Norbert felt his body lurch downwards as the platform finally started moving. Looking at his teammates around him, Norbert broached the question on his mind.
"How much trouble am I in with the Kreevss?" Norbert asked aloud, silence following the question as they all stared at Norbert.
"Up to your neck. There is a reason why nobody calls them that or even dares to breathe it aloud if there is a possibility of them being nearby," the archer said to him.
Norbert just nodded, waiting for the man to continue his explanation. "They eliminate anyone with extreme prejudice. No matter how many people they must send out, they will see the job done." The archer said, letting their words echo around, everyone staring between the two of them, waiting to see what Norbert would do next.
Swallowing the bile that was coming up, he felt his nerves take over. "Will Morenas protect me?" Norbert asked them.
They all just laughed at him. "Morenas won't, or the Frontier. Neither will start a war with another country over one little scout saying the wrong thing at the wrong time." The fire mage said to Norbert, a round of nods in return. Worry grew deeper within Norbert as he felt all the weapons around him.
The healer stating, "One of the safest places is in the Colosseum." Norbert looked down at them, able to see their smile, trying to be at least slightly helpful to Norbert.
He nodded his head in response. Norbert started to think, wondering if he could lock himself up here. As he came to a halt, Norbert looked around the room, beds lying once more where they were, looking towards the exit, making sure that there weren't any Reekss weren't there.
Next to a slime was something better or worse, judging by the tapping foot, thinking it would go in the direction of worse. Vivienne stood next to the slime, following him with her eyes as he walked down to his bed, ensuring nothing was left there.
Turning to the board, confirming that he wasn't needed for the next two days, and seeing the teams split in half again, Norbert waved off everyone as they let him go. They feel the tension between their unexpected guest and Norbert.
Norbert headed towards the exit, no longer able to avoid his fate; the slime, now satisfied that the person Vivienne was after was coming towards her and the woman wouldn't invade where she was not welcome, dissipated into the ground.
Vivienne handed him the sack she was carrying, unslinging it from her and smashing it into his stomach. Not having seen it on her, Norbert opened it up, seeing a fresh set of clothes, boots, and a mask. Tapping his feet on the stone, having forgotten his boots and socks, stepping away to collect them, Vivienne's hand reached over, clasping him on his shoulder, rooting him in his spot.
Sighing audibly, Norbert threw the clothes over his torn ones, putting the white boots on his feet and a brown wooden mask over his head. His weapons were still on his hips, and one of his spares in the sack Vivienne provided was placed in the missing slot on his right side.
Feeling it balanced once more on his legs, Vivienne walked away from him, leading to the path upwards once more. Winding around, Norbert followed behind, not asking any questions from the woman as she exited the Colosseum with purpose.
Getting to the top landing, Vivienne turned right and exited out of the Colosseum. Norbert watched as people came this way and that, looking at each other as they waited. Exiting outside, Norbert stopped as he watched the Reekss standing there in groups, eyeing everyone coming out of the Colosseum.
He trusted Vivienne as she confidently walked past the group he followed behind. He did not want to look at them as he tapped the hilts of his weapons, dancing between the money pouch, the knife, and the dagger.
Walking past with no reaction to him, Norbert was happy that he wasn't being jumped instantly as he followed Vivienne down the city streets, seeing they were heading back to the inn.
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Stepping through, everyone was quiet as they watched Norbert and Vivienne enter, instantly heading up the ladder. The bar was the emptiest Norbert had ever seen; he was unsurprised as people would have seen him leave there before.
I nodded to the bar tender in sympathy, hoping that he would still be able to make some coin out of the situation and that Norbert hadn't inadvertently ruined his business. I was not feeling too bad; with the extra coin Norbert gave beforehand, he should be able to keep the business afloat for some time.
Taking the rungs up the ladder, Norbert walked on the creaking floorboards, never before hearing them groan as much as they did now. The door opened up as Norbert stepped in, Vivienne taking her hood off herself, letting it sit down as she put a foot on top of the chest, sliding it towards Norbert as he entered.
Looking down at it, Norbert placed his hand over the lock, the lid popping open. Vivienne swiped his stuff up into a ball, took the sack off his back, and shoved them inside. Turning to the bed, Norbert saw both Obsius and the white fox sitting there.
Having taken what she needed, Vivienne opened the window, staring at the two creatures still resting. Norbert quickly changed his vision, seeing a pink line connecting Vivienne with the two creatures before it snapped shut.
They were alert as they went out the window, the fox hopping off the side, and Norbert heard some commotion on the side street between the two buildings. Obsius stood on the sill for a moment, looking towards Norbert with a worried expression.
Norbert smiles beneath his mask. "I'll be fine. See you wherever this one wants to take me." Pointing his thumb towards Vivienne, the bird nods in response as it takes flight, going above the window sill and disappearing from Norbert's view.
Vivienne was headed towards the door again, leaving it open as she descended the ladder again, dropping it altogether. Norbert followed behind her, dropping down as she went down the staircase. Norbert believed where they intended to go.
The waitress still had not said a word to him as she quickly went through the rooms, opening up at the supply, the trap door already exposed and open. Leaning over to look down for a moment, she confirmed something before she jumped down herself.
Norbert headed over as he cradled the sack, moving his sword to be next to his leg. Norbert jumped down, following after Vivienne.
Missing the ledge, Norbert aimed for the hole instead as he plummeted down, the wind racing past his ears as once again the cavern opened up to him. One foot behind him, ready to catch himself when it made contact with the slide, Norbert ran down it, slowing himself down while trying not to fall over.
Vivienne was already down, having jumped off and around, and ensuring followed behind her. He stopped himself a meter down from her and stepped out of the way as the woman charged ahead, the two guards moving momentarily before recognising her, stepping back and allowing her to permit through.
They were scampering quickly behind her, Norbert following her in the city underneath the city. Norbert now saw how people stared at the two of them, making their way parting, not wanting to get in their way for their safety.
He followed behind, getting closer and closer to the Colosseum. The casino's lights and attraction beckoned to him, the safe place it was. Looking at it longingly, Norbert's dreams were instantly crushed. Standing next to the bouncers at the entrance were two Reekss.
The Reekss watched everyone to and from the entertainment building. Norbert knew he wouldn't be able to enter so quickly and kicked past Norbert in the back for opening their mouth in the first place, putting Norbert in his current predicament with an annoyed Vivienne.
The casino was out of his vision. Craning his neck, he confirmed that it was truly gone and that he was past it. Going down a side street, cutting through the residency, Norbert catches up to Vivienne.
The woman was turning left on the next main street, now going away from the Colosseum. Norbert was surprised at this. He normally did not know when to keep his mouth shut, but he sensed in the air that now was the time to keep his lips tightly sealed.
Norbert went further away from the Colosseum, Norbert saw the buildings further apart on this street, Norbert and never having go it before.
Gardens appeared, and areas in front of fenced-off houses were fenced off, allowing the houses on them to become more and more grand in scale. Norbert saw workers tending the gardens and flittering between the windows, their uniforms for each house conspicuous to Norbert.
Vivienne stopped at one such as she entered it, the iron gate opening itself. Knocking on the door knocker, the black snake's head staring back at Norbert, green eyes flickering at him. Sure, those same green eyes were following him as he went from one foot to the other, waiting.
KNOCK
KNOCK
KNOCK
Vivienne wrapped around the door, patiently waiting. The handle turned from the other side as the door opened, not a sound escaping the hinges as they effortlessly glided open.
"Oh, mistress, how surprising to see you return so soon," the man said on the other side. Norbert saw grey hairs sparsely on his head, the traditional butler suit of black and white as he bowed to Vivienne. The only touch of colour on him was a green handkerchief in his breast pocket.