Norbert looked at what Cossan was showing him. In front of both of them was a rabbit. Norbert was borrowing one of Cossan‘s knives and looked at the dead rabbit before him. Trying not to puke, images flashed before his eyes of the cute white rabbits in the pet shop, only falling away as he felt the warmth on his fingers.
Taking apart the fur, Norbert followed the steps he was shown, taking apart the rabbit and placing the items of use into piles. Finally done with the work, Norbert looked down at his hands, covered in blood. Looking around for a bucket or something to wash them with, Norbert saw Helga come out of the house holding two cups.
Smiling, Norbert reached for one, only to stop just before looking at his hands. Waving them around until Helga showed him to a bucket she had filled up on the side of the house. Carefully washing his hands, Norbert returned, giving the knife back to Cossan. Raising his hands, shaking them, and waving his head, Cossan refused to accept the knife back. Norbert insisted once more, only to feel a hand on his back and a cup placed into his hand. With a smile from behind him, Norbert accepted the cup, looking for a place to store the knife on his body.
Out from the house as well, Nassan bolted out, the door slamming on the side of the house. Everyone turned around looking; Nassan was holding a belt, many sized too big for him.
Walking forward, he approached Norbert before presenting the item to him. Going on one knee, Norbert looked directly at Nassan, and the gift was given. A tear went down his cheek, feeling like he was once at home in this strange world. Accepting, Norbert wrapped his arms around Nassan, lifting and spinning him around. The laughs of the child filled the area. Norbert continued to spin him around until his eyes were dry again, and he could not feel the tears running down his cheeks.
Putting it down, Norbert strapped the belt around himself, tying it up. Doing a quick spin, he also went and secured the knife to the belt as well. Once secured, Norbert brushed his hand against the belt, feeling something else tied there. Feeling around, it felt like a little leather bag. Carefully Norbert went and unsecured it from the belt without looking down.
Picking it up and raising it to eye level Norbert looked at it, for it was indeed a little leather bag. Feeling inside, Norbert heard something jingle; opening it up, Norbert was presented with coins. Copper coins, to be exact. Opening it up, Norbert looked inside and started counting. There were sitting the forty-five coins he received before.
Looking around, happy that he could now buy things, Norbert once more secured it to the belt, feeling the weight of it settle on his hips.
Smiling once more, Norbert went and thanked everyone there and was happy with the gifts he received. Walking out, Norbert saw Cossan leave, going to the shelter that held the wolf parts he received. Picking one up, he slung it over his shoulder as he returned.
Sighing, knowing the class would continue, Norbert sat down again, ready for the bloody work that was to come.
***
Sitting, Norbert looked at the piles of meat and fur that he had collected. Happy and with a satisfied smile at what he had done, Norbert looked around, now wondering what to do next.
Looking around expectantly, Cossan came back with an item. In his hand was a backpack, not the same one he had but a different one. Placing it in front of Norbert, he started packing it in. Not sure what was happening with it, Norbert went and assisted.
Giving the items, Norbert followed him, picking up and wearing the backpack. With a shout of his name, Nassan appeared. Words were given between them, and Nassan repeatedly nodded as he followed. With the conversation over, Nassan grabbed Norbert’s hand, taking him outside.
Once there, Nassan started climbing up Norbert’s body. With a sigh, he grabbed Nassan and placed him on his shoulders again. Out from the gutter, Obsius squawked; all looking, he went and landed on Nassan’s head. Smiling and shaking out of excitement, Nassan sat perfectly still, not wanting to disturb the bird on his head.
With that, Norbert carried the group, following back into town again. Once at the centre, Nassan once more pointed him toward the butcher. Arriving and opening, Nassan greeted the butcher, conversing between them.
Once it finished, Norbert brought the meat from the bag. Once more, the conversation between the two of them continued. Finally, the two shook hands, Norbert feeling left out. On the pile, the butcher placed some other cuts of meat Norbert did not know and several copper coins.
Smiling again, Norbert picked it up, depositing the meat back in the bag, the coins chinking into his money pouch. With that, they both waved and exited the store.
Nassan went and pointed to the next direction across from them. Once more entering, Norbert saw the lady inside sewing something. Once more, the conversation happened between them, exchanging words until Norbert brought out the fur and the meat. Leaving for the day, they walked again through the town.
Walking back home, Norbert stopped in front of a store. Sniffing, he could smell sweets in the air. Following his nose, Norbert entered and was surrounded by a world of colour. Looking around were candies and lollies that would rival even the best candy shop back on Earth. Standing, Norbert took Nassan off his head so that he could go off. Looking, Norbert picked one up, only to be distracted by something else. What looked like little rock candies of all colours in one section, lollie pops in others, and gummy snakes down the aisle.
But what Norbert couldn’t draw his eyes away from was the glowing candies. They illuminated the area around them, some changing colours, like the breathing lights, slowly changing from purple, going brighter before dark again, to blue, then yellow, and random solid colours. A pile of them doing this made it seem alive and trying to move.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Norbert looked up, seeing a young woman behind the counter, the person he had seen around the town the closest to his age, though a bit younger. Looking around, Norbert tried to work out the pricing for this, wanting to try at least one.
Picking up two light-breathing candies, Norbert deposited them on the counter, calling for Nassan to come over. Once the discussion began, Norbert removed his coin pouch from his belt, waiting to hear an end to the conversation. With it finished, Norbert passed the coin pouch to Nassan, who took out seven coppers and handed it over. With a smile from the woman, she pocketed the coins, waving goodbye to them.
Picking up the two candies, Norbert went outside with Nassan. Looking, they were about the size of a small chocolate Easter egg from Earth, something to hold in the mouth and suck, Norbert guessed from the hardness.
Popping it in, his mouth was filled with sweetness. Like drinking an ichor, it swirled around and bathed down his throat, finally reaching his belly where it seemed to grow through his entire body. Each suck of the candy sent a wave of sweetness into his body.
He looked down at Nassan, who was smiling, light coming out of his mouth. Doing a double take, Norbert kneeled in front of Nassan, looking at his mouth and its shining light. Nassan opened and stuck out his tongue. Norbert fell back with laughter. Nassan’s tongue was changing colours, the same way the candy was, going from one to the other, looking like a chameleon trying to blend in but unable to.
As Norbert was on the ground rolling around, he realised something, stopping for a second. Sticking his tongue out, being careful not to swallow the candy, Norbert stuck his tongue out as far as he could and tried to lick it.
Just seeing the tip consumed Norbert in giggles once more. It was glowing the same as Nassan’s, and its humour was not escaping him. Looking up, Norbert saw Nassan smiling, shaking his head at Norbert’s silliness.
Struggling, Norbert finally got up, whipping the tear from his eye. Picking up Nassan once more, Obsius fell, landing on Nassan’s head. The trio returned to the cabin, the backpack considerably lighter than when he left.
***
Out in the forest, Norbert followed Cossan. He was as quiet as he could, trying to glide past the bushes without moving them. To step on the ground without the world knowing he was there. Sadly for Norbert, he was as loud as an elephant, feeling like he was knocking down the forest, and whatever they were trying to catch had indeed run off by then.
But still through the forest they went, Cossan pointing things out everywhere, no words being said. Looking at bushes being crushed, grass being trampled, and sticks snapped. Everything was a clue for the man, a puzzle waiting to be solved, with the prize being whatever they caught.
As the day wore on, Norbert thought about what he did to get here, remembering he had just woken up and brought over Norbert out after some food in his belly. They went out once more to the back of the bushes, making sure he had his knife, past further than he thought possible before he hit a forest.
These trees were what Norbert would consider “normal” for this world, and not gigantic and had no weird purple veins throughout them.
As they walked and Norbert tried to be quiet, thinking he was getting better, Cossan stopped. Moving even slower than before, he quietly took his knife out. Waiting patiently, he pointed ahead. Norbert moved around, craning his head to the side. In front of them, a white deer stood. Similar to the ones before but not as tall. Standing only a head taller than he would, looking at it, the two of them stared, waiting. The deer had its head down, eating berries from a bush. One by one, he swallowed. Looking around, the deer had bright red eyes, the once white deer slowly changing to the same dark green of the berries, almost blending into the environment.
As it was about to head off, raising its head, Cossan was gone in a flash—the air and bushes were no longer around him. Staring, Norbert saw him at the deer. He was grappling with it and trying to place his knife through it. With a struggle, Cossan tried to hold two of its legs together with his, trying to force it to stay down. But the longer the two struggled, the closer it looked like the deer would escape; all their effort of the day would be gone.
Breathing once more, Norbert looked ahead and charged in, screaming as loud as he could. Going, he tackled the deer, trying to knock it off balance. And knock it off balance he did, all three of them falling to the ground in a heap. Norbert, somehow still able to hold onto his knife, looked around to find a spot on the thrashing deer to put it out of its misery.
Looking and holding it down, the deer once more tried to get up, but not letting it, Norbert scrambled his way onto its neck, losing the knife in the process. Looking around for something and finding nothing, he wrapped his legs around the base of the deer’s neck, his arms near its head.
Confirming he was secure, Norbert squeezed and pushed with his legs as hard as he could. Hearing it scream in protest, Norbert hunkered down, not wanting to look at it, burying his head into the nook of his shoulder.
Starting to shake with the strain, Norbert pulled as hard as he could one more time, watching as he saw his arm take on streaks of purple coming up; before he flew off the deer, the sound of breaking bones followed.
Norbert, a thud followed away; Norbert looked up at the sky, exhaustion surrounding him. He panted and tried to calm down. Looking up at the sky, a head appeared from the side. Seeing Cossan standing, relief overcame Norbert; at least he wouldn’t need to find his way back to the cabin alone.
Slowly Norbert sat up, looking at what his hands had done. Lying on the side was his knife; slowly, Norbert stood up, picked up the knife and confirmed that it was still OK with no damage from the fall before placing it back in its sheath on his belt.
With as much as he could avoid, Norbert looked once more at the deer. He was lying on the ground, its neck that was once white now just pulp. Looking, Norbert could see where he had wrapped his hands around the neck, now having a band of crushed flesh where his arms would be, a circle of purple showing where his hands connected, and the crushing force came together.
Looking once more, Norbert said a prayer of thanks to whoever was listening, happy that he escaped from the fight mostly unscathed, apart from a couple of bruises here and there.
Cossan came behind him, giving Norbert a pat on the back. Indicating with his head, he walked up to it, moving it around so it could be picked up.
Sighing in the work that was to come, Norbert squatted down next to the deer, holding it by its legs and with the help of Cossan, he was just able to place it on his back. With effort and shaky steps, Norbert could stand up and slowly made his way back to the cabin, following Cossan.
***
Once out of the forest, Norbert looked down the hill, having the bushes where Norbert played with Nassan. Looking out, Norbert saw Helga sitting on the porch in a chair, reading the magic book that he looked at what felt like a lifetime ago. As the two returned, Norbert once more placed it down in the appropriate area; taking the knife out, the pair began to work. He placed the items of importance in a pile and kept the pelt as intact as possible.