Trudging up the steps again, aiming to come out at the tailor's shop, Norbert wondered how many little cloaks they would have made by now, hoping they could be flipped around as he requested. The need to blend in with two different customs was something Norbert would need to deal with.
As he made the last round, able to see the roof of the stairwell above him, Norbert stopped, realising something. He didn’t have his mask on.
He cursed internally to himself for missing something so obvious, sure that the Kreevss had seen his face previously. As he stopped at the door, he was internally thankful for one thing. Out of all the places, a tailor shop would be a place that should have what he was looking for.
Opening the door, the shop was the quietest he had ever seen. Looking about the place, he stopped by the number of colours around him, all grabbing the attention of his eyes, only for the next thing in his peripheral to take his interest instead.
“Hello, good sir; what can we do for you today?” A shop attendant appeared in his face.
Norbert held his mouth open as he looked about. “I'm here to pick up part of a parcel and something to hide my face,” Norbert said as he started to scan around the place, wondering if they had a hat or something that would work well enough.
“First for that order.”
Norbert was paying attention to the person in front of him. “Believe the order was under Norbert, needing a lot of cloaks, invertible with two different designs,” Norbert added, hoping that would be enough detail. Not having properly remembered what information he had given the store the last time, he was rushed to get out unnoticed.
A nod of the attendant's head made it seem like he knew exactly what was happening. “Of course, the order is nearly complete. Now for something to hide that face …” The attendant walked away from Norbert.
Following him through the store, Norbert feels out of place with everyone else's fashion. His current uniform stood out from everyone else who was wearing with their bright colours and vivid cuts compared to Norbert’s simple design.
The attendant walked off, stopping at some things for a time but ultimately getting dismissed. Picking up one thing as they walked around, the only hat a wide brimmed yellow sun hat. The yellow splotches from multiple colourings, in a random polka dot effect covering the head ware. Norbert, seeing as the sides tried to flop down and hide the face.
The bright colour made his eyes water even inside the shop. The attendant did not pick anything else up as he walked over towards Norbert, placing it on his head and taking a step back. The brim half went into his eyes, and Norbert stood still as he looked over him up and down.
“Not the best suiting design for you, but it fits your criteria.” The man said to Norbert.
Still standing there, Norbert watched the man walk off to the back of the shop. Finally able to move again, Norbert walked to the counter, wondering how many coins this hat was going to cost him. He hoped it wouldn’t be too much. Not having had a chance to top up again, he knew he would be losing some more coins when he made it to Flare-dew.
Fishing around, looking for silver but not wanting to take it out just in case, Norbert waited for the pile of cloaks to be set in front of him. Taking over the entire counter, Norbert just stood there, unexpectedly surprised by how much clothing it had taken up.
“Can you put it in a sack?” Norbert asked, the attendant already one step ahead as he folded it up and placed it inside. Turning around, Norbert saw that everyone was staring at his order, probably wondering what the person with the hat would need with that many clothes.
Turning back to the attendant, Norbert asked, “How much will it cost me?”
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“Cloaks paid for; the hat is just silver.” The man responded back
Norbert nodded, not wanting to argue about payments, as he couldn’t even remember if he paid. But to him, getting it for free was always good. Sliding the single coin over, Norbert reaches for the sack. “How long until the next batch is ready?”
“Next is already ready, but the final will take until the end of the day,” the man said to Norbert.
Thinking about time, Norbert nodded his head as he made his way outside, mentally planning the route to this section and the number of trips needed to move the kids about, hoping they had thought of some system for moving about in this city.
***
On the outskirts of the city, not having Obsius as last time to navigate him to the hideout of the kids he was meant to pick up, Norbert whistled with his companion, hoping they would be able to pick him up again.
Skirting around, knowing that he was hopefully heading in the rough direction, a head popped out of a window above him. It was one of the rare two-story buildings on this side. The roof was not intact, as the sandstone showed signs of extreme weathering.
“Norbert?” a voice came out from above, the question hanging in the air as they hoped it was him.
“That it is. Have the candies for healing and some cloaks to give out and move you out of this city,” Norbert said aloud, holding each sack in his hand as he discussed its contents.
He was scrambling, echoing around as his head disappeared from view. A moment later, the boy came out, carefully walking towards him. Hoping to break the tension with a question, “How’s Korn doing?”
“Not good. The sickness has hit him. A bunch of us are on the lookout for you,” the boy said to Norbert as he walked past, not looking back to see if Norbert was following. Taking a moment, shaking his head at the fact that he didn’t have any but was still surrounded, Norbert smiled at the leader of these kids.
There was silence from the kid as he pattered his dusty feet through the sand. Norbert was happy to see they were at least not cracked and bleeding or that it was actually not for the best.
Norbert joined the bird in their musical charade. He watched out of the corner of his eyes as they walked, slightly going into this derelict part of the city. More and more kids appeared in the buildings around them. Quickly gazing behind himself, Norbert saw several following him on the street.
WHEEZE
The sound made Norbert stop mid-stride as the thoughts of what he was carrying for them returned to him. The music instantly stopped from both of them as Norbert looked around. The place he found himself now familiar. Walking ahead of the kid, Norbert counted the buildings, finding the one he was looking for.
Making sure not to look at the sick, Norbert walked inside, ducking down slightly so his hat wouldn’t hit the doorway. Looking about in there, Norbert sees Korn sitting there, looking better than death warmed up, sweat going down the boy's pale skin.
Norbert closed his eyes, steeling his resolve of what was needed as he internally hoped they would have enough to feed them all.
“Candies here, and cloaks too, assuming you know who to disperse these. I want to move the first batch over to the casino soon,” Norbert said robotically, wanting to get the most of the information out of the way before Korn lost anything more to sickness.
His voice roused the boy from whatever slumber the sickness induced.
“You have them?” He asked.
Norbert just shook his head, knowing the boy would need to be more put together than this. Placing the hat on the table, Norbert reached into the sack, pulled out candy, and took the final step.
Holding up his head, Norbert placed it in the sick boy's mouth, closing it around as he waited for whatever should be happening. Hoping that Grosly’s work would be quick enough to bring this boy back from the brink soon.
As the candy slowly dissolved in the boy's mouth, Norbert looked about, others staring at him as they waited, wondering what the stranger could do.
Coming out, Norbert saw the one who had found him the first time, surprised as he quickly rushed back, “You came.”
“I said I would; now, do you know who needs these?” Norbert asked as he pointed to the rest of the candies.
A quick nod came out of the boy. Norbert smiled back as he handed the sack of candies over. “Great, now run along and do it in the order Korn asked them to be given,” Norbert said aloud, watching as the kid went straight out the doorway, the sounds of kids sucking on candies filling the street.
Obsius fluttered from his shoulder and moved out of the room, not blaming the bird for doing so as he looked about the dirty place. The smell finally hit him of too many people enclosed in a single space, all sick with … something.
Shivering at the thought, Norbert felt his hand pushed off Korn's face. Looking down, breathing out a thankful breath as the sickness was already cleared from the boy's eyes. The sharpness as a million thoughts ran through their head, piecing everything together.
“You came back.”
“I said I would,” Norbert replied, stepping back to the other chair, careful not to slide it along the floor as he sat down. He could hear the wood creak underneath him.