“You fool!” Enid’s Father shouted at Norbert.
Wincing at the sound as it echoed around the ground floor of the house, bathed in darkness, Norbert was sure that the father's shouts could be heard from outside, even with the door closed.
“It's not that bad?”
“She got you, Norbert, by the” The man looked around, confirming his daughter wasn’t around “balls.”
“I heard that!” interjected a voice from upstairs. Norbert saw the Father wince as the words came out.
“She just kept me company when I was traumatised by an event?” Norbert explains his viewpoint.
“Oh, I’m sure that’s why you did it, but do you know what she can get from you?” Enid’s Father asked Norbert.
Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “Don’t feel much different than before?”
“She’s good enough that you won't feel any difference. And who knows what she wanted your body for anyway?”
“If she wanted to kill me or enslave me, it would have been obvious by now?”
The Father laughed at Norbert, “You know so little about witches, young Morenas.” The Father spoke, stood up from the table, and headed to the cabinets. He took two cups as he waved his hand over the sink, water coming out of the tap as he filled up both glasses.
Placing one on the table in front of Norbert, holding onto the other, and taking a sip of water, “You never know what a witch is doing. Noticed her acting weirdly?”
Norbert thought about the many nights he had spent at the manor. “No, the weirdest was the first time I met her. Where did I think she opened up?” He questioned his memory.
“Well, you have two paths: either get away from her as soon as possible or stick with her and entwine your fates together.”
Norbert scrunched his face. “How come you know so much about witches?”
Nodding his head upwards, he said, “All sorts of people go after cursed children in the hopes of what they will be.”
Norbert nodded his head, thinking of the few people he found in his own path who wanted a slice of what he could do. Downing the water in one go, Norbert nodded his head, “Say thanks to Enid from me. Guess the girl is still slightly freaked out.”
“She doesn’t see many people, but your bird has been great company for her.”
“So that’s where Obsius has been. I'm glad that she can assist your daughter. But I must be going; another fight awaits.” Norbert waved as he made his way out the door, clipping his helmet on together, combining the two parts.
***
The slime disappeared into the ground, leaving Norbert alone in the empty room and standing at the edge, not wanting to enter and disturb the silence before him. The lone bed, seeing a little card propped up on it.
Slowly walking, his steps echoing on the stone, Norbert almost imagined a tumbleweed rolling by. Stopping at his bed, he looked down at the card with his name written on it. Opening it up, he looked inside, quickly skimming what it had written.
Ripping it up, Norbert shakes his head, thinking back on what the words said: “Dear Norbert, I hope this comes at a time, but you need to evacuate from the premises immediately. The longer you stay, the worse it will get. The first domino you see in the future will be knocked.
Granny
PS. Have made some more soup
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
PPS. I hope you enjoy the book.”
Norbert placed the letter in his coin pouch by his waist, not wanting to destroy it at the moment, looking for cameras or devices currently watching him. The exit he would need to take was already closed, and Norbert was locked in the room, needing to continue with the tournament to escape. One last scan did not bring anything odd; he could detect Norbert patting his coin pouch, confirming it was still there as he sat on the lone bed, cross-legged,, as he waited for his time to come.
***
Bleary eyes stared at the board as Norbert stared it down, willing it to move so he could no longer be alone in this room. As he stared at it, he wondered when the last time he had been alone. He counted it in his fingers, realising it had been a long, long time if he didn’t count the weird stint after meeting Skelly in the Halls of the Mountain King.
PING
Norbert almost audibly heard it change over.
“FINALLY!” He shouted into the empty room, his voice coming back at him from all sides.
Quickly making his way to the elevator, he patted himself, ensuring what it would be—looking up, he did not see any name for who he would be fighting. A single bead of sweat trailed down Norbert’s side, travelling down his ribs before he wiped it.
He stood on the platform, feeling it rise and move upwards, happy that he wouldn’t be fighting a Grimm.
“And now for the semi-finals, people have been waiting for a fight. Will this be the one that Norbert, the taker of Arzlan, will not best?” The announcer's voice echoed from above.
“Not this time, not ever!” Norbert shouted out, projecting his voice with magic, the platform jittering momentarily.
The platform stopped as Norbert squinted to the other side, seeing a black orb on the other side. Apart from it, Norbert was unable to see anything else there.
Standing there, Norbert looked to the other side. There was no change in the orb there. Turning to the announcer, Norbert shouted out, “Whose that over there?”
“Finekus”, Venom dripping in the word.
Norbert closing his eyes, remembering the last time he fought the dark mage, he was used as a stop gap to allow Finekus to have some peace from the other competitors.
He changed his sight to magic, the tentacles branching out of the orb, searching for where Norbert would be. He gazed over them, watching as they became static momentarily, vibrating in place only to move again when Norbert’s eyes travelled over the tentacle.
“ONE !” The announcer shouted out, the barrier in front of Norbert dropping, the tentacles darting for his position as they shot across the ground.
Startled, Norbert started to whip his energy around his body, his mind blank on what plan to form to take Finekus down.
Leaping forward, just the tips of his toes touching the ground as he went towards the orb, a tentacle would shoot over his way each time he touched the ground. His shadow warped as they made contact, a feeling of something slithering inside him each time it made contact.
He was coming wards the orb, tattooed dagger out of the sheath on his leg, placed amount othe f energy inside as it went past him, and interacted with the orb. Norbert trailed right behind as it seemed to come up around him, engulfing both himself and the knife he threw.
He slammed into it, feeling his bones crunch in his hand from the force as darkness surrounded him, only able to see the purple lines going over his body to know where he was. He banged his hand against the orb, feeling it rattle for a moment before stilling.
He traced his fingers along the inside, knocking the knife he threw with his feet as he shuffled around, unable to find anything to grip and attempt to rip his prison apart.
He circled Norbert, not knowing how many times, his head slightly swimming, holding his hand out against a wall to balance himself.
Calming himself down with breaths, the heat inside making sweat trickle down Norbert’s forehead within his mask. He took a deep breath in Norbert, holding his breath as he sat down, feeling the energy inside his body, forcing it to go faster and faster.
Wondering what was happening outside, it was probably just a view of a black orb with Finekus outside twiddling his thumbs. The energy within him slowed down slightly.
Chastising himself for the distraction, Norbert focused back on sending it to his mind, the lesson he learnt in the room that repeated. Mind cleared, Norbert felt it ramp up inside his body, the overdrive happening as it started to accelerate exponentially.
There was no output at all; it was just teaming within his body, trying to stay completely still as Norbert started to twitch and spasm. The energy within him wanted to find a release, any release, as Norbert continued to bottle it up.
Feeling it reached a tipping point, his reserves started to dwindle as they became used up in the process. As slowly and carefully as Norbert could, whispering, “Which way, Luck?”
A single mote of light appearing inside the orb, Norbert closing his eyes as they watered, having been used to the lack of light and the golden light now bathing inside the black orb.
Seeing it move to the side, Norbert followed, watching as it winked out as it stopped moving. Pulling his arm back, Norbert imagined his hand going through the orb, causing it to crumble in on itself, and grabbing Finekus on the other side.
He punched Norbert’s fingers, impacting the barrier and feeling them shatter from the force until his palm hit it. A flash of light appeared, his hand pulling him forward, only to blow back on himself.
The orb falling apart like he wanted, however his arm continuing forward and the rest of his body crumpling inwards, pain like nothing else crashing over his entire body.
SNAP
Every bone was broken, and the world went utterly dark as the little energy within his body tried to numb the pain that he currently felt.