Walking several steps forward, the wind around him tried to battle him away. As Norbert walked along the spine of the mountain, trying to remember where he came from, he saw a mote of light appear before him.
Seeing it make its way forward, Norbert following behind, wondering where Luck was taking him. Following the path, the light suddenly veered off to the left, Norbert watching as it descended the mountain.
Looking at the steep veering off coming, Norbert stared, wondering if Luck was severe. Norbert shouted, "Your little stint better stop me from spilling this." Norbert said indicating to the pot in his hands as he stepped off the trail and started to walk down.
Leaning heavily to keep himself from falling, Norbert made his way down the mountain, ensuring each step was safe as the wind and snow battered his face. Seeing the mote of light start to speed up going further away, Norbert wondered why, until his foot slipped.
Sliding down on his butt, Norbert tried to balance himself as he went down the mountain, catching up with the mote of light again. The mote of light went to the left and right, as Norbert tried to follow as best he could, kicking his legs into the ground, moving him from side to side, as he bumped around.
As Norbert went, seeing the mote of light speed up again, going further down and at a steeper angle. Feeling it suddenly becomes more profound, Norbert held on, pushing energy through his body as he tried to see ahead of what was to come.
Only seeing the open area, there was nothing else for him to go as Norbert went ahead of them. The ice falling away from him, Norbert felt the world stop. Looking down the mountainside, he noticed the path leading away from the mountain again. The falling snow tried to obscure it but was unable to as Norbert watched it fall past him.
The weightlessness quickly stopped, Norbert feeling himself begin to plummet towards the ground, far below him. Unable to control himself, Norbert looked, seeing him falling further away from the mountainside.
Unable to stop himself, Norbert screamed as he plummeted down, stopping his arms from falling around, not seeing a way he could come out of this one and holding onto the pot in his hands, tucking his neck in to keep the scarf in place.
He started pushing energy through his body, getting ready for the impact, bracing himself and relaxing his body simultaneously. As lights started to flash behind him, Norbert realised they were the contestants' balconies as he passed them.
Unable to count them, Norbert wondered when he would go past his balcony. As he looked around, darkness instantly consumed him, all motion exiting his body as he sat there.
Holding onto the items still, not wanting to lose them, Norbert wondered if he was being transported somewhere, feeling it was the wrong time to talk face-to-face with Luck. He was nI did not realise how it could be the wrong time. As he looked around, Norbert realised he couldn't see anything, not even his body.
Sitting still, Norbert waited, feeling his stomach lurch behind him until it stopped suddenly.
Instantly, Norbert was hit with light, feeling his body start to fall again; Norbert screamed out, only to land straight away on something solid.
Eyes adjusting to the brightness, Norbert looked around, finding himself on his balcony looking at several sets of legs and looking up at the owners; they found Sally, Count von Count, Hyeon and Lily looking down at him.
His voice coming out in a squeak, Norbert held up the pot. "Anyone hungry?" He asked.
He finds himself sitting at the table again, everyone in their seats from before. Plates out and the pot in the centre. On top of Norbert's plate were the daggers that Lily procured for himself.
He saw the six daggers there, thinner and lighter than his other one and the knife at his hip. The thin pieces of metal had a similar leather handle to the one he was used to. Looking at the leather straps with which the daggers' sheaths came, Norbert wondered what Lily's plan was.
Placing it behind himself on the floor, Norbert reached forward, opening the pot. Surprised to see steam coming off the lid. Carefully putting it on the table, Norbert wondered what was in there.
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I saw the yellow broth within and pieces of meat and noodles throughout it. He took the spoon that Hyeon held out to him; he nodded his appreciation as he took the first bowl handed out—the silence was everywhere as he handed each one a single ladle worth. Sitting back down, Norbert went and dug for a piece of meat, picking up his spoon.
Biting into it, Norbert nodded, exclaiming without realising it, "It's just chicken soup."
Count von Count looked at him and said, "Ah yes, just go and eat the random food you don't know about." He said as he placed it in his mouth as well.
Norbert watched as the vampire finished the first spoonful before taking a second one. Nodding his head in approval, he reached for his head, "Thought it is good."
With the vampire's approval, everyone else started digging in as well. Obsius jumps over to Norbert's bowl, bending in and eating some of it. Norbert looked forward to the conversation after this, shaking his head and thinking of what would come.
Shrugging internally to himself, at least he could push it off for a bit more as he took another spoonful. Making a mental note of the next time he saw Granny to get the recipe. As he continued to eat, looking at all the ingredients, nothing looked strange or weird, a dish he would be able to recreate back on Earth.
The last bowl of soup goes to Lily, Norbert not wanting to contend with it. Placing the lid back on top, Norbert watched as it disappeared when Norbert released the lid. One moment, it was there; the next, it was gone before their eyes.
No effect or trail showed where it was, no flash of light or weird feeling. It was just disappearing from all of their eyes. Norbert pushed his hand where it would be, confirming it wasn't invisible and gone from this place.
He looked around the table and saw the signs of the soup still in the bowls and the dirty cutlery; he confirmed that he hadn't just made the entire thing up. Everyone else was looking at him, Obsius chirping at him as Count von Count nodded.
Norbert shrugged at the question, "Well, I went walking around the mountainside, just cause. Then, I found a shack on the top; a nice Granny went inside. Had a meal and a chat and gave me the food, the scarf, and a book to read." Norbert said as he pointed to the two items he still had.
"Afterwards, she sent me on my way; I went down the mountainside, slipped and started plummeting when you probably heard me and caught me. Which I am eternally grateful for." Norbert said the last bit, looking at Hyeon, giving a half bow as best he could to Hyeon.
Sitting back down in his seat, Norbert looked around. "Now then, why were you following me around, or more importantly, why did you give the order out?" Norbert asked. He was first; I posed the question to Hyeon before looking over to Sally.
Norbert just shrugged his shoulders, not hearing a response from any of them. "If you want something from me, you know where to find me," Norbert said as he left, picking up the book and daggers as he went to his room.
Finding his backpack, Norbert dragged it towards the bed. I looked through the items, confirming that everything was there as before. Seeing the bestiary, Norbert opened it up, flicking through the pages as he remembered the creatures from the other day.
Tagging through the sections, Norbert couldn't find a trace of them. He wondered what was happening here and if they were related to what Granny had done or if she could control them. Seeing no reference to them here, Norbert turned to the book he acquired from her.
Thumbing the cover, Norbert traced the words, flicking it forward as he looked at the publication page. As he continued reading through, he realised what confirmed his suspicions. It looks like the regular books he was used to, with its neat printing and, at times, a new Roman font.
Reaching for the bestiary again, Norbert confirmed his thoughts, the handwritten writing he was usually shown here clashing with the normality of this world.
Surprised that he was still caught up by such detail even after being here for so long, Norbert shook his head. He thought about the interaction; he remembered the water she had acquired for him. He shook his head with a smile that he was still affected by whatever that was, either drug or magic.
Picking up "To the Moons and Back", Norbert thumbed through, confirming it was an ordinary book. He turned it upside down, confirming that nothing had dropped out of it, and there were no book cover sleeves; Norbert placed it in his bag. Not having the time to read an entire book or keep it always under his eye, Norbert wondered what Granny had for the reason for him to take it out of all of them.
Not seeing the impact if he left it for someone else, Norbert took the daggers and their sheaths, looking at the rigging and the two holes through it. Holding it up, Norbert saw it drop down, the buckles on it with the extra leather straps around, forming two leg-like slots for him.
Stepping through it, Norbert took his coat, scarf and other weapons off as he tried getting in. Fiddling with the leather while sitting on the bed, Norbert brought it up to his hips.
Looking at the buckles, Norbert pulled it through, getting it and seeing two more straps just looped. Threading them over his belt, Norbert tried standing up, the entire rigging too tight.
Standing straight, Norbert loosened them and retightened the ones that were needed. Finally, after an annoying ordeal, it was sitting nicely on him, the three daggers going down the outside of each leg, where his thigh was. Jumping up and down, Norbert was happy it wouldn't fall off and trip him; now needing to test it, Norbert went down the staircase again, heading towards the portal and wondering where he could find a dummy.