Coming up to the tavern, Norbert rapped his knuckles on the door. Standing there as he waited, he wondered if there would be any reply at all, if someone was even inside at this moment, knowing that the group would be moving out and about on whatever mission was deemed necessary by the commander. Or if they were currently having a break due to the tournament.
He looked through the window, seeing through the curtain light coming from the heath. Knowing that someone was in, he just had to wait and hope that they heard his knocking.
Finally, Norbert heard the door groan from inside. Someone was moving the plank used to lock it in. Opening the door, Norbert looked out at what he didn't recognise. The man looked over Norbert for a moment before smiling wide.
"Hey Norbert, long time no see. Come in; your bird friend insisted on one of us waiting for you." The man said Norbert had seen them wearing the usual scout leathers that Norbert was wearing right now.
Walking in, wondering who this man was, the lines on his face from age and hard work, skin yellowed slightly under the sun, skin hardened like leather by the stiffness of its movements. Norbert unable to realise who he was speaking to, his mind running through the faces of those he knew within Martitia’s little group.
Norbert stepped in, allowing the door to close behind him as he looked across. He saw the upper level, the chandelier, and the bar with several round tables scattered about the same as before. Smiling at the memory as he looked over to the man, something in his memory tickled it there.
Reaching over the bar, the man pulled out a piece of paper before handing it over to Norbert. Looking down on it, Norbert looked up, seeing the man smiling at him. The cheeky grin wriggled Norbert's mind. "Dobert, what happened to you? You look … older.”
"Ah, that, nothing too much. Just what happens when an elixir starts to back fire." He said, dismissing anything more Norbert could say with a wave before pointing down to the paper that Norbert was holding in his hands.
Swallowing down, How was knew he must have had many more elixirs than anyone else. He wasn't anywhere close to his line. Standing there, Norbert had to ask the question, "Is that from the shady elixir?"
Only receiving a grin of confirmation, Norbert let Dobert's condition out of his mind, sitting on a bar stool, looking down at the letter.
"Where the fire started, find a Traveller."
Norbert looked at the note, flipping it back and forth, not seeing anything useful. Sighing in annoyance, he looked to Norbert. "Anyone read this before myself?"
"We all did, and have no clue what it could be talking about. Getting that much detail out of the bird was hard enough. I'm thankful for the fox being there," Dobert said, reaching over, getting a drink to pour himself some of it, and sliding one of the glasses over to Norbert.
Looking down at it, he smiled and nodded his head as he picked it up. The two of them clinked their cups together before downing the liquor. Feeling it slightly burn inside his mouth, Norbert, leaning back, thought about what Dobert just said: "What do you mean, the fox was helpful?”
"Was pretty talkative when it needed to be," Dobert said to him.
Surprised, Norbert just nodded as there was no point in further arguing. Reaching into his pouch, Norbert brought out the candy again. "Know anyone that can have a look at this? Able to cure a sickness, want to see if this cure can be replicated." Norbert asked.
Dobert looked at the candy, picking it up before placing it back "down. "Temples could have something, or the Pink Pair’s; they might be able to direct you to the right place."
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Norbert remembered the store he brought everything from, the strange candy that stained his tongue for some time coming back to light.
Nodding his head, adding the piece of paper to his coin pouch, heading back towards the door as he waved to Dobert, seeing the smile on the man's face as he closed it. Sighing as he leaned against the door, hoping the once jovial friend could make his return.
Knowing he didn't have time to sit around, and time was already ticking with what he needed to do, Norbert turned to face the tree, looking up at its branches, which were filled with airships moving about.
Breathing out Norbert started walking up it, trying to remember if there was a quicker way to get to the base of the tree other than the obvious path he was currently walking on.
***
Looking out over the city beneath him, the airships still moving about, Norbert wonders how much cargo they could be carrying any conventional fuel about; he thinks that the Greenies would be happy with the lack of coal being used in this world.
Walking away from the edge, not wanting to freak anyone out, Norbert looked across at. The dockworkers are not giving Norbert care as long as it isn't anyone's way.
Norbert looked, confirming with them that they would still be around. Hoping he was on the correct floor, he looked around once more—neither bird nor a traveller around. Nobody was covered entirely, walking around holding a staff.
Wondering if he was even doing it correctly, Norbert twirled his finger around in the air, his breath whistling out of his mouth as he walked back. Wherever Obsius was and what the bird needed from him, he was sure he birthed himself.
Having enough of it, Norbert shouted out, "OBSIUS!"
Everyone stopped what they were doing, looking to Norbert like he was a crazy person. After a moment of nobody moving, those on the docks, having realised nothing more would come from the screaming man, continued with their work before their bosses screamed at them. With that over, Norbert could hear the sound of everyone moving about again, seeing as he still did not have anything more to come by. Norbert looked up at the layer above him, wondering if they were up there, waiting for him right now.
Turning once more to look over the vast city, he took out Obsius's note. The twinkling lights of the winding streets as he stepped backward confirmed that no other hidden message was left there. He felt a body there, stopping him from moving.
Taking a step forward away from the object, he banged into words of forgiveness already escaping his "mouth: "I'm so sorry for any inconvenience. I was waiting for a friend, but they never showed up."
"So you say” The object that Norbert bumped into started back to him.
Coming out of his daze, Norbert looked up, seeing who or what he had knocked into. A staff towering over the person tapped into the ground, rooting the newcomer in place. Norbert dragged his eyes down the staff, seeing at the bottom the wooden floorboards that made up the dock interlocked with the staff.
The newcomer lifted the staff, the sound of slight cracking before it was released; a crater had formed on the once-flat wood before the wind from one of the airships took it away, leaving no trace at all.
Norbert turned the piece of paper out and showed it to the Traveller in front of him. The bird sent me, to you?" Norbert questioned.
The Traveller tacked the piece of paper in Norbert's hand, looked it over, flipped around and saw the empty back. Folding it neatly with one hand and placing it into a pocket within their coat, Norbert watched as the Traveller started walking away.
Norbert watched as they stopped momentarily, drawing the staff out and seemingly cutting the air, a blue disk appearing in the air. Everyone on the dock was going as they watched the Traveller do his work. The silence pervaded out of it as Norbert was struck down, not understanding what was happening before him. Thinking that they needed the appropriate locations to make these portals, that predisposition was now being corrected in front of his very eyes.
The Traveller walking walks, without even looking back at Norbert. Watching as they disappeared through the portal, a brief flash of blue light coming came, causing spots to dance in front of his eyes, forcing himself to blink them out of his vision.
Calming his breath, Norbert saw the portal still staying there, beckoning him to cross over. Gulping down any nervousness, he hoped it wasn't a trap of sorts. Taking the coin out of his pouch, Norbert flicked it into the air out of instinct. Walking towards the portal, it dropped into his open right hand before palming it over to his left.
Stepping through, Norbert looked down at the coin, seeing the heads shining up at him. He did not know if that was a yes or no. He was unable to turn back as he felt his body start to stretch upwards. Norbert wondered where he was being taken to, only a few places higher than he started from. In this massive tree that was now used as a dock for airships, and possibly much more than what Norbert realised.