"AARRGH!" Norbert screamed once more, his body now responding to his movements, freed from the clutches of being frozen.
Continuing to pant as he sat up, clutching his heart as sweat started to drip down his neck and shirt, making it feel clammy inside and stick to his body. Slowing his breathing once more, remembering the last moments before he was completely frozen.
Staying there for a moment, Norbert tried to remember some extra detail, but the tighter he tried to hold onto the memory, the more it escaped his grasp until he was left holding nothing and only more confused than when he started.
Shaking his head in annoyance, airing out his shirt to try and cool the sweat on him, and looking around, Norbert found Obsius standing by the torch, out of the light, twittering at Norbert.
Waving his hand in dismissal, Norbert stood up, stretching his body as he wiggled his toes in his boots, confirming that nothing was frozen still, as he moved his parts around, feeling them un-stiff themselves. The memory in his mind was still clutching onto him.
Shaking his arms out, Norbert smiled as he grabbed the torch, feeling its weight in his hands as he followed after Obsius. The bird returning from her small flight of encouragement to land on his shoulder, claiming her rightful spot. Norbert rubbing the bird's head as he exited the light of the white room, now only the torch in his hand illuminating the area around him.
He turned to Obsius on his shoulder, confirming his feelings as the bird froze on his shoulder, the bird not moving at all. Knowing what would happen next, Norbert sprinted forward, pushing as much energy in his body as possible. Obsius flew off his shoulder; Norbert left the bird behind, telling himself he would pick her up when he returned, but he didn't want to stop.
Light from the torch was shaking everywhere creating flickering shadows as it began to sputter out, trying to hold on as Norbert rushed forward. The wind took the hood off his cloak; Norbert did not even stop as he felt it come loose and the wind clawing at his body.
The cold, freezing sensation travelled down his legs on the same left ankle as before until he couldn't wriggle his toes in his boots. Next, his ankle froze, slowing Norbert down immensely.
Now only able to jog instead of sprinting, Norbert knew it was the end. He felt it spread to his other leg until he couldn't move his waist. He was falling to the ground, losing balance, and the torch rolled away from him once more. Norbert just stared at it, no longer trying to grasp for the torch as it rolled around in a circle, leaving a trail of embers in its wake.
Picking himself up, Norbert rolled himself onto his back, staring up at the black ceiling far above him, holding one hand above himself, grasping for the ceiling so far above him, imagining there was a star that he was clutching that could take him from this place.
Feeling his fingers slowly freeze over, unable to move them, Norbert left his hand as he lost his feeling, the sensation travelling down his arm. His arm was still up in the air, clutching at nothing as the rest of his body froze over.
Breathing in for the last time, Norbert filled his lungs as deeply as possible, hoping it would hold off the final part just that bit longer to allow him to wake up not to be so unpleasant.
The coldness reached around him, freezing his eyelids open as his eyes watered instinctually before they dried up. Looking up towards the ceiling, Norbert's thoughts slowed to a standstill.
"Tch"
The sound echoed around in Norbert's frozen body, the last bit of consciousness trying to hold onto that sound.
***
"AARRGH!" Norbert screamed, clutching his chest as he shot up, Obsius flying away from him in shock as she landed near the torch, the fire's light playing with Obsius's feathers, making the white speckles on her dance and move around the bird's body.
Norbert smiled, happy to have this bit of peace before the onslaught would come. He was standing up again, brushing himself off slowly, reaching over to the torch to pick it up, using the other hand to pick up Obsius and place her inside his coat.
The bird resisted, wanting to be out in the open on his shoulder. Norbert just patting her head from the outside. "Just stay in there for a bit." Norbert said.
Obsius chirped in annoyance as she tried to get comfortable within the pocket inside Norbert's coat. He breathed a slight sigh of relief that, at least this time, he wouldn't be losing the bird if he wanted to try to outrun whatever was doing it to him.
Norbert whistled to himself as he walked calmly forward, waiting for the first sign to appear. Obsius joined in shortly before she cut out. Norbert smiled as he whistled, patting the bird comfortably, knowing what would happen next.
Feeling the coldness once more grasp onto his left ankle, Norbert stopped, holding the torch still as he looked at his body, seeing the shadow appendage coming out of the darkness surrounding him.
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Seeing another come out for his other leg, Norbert waited, knowing he couldn't escape as his body started freezing again. Looking at the ground, Norbert changed his vision once more, only seeing the brown of the rock and the blackness around him, the two appendages grasping onto him standing out, seemingly painted on the ground in vantablack, no light coming off it, unable to see the stone bellow him. Just a solid, flat body of darkness, letting no light come in.
Norbert looked at the torch, seeing the green from the wooden handle around his hand, the red flames licking at it, trying to absorb the greenness the stick was producing and turning it into heat.
He changed his attention back to the ground, looking down as he tried to keep his body as still as possible, not wanting to face plant again. Feeling the coldness in his veins spread further, Norbert breathed slowly, trying to calm himself as he looked at the ground and the two black appendages grasping him.
His hips become completely locked, unable to move them around anymore, Norbert continued looking, trying to find something that wasn't there. Squinting with effort, Norbert pushed the energy into his eyes, trying to see further inside, deeper in the darkness, and pick up what he was missing, what he had missed before.
The energy buzzed around his brain as his torso and fingers became frozen. He could no longer feel the torch in his hand as he continued looking at the ground.
Squinting one last time before he felt his jaw freeze over, a detail coming out of the black appendages; around the border, Norbert saw a pink outline, extremely faint, but he could see it there.
His last thought was what the outline could mean before his thoughts once more came to a crashing halt.
"Tch"
***
"AARGH!" Norbert exclaimed, breathing several times as Obsius looked at him, having flown off in shock.
Norbert looked around, quickly calming himself down as he looked around. Once more, Obsius stood near the torch, Norbert leaning forward on his hands and knees as he looked at the bird. "You remember what just happened?" Norbert asked her.
Obsius chirped to him about the pipes and the coin and how she could forget. Norbert smiled in response, not saying anything as he patted the bird's head before picking her up and placing her on his head. Norbert looked around, breathing out, knowing what would happen. Norbert picked up the torch, taking several steps forward.
Obsius wriggled on his head as she tried to get comfortable. Norbert continued forward, quietly humming a tune, knowing that only Obsius could hear it due to the vibrations going up his skull. The bird stopped squirming when Norbert asked, "Are you still there?"
No response came from the bird.
Sighing again, Norbert reached above his head, picking the bird up before placing her in his coat pocket. His veins froze once more around his ankle. Norbert looked down at the black appendages reaching out for him. Changing his vision again to magic, Norbert looked at the inky blackness painted on the ground.
Focusing on the border, Norbert instantly saw the pink outline he was looking for around it, watching as it became fainter the further it went until it was out of the light from the torch. Looking back to his body, Norbert saw where it grasped around each of his legs, able to see his own shadow there.
Confirming it was cupping his body in what Norbert assumed was his hand, he just stood there, staring down at it as he froze.
Not moving a single bit, he felt his body freeze over, breathing out as it came to his mouth, unable to breathe in again as he looked, waiting for the end to come and for him to wake up again.
"Tch"
***
Norbert bolted upright, his mouth open slightly before closing it, controlling his breathing as he thought about what he had heard just before waking up again. What was that clicking sound?
Lost in thought for a moment, Obsius landed on his head as she poked his forehead, Norbert looking up at the bird in his hair as she ruffled around, Norbert smiling as he asked her, "Any idea what pink means with magic vision?"
Obsius chirped in reply to a negative. Norbert nodded, Obsius nearly being dislodged from his head, receiving a peck for his antics.
Feeling blood trickle down his forehead, Norbert wiped it as he stared at the torch, rolling around before stopping, a circle of ash and embers on the stone floor.
Crossing his feet, Norbert just stared at it, feeling Obsius once more calm down and stop moving on top of him. Looking up at the bird, Norbert started counting. After twelve breaths, Norbert felt the cold clamp onto him once more.
Closing his eyes, Norbert stayed still, waiting for it to happen.
"Tch" was the last thing he heard.
***
Norbert sat upright, quickly controlling his breathing, and waved to Obsius to calm the bird about his behaviour. Crossing his legs, Norbert held his breath and heard Obsius scratching around on the ground before stopping. Cracking an eye open, Norbert saw the appendages come for him, the feeling of coldness once more grasping his body.
Closing his eyes again, Norbert waited.
"Tch"
***
Opening his eyes, Norbert instantly crossed his legs as he closed them, waiting.
"Tch"
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