Luck smiled back at him, tapping her finger on the side of her nose before tapping her finger on the tip of his. Norbert turned around, looking around the room.
Count von Count stared at the two of them. "Well, that explains how you knew we would have another guest." He replied, picking up his drink and finishing off the water before reaching for the bottle in the middle of the table, sniffing it before nodding and pouring himself a drink.
Lily looks between everyone else, mouth wide open, head panning constantly. Norbert saw a bit of drool coming out of her mouth; before he could point it out, she clapped her jaws shut, wiping her mouth on her arm before asking the table, "Is that …"
Sally nods. "Yes, that is the one goddess you don't want to interact with. For you never know when your luck will turn and leave you high and dry, the one and only Lady Luck." She finished, waving to Luck, who Norbert was currently under.
Dropping her hand to the table, she dragged it backwards, picking up her cup and wetting her mouth again. "Why do I always find myself in situations like this?" She whispered to herself.
Luck leaned forward, pushing Norbert onto the table as she took Norbert's cup. "Well, honey, that's because you're just so fun to hang around." She beamed at Sally.
Lilly leaned to Sally as she locked onto Luck, not letting even a single moment of her go undetected. "Is she here for Norbert?" She asked Sally.
Count von Count just laughing at Lily's comment, "Oh, for the likes of us, a god won't descend. Only for their favourites." He said Norbert, turning to the vampire with an accusing look.
Norbert turned around the table. "But I had no idea that Luck would be here. I thought Sally would be coming, but that's all. So why are you here, Luck, showing your face in the mortal world." Norbert asked her before taking his cup out of her hand and sipping his drink. The moment it touched his tongue, he realised it wasn't the water it was before but the tea he usually drank with her while waiting.
Luck just shrugged her shoulders in response. "The whims of the gods are not for you mortals." She said. Moving Norbert up, he stepped out of her lap as she left the chair, taking the cup out of his hand and walking to the balcony. Standing there looking out of the mountain range they found themselves in.
Turning back, she made eye contact with Norbert before looking back into the snowscape. Norbert just sighed, excusing himself with a wave as he headed out to the balcony. Standing beside Norbert, he leaned forward on it, looking at what could be seen.
I saw the same mountains as before, the snow still blowing everywhere, no sign of humanity down below. As Norbert continued to stare, he picked up one sign: a waving road going over the landscape, twisting and turning like an angry serpent coiling around, waiting to pounce on anything that moved near it.
Still following the road with his eyes, Norbert said, "So, why did you come down here and not communicate in your usual way?" Norbert asked her.
Hearing a sigh from the goddess, Norbert looked to the side, the woman that looked so on top of it having a tired look in her eyes, seeing the bags underneath them, just slightly there, two dark half-circles under them.
Luck smiled back, a mirage appearing in front of Norbert before it disappeared, showing Luck as usual without any imperfections on her body. Norbert just looked back out of the landscape underneath him.
The simple question formed in Norbert's mind, knowing it would lead him to many problems. if he asked Bitting his lip to stop himself from talking, knowing within himself it was futile and that Luck knew it was futile, he relented, asking her, "What can I do to help?" He asked her.
Luck chuckled to herself, "You've already asked that question, and do you know the answer," She asked him.
Norbert just nodded. "Continue what I've been doing," Norbert said, the energy draining from his voice.
Luck nodded in return, "Precisely. Out of everyone that was moved over, you were chosen. And that choice was for a reason. If you know of it or not, then it doesn't matter." Luck said.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Norbert snorted at the explanation. "So I was just some random person you chose on a whim. Thanks that makes me feel exceptional." Norbert said.
Luck laughed with delight at Norbert's explanation, "Oh, I needed that. But no, the reason why ..." Luck finished, her mouth remaining to be before closing it. "Those sneaky dogs." She said.
Norbert turns to Luck, "The reason why?" Norbert asked her.
"Others don't want to say. But I will tell you this: what happened the first time you came over, what was different." She asked him.
Norbert opened his mouth to answer the question. Luck leaned forward, holding her finger to his lip. "Don't answer it now; wait and think it over. You still have plenty of time." Luck finished saying to him.
Staying close to Norbert, she turned around, looking out into the darkness beyond, standing between Norbert and the railing. Norbert leaned forward slightly, grabbing both sides of the railing, planting Luck squarely in the middle.
He leaned forward, whispering to her, "You're all g?" unable to stop the grin from spreading on his response.
Luck just shook response, “ I'm all good now. Well, best for me to go, and I'll see you when I see you." She said to Norbert as she reached her hand forward, passing through the barrier.
Norbert felt the cold wind and snow hit his face as Luck started to disappear, turning into hundreds and thousands of motes of light before going forward against the direction of the wind and down into the valley below.
Norbert stood, a hand reached forward, stopping the barrier from closing, drowning himself in the cold wind as he stared out there, tracking the light as they slowly disappeared. The lights followed the winding road that Norbert had spotted before.
Moving his head back, he felt the barrier close around him with a snap of warmth, thinking about what Luck said and what made him different. Staring at his shaking hands, Norbert went and gripped the railing, feeling the blood pumping through them; his fingers ached slightly with how hard he was gripping the bar.
Holding it there for several seconds, Norbert let the railing go, feeling his fingers click at unclenching them, Norbert flexing them in and out to get some life back into them.
Idly talking to himself, Norbert asked, "You're still there, Luck?" Waiting expectantly for a reply. Sighing and turning around, Norbert chuckled as he saw two golden motes of light appear, trailing after each other before disappearing.
Walking back inside, Norbert sat back in his chair, looking around at the table for his cup. Remembering Luck took it, Norbert looked outside, seeing no signs of it. Shaking his head, Norbert stood up, grabbing another cup from the cabinet behind him, annoyed that he couldn't have any tea.
Leaning forward, Norbert grabbed the glass bottle, poured himself some, and placed the glass bottle on the table. Raising the stone cup to his nose, Norbert swirled it around as he breathed in deeply, the alcohol hitting him like a truck.
He was reeling back from the smell; Norbert raised the cup to his mouth and took a sip. The burn flowed down his throat as the liquid followed, knowing the alcohol would generally be hitting a person very quickly.
Sighing, Norbert placed the cup on the table, everyone else staring at him, waiting for an explanation. "Shits about to hit the fan," Norbert said.
Count von Count groaned in annoyance, Sally just rubbing the brim of her nose again, eyes crinkled shut, Norbert able to see the cogs within her head turn visibly. Obsius chirped at Norbert as Lily continued to, making the silence, "How did you come to that conclusion."
Norbert nodded, seeing the others stare at him, waiting for him to explain his logic. "Two reasons: the fact she even came to see me. The only other time was at her fountain, her temple, I think it was called. And secondly … the fact she didn't stay." Norbert said.
He stared at the drink, spinning the cup around between his fingers. Feeling eyes digging into him, Norbert looked up, the four others at the table staring at his response.
Norbert shrugged, "What? Gods normally don't show up unexpectedly to bring cookies. I don't know exactly what's happening, but it riled her up. More than I think this tournament would have or whatever might happen." He said.
The others, not letting up on him, Norbert points towards Sally. "And what about you, arriving here out of the blue? What's your reason?" He asked her.
The three others looked over to Sally. Norbert was no longer under the magnified glass. Sally just nodded. "For whatever reason, it's been decided to push the tournament forward. You only have three weeks to prepare. Twenty-one days, so make the most of it." Sally said.
Lilly and Norbert both breathed in response to the words, Norbert just sitting there, wondering what the issue would be.
Lily turned to Norbert. "You need to get the daggers you want immediately" " she said before moving the chair out from under the table. Norbert winced as he heard it scrape before she exited through the portal. Obsius takes flight and follows after her.
Norbert watched the two depart, shrugging before leaning backwards.
Count von Count looked at him and said, "Why so relaxed?" HE asked Norbert.
Norbert just shrugged. "Well, I have beaten Arslan before," Norbert said.
Sally just chuckled. "Technically, you didn't." She rebutted Norbert.
Norbert shook his. Technically, I was interrupted and would have escaped if not for a certain age," Norbert said, his body shivering, remembering his fights with the lion man.
Remembering the Asian girl he helped escape with, forgetting her, "Oh yeah, how is she doing anyway?" Norbert asked.
Before he could relax, Norbert felt the hairs not standing up at the back of his neck for the first time that day.