Changing his vision to magic sight, Norbert watched the man before him. Seeing around him darkness surrounded the man, almost to the point that he was utterly obscured and unable to see him.
Focusing on the vision, Norbert turned down the magic sight to stop it from obscuring it so he could correctly see his opponent. Seeing the darkness come towards him in a fist, Norbert rolled to the side, feeling it hit against his feet and making him slide on the ground.
He saw the man standing there, not moving from his position. Looking around, not seeing the darkness consuming after him, he went, rolling forward. Halfway through the roll, something hit his feet, causing him to skid outwards, tumbling around on the ground.
Scampering to his feet, Norbert looked forward, seeing a wall around the man, stopping him. Norbert rushed forward, leaping into the air, spinning around, pushing off the dome's ceiling, and launching himself to the ground.
Tensing himself up, knowing there would be a barrier he would impact first. Feeling him hit something, then as it crumpled inwards, Norbert fell several centimetres before stopping again. Staring down, grinning at the man below him, Norbert raised his fist, waiting for himself to be carried off into another section again.
He was nodding. He felt something grasp his waist before lifting him into the air. Norbert felt his body go weightless as he felt it go further down, the wind whipping through his hair before he impacted the ground.
He groaned as he leaned forward, seeing the crater in the ground that he had created, feeling cuts in the back of his head, brushing the pieces of stone out of his body as he felt it heal closed underneath his fingers. Standing up, Norbert brushed himself off before staring at the man.
"You could have killed someone!" Norbert shouted to him.
Expecting some reaction from his comment but receiving nothing, not even a shrug or a note that he even heard him, Norbert picked himself up, stepping out of the man-shaped hole he had created. He looked at the crowd and saw them still, just staring at the beat down he was experiencing.
He was shaking his legs loose, feeling bits of stone hitting the ground. Looking towards the ground, wondering how they would fix the mess this guy was making. Placing his hands over his daggers, Norbert weighed up whether to use them or if he should try a third time.
Whispering to himself, "Third times the charm." Norbert rushed forward, going straight at the man.
Pushing energy throughout his body, building up as much speed in the shortest amount of space possible, and sliding on the ground, Norbert saw the darkness appear above him; taking out a dagger, Norbert threw it, sending it flying ahead of him.
He was closely following behind, watching as the dagger hit something before bouncing to the ground. Foot extended, feeling it buckle, before smashing through it, knowing the second barrier would be there. Norbert held firm, feeling his foot once more collide with something.
Leaning forward, Norbert punched, feeling the barrier shatter. With his left hand outstretched for the man's neck, Norbert grasped onto it, the two of them falling onto a heap on the floor.
Locking his legs around the man's torso, Norbert raised his fist; as he brought it down onto the man's face, Norbert felt something in case his hand, going tighter the further down he went.
Dismissing the concern, Norbert followed through with the punch, feeling his hand squeeze tighter and tighter. Not stopping, Norbert continued down, surprised at what he felt. Instead of a closed fist impacting the man's face, it was the pulp of a hand, blood covering everywhere, the bones ground to dust.
Hearing the wet smack, Norbert stared at his fist, not believing what happened. Stunned, the man pushed his palm flat against Norbert's chest. Before he realised it, Norbert felt himself rushing through the air again.
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Focusing on healing his left hand, Norbert waited for himself to start to fall again. As he impacted against the dome ceiling, waiting for it to start to fall, he was surprised when he stayed out there. He focused on his hand healing, seeing the nubs of the digits start to poke through, the purple blood flowing through his body, the energy crackling inside of him, trying to be released.
Norbert flexed his arms, trying to move them but unable to. Norbert counted, unable to twist his head around, pushing with all his might to break free. Unable to move anything to gain momentum, seeing the darkness holding him up, not even budging, Norbert went limp, nodding to the man underneath him.
Seeing the barrier behind him turn red, the force keeping him up disappeared instantly as Norbert started falling to the ground again. Landing on his feet, Norbert flexed his left hand, seeing the fingers fully grown, the last of the flesh covering it.
Waving towards his opponent, receiving a nod in return, Norbert walked through the barrier, the crowd dissipating as he left, the entertainment going.
Scanning around the crowd, Norbert looked for his companions, spotting them as they started to thin. The three of them unmoving, Lily holding out his backpack for him.
He took it from her grasp and slung it over his shoulder. Obsius landed on his other shoulder, twittering into his ear. Listening intently, noticing patterns the bird was able to pick up as a third-party observer rather than being flung around the dome.
Nodding his head a final time to the bird, reaching up as he brushed against her feathers, Obsius pushing against his palm, trying to get as close as possible. He changed his focus to the two others, people staring at the vampire, a few pointing and whispering at Lily.
"Looks like we have a couple amidst us," Norbert said to the two.
Count von Count just smiled at the crowd, waving his hand like he was the queen of England to her followers. "They just all love me." He said, pretending to wipe a single tear from his eye.
Norbert just shook his head at the drama queen, turning to Lily and waiting for an explanation.
She shrugged as she stepped forward, removing his mask and wiping it on her sleeve. Norbert realised some of his blood had stuck to it on the fight. I handed it back to him, noticing the sleeve was completely clean, the same as the mask, not seeing any hints of the grime even existing in the first place.
Leaning back, Lily explained, "It comes with the position. Those in Sally's group are famous and infamous in other parts."
Norbert opened his mouth before closing it again, agreeing with Lily's words. Seeing someone as the best of the best, he would assume, as he wondered what she was doing instructing people in the first place, much less scouts.
Knowing he wouldn't get an answer here, with too many other people around, starting to feel their eyes dig into his back, turning around and feeling them all move off him; only when he would return his attention to Lily and Count von Count would they appear again. It was a game of cat and mouse, and Norbert wasn't sure which one he was supposed to be.
"Just realised, where is that bastard Gloober?" Norbert asked the two of them.
Both of them shrugged as they walked away. Stepping forward, Norbert caught up with Lily, speaking behind her, "That happens all the time. People are being thrown at others trying to see what will stick, finding out which ones are those to keep an eye out for and who can just be dismissed." She said.
Norbert nodded along. "Then why did he pick me of all people?" Norbert asked.
Obsius pecked him on his ear for his stupid question, rubbing it, happy not to see any blood on his hand. Count von Count perked up, wrapping his arm around his neck. "Listen here, my friend, look out there; what do you see."
Norbert followed his hand, looking upon the crowd. About to open his mouth, Norbert looked again, seeing everyone looking at him and each other, eyes peeled. Some were nervous, others cocky, some just wanting for it to continue, and others mingling with the crowd, going through it like what Gloober did with him.
"They're all alone," Norbert said.
Count von Count nodded. "Bingo, and what about you?" he asked, pointing to Norbert now.
Norbert looked around, seeing Lily just a step ahead, the crowd parting for her, a vampire on one shoulder and a bird on the other. They looked at the crowd again, wondering if anyone even had a pet with them, but nothing.
"I'm not alone," Norbert said out loud.
Count von Count nodded. "And that's what makes you different; everyone else is alone. No matter how good they are, they have nobody to fall back on. But look at you, having three people to fall onto."
Obsius chirped up in agreement. Norbert nodded his head, a feeling coming off his chest. "And so me not being alone, or more importantly, having others here not even competing, makes me … special," Norbert said.
As he was grinning to himself, Count von Count took his arm off Norbert's neck before he felt a blow to the back of the head, smashing him into the floor.
Obsius took into the air, landing when Norbert alighted himself. Again "Now, don't get cocky now. Remember what I said last time." Count von Count asked him. He was wiggling his pointer finger at him, like a little boy being scolded.