Stopping himself on the ledge again, Norbert felt the pelting of stones as Count von Count came down next to him, wrapped up so tightly that the sun could not hit even a patch of skin. Norbert is just snickering at the vampire with the efforts needed to make it around.
Norbert looked down the path, remembering the black blobs chasing after him the last time he was down here. Walking along the ledge, Norbert saw the crack in the mountainside where he expected it to be. He was waving to Count von Count, who just stared at him.
"It's right there, the fissure just as I mentioned before," Norbert said to the vampire, pointing his hand at the opening in the rock.
"See nothing." Count von Count responded curtly.
Norbert placed his hand through it as he shimmied his body across, taking his backpack off and holding it in one hand to allow him to squeeze correctly through it. Looking back at the vampire, he saw his eyes wide in realisation as he followed after Norbert.
Making it through it again, Norbert opened up to the first chamber he found, seeing the opening as he expected. The riverbed was still there, but with no liquid running down it.
Looking around the cave, Norbert confirmed that everything else was still in their correct place. Following the dry riverbed up, walking where the blood used to be, Count von Count followed along silently.
Walking through the next fissure at a much more leisurely place, as the two of them walked in silence, looking over his shoulder, Norbert saw the vampire anxiousness in his eyes, not wanting to believe what he was being shown was true.
Shrugging his shoulders, Norbert continued through the second fissure and into the hall. The moment Norbert exited the other side, his fears were met. Sitting on the podium was… nothing.
The red light that Norbert used to bathe the room was gone; needing to change over his vision to see in the darkness that consumed him. Looking back at the vampire, he saw the disappointment on his face as he shook his head.
"Every time." He said to himself.
"What?" Norbert asked the vampire.
"Nothing important. Every time the relic is thought to be found, it always slips through our grasp. Just means this is another place taken off the list." Count von Count said dejectedly, shrugging his shoulders at the end as he started walking away, returning to where they came.
Norbert looked up at the hole above him, staring at the sides. The darkness is unable to let him see the marks he made before. Jumping up, Norbert reached out. Count von Count stared at what he was doing.
Pulling himself up with his fingers, gripping the stone, Norbert climbed up, finding what he was looking for. There on the side were the climbing marks he made before. Dropping down there, Norbert dusted his hands off out of habit, as there wasn't any dirt on them or his fingers.
"This was the place. Marks still up there where I crawled out." Norbert said to the vampire, nodding up to the hole in the ceiling.
Count von Count shrugged as he looked back the way they had come. Beckoning Norbert to follow, the duo again left the cave system. Looking back once more, Norbert wanted to explore the places he had already been in the mountainside, wanting to confirm that what he saw previously really happened.
Walking outside, feeling the sun on his face, Norbert and the Count returned to the pathway before climbing up the mountainside. Norbert dug his fingers in as the snow blew around his face, sending energy around his body to keep it warm and stop the bite from happening.
Count von Count seemingly ran up the near-vertical slope, reminding Norbert of a goat climbing a mountain. Shivering down his spine at the memory of the white goat in the arena, not seeing how that would have been able to climb the mountainside.
Pulling himself over the balcony, Count von Count sits at the table, leaning back on the chair with his feet on the table, seemingly picking something from between his teeth. Landing quietly on the stone, Norbert walked into the room as he felt the snow on his body melt.
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"You three ready to go, or do you need another five minutes?" Norbert asked the trio, lounging around.
"No, no, just waiting on you." Count von Count said as he hopped off the chair, it clattering behind him as he walked towards the portal.
Norbert walked to the table, picked up and tucked the chair under it; Obsius poked the fox to wake it up as she fluttered onto his left shoulder. The snow-white fox yawned loudly, ruffling its head from side to side as it blinked the sleep out of its eyes.
Seeing everyone else moving and Norbert's hand resting on the table, the fox quickly scurried up Norbert's right arm, resting on his shoulder as it sat there. Its tail wrapped around Norbert's nits, and it wrapped around the ring of the fox on his body. Staring at it Norbert seeing its nails digging into his clothes as the fox finds purchase on him.
He nodded in approval, looked around the room, and made sure there was nothing left as he walked up the stairs to the room. He patted his body and bag on his back and ensured everything was there.
Not finding anything he could have wanted, Norbert stepped through the portal and gave the room one last look goodbye, looking out the balcony with the snow still blowing; as he stepped through, his body elongating before coming together, Norbert wondered where that trail went, never having explored that location of the mountains.
Going further downwards, Norbert found Count von Count waiting on the stairs for him, others walking past the vampire as they made their way downstairs to the lower levels, staring at him and giving a wide berth to the creature of the night.
Norbert watched the others make their way down, walking up the vampire himself, breaking through the invisible bubble as he patted Count von Count on the back.
"Come on, slow poke." Norbert said as he descended the many steps ahead of him, "Not everyone has all day."
Hearing the groan of annoyance behind him, Norbert started whistling, quickly followed by Count von Count and Obsius on his left shoulder. The more they whistled, the more significant the pain in his right shoulder became. Norbert sent energy to it to heal himself.
He was casually looking at what was happening; he saw the fox staring at him angrily as it drew blood from Norbert, slowly watching it trickle down his shoulder.
***
Standing before the entrance, everyone around him had their hands over their ears and gave him annoyed looks. Whenever they tried to talk to him, Norbert would cup his hand over his ear, pointing it in their direction as he mouthed how loud it was.
After the first few attempts, everyone received the message that he wouldn't stop. Neither were his two backups relenting in their pursuit of music. As he continued, the last stragglers came down the stairs, giving him and the vampire a wide birth, trying to escape music.
He continued whistling, surprised nobody here had even tried to tell him to stop. Looking over the crowd, I saw that the dark wielder number 101 wasn't in the crowd either, and I was not surprised that anybody else tried.
Feeling a hand on his head, Norbert continued whistling as he turned around and saw who had grabbed him. "Ah, speak of the devil," Norbert said.
Behind him stood 101, standing, Norbert having to stop whistling to speak under his breath. He received a nod from the man as he continued past him, turning around and following him. Norbert brought his lips together to continue to whistle, and the man turned around slightly. Immediately, Norbert stopped his attempt at whistling, letting the man continue moving throughout the group.
Obsius and Count von Count had also stopped in the crowd, breathing with relief that the ear-bleeding whistling had finally stopped.
Out above the crowd stood Commander Sally, wearing the armour that Norbert had first seen her in, a stern expression on her face rather than the curious and calm look she had when they previously talked.
"Thank you all for coming here; when you leave through the portal, you will represent Morenas in the upcoming tournament." The commander said; all voices in the hall had stopped; not even a whisper or a boot sliding across the ground could be heard.
He was waiting; Norbert realised that nothing else would be said. After several quiet seconds, the commander saluted them. Hearing the movement of clothes, they all moved as one, saluting her in return, Norbert being careful not to knock the fox off his shoulder, though there wasn't a need to as he saw the fox also doing the same position, one paw in the air.
The portal opened behind her, the blue light swirling around, inviting them all in. One by one, they filed inside, Norbert watching as they all went through.
The last one turned around before making a sound of annoyance to Norbert, still standing there, not having moved a step. The hall workers who had stayed to watch the spectacle finally returned to their jobs, and the show was now over.
Walking forward, Norbert nodded to Sally as she jumped off the pedestal they stood on to make her short speech. Taking his hood, she covered Norbert's head before scuffling her hand through his hair.
"Make it out; I and others will watch your progress, so make Morenas proud." She said before leaning closer, whispering in Norbert's ear, "And Earth."
Norbert swallowed at the word, feeling it reverberate around his head before slowly sinking towards his stomach. Back stiffening, Norbert stepped through the portal.
Sally turned to Count von Count, "And you, try not to get him in any more trouble."
The vampire is holding his hands up in surrender. "I like to think I keep him out of most of it." He said, securing his clothes around him and confirming no sun could hit him as he walked through the portal.
Commander Sally snorted in response as she watched the portal close behind the vampire. She sighed as she wondered how the other countries would react to Norbert and the vampire together.
She was shaking her head and whispering to herself, calling one of the staff over as she asked for a portal to be opened to head back to her office.