The blade held within the case, showing its glory for anything to gaze at. Norbert taking a mindless step forward, his hand outstretched to take the forgotten weapon. Brushing his hand against the case, feeling its pristine feel, a slight crack could be felt that caught his finger tip.

Looking at the blade through the crack in the glass, almost wanting to reach out and touch it as Norbert’s attention was engulfed by the blade. Staring at it Norbert’s eyes traveling up the metal. A deep black, along the edge a river of crimson following the length of the blade. The curved blade reminding him of a scimitar, getting thicker half way through before narrowing off at the hilt. A true pirates sword.

The hilt having a deep mauve tint to the black hilt, a simple leather band wrapped around the handle with a metal loop on the end. Reaching forward Norbert’s eyes unable to move from the simple blade that called out to him.

Pushing his hand against the glass crack, a desire welling up inside to hold onto the blade and use it. After all, he would need a sword after the last one was destroyed. His gaunt smile turning into a pursed line, remembering the weapon that had been gifted to him by Dousan, hoping he wouldn’t get to annoyed at the state of the weapon.

“Norbert, what are you doing?”

Norbert turned around, the fog in his mind lifting as he saw Vivienne bitting her lip as she stared at him. A flash of concern traveling up Norbert’s spine as his eyes made contact with hers. Turning back to the scimitar that caught his attention, the lustre in the blade now gone. The weapon mostly looking the same. Knicks taken out of the blade, lines of stress traveling up the metal the veins of a person.

The crimson red that was bright before now looking like dried rust, the leather of the handle now caked with sweat, discoloured and a slight bit of mould Norbert could be seen growing in part of it. The band now disappeared, gone to the passage of time, only a small stub remained, attaching through a hole added to the blade.

“Just … captivated by an artwork.” Norbert trying to explain himself as he walked away, meeting up with Vivienne, Obsius having left his head and now on the witches shoulder. In her hand Norbert seeing the blood orb, the red liquid inside constantly swirling around in high velocity. Streaks of darker crimson blood becoming visible before disappearing.

Vivienne reaching for the sack on Norbert’s back, Norbert giving it over as she brought out the blanket, the tools clacking about as she wrapped it around the orb, placing it back inside the sack. Handing it over to Norbert, heading back to the entrance of the safe.

Norbert following behind, catching up with the quick pace she was giving. Going past all of the items once more, the magical copper coins as Norbert’s fingers danced over the case, knowing although it would be worth everything, he wouldn’t be able to spend it anywhere.

Reaching the entrance, Norbert holding the door as he started swinging it close, as the two pieces came together the blade that once captivated him looking pristine in its glory, gone was the ancient weapon, Norbert now imagining it brand new. Before he could reach out to snatch it the door to the safe closed.

“Maybe next time” Norbert whispered out, swallowing down as he bit his lip, stopping anything else from coming out.

“Your greed for coins is too great.” Vivienne spoke, shaking her head as she pushed him out of the way, placing her hand back on the safe door, reaching a hand out to Norbert as the snakes once more slithered out. Norbert reaching into the sack as he pulled out the stethoscope, the witch taking it as she began to listen to the inner workings of the door.

Having the sack open, waiting for Vivienne to drop it inside as Norbert looked about, the entrance hall to the vault looking the same as ever. His eyes passing over where the guards were resting, Norbert looking to the drooling guard, seeing a wet patch on their hand.

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Staring at the guard Norbert looking at their body, their chest staying still as Norbert continued to stare, then quickly lowering. Turning away as Norbert dismissed it, seeing Vivienne breathing out as she removed her hand from the safe door. To Norbert the metal looking no different than it did a moment ago.

“Now we best be off.” Vivienne stepping past Norbert as she headed down the hallway. Norbert following behind her, taking the stethoscope and placing it back in the sack.

Obsius landing on Norbert’s head, pecking at him as the bird tweeted their concern.

“Yeah I’m all good now. Sorry to freak you out there for a moment buddy.” Norbert reaching out and patting the bird on the head.

Giving one last turn around, looking down the hallway as Norbert gave a small salute to the vault door, and the scimitar on the other side, still now calling out to him even through the door. Turning to the two guards, one of them moving their hands down the sword while they were sleeping,

“Need to see if items tempting you to use them is normal.” Norbert told himself, another thing to add to the collection of things to ask about.

Vivienne turning the corner as she nodded her head “Oh yes, quite normal to happen. Almost a given in a place back there, will all those items wanting to get out and used.”

“What do you mean … wanting?”

Vivienne giving a scole as they passed another set of guards coming down the other side of the passageway. As they passed Vivienne talking in a loud voice “A desire to be used, to continue with whatever purpose was instilled in them in their creation. All things that aren’t my specialty.”

Norbert frowning “Seems like an issue to have items like that, only wanting to do one thing, swaying the user.”

Vivienne nodding her head “Yes, it does have some downsides like steadily forcing people to take actions they wouldn’t do without the item. But most of the time they are designed for a purpose, and the user will chose situations that make that purpose a strength.”

“But aren’t they scared of being corrupted by the tool?”

“Those are very different type of items, to have lasting impressions on people. Whenever one is found they are destroyed. Some do slip past but that’s what the extreme security is for.” Vivienne taking a left out of the doorway, Norbert realising they had walked up and now on the main passage.

“Extreme security?” Norbert asked, pointing towards the exit to the below city that was sprawled out before them.

“I’m just good at my job is all, just to show that nothing has been alerted.”

Norbert stopping in his tracks as he looked around, eyes shooting around, finding if anyone was alarmed by the words the witch had uttered. Has she sealed their fate and the two of them would need to dash outside, if their identities even hidden.

Looking about, nobody moving at all as Norbert continued to stand there, not moving. Holding his breath, his energy zipping around his body, waiting to be used as he continued to stand there, the people around him giving a strange look before going past. Whispers of the work load getting to Norbert’s brain.

“You done being a fool?” Vivienne asked Norbert, having stopped as well, a meter away from Norbert as she tapped her foot.

Catching up to her Norbert whispering out “Why do you tempt the fates to turn this entire heist around?”

“Why do you think I brought you here, for the very reason that I can say stuff like that and have no effect.” Vivienne trying to explain to Norbert.

Norbert moving his head to the side “Hey Luck, is what she saying hold up?”

Hearing a faint chuckle in his ears as two motes of light appeared in front of Norbert.

“Far out Vivienne, what happens if they figure out what we are doing?” Norbert shot out, turning about as he continued to look at people, staring them down as their eyes twitching as they passed, quickly passing over the two of them.

“Not much, run ahead, split up and try loose them, meet up back in the mansion or someplace else.” Vivienne now looking around as well, the tense attitude Norbert was showing them all now infecting herself as well.

Making it to the exit Norbert stopped, seeing a line of people now visible to him. Norbert tapping Vivienne on the shoulder and pointing ahead.

Nodding her head in recognition, Norbert taking a half step behind, feeling the weight of the sack now seemingly digging into his shoulder, breath starting to become haggard, forcing himself to stay calm or else ruin any chance they had of walking away scot free.

Stopping just inside the entrance Norbert looked to the crowd forming, the guards having moved in a ring around the entrance they were currently trying to exit from. Spears pointed down unwavering as Norbert stared at them.

The only man in the centre without a weapon trained on the trio, a grin on his face, a cat having caught the cannery.

“Why, it wasn’t to hard to find you thief and your … accomplice?” Captain Oblek shouted out in a half question to the two people having walked out of the lower colosseum.