Entering the house, Norbert looked around, the boy making his way towards the table and pulling out a chair. Also heading towards the table, Norbert sat down in his usual chair. The mother returned from the parent's room, holding a book. She picked up her usual chair and slid it between the currently occupied chairs before taking a seat and presenting the book. Looking once more at the writing, it looking familiar, Norbert dismissed it and looked at the cover. On it showed a swirling ball of water hovering over a landscape of green; the cover itself was red, with what looked like indents of swirling flames around it. Opening the book, Norbert looked at the first page, diagrams showing and words written around it.
Looking at the diagrams, they were circles with what looked like runes written in them, lines going through at what seemed like odd angles. The mother started talking to the son, pointing things out at the diagram, and the son copying it with his finger the pattern that it was making. Carefully, he copied it onto the table, drawing it out again.
Stopping, the boy closed his eyes, chanting under his breath as the light appeared on the tip of his finger. With an immense look of concentration on the boy's face, he began writing on the table. After the first few motions, Norbert saw what he was trying to replicate what he had seen in the book. Holding his breath, Norbert waited in excitement at what could happen. As the boy completed what looked like the last rune needed, he smiled, looking up at his mother expectantly. With a chide, she chanted again, a blue light appearing on her finger as she corrected the diagram again. With a flourish, the air started to move around the room, constantly blowing away from the circle.
With amazement, Norbert looked at what he had just witnessed, magic. He had seen magic, which was a magic book of sorts. Quickly Norbert stood from the table; looking at the stove, he walked over to it. Opening the door, he placed his head at the bottom and looked up, showing what he was looking for. Another circle appeared around at the top, with the same lines there. Norbert looked and traced his fingers, trying to find a pattern that would allow the heat to be absorbed and directed above him. Norbert looked around again, Not seeing any pattern as he began crawling back out.
Closing the stove, Norbert looked towards the direction of the sink. He stood up. Once more, feeling if there was anything there, now knowing what to look for, it was a solid piece of wood, slowly gliding against his fingers and shining back at him, not showing any of its secrets. Sitting on the floor, Norbert opened the wooden cupboards, seeing the plates sitting there with a pipe going out the centre and towards the back. Looking towards the back, Norbert saw a metal box there, painted in solid black. Confusion surrounded Norbert, not knowing how that black box would allow it. Looking, he saw a pipe flow from it out to the faucet above. Looking to the right, Norbert saw two wings extending out the side. Looking at it, Norbert realised what was happening.
By holding your finger on at the top, you would direct your magic, which would then flow into the device and release water. The run-off was exciting; Norbert did not know exactly where it would go as he did not see any pipes coming out from outside the cabin. Excited that maybe he had figured out what to do, Norbert once more put his finger over the point and closed his eyes. Feeling around himself, he waited for it to happen; that feeling came once again, more sluggish than before. Coaxing it towards his finger, it took all his patience not to give up, hoping he could also do magic. Sweat started to fall off Norbert's forehead, his finger slightly wavering with concentration, but still, he persisted. Finally, it curled to his finger, and as it came just to the point, about to break out and into the magic circle, it fled away, dashing again into the centre of his body before disappearing inside, not feeling anything else.
Grabbing the sink, Norbert bent forward, feeling a tear roll down his cheek. Norbert stared down into the sink drain, and his tear dropped as a second replaced it. Thoughts swirled through his head, knowing he was now trapped in a magical land with the great equaliser being magic. The place had no technology that he could see and couldn't take anything from Earth, even if he did manage to require it. Looking down, Norbert moved his hand and pulled his phone out of his pocket, the light frozen on the time and date he left it with his pizza.
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Knowing that anything could get him now, he thought back to what he had done, his slight increase in strength now looking useless; he would never be able to be one of the greats in this world. No, conquer or ruler, no great that can take on even the gods themselves. Just someone that may as well stay in this village. Thinking back to what he had seen, at least he had seen and that he had arrived, thinking back to earlier this day and the bird with four wings, the mystery that could still be found here.
He was thinking back to Earth with what seemed like plainness now, of going out to uni and hanging with friends, eating pizza. Remembering the pizza still waiting for him, Norbert realised that even on Earth, he would not be a billionaire with his Forbes 500 company. The reality sank in that he was once more in the same position, just a man going through his life, not extraordinary in any regard, thinking his lack of magic nullified his increased strength.
He thought that he would survive in this new world, that it would not get the best of him and that he would see what it had to offer. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Norbert turned around, the son looking at his book, the mother pointing at a new page. With a sad smile, she looked back, having known from yesterday this would happen. Patting the empty chair he left, Norbert closed the cupboards, breathing deeply again. Norbert sat down and looked at the book with the circles. If he could not use this, the least he could know is about them because he never knew when it could come in handy.
***
With the book's closing, the mother told the boy he could go; the mother stood up, taking the book with her. Holding his hand to stop her, Norbert looked up and tapped at the book. Looking back at him, she placed the book on the table, spinning it around to face him. Looking once more at the cover, he understood what it depicted, the classical elements looking back, fire, water, earth and air.
Opening it, Norbert looked once more at the spell he saw. Looking at the symbols and trying to memorise what they looked like, Norbert went to the next page. Seeing something looking entirely different, new runes marked it and lines all over. Quickly flipping through, Norbert looked through the rest of the book, trying to understand and look at sections. As he flipped through, nothing came together, all looking like a jumbled mess. Closing the book, Norbert would wait until he learnt the language, hoping the text around it would indicate what each circle could do.
Standing up, Norbert looked towards the empty room where the mother and son could have gone. Looking around, Obsius flew inside the just-opened door, both of them returning. Quickly the mother washed her hands in the sink, drying them with some words before standing next to Norbert; needing to look up slightly, he handed the book out towards her, giving her a deep bow when she took it. She took the book and headed to her room once more, returning wearing a jumper.
Looking out the front, the boy was already there, looking at Obsius and trying to pat the bird. Obsius, not liking the attention, tries to bat the boy's fingers away. The air produced blew against his face; he tried again, giggling. Obsius looking annoyed, saw Norbert step outside; seeing a way to escape the little demon, he flew on top of Norbert's head and beamed down at the boy, flapping his wings, trying to egg him on and showing that he could not get it no matter what.
Stepping further outside, Norbert looked; it would have been past noon, he assumed, looking at the sun. Turning again, he saw the son run forward, already on the path heading to the heart of the village. The mother is also looking and walking, and Norbert is shrugging his shoulders.
Up the path they went, after a hundred meters, the group stopped. The mother walked towards one of the houses; she knocked on the door; another lady opened up, and the two began talking to each other and waving their hands in enthusiasm at having met. Waiting by the fence, Norbert looked at the boy, crouched and fiddling with the long grass shoots poking out. With a wave, the mother returned, pointing for Norbert to follow. Walking forward, Norbert followed the two women around the house to an alcove, where a cart sat.
It was a small thing, Norbert assuming to be hand pushed, looking at the two poles sticking forward, currently in the dirt. Having a flatbed, only the railings on the side keeping items in, and a hatch at the back. He was looking at the wooden construction with only two wheels. Walking forward, Norbert brushed past the two ladies, talking to each other as he picked it up and made his way outside, both looking with shock on his face. Holding it up with one hand, he indicated for the mother to hop on, the boy not needing even to be told as he made he scrambled his way on.
With a sigh and a shake of her head, the mother said some last words before once more stepping into the cart, and with that, they were off. The wheels crunched on the dirt, finding the already ruts in the road from the carts that went previously; Norbert headed once more towards the centre.