Norbert knocked on the door while waiting for someone to open it on the other side. He stared down at the snake handles, not wanting to touch them as their eyes looked into his own. Someone on the other side answered the door as they swung inside. Norbert stopped momentarily and looked inside, mouth open at what he saw.
A metal table in the middle of the white-tiled room looked completely different from the stone he was currently standing on.
A board with wheels and maps stuck to it as Norbert stared, realising it was of the city for the main one. Looking at the others around Norbert, I saw more of the Colosseum, parts of it that Norbert had never been in before.
One of them had a big red X on it. Norbert quickly looked around it, seeing it was a box room with no windows and only one entrance or exit in a random location, for what it seemed to Norbert. There was no rhyme or reason for it to be placed in that location.
Walking over to the table, seeing papers thrown about, Norbert looking at the handwritten notes, Vivienne staring over them, trying to put it together in her mind.
Norbert walked up as he read it upside down until he realised he couldn’t read the language.
URGHHH
Norbert cleared his throat before speaking, and Vivienne looked up at the noise. “Did Count von Count have any choice in this?” he asked, pointing down at what he was wearing.
“Why yes, he did help with it. Who do you think procured most of these maps?” Vivienne asked Norbert.
Turning around, looking about the room with all of it, “He never struck me as being the stealthy type.”
Vivienne shaking her head at him “Your right in that, he isn’t stealthy, but he knows people, even out here.” She finished, looking about the walls.
Norbert raised an eyebrow, turning to Vivienne. “Now, isn’t that ominous? But why this style?” Norbert asked her, trying to find the following punch line for the clothing choice.
“My question to him exactly isn’t very inconspicuous. But quoting him, ‘You become so obvious you turn invisible,’” Vivienne changed her voice slightly deeper, trying to mimic Count von Count whistling a random tune.
“You need to practice whistling, but that checks out with the vampires style,” Norbert told her as he walked to the table, spreading his hands out and engulfing the entire room. “So what’s the plan? I’m assuming this is to get whatever you asked me to help you find?” Norbert looked down at the papers, trying to piece together what he was meant to be showing them.
“Precisely that the object is a blood orb.” Vivienne reached for a paper and slid it towards Norbert.
Looking down at the piece, the depiction resembled what he remembered from the last one he saw: “What is it with you, Grimm and the blood orbs?”
Vivienne stopped. “You’ve seen one?”
“I nearly touched it. It was back under the Halls of the Mountain King, but it was no longer there, as the vampire took me to search for it,” Norbert explained to her.
Norbert watched as he visibly saw Vivienne deflate in front of him, shaking her head before moving back to the plans around it.
“The plan is to go in there and make our way out as silently as possible.” Vivienne told Norbert.
Norbert raised his eyebrow. “I hoped that was the plan; too many guards patrolling the place. There are way too many guards. But can’t I even have a day of rest after nearly getting killed?” Norbert asked her, the energy in his body still not feeling as it should, hoping he could get a few more potions before doing anything exertive.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“There are not enough people to do a full raid, so stealth it is. And tonight, because everyone thinks you’re still recovering after your battle. Not many know about your ability to bounce back up from potions.” Vivienne told Norbert, reaching underneath the table. Norbert heard the clink of glass before two mana potions were brought out from underneath the table.
Norbert reached for one as he downed it, feeling it instantly get absorbed, before going to the second and downing it as well. Finally, he felt himself getting properly used. Running the energy through his body, he confirmed that it was the same speed as it should be.
“Much better.” Norbert breathed out, looking to Vivienne, who had just stared at Norbert, looking at the snake shiver on her arm for a moment before stilling. Norbert waved her hand in front of her face, getting her attention again.
Vivienne shuddered for a moment, focusing on Norbert properly. “Doesn’t that feel … wrong?” she asked him.
Norbert stopped as he considered how he felt; nothing seemed wrong with himself or his actions. “No, not particularly. I feel fine, better than before I had them, if that is what you're referring to?” Norbert asked Vivienne, looking sceptically at her.
Vivienne held her mouth open for a moment before shaking her head. “You're strange, like what Count von Count said. I just need to accept it.” She talked to herself loud enough for Norbert to hear.
“Anyway, my plan is for me to disguise us both, make our way inside carefully, trying not to trigger anything, and then go back out.” Vivienne told Norbert.
Looking at the maps around him, he tried to memorise the layout and potential path that they might take to retrieve the blood orb that Vivienne was after. Looking about at the planning and the maps, seeing all the planning that had been done without him, the thought left Norbert’s tongue. “Then why did you want me? You’ve seen my work. I’m anything but stealthy,” Norbert asked her, not seeing how he would add up in this picture.
Vivienne just stared at him blankly in return. “Norbert, don’t even try to hide the only reason why I’m keeping you around. You’re a follower of Lady Luck.”
Norbert nodded, seeing how she could get to thinking, “Well, yes, not an unknown secret, but why not become one yourself if you’re looking so openly for it?” Norbert asked her.
Vivienne tilted her head to the side, hair swaying down her face, half obscuring it. “Why would I want to be a walking trap? It's much better to have someone close by but far enough away that I’m not caught when it's triggered,” Vivienne told him.
Norbert opened his mouth to interject before closing it again, hearing similar things from anyone he spoke to about it. Thinking back to his last fight, how close he had gotten to being defeated, trying to push back the memory of it happening.
“You may have a point, but are you sure it will work?” Norbert asked her, thinking about trying to be fickle with a god's power like that. There are many stories about being chewed up and spat out by doing that.
“Worked so far, don’t see why not. But that’s your role. And to act as a distraction if needed.” She told him.
Norbert nodded his head, seeing where it would now fit together. His role was now properly filled out. “And this is for boarding here and the safety you’ve provided,” Norbert asked her.
Receiving a nod of Vivienne’s head in return, Norbert continued, “And if I were to say no? For example, what would happen?” Norbert asked, grinning as he leaned forward, one hand lowering under the table to where his daggers usually would be.
Vivienne raised an eyebrow before looking back to her work, dismissing Norbert. Still leaning over awkwardly, Norbert sighs, stands up, and walks over to the maps, trying to make the path that they will travel obvious to him.
“So, are we hitting the one above or below?” Norbert asked Vivienne, trying to discern which one would be required.
“Enter through the top; what we are looking for is halfway through, and exit down the bottom.” Vivienne told Norbert.
Norbert turned around a sceptical look on his face. “But the colosseum ends at the bottom; it doesn’t connect to the cavern ceiling?” Norbert asked her, not seeing how it would be possible to make this happen.
“Illusion runes for aesthetics.” Vivienne told Norbert.
Norbert looked at her, “Really, that’s it?” Norbert asked her.
“Those down here protested that they couldn’t get the proper experience, so the change was made,” Vivienne explained to Norbert.
“It seems like an out-of-the-way reason for doing it, but I can't complain. How long until we need to leave?” Norbert asked her.
Vivienne staring for a moment as she started counting, Norbert looking around the room to where she was staring, not seeing a clock or any device to tell the time strapped there. Norbert turned back to Vivienne as she nodded her head, organising the papers into piles in front of Norbert.
“Is it time to leave?” Norbert asked her again, having not received an answer the previous time he asked the question.
“It is, prepare … whatever you need to prepare yourself with.” Vivienne looked up at Norbert, seeing he was primarily ready by then.
Norbert nodded as he picked up the sack he had been given, opening it up to at least know what was inside. Norbert pulled out a grappling hook, rope, lock picks, a hacky sack, the bolt cutters and a crowbar.
Norbert looked at the eclectic use of items scattered about, shaking his head as he placed them all back in, making sure none of the tools would clatter against themselves and make a noise.