The white mouse, the size of his palm, with nothing different or concerning about the fact of its existence except the others halls had been devoid of life for lifetimes. Norbert looked around, changing to a magical vision, confirming his suspicions. The amount of life-giving magic in the area around them increased.
As he continued to stare, he didn’t know if a cause and effect connected the two conditions, but as Norbert continued looking, green vines started to creep through the dirt.
Looking at Obsius, the bird was seemingly ordinary; Norbert was happy there weren’t any green lumps around her, not wanting to deal with cancer on the bird as Norbert called her down.
The bird descended, landing on his shoulder as Norbert finally spoke to her, “Have you seen anything like this before?” Norbert asked the bird.
Obsius looked towards him, giving a look that Norbert knew as being, “I lived in a forest before meeting you; when would I have seen anything like this?”
Norbert just nodded his head, talking to himself as he looked out. “Just be careful; everything is growing fast here. I don’t want you to be affected by it.” He said to her.
Obsius cocking her head as she flapped her wing at his neck. “Me?” Norbert asked her. “Well, I’ll be fine; the purple energy within me should stop anything from interacting too badly; just heal up and exterminate it,” Norbert said.
Obsius just shook her head as she flew off, not giving head to Norbert’s caution, looking behind herself. Norbert left the bird to her own devices, knowing that if needed, she could always come to him.
Looking now at the hall, filled with life where only before there wasn’t a sign of anything, speculation started to appear in his mind about what would be needed for him out of it. As he looked there, Norbert saw something else scurrying around.
Stepping forward, Norbert took the dagger out again, not needing to use the sword at this point, but if things continued to grow at this rate, then it wouldn’t be soon until he needed it.
Walking through, seeing small weeds sticking out of the soil and bending down, Norbert could see it clearly, even when he lowered his magic vision. Breaking one of the stalks off, Norbert held it to his hand to look further at it.
Twisting it in his fingers, seeing its slightly green glow, the bioluminescence for what it was, the things already adapted to this dark cave. As Norbert focused on the area around him, a sea of green lit up in a wave.
Gulping, Norbert ran forward, going as fast as he could, now wanting to see the other side and confirm there wasn’t a way out. Running through, Norbert could see more clearly the light rolling with the hills of the earth that he progressed through and the dust in the air Norbert was seeing becoming noticeably less.
Removing the scarf and breathing in a slight bit of air, Norbert confirmed that the dust was dissipating. Not knowing where it could all be going, not seeing any collections on the ground where it could be all sinking to, and none of the new life chasing after it which he could see.
Happy that he could breathe properly, Norbert lowered the scarf, having it sit around his neck as he went further in—rising the hill. Norbert saw numerous mice now scurrying around, all the same size as they darted to where they could.
Norbert watched as they chased after the plants, Norbert watching as they devoured it almost instantly. Norbert slowed down to stroll, captivated by what he saw. Several seconds after they were from the plant, moving off to the next one, Norbert watched the plant quickly return to life.
Norbert saw the leaves rush out from the single root still alive, watching as they became even brighter, the plant fuller than before. Out of the corner of his eye, something grabbed his attention. Norbert watched as the next group of mice came for the bush, devouring it again, and once more, Norbert saw it come back even thicker and more extensive than it was the first time Norbert saw it.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
With proof of the devouring happening, Norbert ran ahead, not wanting to be around when he was added to the menu. Rushing forward, overtaking another group of mice ahead, Norbert assumed that they were the group that first ate the bush; their numbers seemingly doubled in the short time. Norbert wondered what was happening as the group dived to the left, something having taken their attention.
Norbert watched as he crested a lump of earth, thinking he saw a glimpse of something before he went down again. Running forward, cresting the next lump, Norbert looked again to the left, confirming that there wasn’t anything there to catch his attention.
Running forward now, looking up at the ceiling occasionally, for the next minute, he continued, seeing more and more groups of rats continue running around the place, jumping from bush to bush, occasionally changing to his magical site, the amount of green in the air now on everything, checking over his own body to confirm he wasn’t having anything weird on it or new unexplainable growths.
Norbert stopped, and the bush there before where now trees. Their heights were not like the massive ones he had seen, just regular trees. Norbert saw lines of green along the bark, their leaves illuminating the similar light.
Panning his head up, Norbert saw the tops of the trees rustling around like the wind blowing. Holding his hand up, confirming that there wasn’t anything there. Blinking his eyes in amazement at what was before him, the tree line seemed to get closer. Squaring his feet on the ground, confirming that he hadn’t moved as his gaze came back upwards, the tree line coming even closer.
The tree line came forward as Norbert waited until the forest met him. Starting, Norbert heard the sound he didn’t want to hear. The sound of flesh being ripped and guzzled. Norbert saw a fox from behind the trees, its white fur almost glowing under the green light. Its eyes gazed back at Norbert, red-rimmed as it stared at him.
Snapping up what was in its mouth, Norbert saw of the mice that had just eaten it finished; Norbert saw it shiver for a moment, all the fur on the creature standing on end as it seemed to stretch, before relaxing as it continued to stare. Norbert stared as its teeth guttered from its mouth, the upper row not contained within its jaws.
Its claws extended slightly, digging into the dirt at their feet; Norbert saw them also glow slightly green now, and Norbert wondered why the green colour of luminesce. As he stared at the creature, it growled towards Norbert.
Swallowing, Norbert turned around and ran, sprinting as fast as he could away from the creature, hearing earth moving behind him, watching as the fox gave chase. Running and dodging trees, one of them appearing before Norbert in his face as he rolled to the side. Hearing a crunching sound as the wood groaned under an impact. Jumping into the air and spinning around, Norbert saw the fox smashed into the tree, one of its paws stuck there as it stared after Norbert.
Ripping it out, it bounced off, following after him. Running forward, Norbert gets out of the tree line, seeing some of the mice still going after the bushes into the forest, the cries of pain surrounding him, chasing after himself.
He did not care to turn around, feeling the distance increase between the fox and himself. Norbert ran as he looked into the sky, watching the ceiling for the white speckles. On the ceiling, Norbert saw something green glowing there; no longer was it just the plain, simple, solid ceiling but a starry sky of green speckles around.
Feeling something swoop down and land on him, Norbert jerked his head to the side as Obsius landed in his jacket, wriggling around until she entered his coat pocket. Patting it comfortably, confirming the bird was tightly there, Norbert ran forward. Sheathing his dagger mid-run, Norbert’s backpack bounced behind him, hearing the items inside clashing against each other.
Running forward, seeing the light of the white room before him, the barrier still up, changing his vision back to normal, not needing to see the green mist everywhere. Norbert skidded to a halt, dirt kicking up as he clawed at the ground with his hand, slowing him down.
Sliding to a stop in front of the door, Norbert felt the electricity crackling that made it up. Scuttling backwards, Norbert looked behind him, seeing the trees coming closer and staring as he saw the mice that were once in their groups now separated. All running away from the foxes that chased after them.
Norbert watched the landscape as more mice appeared, crawling out of holes and hovels, going for the bushes as they ran away from the foxes.
Gulping, he looked at the rampant consumption all around him. Obvious tweeted at him, nodding in confirmation to the bird. Norbert uttered in shaky breaths, “Looks like this won’t be as easy as I thought.”
Finishing the thought, Norbert saw a fox dart out of the forest, leaping in the air as it sailed towards Norbert.