Norbert handed the sack to Count von Count, letting the vampire create makeshift clothes out of the two-themed cloaks within the bag, imagining how the vampire could use it to protect himself from the sun coming onto to funny results.
Looking out at the completely filled tavern, some kids even moved over to the steps to have a bit of their space. The chairs and tables were all used to sit down; some slumped over, the day finally catching up with them.
Turning to Martitia, “Been anywhere exciting?” He asked his old scout leader.
Martitia looked around at the kids around them, with a shake of her head Norbert not having his questioned answered. Wondering what the scouting team could have seen, Norbert did not want to guess if his imagination took hold and spiralled it out of proportion.
“Similar things are happening, like the last time we went out,” Martitia said simply. Norbert remembered what happened when an enemy force attacked him. He found himself humans fighting with Count von Count as the two of them charged ahead, hoping to drag them out as the rest of the party was surrounded.
“Rough,” Norbert said aloud the single word, getting a nod from Martitia.
“Is anyone else about?” he asked, pointing to the stairwell that was slowly being infringed on. Leaning back so the kids who started to climb could see him, Norbert shouted aloud, “Downstairs only!”
The kid on the top step about to go on the landing froze as Norbert stared him down. Eventually, he took a step down as Norbert lost them in the crowd of kids.
“And now you’ve turned it into a game,” Martitia told Norbert.
Nodding his head, he looked at them from the corner of his eye, ensuring no other trickery happened. “So, everyone else?”
“Rumour spread that you were back in town, so a search came out to see who could find you first. When you came with a procession of kids down your tale, they figured you were landing here and scrammed.” Martitia groaned at the end as she looked around at the number of kids now inside her establishment.
“But enough about me, what about you, the recently promoted to the special group under Commander Sally’s reign?” Martitia asked him.
Norbert sat there, blank-faced momentarily, trying to think of what the woman was referring to. Finally, the cogs ticked as the demonstration flashed in his memory before he was thrust into the halls.
“Oh yeah, that happened, didn’t it.” Norbert was reminded.
“You forgot?” Martitia told him with bewilderment.
“He forgets a lot of things, and he tries to use that to his advantage as much as possible. Like the city we were just in—ask him about that!” Count von Count shouted, having been removed from the barstool and taken to underneath the chandelier in the centre of the room, once more playing with the kids.
Norbert muses to himself that the two groups warmed up quite nicely to each other. Turning his attention back to Martitia, who is staring at him, Norbert just coughs.
“I was internally calling it Colosseum City, and maybe sometimes aloud, until I was corrected and now call it Libitina,” Norbert said dejectedly.
Turning his attention to Martitia, a smile on her face as she shook her head slowly in disbelief.
“For someone reaching the tops, not knowing something as simple as names,” Martitia said to him, still shaking her head.
Norbert shrugged his shoulders, “I’m not that high yet. Some people I’ve come across are truly in the upper echelons in comparison.” Norbert told her the images of Granny or Skelly flashing through his mind, the many gods he’d seen, and … the thing he saw in the nothingness the first time he met Lady Luck. He was still shivering from the memory of what he saw, hoping never to see it again.
“So you have seen some things, going to tell?” Martitia asked.
Norbert looked around at the kids around them. “Some things are very old and best left forgotten, sadly have been dragged back up. An experiment from a lost time, an ancient race. Truly ancient, with most information lost to the collective and only remembered by the few and for good reason.” Norbert dribbled out.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Silence filled the room as he looked around; everyone had been quiet for his small monologue. As everyone looked at him, wondering if he would continue, Norbert turned around and saw they were expecting something from him.
“Who here wants to hear a story?” Norbert asked.
Some of the kids were eavesdropping into the conversation, now actively paying attention to what he was saying and no longer pretending not to listen, while others dismissed him with a simple look, going back to whatever they were doing before.
“And yes, that includes you again. Now come down here while I tell the tale of two kids, Hansel and Gretel, a cautionary tale about going into the forest alone.” Norbert’s voice boomed out, going over any chatter, forcing anyone and everyone to listen to the story.
“Now this story starts with two kids, shocker I know, one named Hansel and the other Gretel. Siblings, twins even.” Norbert looked about the crowd, about to open his mouth to ask a question before closing it, knowing that asking about a family with many homeless children probably wasn’t the best move.
“Their father was a woodcutter with his wife. Sadly, for them, the woodcutting business was in a downturn. Food became increasingly expensive for the family. To the point that only a single spoonful of soup was a dinner for the family.”
***
Obsius swooped in, landing on Norbert’s shoulder as he told the story.
“Now Gretel came to the oven-“
CHIRP
Norbert turned to Obsius on his shoulder. “What is it, Obsius, someone coming?”
The bird just looked at Norbert shaking his head, Norbert k, knowing w, the hat was; Norbert.
“Traveller here to pick us up?” Norbert asked.
There was a resounding nod coming from the bird. Norbert nodded his head up, stretched in his body. Everyone was what watching him as he moved about.
“Coming here or need to move somewhere else?”
Chirp
Norbert nodded, “Well, isn’t Sally going to have a fun time?” Norbert spoke to himself and the bird quietly before turning to the group before him. “Listen up, new location to the portal gates. Our Traveller is there waiting for us. Wake up and get spry. We move in five rotations.” Norbert bellowed out, waking up anyone who was trying to get some sleep.
The sound caused some of them to look at Norbert, wondering why they had been woken, only to be told by the whispers and shouts of everyone around them to get prepared.
Turning to Martitia, Norbert asked, “Is it ok to enter your room?” Norbert asked her.
The woman raised an eyebrow. “For you, any time.”
Norbert snorted in response as he carefully shuffled his way to the stairs, careful not to tread on anyone or knock them over. Pulling himself up with the fence, Norbert made it to the first floor, looking at the standard rooms he could never call his own.
Walking his way to the back, he stopped at Martitia’s door, gently opening it as it came forward. The room looked the same as the last time he was there. Even woken in the middle of the night, it was still orderly. Moving to the chest, Norbert thumbed the clasp as it popped open. Some of his worldly possessions were there. Reaching for the coins there, Norbert took two more golden coins out, hoping they wouldn't be needed for the bartering soon-to-be.
He was placing them in his coin pouch on his waist, a piece of paper caught between his fingers. Taking it out and releasing it was the letter Lady Luck had given him. Smiling at it, Norbert placed it in the chest and locked it up. There must be a reason why it, out of all things, glued to his fingers when he was changing things about.
Snapping the lid shut, Norbert made his way back downstairs, seeing Martitia still there, as she had been before.
Seeing the crowd of children about, Norbert stepped onto the balcony railing and leapt over to the bar area, being careful not to hit the ceiling.
"Never do that again." Martitia sternly told Norbert.
Looking at the woman, surprised by her instant reaction to his antics, he nodded in response. Standing on the other side of the bar, Norbert could not remember seeing a child occupying his bar stool.
"Guess someone tried it before and hurt themselves or the establishment?" Norbert asked.
"Establishment, yes, and while we are at it, you are not allowed to dangle from the chandelier or stand on the serving side of the bar." Martitia fumed at Norbert, staring him down with deathly eyes as she spoke.
Norbert looked down at where he was standing, looking to get around.
"It's fine for now. Just don't start serving people, especially not this crowd." Martitia added, taking a bottle that one of the kids was reaching for and handing it to Norbert, who put it behind him, well out of the kids' reach.
Norbert looked about, everyone now up and starting to get restless. Sighing as he needed to move around, Norbert walked around the bar, making his way to the front door as everyone watched.
"We're moving out now. Grab what you took with you; it will only be a quick trip to the next portal," Norbert said aloud.
At the mention of a portal, the crowd groaned in annoyance, Norbert watched them start to go green in the face. Norbert quickly yelled, "This one will be much smoother than the last. I promise you that."
Not giving them a chance to protest, Norbert opened the door, making sure not to hit a child as he did so, and walked out, heading to the left, up the hill, and closer to the centre of the city. Obsius once more took flight to watch the kids and make sure that none of them got lost.
He started the hike up, watching the people stare at him. He had been attracted to the building the first time they entered it and could half see through the windows the number of people inside. The sound is now evident due to the number of people crammed inside.
Having a quick After him, Norbert saw Martitia also step out. She smiled as she talked to some children, directing them the correct way up to Norbert. Locking eyes with Norbert, she waved to him. Smiling, Norbert waved back before turning around, no longer walking backwards as he trudged up the hill, hoping there wouldn't be an issue with having this many people sent through.