Rushing past the others, Norbert, did not have a care in the world, hearing snippets of an outcry as he continued to laugh. Arms pumping by his side Norbert went fast enough that his feet once more flew over the ground. The grass hitting his legs, Norbert kept on running. Seeing the first of the trees, Norbert did not stop, continuing to run on the flat plains and wondering what Azalea could be doing behind him, occasionally twisting his head around, seeing her moving her head about, catching the sights as she was carried around.
Norbert continued to run as the day went, knowing that the easy distance was being covered now when they did not need to worry about raptors chasing them. Norbert spotted a tree poking out on the horizon as the sun came down behind them. Slowing down to a jog so they could hear each other over the rushing wind. Pointing to the tree, Norbert asked, "Tree ahead, so are we stopping for the night or continuing?"
Azalea looked in the direction Norbert was pointing, raising a hand to her eyes and squinting but still unable to see anything that Norbert was pointing to. "Don't know what tree you're talking about, but whatever you’re good with."
Norbert nodded and began to run faster again. As they passed the lone tree, looking the same as all the others, with the sky becoming blood red, Norbert continued past it. He was giving it a last look as he continued throughout the night.
Azalea navigated using the stars directing Norbert to keep him in the right direction. As the sunlight was coming out on the horizon, Norbert slowed down as he neared a tree. Walking the rest of the way, placing Azalea down on the ground, taking his backpack off and sword, lying against the tree with his items. Norbert closed his eyes.
"Wake me up in thirty rotations," he said aloud, already drooping off to sleep.
***
Azalea looked at the man leaning against the tree, already fast asleep and heard him snore. Able to go an entire night without stopping, he was unique to last as long as he did, or lucky. Resting as well on the tree, she could get some sleep over the night, even through all the shaking and rustling about on his back.
Happy to be still, she took her tomb out of her bag, flicked to the page she was last reading and started to analyse the spell's differences and nuances.
Nodding her head in approval and taking a bite of a biscuit, she started to read the page in front of her. Realising the time had been up that Norbert had asked. Closing her book and placing it in her bag again, still munching on the biscuit, she leaned over to Norbert.
"Hey, time to get up and moving; it's been thirty rotations."
Azalea heard grumbling in reply, with a waving hand stating something about getting up. Smiling at the boy, he was, juxtaposed with being able to run throughout the night and punch holes in creatures. Shaking her head, she bent down, took her backpack; she placed it in position.
ARGH
Azalea looked around the tree, seeing Norbert standing up, stretching himself, before bending down and putting his backpack and sword on. Loosening his shoulders, Norbert came around, squatting down, allowing Azalea to climb onto his back quickly.
Happy with the assistance, the two took off with, Azalea directing Norbert when needed.
***
Feeling a hand touch his shoulder and something about getting up, Norbert grumbled, "I'm getting up, ok."
Getting to his feet, Norbert put his hands in the air, stretching them up and bending himself backwards, feeling all the muscles in his body move after the lack of movement. Popping from stretching, Norbert groaned to himself.
Feeling eyes watching him, Norbert tried to pay it no mind, bending down and grabbing his backpack and sword. Getting both into position, Norbert bent in front of Azalea, allowing her to climb on easily.
Standing up, Norbert waited for her to get comfortable before heading off under the sun. Azalea pointed him in the right direction. The two headed off on their travels over the plains, going fast without distractions.
Behind him, Norbert turned around, seeing his first group of constantly growing distractions. The first group of raptors popped up around them, Norbert not stopping as he slipped past them. Hearing their roars of anger coming from behind, Norbert continued, hoping they could not keep up with his pace.
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Although they couldn't, the roar of the previous one sent all the others into a frenzy; Norbert remembered in the forest being chased by the wolves that constantly howled at him from up ahead, telling the others of their kind exactly where Norbert was and stopping him from escaping.
Azalea cast her spell constantly to buff Norbert after the first group arrived, allowing him to go that bit faster, not needing to move as much as he powered onwards.
Hearing them coming from all around, Norbert thought back to the other scouts needing to deal with the enraged lizards; hopefully, by the time they arrived the next day, the reptiles would have calmed down slightly. Shaking his head to stop his thoughts from distracting him, Norbert charged into a raptor, unable to make it out in time.
Holding his arms out to stop Azalea from being hit, Norbert smashed into the beast, instantly the creature being pulverised into moosh, the bits that he didn't touch flying out behind him. Off balance, Norbert felt himself tip over head first. Bringing his hands out, he pushed himself into the air, doing a cartwheel.
Landing on his feet, Norbert continued running, feeling pain in his hands but knowing if he looked down, the next raptor would also be after him. Focusing on his hands, trying to get the circulation to repair whatever was wrong with them, Norbert looked ahead, able to see the ravine, just a line where the grass stopped for a moment.
Knowing that the time was coming, twisting his head around, Norbert saw the grass being pushed down in multiple directions; knowing that stopping was not an option, he turned his head forward again, hoping to clear it to the other side.
Focusing on his legs, Norbert focused on it, the beating of the drums, the blood rushing through them, the muscles contracting and releasing, allowing him to run. Norbert took it all in with the minute details and his clothes against the skin as the grass suddenly stopped before him.
Taking his last step, Norbert pushed off with all his might, shouting out to the sky and all around him. Flying through the air, Norbert looked down, seeing the sea of raptors all looking back at him, wanting to see what caused such an enormous uproar.
As he looked around, noticing that there were now more eggs than before and seeing some were shattered, Norbert shuddered, knowing that even more was coming. Turning his head back ahead, Norbert saw his landing, coming closer and closer, the other side coming. As he came closer, from being able to easily make it to just needing to lift his legs to land to having his chest impacted, Norbert winced, knowing he was about to eat dirt.
And eat dirt, Norbert did, his waist smashing into the edge, his chest continuing forward as his face smashed into the dirt, continuing forward Norbert tipped head first, the rest of his body coming up behind him as he rolled onto the grass on the other side.
Tumbling over Norbert, Azalea released her grip from him, flying off somewhere ahead. Norbert was unable to do anything as he continued to roll in the grass, slowing him down. After several more rotations, Norbert stopped, face down in the dirt. Norbert was still for a moment, thinking it was over.
ROAR
Shooting his head up, Norbert went to his feet, alarmed at what could have caused the noise. Remembering the raptors chasing them, Norbert dashed forward, seeing the grass crushed by something else. Hoping it was Azalea, his worries were abated seeing her lying down.
Picking her up, Norbert saw blood coming down her head, peeling back an eye. Norbert saw it wasn't focused on anything. Worry Norbert looked around for anything or anyone that could help her.
Only seeing the raptors coming up the edge, Norbert moved his backpack to his back and picked her up, carrying her in his hands as he rushed forward. This site and raptors, milled around normally, now agitated from the commotion that Norbert caused.
The raptors no longer cared for stealth; Norbert could see them as bright as day; now no longer hidden, he saw the hundreds on this side, milling about in groups, slowly and carefully scanning everything, trying to find the intruder.
Knowing he couldn't go back over the other side while carrying Azalea, Norbert pressed ahead, running away from the ravine. When he dashed off, Norbert felt a thousand eyes fall upon him, knowing that every raptor in the area would be after him.
The race of attrition had started. All closing in on him, Norbert just focused ahead, seeing a path light up before his eyes of the way out. Following it, Norbert twisted when it instructed him to, jumping up above when needed and ducking down.
Norbert dodged them all through the sea of raptors, some just by the hair of his teeth but coming out unscathed. Finally seeing nothing ahead of him, the light fading into nothing, Norbert charged forward, wanting to create as much distance as possible so he could look over Azalea.
All alone now, Norbert looked behind him, confirming he wasn't being chased. Forwards, he went, spotting a tree once more on the horizon. Changing his direction, Norbert headed for it wanting to be out of the shade and off the ground to see if anything came for them.
At the tree, Norbert jumped up, landing on the first branch and balancing, hopping over to the one beside it. Norbert gently placed Azalea down, leaning on the trunk and positioning her legs on each side, straddling the tree.
Norbert sitting down as well, straddling it, took off her backpack, allowing her to rest more comfortably. Leaning closer, Norbert touched his finger to the blood, confirming it was dry, thankful it wasn't bleeding any more.
Looking through his bag, Norbert pulled out his medical kit, took a bandage and wrapped it around her head, hoping the pressure would assist in case she moved. Staring out, Norbert waited for her to wake up, hoping it would be soon before they were forced to move again.