Norbert looked down at the compass, confirming he was still going in the right direction. Looking up again, Norbert could now confirm a mountain before him, as plain as day. As he looked further across it wasn’t just a lone mountain but a mountain range. Its grey surface pocketed with rocks, with little life on it. Norbert shivered; looking like the mountain range had sucked away all the life around it to grow tall. What caught him off guard was the damn where the canyon was. Only a tiny amount of water was coming out of it from a small hole; Norbert saw more dead raptors around the base.
Taking out his compass, it pointed to him going up the mountain as Norbert continued to stare up, relieved that there was no snow on the top, shivering at the thought of needing to trek the freezing cold in what he was wearing.
Running forward, Norbert made it to the base of the dam. Seeing it reach into the sky, going past where the canyon was and out onto each side, unable to see where it stopped. Rubbing his hands together, Norbert took his backpack and sword off, tying the sword around his back and the backpack over the top, allowing his body to move freely and the sword not bang against the dam.
Wiping his hands along the dam, feeling smooth stone, unable to feel any grooves for him to use as hand holds. Bringing his arm back, Norbert punched his fist into the dam, the rock underneath giving way, creating a handhold for him to use.
Norbert sighed at how long it would take him to reach the top. Holding himself up with his hand while slamming his other hand in, pulling his right hand out of the wall and lifting himself with his left until his right foot could get into his first-hand hold.
Standing up only on the two-foot holds, Norbert slammed his right hand into the dam again, creating a hole for him to use; repeating with the left, he climbed up half a meter, moving his feet into the positions before repeating.
He slowly climbed the dam in this manner as the sun began to set; Norbert continued up the dam without rest. Occasionally Norbert would look at the compass, confirming it was pointing him to continue heading over the dam. To what position exactly or how they climbed over the dam without leaving a trace, Norbert did not know.
Finally, at the top, no moon in the sky tonight; Norbert needed to strain his eyes to see and confirm with the compass by using the light from his pendant. With a nod, Norbert looked up at where it was pointing, seeing a massive body of water the dam was holding back.
Only coming about half up the side of the dam from the ground level, Norbert looked forward, now able to see the mountain's actual height. The dam and the mountain merged at a point Norbert could not tell.
Wondering if he should continue or return, Norbert took out his trusty coin, flipping it into the air. Norbert shouted, "Heads to continue forward, tails to head back to the village and notify the Frontier!"
As the coin spun in the air, Norbert lost track of it; when it felt right, he moved his hand through the air with it open, feeling the coin land in his palm before placing it on the back of his other hand.
Looking down at the coin, Norbert saw the tail side facing up. Snorting, Norbert placed it back, dismissing the advice and forging ahead; for better or worse, he wouldn't leave the party behind.
Walking along the dam edge, he walked towards the mountain. When his feet started to rise, having jogged around the entire side of the dam, unable to see how long he had been walking with no moon, Norbert took his pack and sword off him, resting his head on the pack and closed his eyes, falling to sleep.
***
Norbert shot up, panting and sweat dripping down his face, soaking into his hair. Wiping his face, Norbert slowed his breathing, placing his hand on his sword, confirming it was still there. Looking into his pack, Norbert brought out his water skin, tipping some of it into his mouth, trying to calm himself down.
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As he tried to remember the nightmare, the details slipped away. Seeing his party all dismembered, blood everywhere, Luck standing behind him, smiling as she leaned forward and whispered, "I told you to go back" Before a dagger was thrust into his stomach.
Looking down, Norbert remembered seeing a blade the size of his arm sticking out of him as it continued through his body, his head falling to the ground as he looked up, seeing Luck drop the blade into his eyes. That was the last part he remembered before waking up.
Finished with his meal Norbert took out the compass, flicking between the three options—two points towards the mountain and the other out into the plains. Flicking between them, Norbert just watched as the needle spun around, going from one side to the other.
Sighing, his decision was already made before Norbert clicked the first button, pointing him towards where Dousan's group would be. Standing up, Norbert started his trek up the mountain, trying to find where they could be.
As the sun started to rise, Norbert was now high on the mountain, able to see the dam far below him as he followed the incline. Watching the plains out far over, Norbert looked at the trees dotting the landscape, imagining a line between them that he could take to make it back to the village.
Moving his gaze to the canyon as it slowly turned to the ravine, like a scar on the landscape, it slightly moved over the landscape, acting as the only proper landmark for all Norbert could see. Watching as it slowly narrowed in width and height.
Turning back to the mountain, Norbert looked up, hoping he wouldn't need to reach the top, not feeling welcome for that type of climb. Dismissing the thought, knowing he would climb to the top and back down the other side if needed, Norbert continued advancing.
Perplexed, Norbert stopped where he was, still having more mountains to go up. Norbert looked down at the compass again, seeing it point behind him.
Spinning around, Norbert walked back the way he came, watching as it slowly moved around before flipping again.
Staring down at the ground, Norbert noticed it had no change from before, no cave or giant boulder that could be hiding something, no vines growing or bushes on the ground. Just the same grey landscape that Norbert had been climbing the entire day.
Flicking to the second option, Norbert saw it was slightly to the right, a bit down the mountain. Walking in this direction, Norbert took twenty-one steps before it started to go weird again. Confirmed that it was somewhere in this direction, Norbert wished he had a way of confirming latitude, remembering to ask for it next time.
He sat down, picking through the dust as he fiddled with the compass. Spinning it around Norbert made it so instead of on the x-axis, it was on the y, but this was useless as it didn't spin freely now.
Continuing to sit, not knowing what to do, Norbert waited, resting for an idea to come to him or for him to find a secret switch to allow him passage, hopefully. As he continued to stay there, Norbert took his bestiary out, now from instinct, than anything else and began to read through it. Read the pages about other flying creatures and re-reading the page about the Giant Bats, hoping it would point to a solution to his problem.
Norbert continued to sit, unable to read as the sun had set long ago, casting the world in semi-darkness. Only a sliver of the moon allowed Norbert to see the landscape stretch below him.
Standing up, Norbert packed his things away, thinking he should at least do something rather than sit around and wait for the inevitable until he would be forced to return due to lack of food. Even though he spent a day on the mountain, he spotted no creatures, just the same grey slate everywhere.
Climbing steadily, Norbert made his way up, dismissing the compass as he went further up, at least to see what was on the other side of the mountain. Higher and higher, he climbed, watching the summit.
SHRIEK
Norbert spun around, looking down the mountain. The moonlight reflected on the water's surface of the dam. Norbert gazed at multiple shadows going over the water. Rubbing his eyes, making sure he wasn't sleeping, he saw more and more go out, watching as they split into pairs and headed out over the plains, most of them staying in the centre of the dam where Norbert assumed the canyon would be.
Seeing hope of an entrance, Norbert slid down the mountain, not caring for the sound he would be creating as rocks tumbled next to him, feeling them pepper his back as he continued going down the mountain in sections, just sprinting as fast as he could.
Norbert made it to the lip overlooking the dam's edge in record time and only several tumbles. Looking down, Norbert saw the water shining up at him, slightly rippling as the wind moved it.
Looking down, Norbert thought about jumping in, dismissing the idea as he felt the bag on his shoulders, not wanting to get his spare clothes or tomb wet.
Walking down the side, not wanting anything to land into the water and alert things of his presence Norbert carefully made his way until he once more stood at the edge of the dam.
Looking through his bag again, Norbert confirmed everything was wrapped up as well as it could be, hoping the water would stay out. Taking his backpack off and lifting it above his head Norbert jumped into the water, feeling its cold embrace.