Norbert clasped the bag in his hand, looking at the marble under his face. Happy that he could bring it along, Norbert slowly stood up. Dropping his shoes on the ground, Norbert looked around, happy that Luck had not shown up yet to witness himself sprawled on the ground.

Opening the bag, Norbert looked inside, confirming his clothes and the present. Taking the present out and dumping the clothes on the floor, Norbert did another quick look that nobody was around before quickly getting changed.

Wearing the clean garments from the bag, Norbert placed the gift on the table. Taking out the piece of paper, the original, from the belt, Norbert unfolded it and held it open so he could look through it.

Thinking back lucky that he could make it back home before he was whisked away; if that had happened at the bar, trying to explain it afterwards. Shaking his head, Norbert began reading the script on the page, now memorising it, not needing to look at the page but in the habit of doing so.

The doors opened behind him. Norbert heard a conversation cut muffled as they closed. Norbert stayed where he was, waiting for Luck to make her way towards him. In the same clothes as before, she padded towards her chair. Stopping at the table, she looked at the box.

Wrapped up and a little sticker on it, she pointed towards it, asking, "For me?"

Norbert placed the paper on the table, leaning back in the chair, saying, "You did ask for a souvenir, didn't you? This isn't a typical souvenir, but I think you would appreciate it." Norbert said.

Luck giggled and opened the package, uncovering the cardboard shipping box. Seeing the company logos, it stuck together for a moment before tearing into that as well. Norbert leaned forward slightly, trying to look into the box. All he could see was the bubble wrapping covering the books.

Luck picked up the entire package, bubble wrap and all, before placing it on the table and looking up at Norbert confused. Norbert, who could no longer keep it in, explained, "That's bubble wrap, intended to protect packages as they travel from one place to another. It's inside. Also, it's a lot of fun to pop."

Without indicating that she heard, she tore it open, the plastic unable to hold in as a POP echoed around the room. Laughing in response, Luck slowly unwrapped it, popping the bubble wrap as she went.

The pile of bubble wrap sat inside the box, and the two big books were on the table. Norbert sees Luck looking at the two of them, admiring the covers. The geographic one had a picture of the Grand Canyon; the technology book had a mobile phone from the 80s split apart and seeing the parts.

Picking up the book about nature, Luck went over to her seat, placing it on her lap as she started flicking through the pages. Norbert could see half of it as she turned it over, pictures of pine forests, snow, deserts with winding lines the in the sand with camels riding along the apex of these hills. Birds are filtering through the sky and pods of whales. Seeing also bustling cities and slums, Tokyo,

"Thought it would give you an idea of Earth, what it looks like, and how the people are. The other book is meant to show you the different technologies."

Luck looked up, closing the book after only flicking through it, placing it back on the table, and asking, "Why are they so big and unwieldy?"

"These are called coffee-table books. Mostly used as a piece of aesthetic meant to be left on a table. Though you can pick it up and read through it as well." Norbert added.

Luck placed the book on the table, looking at the next one. Picking it up and walking towards Norbert, she sat on his lap, book on her lap. Pointing at the cover, she asked Norbert, "What's this?"

Norbert moved his head around Luck's side, seeing her pointing to the phone at the cover being taken apart. Norbert explained, "That's an old phone used to talk with people over long distances. The phones had a number with them, and putting in the right number allows you to talk with them. Their voices come out of here, and you talk there," Norbert pointed towards the speaker and the mouthpiece.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Luck asked, "Do you have one?"

Norbert leaned forward, picking up the plastic bag and taking his phone from the pants pocket. Passing the phone to her with its frozen lock screen, "This is a common type of phone seen now." Norbert said. Seeing Luck pressing it and opening her mouth, Norbert responded, "It currently doesn't function. All I know is that it doesn't. It's a touch screen with a display so that the buttons would appear where you need them. The speakers are here and here, with the microphone just here." Norbert pointed to each item when he explained it.

Turning the phone over, Luck saw the camera on the back, just pointing without asking. Norbert explained, "And that is a camera used to take pictures of things you want to be viewed later. Like in that book," Norbert said, pointing to the book sitting on the table.

Opening the book, Norbert began to read the contents out to her. Explaining what was being shown and how each device was operated. Passing through the first ten pages, Luck closed the book, placing it back on the table, explaining she wanted to look through it later. Hopping off Norbert, she stood at the cart, tingling around the drinks again. Picking one up, Norbert saw her pour an orange liquid into a goblet before handing it to Norbert.

Norbert gulped down the concoction, sniffing it and remembering citrus on cakes, warm bread coming out of the oven, and the sun warming him up on a cold day. Feeling it tickled, it confirmed to Norbert that it was once again an elixir. Spreading in his stomach, Norbert asked Luck, "Can I leave some of my things here to pick up again when I return?"

Luck smiled back. "Sure, but only for you."

Norbert just smiled, taking his things from the bag and putting them on him. Dropping his phone back in the garbage bag, Norbert patted himself down, ensuring he had everything. Picking up the paper, Norbert waved goodbye, holding himself back from coughing.

Remembering what he said to Jack, coughing up black sludge while doing so, Norbert asked, "Can you come back to Earth with me next time as a reason for the sudden change to my housemate."

Before Luck could respond, light surrounded Norbert before brief darkness surrounded him, and then he fell onto the ground in the tent. Placing the paper on the table, Norbert tried to stand up, his head swaying as a coughing fit racked his body. Covering his mouth, Norbert took his hand away, slowly calming down, seeing the same black sludge there as before.

In the end, his hand covered in it, Norbert took his glove off, trying to keep it contained as he looked for a way to clean it off, and happy it had not spread anywhere else. Holding the glove, Norbert looked in his bag, took out his water skin and went outside the tent. When washing it out as it was inverted, Norbert made a sludgy mess before turning it inside out, wearing it, and washing it while whipping it on the grass.

Periodically looking at it and sniffing, the smell got less and less until it looked clean again. Seeing it too wet to wear with any writing he might be doing. Heading inside, Norbert placed the two gloves on the table, putting the paper next. Norbert grasped the sword, confirming that he could still remember how to attach it to his belt. He took it off again, lying on the table like before; Norbert rocked on the chair, waiting for his teacher to return.

***

With no one coming and Norbert just waiting, he picked up the sheet he had before. Looking across the table and seeing other pages similar to the one Norbert had for the past few weeks, he placed them in a pile and started looking through them. Using the first page as a reference, Norbert looked through the letters, seeing the combination they would make. Spelling out the words and combinations, Norbert slowly and steadily read through the pages.

Continuing this, Norbert sat there, staring at the pages and speaking out loud to himself, the pendant shining on the table, wanting to hear the sounds he was supposed to be making. Like this, Norbert continued with the sun lightening the outskirts of the tent. The flap opened, and Norbert craned his neck to the side, seeing who had opened it.

There standing looking the same as he last saw her was the red hair blue mage. Standing, she held two cups in her hands. Walking forward, she placed one in front of Norbert, looking in and seeing that it was not water; tasting a bit and feeling the warmth, Norbert went and sipped it.

Spinning a page to face her, Norbert said its contents to her, wincing a bit when he stumbled over a word. The mage opened her mouth and began speaking. Holding his hand up, Norbert put on the pendant. "Sorry, I don't yet know the words, just the sounds I think they should make." Norbert finished.

"I'm amazed that you came this far. But I came to let you know that Mark's after you. Time to swing that sword around some more."

Nodding, Norbert got up, placing his bag on his bag and taking his sword. Obsius waking up in the bustle coming out of the bag and flying off, Norbert assumed the little guy was getting food.

Walking out the door, Norbert turned around, asking the mage as she bundled the pages together, "Was wondering, what is your name?"

Looking up, the sun streaming in and seeing her face correctly with the hood down. Her eyes drew him in again, almost missing her whisper, "Azalea."

Norbert nodded, leaving the tent on his way to find Mark.