Norbert scanned the ground, not seeing anything that could feel it. As he changed his vision to magic, the creature suddenly appeared. Standing there, a single paw on the snake's head, Norbert saw a fox staring straight at him.

Looking into those eyes, expecting to see them red, crimson like the other creature, but alas, not. One eye on the right was milky, Norbert assuming that whatever happened to it, the fox had gone blind. On the other eye, flecks of purple could be seen.

As Norbert looked, the fox's size now impacted him as he realised the magnitude of the creature. It was not as large as the snakes humongous form; its body was still around but was the same size as the illusion.

The two stared at each other as something swished behind the fox. Moving his eyes, Norbert saw several whitetails coming out of it. Staring at it, concerned as his thoughts remembered the stories back on Earth of the mystical arts that foxes could do.

Looking back at its eyes, Norbert watched as it changed, turning visible again; now Norbert could see the damaged eye. The two stared at each other as steam started to come off the fox's body.

Norbert took a step back, hand lowering to his sword, unsure of what the fox was trying to do next. The steam coming off it, Norbert watching as it dissipated into the air. Taking another step back as the fox was consumed in the steam, changing his vision to magical, Norbert was surprised at what he saw.

The green swirling around him within the hall, what was previously bright, was now going all into the fox; Norbert could only see it as a glowing green orb. Channing his vision back to normal as his eyes watered, Norbert stood still as the light in the hall slowly petered out, becoming darker and darker.

Norbert's changing vision allows him to see more quickly in the dark. The outlines emerged as the world changed to greys, blacks and whites. He was again locating the fox from the steam rising off the creature.

As he continued to stare at it, the steam finally started to dissipate. Walking closer, careful over the fallen trees, Norbert looked down as he jumped to the next spot to walk along; looking up, he saw a bright flash of light.

Changing his vision to normal, wiping his eyes to stop them from watering, Norbert looked, seeing an orange flame growing where the fox was. Their eyes grew wide as they expanded out from the fox.

"Dang it," Norbert said under his breath as he started running to the side of the flames, watching as it ate through the trees he was running on. Sprinting, trying to get around it, suddenly, the fire expanded out rapidly, covering the space in seconds.

Not having any place to make it, Norbert was trying to get to the barrier, knowing there was a small area with no trees.

Skidding to a halt, Norbert watched as the flames came towards him. Feeling the heat, he had to stare up to look over the top of the wall of flames licking their way towards him. He planted both feet on the ground; Norbert pushed energy around his body as he jumped straight into the air.

Rocketing up there, Norbert felt the flames lick at his heels. Tucking in his feet, balling up, he felt them with his hands, warm to the touch. Wiggling his toes, confirming that they were all working, Norbert started to fall.

The flames went past him, the trees underneath him still on fire. Holding his breath, Norbert landed in the flames. Embers came out of the tree as it cracked under his weight, his feet turning black from the ash.

His body heated up dramatically quickly; Norbert got a running start before leaping into the air, getting to the heights above the flame before landing again. Changing his direction, Norbert headed to the barrier. Norbert could barely see the blue light from the orange flickering light the sea of flames produced.

Continuing to run, Norbert patted his sack on his back several times when above the flames, making sure the contents wouldn't burn. Not even wanting to imagine the pain that Granny would put him through.

Landing on the not-burning ground, Norbert sees the barrier before him. He stopped, looking around as he unsheathed his sword, holding it out, ready in front of him.

The blue light bathed his back, Norbert watching his shadow in the doorframe. Watching out into the darkening hall, the embers slowly going out as the fire moved away from Norbert, this area's fuel having already been spent.

Scanning the darkness, Norbert spotted something, staring at it. Norbert saw the white fox jump out, standing just on the border of the light the doorframe produced, sitting down as it stared at Norbert.

Now the size of a regular fox, its five tails moving from side to side as they twisted in a pattern, none of them ever staying still. Tilting his head, Norbert looked once more at the fox, more accessible to see now that it was closer to him.

Lowering his sword to point at the fox, Norbert gazed at it as if something tickled in the back of his mind. What he earlier saw were the marks on the fox's eye. The fox was not moving as he kneeled, getting an intense amount of Deja Vu.

Lowering the sword to the ground, the tip resting on it, Norbert stared at the fox's milky eye; looking further down it, Norbert could see lines where a scar happened, snaking its way across its face and body.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Staring at the other eye, expecting to see red, Norbert saw purple in the iris instead. Looking back to its left-hand side, following the trail where the lines of fur didn't grow, Norbert saw streaks of purple crossing down its body, forming where its tail was before spiralling out on each tail.

Looking back into its eyes, Norbert realised where he had seen it. Sitting down with a harrumph, dust and ash going into the air around him, letting go of the sword as he cradled one knee, leaning forward so as not to touch the barrier behind him.

"So, we meet again," Norbert said to the creature.

The fox nodded in response; doing so, Norbert found something shining against the light around its neck.

The object turned around, and Norbert realised what it was; the pendant he was missing before was hanging on its neck. Leaning forward, hand out, trying to grasp it, the fox leaning back slightly.

Groaning in annoyance, Norbert leaned backwards, wondering what to do next. The barrier was still strong behind him, and everything else except for the fox was dead. He was confirming there weren't any more green swirls in the air, just the usual that Norbert expected to see being inside a mountain.

Changing back to average, Norbert closed his eyes, his brain whirring about what to do next now that nothing was attacking him. There was no need to train or fight as everything else in the hall was dead.

Feeling something land on his knee, Norbert cracked his eyes open, Obsius looking at him, head tilted in confusion. Sitting up straight again, Norbert shrugged his shoulders as he looked towards the fox.

Obsius turned around and gazed at the fox, much more quickly realising which fox it was, much quicker than Norbert; losing his eyes again, he left himself to his thoughts as he moved the puzzle around in his head, trying to find a solution to bring him out of the hall.

Chirp

Norbert opened his eyes, wondering what Obsius was doing. The bird, still on his knee, was now looking at the fox, going back and forth between them as much waving of appendages and looking around happened.

Looking at the two of them, Norbert wondered what they could be conversing about, not knowing what it could be. As the two continued talking, Norbert looked across the hall.

After some time, Norbert felt Obsius turn around on his knee, stamping her foot into him to gain his attention. Looking down at the bird, "Yes?" Norbert asked her.

Seeing the shake of annoyance on the bird's head, she started chirping at him. Pointing to the fox and the wall behind Norbert, he nodded, totally understanding what the bird and fox wanted from him.

"So, take the fox through here?" Norbert asked the bird.

With a nod of approval from Obsius, Norbert just shook his head. "Are you crazy? Look at what happened last time." Norbert said to the bird.

Obsius just chirped once, giving it a firm try of it. Norbert nodded, not seeing a point in complaining anymore; he was sure that with the bird staying over here for most of the time he spent in the hall, she must have picked something up about it.

Nodding his head, Norbert stood up, Obsius fluttering from his knee, landing on the fox's head. Smiling at the sight of the two, both looking very cute with the juxtaposition of the black and white.

Cracking his neck loose, Norbert placed a hand, holding it out as he moved closer to the barrier. Just before he touched it, a line of electricity arched out, trying to push back Norbert's, instantly smelling his skin start to burn, smoke coming off it.

Removing his finger, his arm jerked back as the barrier pushed him away. Shaking his hand in response, Norbert stepped back, his finger no longer burning, as he ran at it. Smashing his fist into it, Norbert felt it give before being backwards.

Landing past the fox and the bird, Norbert landed in a rumpled pile; he shook his head in annoyance as he reached his feet. Looking at the doorway, another idea formed in his mind.

Stepping forward, walking towards the archway again, Norbert looked at the side, where the barrier connected with the wall, seeing it meet there before stopping. Nodding his head, the next idea forming in his mind.

Feeling the energy around his body, Norbert concentrated it around his fist, exerting it into the wall, smashing through and coming out the other side. His fist connected with it, Norbert smashing through, feeling his energy go into it.

Removing his fist as he stepped away, the dust in the air as he looked at his handiwork. Sitting before him was a single crack in the wall, just the slightest hairline fracture. As he stared at it in annoyance, it didn't seem like the first punch he did.

Taking several pieces of meat in his mouth and swallowing it, Norbert walked to the wall again, having another crack at it. Norbert continued this, the crack getting wider and wider as it spread further up the wall.

Reaching into the pouch again, Norbert shuffled around, not picking anything up. Coming out with an empty hand, Norbert sat down, back leaning against the crack he had formed. Now, I can see the other side of it and the white room beyond, but only barely. He's not even wide enough to fit his finger in.

Something nuzzled up against him; Norbert watched as the fox placed its head under his hand. Obsius is still there. He was rubbing his hand on the nose of the fox, feeling its whiskers on his hand; Norbert smiled at it.

"We were close," Norbert told the fox.

The fox tilted its head as it bit Norbert. Looking down at it, Norbert did not feel any pain from it. Norbert watched the fox shudder, wondering what was happening, then suddenly feeling himself energised again.

Standing up, Norbert turned back to the wall with the crack he made; not wanting to let it go was the energy given. Norbert once more punched at it, releasing the energy within his body into the wall again.

Seeing the rush of energy and the dust coming out, Norbert looked at the hole, now able to get his pinkie through it.

Norbert felt the fox bite him again on his leg without even saying anything, remembering the last time it had done that to him. Once more flushed with energy, this time focusing as he felt it enter his body, the purple energy within him converting it into more purple energy, allowing him to release it.

Looking at it, Norbert watched as the dust cleared, the hole now big enough as Obsius flew through it, making it to the other side. Looking at the loose stone on that side of the white room, Norbert felt the fox bite him again.

Holding it around his fist, Norbert rereleased it, his fist making it through the wall, his entire arm engulfed by it. Ripping his arm out, feeling the sharp stone cut on it, Norbert looked back at the fox, presenting the hole he had just made with his fist; out of the corner of his eye, he saw it bruised and broken as it fixed itself in place, the purple energy that was within him swirling around the wound.

The fox swayed slightly as it hopped up, passing through the hole. Norbert watched it scurry through, the last bit being its tail popping through. The fox landed on the other side, the barrier instantly falling away.

"Took you long enough!" Count von Count's voice shouted in his mind.