Once more, the sun's light shone on the horizon. Norbert closed his book and watched as the others prepared, taking a bite of his food, seeing that half of it was gone now. Mark stood up, saying, "Today will be the last day before we should hit the ravine, after that it’s a return trip."
Receiving nods from all around, Norbert prepared himself again, looking towards the direction they had been heading in the entire time. Picking up again, they made past the tree, Azalea riding on Norbert's back again, the group wanting to return quickly as possible.
The sun high in the sky, Norbert wiped his sword on the ground, seeing the raptors sprawled on the ground, in varying stages on their destination towards the afterlife. He looked around the plains, confirming nothing else out there.
After leaving the shade of the tree, this had been the third group they had encountered; everyone was tense, reading the air and weapons drawn. Without carrying Azalea and everyone taking their original positions, the group carefully headed off, waiting to see this ravine that would end their journey.
The grass cut; Norbert whips his head around, hearing the wind blow through the blades; cutting his sword down, Norbert feels resistance. One of the raptors appeared before him, circling with its head looking up at him from the ground.
The group moves into action instantly, having their back to one another with Azalea in the centre, waiting for the rest of the raptors group to come out of hiding. Tense seconds later, the group visibly relaxed.
The raptors seeing their chance, dived out of the grass together, seven of them taking one of the four positions on the outside. Having done this tactic many times before, Norbert met the claws with his blade, thrusting it forward and through the reptile's chest.
Spinning around, blade by his side, ready to dash towards anyone needing assistance, Norbert saw that the others had also been dispatched. Coming to the centre again and in their positions, the group once more continued, Norbert looking back and seeing the path of destruction they had made.
The once flat plains were now pockmarked with grass being pushed down, from some of the bodies holding it down. Shaking his head that it couldn't have been an easy time as more raptors were slayed, Norbert continued walking, hoping the ravine was close.
Stomachs on the ground, Norbert looked across, finally seeing their prize. Pushing his head out through the grass, hoping not to be seen by the raptors swarming bellow, the group looked to the other side and at the bottom of the ravine.
The raptors swarmed at the bottom, all punishing each other, a sea of green moving this way and that, Norbert unable to see the ground the raptors tread upon because they were so tightly packed. Scanning up his eyes, he saw the countless eggs pock marketing the side of the ravines, seeing the little inlets holding a single egg. Each egg looking the size of someone’s head, dark green with lines of white spreading out like cracks in shattered glass. Scanning to the left and right, as far as he could see before the ravine bent around a corner, eggs were on its side.
Seeing that they were only two meters up, not to the top, Norbert was relieved, knowing that they would not be spotted by one of the raptors coming to inspect an egg.
Norbert felt a pat on his arm; turning his head to the side, Azalea pointed behind them with her thumb. Norbert nodding in return, slowly crawled backwards, gazing one last time over the edge, trying to get a last detail that could point to the large amount congregating at one location.
Away from the ravine, the group went to a crouch, making sure their heads didn't poke above the grass; like this, they travelled Norbert, not knowing how long, but hearing rustling from above, Mark having stood up and jogging away.
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The rest following Mark looked back, confirming they weren't being followed by a wave of raptors turning to Azalea and Norbert. "We're going to run for the rest of the time; no breaks until we return. Up for the challenge of carrying some of us, Norbert?" he asked.
Norbert just nodded, going in front of Azalea as he twisted his backpack again to the front. Feeling her climb on once secured, he picked up his pace, all of them heading away. Feeling Azalea tap on his shoulder, Norbert looked in the direction she was pointing, nodding and heading to the centre of the group light appeared underneath Norbert's head.
Catching a glimpse in his peripheral vision, Norbert saw a blue circle form between her fingers; suddenly, it expanded, covering the entire group. Instantly Norbert felt the difference, each step somehow easier than the last, the wind pushing him forward.
The grass in front blew down, so it would not be whipping at their legs, coming back up again on the other side as it had never been moved in the first place. With their new pace, the group began to eat away the miles.
With night coming and not seeing anything passing multiple trees, nobody even asked if they could stop. Azalea used her magic on and off throughout the day, making great timing, but she would still need to travel for another day.
Mark indicated for the group to stop, and they all slowed down. "As I said previously, we won't stop for the night. The first one being carried will be Rachel, followed by myself and Nessie. No complaints; Azalea will be on top of whoever Norbert is carrying. Try and get as much sleep as possible. If we can keep the same pace as today, we should return to town by mid-day tomorrow."
With that, Mark headed off again into the night, Azalea hopping onto her feet as Rachel climbed aboard Norbert; Azalea climbed on top of her. Norbert feeling a slight strain due to the weight but dismissing it by focusing on the energy inside himself, knowing his veins slightly turning purple with the effort.
With everyone secured, Norbert took off, making his steps uniform to allow his passengers to get as much sleep as possible.
***
Changing multiple times throughout the night, nobody stopped as they continued to move during the day. Not encountering anything on their travels, if the raptors could even catch up with them at their pace, Norbert hoped they couldn’t.
The sun setting once more on the horizon, Norbert saw a dot coming out of the ground in the direction the group was heading. Minutes later, Norbert confirmed it was their destination, the town once more.
Coming up the same way they came, needing to angle slightly to hit the town, Azalea on his back gave them all a final burst of speed. Confirming the town, Norbert waved to someone handling the walls. Seeing a wave in reply before the person ducked behind the wall, running off to tell someone about the group's return.
Thundering through the village, not stopping as people came out of houses to see the disturbance, making it to the centre where the gate could be seen. Azalea climbed off Norbert's back as they entered the tent, Dousan, Martitia and the others already there.
Mark walks forward with Azalea, leaving Norbert, Rachel and Nessie standing near the tent wall. Dousan already has a map of the town; Norbert sees some figurines on top of it, lines drawn with string formations.
On the other side of the tent, against the wall, Norbert saw the gate operator standing silently, Obsius sitting on his shoulder. The two of them locked eyes; the bird flapped its wings once and beckoned its head towards Norbert to come closer. Wondering what the bird was up to, Norbert walked around the tent, standing beside the cloaked figure.
Mark walked forward. "Same as last time, a way bigger issue than normal", Mark said, all eyes turning to him. "All of the raptors have congregated in the ravine for nesting, filling the sides with their eggs, for when they hatch, all hell will break loose."
Dousan just nodded. "The worst has come then. We're not the only ones to report strange behaviour patterns with their targets. The world is holding its breath, and when it releases." Dousan trailed off, just shaking his head.
"Anything else you would like to add," Dousan said, looking to everyone from the returning group; nobody said anything.
He nodded in approval, stating, "Then you are dismissed; go and get some warm food in you and sleep on something soft; I'm sure one of the villagers will easily help you find the latter."
The others saluted, Norbert adding it in as well. All went off, heading straight for the food tent. As he entered, his stomach grumbled in response to the food he could smell wafting around the tent.
Piling the food on his platter, Norbert sat with the others, not saying a word to each other, focusing on the food on his plate. Walking around, now feeling the days and night running catching up to him, Norbert walked until he found someone, asking for a bed before being led and placed onto something. Norbert fell asleep before he even hit the mattress.