Norbert followed after her, seeing a woman with two pairs of black leathery wings coming out of her back. He spotted four of them coming out from between her sky-blue dress. Norbert just smiled and waved at her, trying to look past the black eyes that looked at him.
Seeing her blush slightly at the attention, Norbert gave her a half-wave before she scampered away. Not seeing where she went, Norbert turned to Vivienne, the woman already out on the street, waiting on the steps that led to the rest of the street, where everyone was walking around once more, staring at Norbert and Vivienne before they continued on, their eyes forced to look away or else ram into someone.
Norbert went next to her and looked at her up and down, seeing her in the light of what she was. She was no longer an annoyed waitress with a customer making too many requests but a woman who planned precisely what she intended. "Guess they were right about being a follower of Luck", Norbert said as he walked into the crowd, letting Vivienne have that information as he stepped through. The crowd was now physically parting around him. Nobody touched him too hard, or else a punishment would rain down on them from above.
Looking around the place, Norbert could not get rid of the stadium in his vision, wondering if there were still fights. He headed towards it, hoping he would be allowed to enter, knowing there must be a reason for all these people out here.
He was changing his course; Norbert bounced on his heels, anticipating what he could see about the other fighters. The street opened as he saw the walkway that he usually went on; stepping into the tunnel with the many openings on either side, a slime coming out of" the ground.
"A seat to watch the show?" Norbert asked the slime.
"Sold out," the slime said as it started to dissipate into the ground without waiting for Norbert to reply.
Looking around, annoyed Vi, Vienne continued forward, the slime appearing on "e more "S" ld out." It said in its robotic voice, reminding Norbert of a pre-recorded message being replayed.
Vivienne took something out and flashed it towards the slime. She sat there momentarily before finally speaking, "Access granted. Welcome, biz." Before the sl, "I disappeared.
Norbert's head Norbert's was floating for a moment. He instinctively pushed energy around his body and felt the fog crawl away from his mind. After a moment, he finally felt back to normal.
"Come on this way," Vivienne said, heading out the other way, going further than Norbert ever did. Several meters in on the dark stone around him, Norbert enter a four-way junction. He was looking forward to a smaller exit where Norbert could see the arena and some seats.
Looking to the left and right, Vivienne saw that a ring was following her on the inside of the Colosseum. Vivienne headed towards the left, and Norbert followed after her as she walked. Idle chatter filled the ring. Norbert saw stands for food and drinks every few entrances they passed, and he realized that he was just inside a massive stadium.
Heading upstairs, Norbert rose as Vivienne clicked on the stone steps. Finally finishing the last step, she walked up a small walkway. Continuing around, she climbed another set of steps, not bothering to look at Norbert.
On this level, even fewer people were about. No food stalls were to be seen either, the ring tighter than the previous one.
Finishing off the steps, Norbert saw Vivienne finally head towards the entrance in front of them. He stepped through, following after Vivienne, and instantly felt out of place.
Everyone slowly turned from the arena to look at the two new arrivals. Their many eyes instantly moved from Vivienne, some even giving her a few nods before turning to Norbert, their lips curling in disdain at his arrival, entering the little abode they had for themselves.
"Why have you brought a human", Vivienne?" One of them asked.
Norbert "turned his eyes to the speaker, swallowing as he looked at a ball of muscle. The thing looked human primarily if it wasn't for its bulging muscle, which wasn't anywhere, making even a bodybuilder look trim and the metal bolt going through its head. Its nearly pressed black suit was nearly splitting at the seams. Standing there nearly two heads taller than Norbert, the ceiling just barely missed the giant's head.
"Frankenstein," Norbert whispered as he" stared at the man before him. The giant's eyes grew slightly in annoyance at what Norbert said, staring him down before looking back to Vivienne, the source of their current annoyance.
"To watch the match, of course"," Vivienne said, making her way through the several others there, stopping as she looked out and down into the arena. Norbert stood still for a moment before scampering to her side, looking down at the arena. He was trying to calm down from the several gazes aimed at the back of his neck. He was happy to be still wearing the helmet, hoping it would protect him slightly if it went south.
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Staring in the arena, Norbert could not stop exclaiming, "What's Finekus doing down there?” Norbert asked aloud, seeing the mage had a ball of darkness hanging above his head, slowly growing bigger and bigger.
Vivienne looked at where he was pointing at the mage, and she looked at Norbert, ensuring he was severe. "A team battle, ten vs. ten "of two different factions. Weren't you told any of this? Asked him sceptically, "and Norbert nodded in response.
"You're not told very much," Vivienne said, mostly talking to herself. She was starting to doubt her faith in the man beside her.
"Yep, but I'm still thrown on the frying pan into the fire," Norbert said, growling the "last statement out. He looked up at the ceiling, imagining Luck was looking down at him from her chair beside the coffee table, sipping on her tea.
Looking back in the arena, Norbert could remember only five people on Morena's side still standing. The other five had been evacuated from the arena, and Norbert could not see them.
The other four are standing around Finekus, letting him build up his spell. Two of them are mages with a blue barrier appearing in front of them. Spells light up, causing the barrier to glow blue for a moment before fading slightly. Norbert is looking at the mages' faces. Each has a staff rammed into the ground. Several runes spin around at the tip of them, most of them blue, but Norbert sees a single green and red one amongst them.
Norbert saw the other two warriors, shields held up from side to side; they were brimming with arrows that had impacted the metal shield, and he was surprised at the sheer number of them there.
The last for Morenas is being an archer, shooting a steady stream of arrows towards their opponents. When taking the last arrow from the quiver on their back, another set appears ready to fire again.
Following the stream of arrows, Norbert's heart sank as he left the other side. Eight stood firm, and Norbert saw the smile on their faces as their clothes were off. Norbert saw that they were, in fact, the home team, and he saw the difference in body shape like he had seen in the cavern he currently resided in.
Norbert saw what he assumed were four mages, two of whom once more had a barrier while the others were lobbying their spells at the Morenas team.
Two archers lobbing arrows three times as quickly as the Morenas archer, Norbert looking and seeing flecks of light trailing behind, disappearing when passing through the barrier, only to be caught by the warrior, the shield constantly moving not to have any deflected into his team.
Two warriors, massive creatures reminding Norbert of Frankenstein, stood behind him, their black plate armour making them seem even more imposing than the one behind him; Norbert could not understand how it was possible.
Only one was defending, and the other, Norbert, could almost see yawning, not caring for the fight. When he realized this, Norbert wondered why.
"They don't see Finekus as a threat; I'm assuming Dark is effective against them", Norbert said aloud.
Vivienne shaking her head at the, statement, "Rooky assume. Ng that they were able to feed off the magic that the mage is creating, strengthening their body and magic." Vivienne explained beside "him as she walked away, talking to the others from Grimm, all of them already deciding the outcome of the battle being Morena's defeat.
Norbert stared at the battle, seeing Finekus nod slightly as a ripple came about the Morenas team.
The warrior blasted through the barrier, the mages no longer holding it up in protection. They also started running several steps away and throwing spells, their staffs in one hand as they charged at the Grimm.
The archer leapt into the air, sending it from above. The change instantly caused the Grimm to move forward; no more waiting, as the time for the final countdown had come. Spells slinging of their own, instantly one of the mages crumpled, unable to hold up to four coming to them at once.
The other only unleashed one at each of the archers, causing them to step back and to the side, not wanting to get hit by the spell when it could easily be avoided.
The warrior charged into one of the giants, only causing it to step back, but it must have been what Finekus was waiting for. The orb of darkness that he had been growing above his head, now several meters in diameter, launched at the group, rapidly expanding until it consumed everyone in that half of the arena.
Like jelly, it absorbed everyone, and Norbert watched in amazement, not having seen this spell at all that the mage unleashed the last time they battled. As the blackness slowly dissipated into the ground, Norbert saw only the bodies remaining, everyone having been impacted completely still.
Norbert breathed out, having thought it was finally over, as Finekus's back started to bend at having won in the last effort, surprised he could.
"AARGGHHH!" Norbert heard so "one down" their shout. He saw the warrior leaning against his shield, half asleep, pulling himself up to his feet. His armour was ripping off him, and black ooze was coming out of his skin.
Charging at Finekus, the mage took in one last breath as a dagger of darkness formed out of his hand. He took it and threw it at the giant, the weapon spinning through, impacting the unprotected groin area and causing the giant to topple to the ground. Its head smashed the pavement as blood trickled out of the wound on its head and between its legs.
The bell finally sounded as Finekus landed on his back, looking up at the crowd. Seeing Norbert standing there, I saw a look of confusion about seeing the scout in the booth. Before the mage could question it further, Norbert saw Finekus's eyes roll up behind his head. The mage, having passed out from his efforts.
Turning to Vivienne, Norbert asked her, "Two questions: First, are there casinos down here, and second, do they accept Morena's coins?" Patting his coin pouch, the" coins jangled slightly as images of the fight appeared in his mind, the close victory Finekus was able to pull out of his pocket. Norbert doubted after completely underestimating the other contestants.