Norbert stares into the mask, his finger trailing over the edges before falling off. Taking it in his hands, Norbert pops it off, breaks it apart, reveals the jagged edge, spins the black metal around, and trails his finger inside, feeling the runes etched into the metal.
“Is your father upstairs?” Norbert asked, watching as Enid slowed down her eating.
“No, he went out.”
Norbert nodded. “Do you know when he will be back?”
“Later,” Enid replied, pushing the chair back with her in it, hopping off, and heading up the stairs. Norbert stayed where he was, flicking his thumbs together as he waited for the father to return.
***
The door opened, and light flooded the room as a man limped inside. Norbert turned to him, clicking the two helmet pieces together and drumming his fingertips on the top. The sound echoed around the entire room.
The man froze at the unexpected sound, slowly turning to Norbert. Pointing to the seat opposite him, the man gently closed the door and walked over to Norbert as he sat down, tapping his hands on the table as he looked up at Norbert.
“Where have you been?” Norbert questioned the man.
The man’s hands no longer tapping together, staring into Norbert's eyes. “Out and about.”
Norbert nodded his head, “And leaving your daughter here alone?”
“She can’t go outside.”
“And why not?” Norbert asked. Obsius came out and chirped at Norbert. For a moment, he looked at the bird, a faint smile on his face and a nod of his head. The bird alighted off the table and flew up the stairs.
“I didn’t take you for a fool; maybe the rumours are true. But you’ve seen the door, the looks they gave her when you walked across the street with her in your arms?” The father spoke, gesturing behind him to where the stalls were. And yet, you ask me why I don’t let my daughter out there?”
“It's not good for her to be locked up.”
“Do you think you have any right to come into my house and tell me how to raise my daughter?” the man questioned Norbert. “If it weren’t for you, she could be out there right now!” the father's booming voice echoed out of his mouth. Norbert felt his helmet vibrate underneath his hand.
Sighing at how the question was divulging to “Quite a voice you have there.” Continuing to tap on the helmet as he thought of what to say next.
The father saw that Norbert was not going to add anything more except tapping the helmet. The father opened the bag, examining the contents of what Norbert had brought.
Taking out a piece that Norbert thought to be a carrot, pointing the vegetable at Norbert, “Why?”
“Why what?” Norbert raising an eyebrow.
“Why come in here? Act all threateningly like you're going to jump me, then my kid after taking her on the street, only to deliver food. For which I am grateful, but … why?”
“After having a little chat about cursed children, I felt a bit sad for her living like this—locked up and in the dark, like a mushroom, for what might be her own good.” Norbert waved to the room he was currently located in.
“A bit sad?”
“How much do you know about me?” Norbert asked the father, spinning the helmet around on the table and presenting the face to the father.
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“A bit, from Morenas, beaten Arzlan and can survive decapitation … and you have another fight in two cycles.” The father notified Norbert.
Eyes widen at the fight's announcement, “Dang, I completely forgot about that.” Norbert relinquished the information, tapping his hands on the helmet, wondering if he needed to return to Vivienne. Looking down at himself, definitely not having enough coin or time to get himself a sword, Norbert shrugged. What he had on him would have to do.
“But there is one more thing that you didn’t say. It might be released later, so it doesn’t really matter,” Norbert told the father. Grinding the chair up, Norbert walked towards the sink, running his hand along where the basin sat, knowing there should be a rune there. Forcing the magic out and nothing happening, he was careful not to break the house down instead of a little demonstration of nothing happening.
“Your child isn’t the only one who can do no conventional magic,” Norbert told the father before making his way back to the table and sitting down.
“But you’re a Morenas?” The father asked.
“I could have before, but after taking a little something something. I'm not going to divulge what it is or where I found it. But it allowed me to survive losing a head, sadly at the cost of no magic.” Norbert shrugged, hiding the fact he could never do any magic to begin with. But compared to the other champions he had seen, both of his generation and the previous, it seemed it should be held in his tool belt.
“And you made it here?” The father asked Norbert.
“It's slightly difficult and with a lot of help. Whenever I want a meal, I need to pay for it. If I want to wash myself, I either need to find a river or ask a goddess to clean myself.” Norbert stops his rant halfway through, lifts his arm up, and smells himself.
He had a deep whiff, and there was no smell of sweat on him for the moment. “Just take it as an act of charity; I’ll be back after the match,” Norbert told the father.
“Who down here is supporting you?” The father asked.
Norbert stopped by the stairs, wondering what the father could have been discussing. “What do you mean?”
The father waved his hand around Norbert’s entire body “Someone other than a Grimm to be down here is rare, and never for as long as you have been. Most are sensible enough not to stay down here. Unlike yourself, you must have a place down here you're living.” The father spoke aloud, listing off the facts on his fingers individually. “And you don’t seem the type to be forcing your way into their life of a poor sod, taking over their establishment. So somebody is assisting you. Who is it?”
Norbert sighed, a feeling bubbling down his back that it was about to blow up in his face. “The witch, Vivienne,” Norbert told him.
The father's hand tightened around the sack of food, his knuckles going white. Norbert stood still, waiting to see what the father did. The words coming out of the fathers mouth “Did she send you?”
“She has no idea I’m here. No idea what your intention she has with you or your daughter.”
The father slowly nodded his head. “Well, you best be off now. Don’t want to miss your match.” The father ended the conversation like that.
Norbert nodded, put on his helmet, looked up at the stairs, and left Obsius with the girl doing whatever the bird was still doing.
“I’ll be back later with some more, but just a piece of advice. Take the assistance that Vivienne is offering. Something’s bubbling up there, making the hairs on my neck stand up.”
“Just be gone and stop trying to tempt me with your sweet words.” The father told Norbert, standing up, taking the sack to the kitchen, and placing the rest of the food in the cabinets.
Norbert nodded, seeing no more point in talking, the father having quite efficiently dismissed him.
Taking a deep breath, Norbert opened the door, the light shining in as he changed his vision. The world was popping into colour again, though he did not see much difference in the under city.
Closing the door behind him, knowing people were staring at him as he made it down the two steps onto the street, staring up at the ceiling, looking for the closest pathway to go above ground.
He is groaning groaned, recognising which one to head upwards through. Norbert patted the coin pouch, knowing that he would need to make a payment as he trekked his way through the city.
***
Norbert came up the last step, not even wanting to carry any extra clothing that would be forced on him. He took a coin out of his pouch and flicked it to the attendant who was walking towards him as he entered the shop proper.
“Fee for not being disturbed,” Norbert says to the attendant, beelining out of the shop.
The bell tinkled above as Norbert continued walking down the block. The sun beat down on him, covering his face as he looked up at the orb. He continued down the street, slipping into the crowd as best he could, making his way to the Colosseum while on the lookout for any Kreevss or the guards who would now also be after him.
She was taking a look at Norbert, hoping that Sally wouldn’t be too annoyed with his decision.
Crossing the next street corner, Norbert stopped; sitting in a coffee shop was the woman in tow with one of his former instructors, Lily.
Norbert stopped, turned in their direction as he made his way there, and sat in the third empty chair.