As he skidded down the mountainside, a plan formed in his mind. Shale and rocks tumbled behind him as he carefully made his way around the holes in the mountainside, not wanting to become a toasted marshmallow.

Norbert stopped as he made his way from the entrance, zigzagging his way down the mountainside, careful not to make any noise that could alert the line of resources being deposited. Obsius and Kit remained quiet, holding onto him; the only time stopping was when the world became dark after an eruption of fire.

He was nearing the bottom. Norbert quickly slid down the rest of the way, now far enough from the road and with no holes in the mountainside, his shadows dancing momentarily from the fire that the mountainside still puffed out.

Now no longer on the mountain, Norbert looked off to the side, where the black horizon of freedom awaited; only the tiny undulations from the holes that filled the landscape that Norbert could half see were the only indication that there was any distance travelled that any world existed out there.

He took the first few steps away from the pathway, away from the entrance, and began counting. Upon hitting five, he found himself staring at the road, where the carts were bringing resources inside the mountain.

He shakes his head in annoyance, whispering, "At least it isn’t just inside the mountain.” He is unsure if those words were meant to comfort him or if his worry escaped his lips.

His path was decided for him. Norbert headed over to the line of caravans, sending energy around his body as he neared. He stopped several meters away, lying on the ground just outside the reach of the light.

Hoping that they didn’t have any way to see in the dark as Norbert began counting, getting the timing right ahead. Whispering under his breath to Obsius on his shoulder, he said, “Can you cause a distraction?”

The bird did not even tweet in acknowledgment as it shot off his shoulder up into the air. Norbert trailed after her until he lost sight, focusing on the wooden carts ahead of him being pulled. He aimed for underneath between the wheels, which he would hold onto until entering the mountain.

“Wha-“

Norbert pushed forward, feeling the fox's claws dig into his shoulder as he ran close to the ground. Slipping between the wheels and skidding on his back, he slammed his fingers into the wooden boards, breaking into them, holding his entire body up and off the ground.

“What's wrong?” A voice said from behind the wagon Norbert was currently under.

“A bird attacked me.” The driver of the wagon Norbert was currently holding onto said above him.

“Trust your luck; probably the only bird still out here.”

Only grumbling was heard in response. Norbert felt a weight land on him, looked down and saw Obsius there with the fox on his chest, the two of them looking at him before resting on his body. Norbert shook his head as he looked around the underside of the wagon, seeing nowhere else to hold his feet in.

Taking a shaky breath, Norbert closed his eyes as he sent the energy around his body, taking slow, calming breaths as he waited to go inside the mountain.

***

Hearing a clanging in his ears and vibrations on his head, Norbert opened his eyes, wondering what was happening. In his vision was Obsius, the bird looking down at him, Norbert hearing the sound of the wagon moving across the stone.

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He was thinking of how he came here, and a pain shot through his fingers. He bit his lip to silence himself, remembering he was currently going inside the mountain of unknown people after the catastrophe of the Colosseum, still fresh in everyone’s mind.

Turning his head to the side, he looked out across, seeing that they were still on a single road, the walls close to the side and no option to escape.

Turning his head the other way, Norbert saw he was going on a pathway etched into a ravine. Norbert heard the sounds of rushing water over there, shouts, and metal hitting metal. Looking back to Obsius, the bird nodded its head before it went into his jacket to stay inside.

Swinging his body to the side, Norbert rolled down the hill, balling up as he held onto the fox and the bird so as not to leave any of them behind.

Norbert did not focus on the shouts; he just waited for the rolling to stop. For it did, as Norbert began free-falling in the air. Snapping his eyes open, he cursed to himself as he rolled forward, arms out, and spread-eagled to slow himself as much as possible.

SLAM

Norbert instantly hit the water, and it trundled him off to the side. Water got into his mouth, and the front of his body ached from the impact.

His body flipped over as the river moved it he was currently in. He burst his head out of it, took a deep breath as he looked around, and felt the fox digging down into the back of his neck, the front two of its paws scratching against the top of his helmet.

Keeping his head out as he looked around, trying to see what was up ahead, the water rushing around, and not hearing the roar of a waterfall, Norbert began swimming to one of the banks.

He pulled himself up onto the cliff edge, his wet hands digging into the stone as he pulled himself up, the water dripping from his clothes. The fox on his head was shaking its fur, and light droplets splashed against his clothes.

Coming to the top of the edge, Norbert pulled himself up so only his head was visible. He saw a small pathway in front of him. Looking both ways, seeing that nobody was there, Norbert pulled himself up the rest of the way.

Obsius landed down on his shoulder, perfectly dry. The bird tweeted to the fox that still clung to his helmet, and Norbert felt it shake and rattle on his head.

Taking his jacket off, Norbert twisted out the little water he could get out, flapping it off while squeezing his shirt out quickly, stopping it from sticking so closely to his body. He looked around where he was, deep underground and with nothing of a semblance to go on.

Following the path in the river's direction, Norbert trudged along, hearing the squelch of his every step from his wet boots. He took the sack off his back, looked inside, and saw only wet clothes, breathing out in annoyance at not being able to dry himself off at least somewhat.

Placing it on his back again, Norbert unsheathed each of his daggers and knife, taking them out and quickly wiping them down. He also got the small amount of water that went inside the sheath out, hoping to remember to oil the blades later to stop any rust forming.

Continuing along the path, fighting the urge to start whistling as around him, Norbert could hear the sounds of metal on metal banging as he wondered what they could be making with all of the resources that they were dumping into this beast of production, just the amount of flames being shot off the side of the mountain giving evidence of something not normal happening around him.

Hearing voices coming from ahead of him around the curve of the road, Norbert stepped backwards and over the edge, grabbing onto the stone wall again with the river below him. He held his breath as he heard the two speaking.

“Think the intruder drowned?”

“For his sake, whatever else is in these tunnels is going to be a fate worse than drowning,” the second voice said.

“What if we run into them?” The first voice echoed, silence following it as they were currently right above Norbert, their footsteps having stopped above Norbert. Tilt He tilted their head to the side, confirming they weren’t currently peering over the edge that Norbert was grasping. How unlucky would that make us?”

After hearing it, Norbert pulled himself upwards, blasting up with both arms outstretched, aiming for where their necks would be.

Having missed their necks, Norbert’s legs flailed as he kicked them both in the jaw. The three of them tumbled to the ground in a heap.

Grabbing onto something, Norbert yanks it away as he looks at the other, grabbing another limb as well. Standing up, Norbert looks at both the things that he is holding onto, having to squeeze tighter so one of them won’t slip.

Catching his breath, he looked at the two that he had caught. One was held up by their foot, not even close to touching the ground as they jostled about.

The other whimpering out as Norbert looked at them, seeing their beard was holding them up, the long glossy facial hair taught against the man’s skin.

Looking between them, Norbert finally struck on where he had seen them before. “Why are you always smiths?”