Coming level with the stalactites, staring up at the ceiling, confirming that there weren’t any creatures coming from up there, his plan hinging on the fact that they could not reach him so high up, for if they dropped down on him he would just plummet to the ground.
Grabbing onto the first stalactite, he winced at the sound of the impact, holding his breath as he continued to hear the rock wanting to let go, until it finally stopped cracking, confirming that it would take his weight. He looked down, squelching his stomach together as it wanted to upheave itself from the height. The number of the chitinous creatures that had burst through the wall was staggering, and the beaches on both sides of the river were filled with them.
Swallowing the bile forming in his throat at the creatures below him as he slowly panned his gaze ahead of him, watching the stalactites he would need to continue climbing on.
Feeling the energy once more wanting to burst inside his body, it started to speed up and be put to use. Steeling himself as he grasped onto the power, he did not want to break any of the stones that currently held his salvation.
In the future, Norbert looped his body as it found the pattern to continue down the cavern he had fallen into. Occasionally, he looked down at the creatures below him, following after him as the water continued to crash below. Knowing the pattern and the time, the chitinous creatures would try their attack, always holding onto a stalactite as far up as it would allow, with only a few drops of water dusting him the closest they could come.
The beaches on either side were slowly dropping away, the river getting wider and wider, and he noticed the sound of rushing water dancing in his ears. Turning to each side, Norbert heard them tunnel through the rock, the holes they had made before as they stuck their heads out for a moment before diving back in so quickly that normal eyes would only see blurs of movement and the stationary chitinous creature.
The beaches were now ending, and Norbert looked down for a moment as the water rushed, moving upwards in constant waves as they tried to bring him in, becoming more desperate than before.
THUNK
Norbert nearly fell out of the ceiling as the stalactite he had grasped onto had come loose, having just enough momentum to reach out for the next one, seeing the object that caused the stone to loosen—an arrow.
Scanning the ground, reeling as it was much further down than he expected. A second of water fell just in front of him, and there was the sound of rushing water. Thinking it was the same as he looked across, nested here on the sides were not the same bugs, as several arrows were pointed in his direction, others already shooting at the bugs on either side of him, Norbert watching with a slam and a shriek of pain the arrows impacted into the chitin, hearing the hard shell break on impact.
Swallowing as he looked at what was in front of him again, the cavern opened up as the city welcomed him. His saliva got caught in his throat, and he coughed slightly as he leapt for the next stalactite. He watched as the closer he came to the city, the less that appeared— his salvation travelling forward, closing up around him.
Still making his course, the lake filled up as he spotted several small boats milling about, hauling nets underneath and bringing something from the lake's surface. As he continued making his way towards the city, he put enough pressure on the stone by leaping for the next one, and the dendrites restarted and fell beneath him. He heard their sounds as they plopped to the bottom of the lake.
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Now definitely having all their attention, Norbert leapt out again, grasping for the ceiling as he strengthened his hands, feeling them smash into the stone ceiling above. His feet dangled there as he looked out across the city, the arrows of those on the wall as they all lined up, and no more potshots as he must have been in range of them.
They had only travelled half across the lake, turning around as the bugs filled and fell into the lake below them from the outcropping of stone. Norbert watched as they continued to fall in, the ships moving closer to it, ready to take out the bodies before they sunk too far.
Norbert saw them line up another shot, and the arrows loosened as they glittered with something. Flipping his body up, he pushed against the cave ceiling and shot down towards the ground at an alarming rate.
The energy in his body is crying out at the force he gave it, feeling it still wind around within him and covering his arms in front of him as the water impacts him, the breath knocked out of him, the coolness of the water sucking the warmth from his blood. His energy halted as he impacted, his brain shocked and frozen as he sunk. Feeling it reboots back up again, spinning his body around, holding his breath as he started kicking up towards the surface.
He stopped just before breaking out, pushing himself back underneath as his body wanted to float to the top despite the sword and metal strapped to him. He was kicking further downwards as he looked about the darkness of the water.
Feeling something wrench at his body, wanting to bring him to the surface even harder this time, Norbert changed his vision to magic as he looked about, confirming the blue tendrils clutching his body, wanting to pull him up.
He released his body and let it be dragged upwards as he wondered what the people with the bows and a city underground would want with him. A peculiar thought of what if he would end up outside again of the mountain, now sure of it being far above him.
He closed his eyes as he stopped his struggle, letting the energy dissipate within him so he could stay still enough to half pretend to be unconscious. His body flipped around so his face was up, the sounds of the water lapping in his ears as he waited for whatever to come next.
Starting to count to himself, making it up to one hundred and three before something encased his entire body. Feeling it slightly dig into his torso and around his shoulder, his legs are forced together and one arm free. He opened his eyes just a slither and saw one of the nets cast over him, the boat right next to him, as they began hauling him up.
His body was pulled up out of the water, the water dripping from the sides as it fell off him, splashing into the lake. His head banged against the side of the hull, grunting, and an angry growl came from the ship.
His body dropped inside as hands combed over him, feeling them take off his weapons and pouches. One of them prying at the helmet on his head, first feeling them palm each side, looking for a clasp or something to open it up. As a final attempt, He Feels them go under his chin, trying to pry the helmet off that way.
Remembering the gashed lines that Beckia changed on the mask to make it resistant to people trying to pry it off his head. Dropping his head, feeling it smash into the deck below him, biting his lip to stop himself from making noise from the surprise of being thrown away.
Voices were coming from above him, annoyed that they weren’t speaking the common tongue he was used to. Just another thing to add to the list of items to learn about this place, as well as finding a way out of this cavern and the same direction that his feet want to go to.
Hearing the water rush past him, the boat cleaving its way through the lake to where Norbert assumed the city would be. No sound of paddles was being used to propel the floatation device, and he felt the darkness over his eyes, the shadow falling as a conversation started with someone way above him.
He heard the boat groan into the side, scraping as the vessel came to a halt. Two sets of hands came down on him as he was hoisted from the boat, his body swaying as he was moved around the city. Counting the turns left and right, he made it to twenty left and seventeen right, and he stopped counting, not seeing a point in continuing this any further.
He had a door open, and the earth slid away as he was brought inside, taking several more turns until finally stopping. Hearing metal slide on metal as the door opened, his body being chucked inside as the door quickly closed behind him.