Norbert felt an arm on his shoulder as he opened his eyes once more. The face of Karr looking down on him, continuing to shake his arm until Norbert showed some signs of moving.
Patting the healer on the shoulder, Norbert sat up as he moved his feet to the side. Standing up, Norbert stretched as he looked underneath the board towards the platform. Three others were already making their way to it.
Smiling towards Karr, Norbert walked past several beds, much less than the thousand that were there originally. Norbert nodded to his companions as he stood on the platform, lights filling the chute as he looked up, waiting for it to rise.
Stumbling slightly as the platform he was standing on descended unexpectedly, the lights above him getting smaller and smaller in the air.
Norbert got his feet under him as he looked at the others, seeing their faces grow slightly in dread as they waited for the platform to finish. The walls disappeared around them as Norbert was on the platform, Norbert looking around at the crowd. All turn towards the group descending towards the ground.
Norbert looked towards their opponents. The five figures were wrapped up, and Norbert was unable to see any qualifying markers to them. The platform rested on the ground as Norbert turned to his party. The fire mage was here with the other two warriors, and the spearman and the mace wielder were there with him.
"Anyone know about Grimm?" The spearman asked the group. Norbert turns towards the person, even underneath the armour seeing.
"I've seen a vampire take out a squad of people before and not look worse for wear," Norbert said distractedly as he looked towards the stands. He saw Count von Count standing there, the witch Vivienne next to him, and Norbert saw their mouths move as they talked to each other.
Noticing Norbert watching them, Count von Count gave him a smile and two thumbs up. Shaking his head at the ridiculousness of it, he turned towards the crowd, as others had seen the interaction as well.
"ONE!" The voice boomed out, the barrier disappearing as Norbert's entire party stood still, nobody wanting to press forward. The Grimm on the other side are standing there as well. Norbert counted to ten as neither party made a move. Sighing, Norbert stepped out. "I'll try to hold two and finish the other three." The energy coursing through his body had not calmed since he started walking towards the platform. "And Karr, if there's a vampire, then whenever someone bleeds, you can give it strength, so try not to let anyone get even a scratch." Norbert ran off, not letting the healer give a reply.
Everyone was now forced into action as Norbert's party followed after him in a jog, all five of the Grimm coming towards him, dirt getting kicked up into the air from their actions. Patting his legs, all weapons there, now thankful that he hadn't used any earlier on the Kreevss, with the Grimm about to be breathing down his neck.
Unsheathing his sword, Norbert saw them drop their covers. The bright colours fell to the ground, clashing with the usual black and dark blues of the armour underneath. Norbert came forward, leaping forward as one of them stopped, looking straight at Norbert as their jaw opened up.
Norbert dropped to the ground, assaulted by pain in his ears as he felt his entire body vibrate from the shockwave. Placing his arm in front of him, Norbert looked towards the source, seeing the one who had stopped looking straight at him. The air vibrated as the dirt on the ground danced between the two of them.
Closing his eyes, Norbert lowered the arm he used to protect them as he stood up slightly, getting at the throwing dagger on his leg. Taking a peep, Norbert released the dagger at the screaming person. Feeling it momentarily, Norbert got to his feet as he felt someone running past him on either side.
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Turning to the back, two ran past Norbert as a head appeared before him. He could not move out of the way as the head met his, unprepared, sending him back into the ground. I was happy the helmet hadn't moved or dented from the strike as the sound picked up again.
The energy inside of him healed his ears as they were constantly being damaged by the sound, causing his hearing to come in and out, his head pinging from it as he turned his healing off in that area. His hearing cut out as his ears finally stopped getting wet.
Still feeling his body shake, he knew he couldn't do anything about that. Norbert stood up, knowing the position of the screamer with where it was in his body. It cut out for a second as Norbert looked in the direction wondering what had happened.
His body reeled to the side as he was once more struck in the head. His feet were kicked out of him at the same time as his body was pushed to the ground. Feeling the ground encase around him, Norbert had enough of it as he started pulling himself back out, only for his body to vibrate again. The ground beneath him vibrated as the loose dirt danced once more.
He stuck his head out of the hole, turning behind him as his team fought against the two that slipped past him. Norbert could tell by their movements that the mace and spear wielder were being careful not to get hit and focusing purely on defence, not wanting to let up and allow the Grimm to have any more of an advantage.
He sent the energy around his body, feeling it slightly decrease in amount as his body finally stopped vibrating. Standing up and looking towards the sound of the source, his eyeballs no longer felt like they would rupture under the pressure on them.
Drawing his sword once more, he felt his head get impacted once again. Ready for it, he braced his legs, stiffening his neck as he felt his helmet ring from the impact. Turning to the creature, Norbert breathed out, making it flash red as he swiped out. He took the appendage as he swiped up with this blade, cutting it cleanly off.
Tossing the arm away from the fight towards the crowd, he watched out of the corner of his eye as it hit a barrier before falling to the ground. Feeling the scream stop for a moment, his body felt so rigid that he couldn't move it at all. Unstinting his muscles, Norbert leapt towards them, seeing in their eyes as panic came for a moment.
As Norbert was just about a grin forming as their jaw opened up larger than should be possible, his bones rattling once more as he was blown back from the shockwave. He flew backwards, launching a throwing dagger, seeing as it stopped nearly touching the screamer before flying away without even scratching a hair on their head.
As Norbert was moved backwards once more, he dug the sword into the ground, cracks appearing under his feet as he stopped. Tensing his muscles, he stopped them from vibrating as he launched himself at the screamer once more.
Making his way forward, Norbert reached the screamer again, not caring for the sound as he waited for it to increase. Taking a dagger, he wed the sword into the ground again to stop himself from flying away. The screamer just took a single step backwards.
Running forward once more, he felt his feet lose their grip as he came closer once more. Continuing to run forward, the cat-and-mouse game continued between the two of them. Neither going any further than before as they both raced around the arena.
Hoping to lock the screamer in a corner, Norbert' Norbert's did not work as the two continued around. Seeing behind the screamer as they continued walking backwards, the rest of his team, four on four, happened as the spearman was on the side, clutching at a wound as the healer pointed in their direction.
Spells were flung with no effect as an ethereal blue light came off one of them, flames flickering up their faces and from their hands. They were also wielding a sword that flickered, the flames seemingly drawing in the light from around them.
"Cheeky girl!" Norbert shouted, unable to hear his voice and unsure if the screamer even heard him as he ran to the side. He felt himself getting pushed back but not working as well, and he was no longer fighting directly against the waves.
Turning towards him, Norbert felt himself get pushed away as he was joined together in the fight. Smashing into the flaming individual as the two of them rocketed away, Norbert spun them around, throwing the burning man as far as possible, hoping to buy some time as he looked at the remaining three.
They were sweeping one with their entire sleeve torn off one of their arms. The white flesh underneath as Norbert saw them bear their fangs at Norbert. They saw their hand blood form from the fight into a ball, slowly travelling up it and disappearing under their shirt.