Light came to him again, feet finally moving, arm still in front of him as he fell to the marble ground of the white room. He came to a knee and looked around. His head swam, trying to find where Casper was.
Whipping his head around, trying to look for Vivienne in the crowd, only to see the window leading to nothingness, something capturing his eyes, feeling like something was moving, watching him in the dark scape of the night sky.
Closing his eyes, calming his racing breath, Obsius, in his coat, moved about as he took the bird out, hearing it flap its wings as it moved about the room. Norbert followed the black object, coming to his knees, as his eyes caught the two chairs around a tea table. A silver cart was on the side, and one of the chairs already had someone sitting there, their golden hair billowing out the side so Norbert could see from his angle.
He was coming to his feet, limping Norbert, landing in the chair with a puff. The fox jumped off his shoulder onto the ground, Norbert watching it go into the sack of clothes already there.
Finally, turning to the goddess before him, Lady Luck smiled at him as she sipped tea. Norbert saw another set of tea cups and saucers sitting at the table, begging him to take it.
The images flashed through his mind of what happened to the crowd, to Vivienne standing there, looking out at him. “What happened?” Norbert uttered the words, the tea in his hand growing slightly cold from his words.
“The start of the game has begun.” Luck said, smiling as she looked at Norbert. “The start is over, preparations in place for what is to come next you return; if not, then a fool will meet their fate like all fools do.”
Norbert looked to Lady Luck. “Is that something that all the gods are forced to say? Doesn’t really go with your vibe? Especially with you in a pair of pink pyjamas.” Norbert told Luck, “Cute though,” adding as an afterthought, finally taking a sip of his tea.
“Do take it seriously, Norbert; your time in the sun is over.”
Norbert stared down Luck again. “What happened?”
“The first hand has been cast, trying to wipe out as many people as possible in a single hit. Expect all to be dead except the lucky and champions, current and past. Though the past ones might not make it too long.”
“So, Casper did something?” Norbert asked.
“Yes, Casper, but possibly fuelled by his god and the Northern Frosters.”
“And he wanted to blow us all up?”
“Start the wars slightly ahead of schedule.”
“Ahead of schedule?” Norbert asked, taking a sip. “Wars?”
“Yes, the entire point of champions to be decided was for you to fight each other and see which god is the best. Why, I’ve previously answered that question.”
“So, they wanted to kick start it off early by trying to kill as many as possible of the next generation of elites from all around because?”
“I have no clue. I don’t know, and if I did, I wouldn’t tell you, or else things could get … mucky.”
Norbert nodded his head. “So what now?”
“Now, you go back to Earth, do whatever you want. In forty-eight hours over there, you can come back."
Norbert nodded his head, taking a sip of tea. He watched as Luck gave a sad smile towards him, “What’s the catch?”
“As you have probably noticed, time has stopped for Earth, allowing you to jump straight back into your lives again.” Norbert nodded his head, looking to Luck as a strangeness wrecked over his body. “After forty-eight hours, you can come and go between the two worlds, no longer ripped randomly. However, time will continue in the other.”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Norbert stared at her, thinking of what she was saying: “So, I need to decide what world I live in, which one I will participate in.”
“Exactly that. Will you keep your hands clean, possibly let another world go to ruin or get dirty,, nd reach in and try your best to clean up??”
“Did the others know of this?”
“Previous champions have told some, those mentoring them.”
Norbert took another sip of tea, the words that the doctor he saw swirling in his mind. “Do you know why Sally kept me away from the others?”
“That isn’t my reason to tell. Why don’t you ask her when you see her next?”
Norbert nodded, placing the tea in his mouth. The taste was going wrong, and the thought of what to do addled his mind.
Taking his clothes, Norbert started to stand behind the chair, only to stop as he began disrobing, taking out the clothes he wore to university what felt like a lifetime ago—a life that never had any thoughts of murder clouding his mind.
“Will I still be able to come back here?” Norbert asked, placing his hoodie over his head and sitting down again. Leaning forward, Obsius landed in the hood section; the fox joined him, and the two's weight slightly strangled the hood around his neck.
“Only for passing; time here is frozen but will be limited. We cannot have others prowling these halls for recovery. Though talking about recovery, you should finish the rest of the potion here.” Luck said, pointing to the mana potion that Vivienne had given him, now sitting beside the cup of tea he placed there.
Taking it, Norbert removed the stopper as he downed the potion, feeling it smash through his body, his depleted reserves now only low. Feeling it move about his body, cleaning it up again, Norbert sighed as the paths the energy made start to repair themselves. The purple on his hands was not that bad as it started receding in his body.
“How long have I left?” Norbert asked, reaching around and placing the fox and Obsius on their shoulders so he could lean back in the chair properly.
“You still have time, so enjoy the serenity while it lasts.”
“You don’t need to tell me that again,” Norbert told the goddess, taking another sip of his tea and draining half of it in a single gulp.
“So, how have you been? I know you’ve been watching in on me countless times, but what about you? I don’t really have the chance to gaze up here and see how you're doing,” Norbert asked Luck.
“Same old, same old, dealing with the others as they pry for any power or advantage.”
Norbert nodded, taking another sip of tea. “And the visions?”
Norbert saw Luck freeze momentarily, likely remembering whatever had been shown to her or possibly when she had seen his own.
“I know you’ve seen them if I have.” Norbert pushed forward, Luck curling her feet under herself. “If anything, I have been tasting what we have coming for us. Is this why you have separated me from interacting with the others and swayed their hands to stop?” Norbert asked.
Norbert looked, seeing as a fire flickered in her eyes that turned to slits. “Just because I am not ordering you around doesn’t mean I don’t want you to win.” Luck said, standing up as she placed her saucer on the table. “You have no clue the deals I have made for you to get where you are now.”
Luck was now standing before Norbert, staring at her as if a golden light had come from her skin. “How lucky to have someone trying to risk it all for one chance, for your success.”
“Scared to be forgotten like your predecessors?” Norbert asked
SMACK
The hand came down before he could see it, his cheek turning red as he looked up at her. Luck stalked back to her chair, sitting down and taking her cup as she had another sip of tea.
Norbert rubbed his chin, seeing out of the corner of his eyes both Obsius and the fox glaring at him. Sitting there, Norbert taps his foot on the ground, mulling over what she said to him.
Breathing out through his nose, he turned to Luck and said, “I went over the line, attacking you, someone who has ultimately always rooted for my success.” Norbert spoke to her, looking into her burnt golden eyes. “And thank you for being there for me, even though you are all alone up here.” Norbert gestured to the barren walls, not a drop of colour or personality anywhere. The only hint of something in Luck's garbs was seeing the pink pyjama, which reminded him of a cheeky cat.
Luck nodded slightly, taking a deep, shuddering breath, which she constantly released as she blew on the tea, sending it rippling.
“Best get ready.”
Norbert nodded as he stood up, patting himself down, ensuring nothing was misplaced.
“See you soon.” Norbert smiled, waving at her.
As the light shone in his eyes again, he heard a whisper in his mind, “Hopefully not, for your sake.”
Darkness encased him, body weightless, then the chair underneath him.
Turning around, I saw Count von Count standing beside Sally, both looking slightly disoriented.
Hearing several claps from behind him, standing there as the voice hit him, “Well, well, well, looks like the gangs all back together.”
Slowly turning around, Norbert sees Casper there, in his usual uniform. Lunging forward before realising it, Norbert held the scruff of Casper’s shirt.