his head, he felt it; on top was once more Obsius, Norbert not realising when it appeared on his head. Obsius started jumping around, waiting for his meal as well.
The plates arrived, and some bread was brought to the table. When everyone sat down, words were passed around before everyone began eating.
Reaching for some bread, Norbert broke a portion; the brown bread was hard to break, but a section came off. Holding it up, Norbert carefully placed it on his head, balancing it all. Feeling Obsius move around him felt, it was picked up the bread and started feeling the crumbs fall off.
Snickering, Norbert ripped a piece off, dunking it in the stew, the vapour coming off. Norbert held it to his mouth, the smell already making him hungry Norbert placed it in his mouth and was transported to the warmth of fire slowly working its way from his mouth to the rest of his body. The rest of the cold he felt from his shirt washed from his mind, the food warming him up like a fire in him. Demolishing the bread, Norbert went for the stew next, swallowing it by the mouthful, not caring about the burns he might be having or the looks he may be receiving.
After finishing up, Norbert leaned back in his chair, moving Obsius onto the table to have some stew. Sipping on his water, Norbert listened to the conversation happening around him. As the last of the light finished for the day, the boy got out of his chair and brought a device over looking like a lamp; repeating words, the device lit up, bathing the entire room in the light once more, hanging it up on the roof the light flickered over the dining table, the conversation once more continuing.
Shocked, Norbert stared off into the light, the words washing over him like a blanket until he was directed to the same room as before by the boy; Norbert picked up Obsius's belly and flopped onto the bed, falling asleep instantly.