Norbert continued down the hallway, feeling something above him come down. Norbert looked up, seeing Obsius join him from one of the pipes.
Norbert continued to walk forward, knowing he would only have several seconds of peace before being tormented by the bird. His assumption being correct as the bird dived for his head, landing on it amiss his scraggly hair. Obsius started twittering in Norbert's ear as he nodded in understanding, not wanting to get beaten up anymore by the little speckled creature.
Waiting several moments for the bird to calm down before Norbert opened his mouth, "Ok, I know I was stupid back there, but look, we both made it out fine." He said to the bird, raising his hands in defence.
Instantly, Norbert gets pecked on the neck, feeling blood trickling slightly down his neck. Continuing to walk forward, Norbert asked, "Found a way out of this hall, and is the black stuff still following?" Norbert asked the two questions.
Receiving several chirps and tweets in reply, Norbert nodded along as he thought about what Obsius was telling him, confirming that the barrier could erode the black sludge chasing after him. I am happy that at least that was sorted out.
Hearing that, Obsius still hadn't found a way to the habited areas other than going the way back they had come. Turning behind himself as Norbert looked at the path, remembering what he had crossed to get here, Norbert shook his head, removing that option.
With nothing else, Norbert started walking down the hall, leisurely going about his place as he waited for the next stairwell to lead him to the next section.
While waiting, Norbert heard Obsius quickly explain her travels throughout the pipes. I do not see any other way; it's just a mess of pipes tangling throughout the area. Norbert nodded in understanding, just imagining the warren den of pipes that it would be. I was surprised that Obsius even made it out of there from how she described it.
Though sadly the bird didn't find any way out of this hall, Norbert looked behind himself, seeing the tunnel stretching out; unable to see the wall of the maze, Norbert just continued forward, hoping that he was far enough along that the way to the next place would be closer.
The dust built up once again the further Norbert went out, a place where it instantly became worse. Obsius hid in Norbert's cloak as he covered his mouth with the scarf. Coming to a stop, Norbert looked at the ground, changing his vision as he swiped his foot across the floor, cleaning the dust off it.
It was going back and forth; Norbert looked at the floor, seeing if there was a sign on the ground that created the barrier. It was strange for there to be one, but the only thing that came to Norbert's head in the walk was why Skelly didn't place any more down.
Travelling further out and finding nothing, Norbert gave up, not wanting to waste any more time, letting that creature's actions be a mystery. Continuing down the hallway, Norbert went to a jog, feeling his body filling back up, some sections needing to be healed even now after what Skelly did to him.
As he continued running, Norbert wondered what gift he had been given from Skelly. The creature's ability to do things, even its existence, seemed impossible as Norbert remembered the creature it was supposedly based on.
Continuing forward, Norbert felt Obsius wriggling to the front of his coat to look out at the hall. Norbert looked around, trying to find the object that caught Obsius's attention. Changing his vision to magic, Norbert saw the perfectly flat brown-coloured walls on either side, just as he suspected.
Changing his vision back to normal, the colour of the dust covered stone turning back to grey and the well-lit area around him Norbert realised he didn't have the staff with him. Looking around, Norbert could see the area around him in the light like he was still carrying it, and the rest of the hall was still bathed in darkness.
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Stopping, Norbert saw the light stop with him. Tucking Obsius back into his coat, wondering what this spotlight was doing, following him around Norbert, he sprinted forward as fast as he could.
Taking off, Norbert felt stone slightly crumble under his feet as he pushed off, needing to pull the scarf tighter around his mouth to breathe correctly. Rushing forward, Norbert, now running in darkness, changed his eyes to see correctly. Norbert turned around, seeing the spotlight several steps behind him.
Continuing to sprint forward, Norbert looked up at the ceiling and the walls, trying to see what was following him to produce the effect. Looking back at the light, Norbert changed his vision to magic, so it was overlayed slightly on top, giving highlights to the monotone hall he was currently running in.
And the hall now came alive. What was once just an empty hall was now filled with runes in all areas. Norbert watched as they changed colours and brightness constantly as he continued running forward. Going from left to right, dodging around the hall, Norbert saw it was following him all around.
Leaping into the air, the hall walls lighting up, Norbert watched the left side as the runes on the wall brightened up as they activated. Norbert watched, touching the ground with a single step, seeing the floor lighting up with his footsteps, growing the brightest with his footfall.
Not stopping, not knowing what that light would do now that he realised it was following after him. Charging ahead, Norbert was going as fast as he could, the light still several steps behind him as he continued to run, wondering how it was possible that it hadn't caught up to him.
Feeling a jab from Obsius inside his coat, Norbert looked around, wondering what the bird wanted to notify him of. Looking ahead, Norbert confirmed what he could see: the end of the hall. Continuing to run forward, Norbert saw the ray of lights ahead, all the runes on the back wall lighting up.
Not seeing anything better to do, Norbert continued to run forward, trying to formulate a plan to make it out of there without the alien beam to collect him. Pushing forward, looking on either side for a way out. Looking up at the ceiling, the same runes there as well, none of the pipes that Obsius mentioned before.
Though remembering what the bird said about some of the tight squeezes she had to go through, there was no way Norbert could follow the network of pipes.
As Norbert continued running forward, he saw a patch lighten up in solid white as he continued running forward, needing to squint due to the light it produced. Turning off the magic vision, wanting to see still using the light behind him, Norbert looked through the passageway, seeing it was still there, blinding his eyes.
Turning down the night vision so he could see correctly, the world losing its greys as he continued running, the light ahead getting more accessible and bearable. Running ahead, Norbert also turns off the magic sight, not the light from the doorway leading to the next room.
Rushing ahead, Norbert ran in, slowing down as he looked around this hall section. He watched as he passed through the light following him in the section of the hall previously turned off. Changing his vision to magic again, Norbert peered around, only seeing the once blank hall, no signs of the life it had been breathing previously.
Walking to the edge, Norbert leaned on one knee, inspecting the ground. As he looked at his steps, the runes that he knew should be there weren't. Obsius jumped out of his coat as she looked in the direction Norbert was watching.
Fluttering to the ground, she hopped forward, looking at the floor and stopping just where the doorway was, not wanting to enter the hall and fluttering her wings slightly, moving the dust from the floor. For a brief moment, Norbert saw the runes on the floor before the dust moved over it again, covering signs of it ever existing.
Breathing deeply, Norbert realised there wasn't any dust in their current area. Lowering the scarf from his lips, Norbert breathed deeply through his nose, feeling as it filled his body.
Holding it in his lungs for several seconds, Norbert blew out, hearing the wind pass through his lips as he breathed in once more, happy that he was able to smell the sweet scent of the air and not cause himself to sneeze if he breathed in through his nose once, even if covered.
Turning around, Norbert looked at the well-lit room he was in. He changed his vision to magic, not wanting to be unaware like before. Looking around, Norbert found an utterly blank room opening up to him.
Obsius fluttering to his shoulder, Norbert wondered what section of the mountains he was now in. Turning off the magic vision while keeping his suspicions up due to what he had seen previously, Norbert looked around the room.