“Take the helmet off,” Sally ordered Norbert.

He looked around for a moment, complying with the order, popping the two pieces off his head, and leaving them on top of each other on the table.

“Do you know how much of a headache you have caused?” Sally asked him.

Lily looked between the two of them, taking a sip of her drink suspiciously loudly.

“No clue, haven’t talked much in a while. Been a bit busy.” Norbert nonchalantly replied, tracing the number system on the table.

“Your business has what caused it for me. You think you would lie low after five days of rest.”

“Look, if it was the thing on the Highland Plateau, I have no clue that was happening.” Norbert offered the offended commander, raising both his hands in surrender.

“When we went to investigate, they were all gone. The only report coming from you. And the villagers of Flare-dew noting the creatures of the plateau going back.”

“So, what about it?” Norbert asked, seeing a waiter come out as he flagged them down. The conversation quieted as Norbert pointed to what Lily was drunk. “Can I have one of those?”

The waiter looked at Lily, nodding and returning to what they were doing without saying a word.

Commander Sally stared down Norbert as he continued to look at the commander, wondering how long until smoke started shooting out of her ears. “What? I’m thirsty, and you have a lot to say.” Norbert apologetically shrugged as well, raising both hands slightly and dropping them onto his lap.

“Why did you bring Count von Count everywhere? A Grimm is seeing the internals of our nation. Any clue as to what a security risk that is?” Commander Sally asked him.

Norbert just shrugged. “No idea it was any security risk is. Not like we are at war with them, so why does it matter?” Norbert shrugged as he spoke.

Lily slurped a bit louder at her drink. Norbert darted inside, seeing the same waiter come out again with a cup and saucer. Norbert smiled at them as they delivered it in front of him: “Thank you for the drink, and so quick as well.” Norbert gave a slight wave to the waitress, reaching forward and smelling the fragrance as he lifted the cup to his nose.

Faint scents of watermelon and honey, a strange combination, danced around in his schnoz. He took a slight sip, feeling the sweetness of the watermelon travelling with the honey down his tongue. Sighing in satisfaction, Norbert slightly saluted the staff by raising his cup.

“So now Count von Count knows about some stuff. Not a lot, as I followed him around most of the time.” Norbert told them.

“That’s a slight relief, as reflected in the report given. But then you cocked it all up by siding with the Grimm when Captain Oblek asked for the blood orb.” Commander Sally ranted to Norbert again, pausing momentarily as she sipped her drink. “Any idea what happened to the object?”

“Last I saw, Vivienne handed it over to Count von Count for some information. Well, it was written in an envelope he handed to her. And no, I do not know what was written on it.” Norbert quickly explained before he was potentially interrupted.

“That blasted witch, getting her fingers in everyone’s pie.” Lily shook her head the first time Norbert had heard her speak.

“You know that term?” Norbert asked his previous instructor.

“I like to read, and Sally brings much better books than what can be found. There are a few weird terms, but you get used to them.” Lily explains to Norbert how she heard a term from Earth.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Do you even have pies here?” Norbert asked, unable to remember seeing the golden, crumbly pastry filled with meat.

“No pies over here, and please don’t talk about random topics. Especially about lands and foods that shouldn’t exist.” Sally groaned.

Norbert squinted at her, taking another sip of tea, “So we can’t talk about it, but Elizabeth setting up all of her casinos using games from over there is fine?” Norbert questioned here, wondering where the commander's logic would falter and crumble.

“She has properly integrated that idea. Not haphazardly talking about dishes you want to eat on a street corner where anybody could eavesdrop.”

Norbert looked up, pointing out one of the eaves under which they were. “One of those?” Norbert asked. Seeing Sally getting even more annoyed at Norbert, seeing her open her mouth, “But I know you have something to stop them hearing us.” Norbert quickly shot out, interrupting the commander’s train of thought.

“Why else do you think nobody is bothering us? Now stop being so distracting and let me concentrate.” Lily spoke up, Norbert watching her momentarily as she took another sip of her drink. Turning slightly around at the street, I confirmed what was being said about how people just glossed over the three of them even though there was a fourth seat free at the bustling establishment.

“Stop trailing the conversation to other matters of unimportance.” Sally bereted Norbert.

Tching in response to his plan thwarted, Norbert took another sip of his tea, allowing Commander Sally to continue on her journey.

“Back to you siding with the Grimm. What compelled you to do so?”

“Captain Oblek is a prick of a man. Someone that was getting under my skin. The cherry on top is his annoying moustache. The man put way too much effort into keeping it maintained.”

Commander Sally stared, leaning forward, grabbing his jaw and positioning it so he could face her. Drilling into Norbert’s eyes, staring into his soul, Norbert felt like she was trying to look for something within him, a moment of worry flickering on the Commander's face of a unit compromised.

I went from the left eye to the right, then back again, looking into what Norbert had. A nod on her head. “At least he isn’t compromised, just deranged.”

“That’s not nice, and what do you mean compromised?” Norbert asked a flicker of worry breaking out of him, hoping it wasn’t as he seemed. The insides of his mind warring against him, the words Vivienne spoke about items nudging people into specific directions banging inside his skull.

“Nothing that I can see. The Grimm have a nasty habit of swaying those to do their bidding. Slightly at first but to grander and grander actions over time.”

“And you think I had been swayed?” Norbert asked.

“It is one of the simplest explanations for why you didn’t follow an order. Other than a strange personality.” Commander Sally told Norbert, taking another sip of tea, “And let's not forget the amount of time you’ve spent down there.”

Norbert nodded his head. “Well, part of why I did it is because, other than an annoyed Oblek, there isn’t much recourse given to me. Oh, other than needing to be careful entering the Colosseum, that isn’t any different from how it was before.”

“Wait”, Lily butted in. “You used your brain?”

Norbert turned to his orange-haired instructor, shaking his head in annoyance. “Yes, over the time we have spent apart, I have learnt a thing or two.”

“Think it’s just a thing,” Lily whispered loud enough to Sally for Norbert to hear.

“Anything more you want to say to me?” Norbert asked, taking the last sip of his tea, saddened that he didn’t have any more.

“That about covers it. Don’t be such a loose cannon; someone might want to put you down.”

“I ain't no rabid dog lady,” Norbert said in a southern drawl. And I already have two groups after me. I don’t see them doing much damage anyway.”

Standing up, he placed his helmet back on his head, feeling the weight on his skull again and feeling comfortable removing the edge Norbert didn’t realise he had. “Now I best be off before I do miss the fight.”

Sally nodded her head, letting the scout walk off. Lily breathed out in relief, having dropped the spell she was maintaining. “Hey, Norbert!” She shouted out.

The crowd seemingly grew quiet as he turned around, looking at his instructor. “Know what you want as your prize from the vault?”

Norbert’s heart beat fast, her words echoing as he stood motionless. The jingle of men rushing towards him buckles clacking against each other as they busily made their way through the street. Not knowing how long before they intercepted Norbert, they turned to Lily and smiled “Oh, I .have my eye on one blade. An old derelict thing is in dire need of a new home.” Norbert shouted back to her.

Lily opened her mouth again only to quieten it down, the guards coming about, Norbert looking up at the rooves, the archers once more having their bows drawn on Norbert.

Sighing as he turned around, wondering where their leader would be, “We’ve done this once before; how about we cut to the chase and let me have my fight in there?” Norbert asked, pointing at the Colosseum.