Sadly for Norbert, just as they started moving, they were slowing down again, Norbert pulling far ahead before he realised he was alone again. Turning around, the platform that everyone was on had slowed down, by now stopping and dropping to the floor. Watching he saw people started getting closer again and sitting down and waiting for them to meet him.

Looking up at the sky, Norbert watched as the group came thundering to him; he saw some people being carried, realising that they were all the mages already. Dobert caught up to him, saying, "You forgot one."

Norbert looked around, confused at what they were talking about. Scanning through them, everyone looked as he expected, turning back to Dobert, who said, "Azalea is still over there, not wanting anyone else to carry her."

Norbert just sighed, wondering what was going through the woman's head. Getting to his feet, Norbert waved off, saying he would return shortly and for them not to wait up for him. Norbert blasted forward over the marshland as the two parties left in opposite directions.

Not as fast as usual, for fear of falling into a puddle or losing his grip, he ran. Skidding to a stop, he found Azalea sitting on a rock and reading her book, Norbert wondering where the rock came from in the first place.

Looking down at her, Norbert asked, "Any reason why me specifically?"

Azalea just shook her head as she placed her book back in her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "Just wanted to read a bit more", She finished.

Just shaking his head at the reason, Norbert moved his backpack to the front of himself. As Azalea climbed onto his back, she leaned forward, whispering, "Why are you still wearing the mask?"

Norbert turned her head, feeling it press into his skin at the angle. Taking it off, Norbert just smiled. "Forgot I had it on in the first place", He responded.

"Well, nobody else forgot you had it on", Azalea replied

Norbert just nodded as he placed it in his backpack, keeping it at the top. With everything secured inside, Norbert asked Azalea if she was ready, receiving a nod as he sped off.

Taking out the compass, Norbert clicked to the other two positions, confirming all three were heading in the same direction. Changing his course so he would meet up with his party Norbert and Azalea continued over the marshes.

Norbert slowed down way before they met up with the group, slowing down to an easy run, no dirt and mud getting kicked up behind him. As Norbert slowed down, making his way to the front again and pointing the group in the right direction, together they started crossing, Norbert happy with the time they were making.

Stopping for one of their breaks, everyone else was slightly winded or just cooling down, Norbert just holding onto Azalea. "Going to get off," Norbert asked.

Azalea slipped off his back, feet landing on the ground as she took her book out and began flipping through the pages. Norbert watched down at her as she landed on a page, stopping her incessant flipping as she moved a finger across it, pointing to parts of the magic circle on the other side.

Norbert shook his head and pulled out the bestiary, not seeing anything better to do out here in the wilderness; looking around before reading, Norbert was happy that they could no longer see the train tracks, having gone far enough away that they would not be spotted.

After several minutes passed, the group headed off once more, people standing up and packing their things. As Norbert looked around, seeing that everyone's face started looking sunken in slightly, wondering what they would be doing. Feeling two hands reach up for his shoulders, Norbert felt a weight settle on his back.

Turning around, Norbert saw Azalea in her usual position on his back. Leaning forward, she said, "Don't worry about the others; just focus on leading us in the right direction." She said.

Norbert nodded again, knowing what she said was true but still unsettled by it, trying to see plans or ways to navigate this unknown landscape. Laughing to himself, Norbert recalled his time in the forest on the plateau. He had no way of knowing the correct way to go, just unthinkingly following his nose and looking at him. He came out completely fine.

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Shaking his head, Norbert, hope to fill him that someone would find a way to the other side of the mountain. Norbert and the group continued forward. Through the run, Norbert looked forward at the mountain range as it slowly grew closer and closer.

As Norbert looked at the mountain range, seeing if there was a path over it, not wanting to be surrounded again and fight their way out of a cave, Norbert felt something different with his feet.

Looking down, Norbert's feet skidded on dirt, sliding forward before landing into a wheel rut, nearly tripping over his feet. Looking around, Norbert spotted a path winding through the marshes. Throwing his hands in the air and cheering, Norbert turned around, the others also making their way along the path.

Dousan nodded at the path before saying, "Looks like a change of attire will be needed" to the group.

As one, they all went off, stretching out as well, looking around and knowing they would be with civilisation; all the same, uniforms would be suspicious and immediately point them to be from the Frontier.

Splitting off onto each side of the road, Norbert stayed in the middle, wearing his all-black attire. The men are going on one side and the women on the other. Sitting down, Norbert just took out his book, not knowing how long it would take them to change out of their clothes—surprised that so many of them even had a spare set.

As people returned, Norbert saw them all have different styles and colours, most still wearing pants and boots, but the extras were everything. Some men went topless; Norbert was happy that the women didn't share the same custom, or he would not know where to look.

Others just had a simple shirt on, button down, while others had theirs lined with gold, looking very formal and out of place. Dobert walked towards him, one of the people with no shirt on, just wearing some pants and the same boots. Norbert gave him an eye. "What?" Dobert asked in response, "Not everyone is carrying around a complete second set of clothes." He said, trying to defend himself.

Norbert just cast his gaze to those behind him, all wearing some proper clothes, though on inspection, Norbert noticed the only men wearing something proper were the mages, and seeing they turned their blue cloaks into capes to wear, trailing behind them. Norbert just shook his head at the image.

Norbert turned to Dobert. "Aren't your shoulders going to get chaffed up?" he asked.

With a swipe of his hand, Dobert just dismissed, "Nah, have been doing this for ages, so a little bit of extra ruffling about ain't gonna do any damage."

Norbert just threw his hands up in surrender. "Well, suit yourself", he said; now that everyone was back, Norbert wondered if they would do the carry system again or head off individually. He watched as nobody went on others' backs, just jogging forward down the dirt road that would have answered his question.

Heading to the front once more, Norbert watched the twisting road ahead of him, looking down at the compass and confirming that they were going n roughly in the right direction. Putting it away, Norbert enjoyed the experience, happy it would at least be an easy run.

Looking at the marshes as the group thundered over the wooden bridge as Norbert looked down the side, seeing the river going underneath them. Happy once more for the road as they hit it once more on the other side, continuing their journey.

***

Up ahead, everyone went for a walk, seeing a village, no wall protecting it, as Norbert spotted people moving within about with their day. Around it, Norbert saw the marsh die down, leaving only large bodies of water surrounding the village, people walking throughout it, bending down to pluck weeds out and move the water around, Norbert assumed.

He looked back at his group of forty, wondering how this would turn out. The village houses were made from mud; Norbert saw the dried earth around him. All being only one story, Norbert knowing they would need to duck through the doors in this place to walk about as his head was nearly the same heights as the rooves.

Everyone they saw stopped and stared at the party, whispering to each other about the strangers as they entered. Norbert plastered a smile on his face as they continued forward through the village.

Walking his way through, everyone slightly spread out but still following Norbert, wondering to himself how he was in the lead of everyone as they walked through. Looking around, Norbert found a single building sticking out from all the others, its walls made of grey stone of the mountain range in the distance.

He looked at the two-story structure dwarfing anything else in the village; Norbert stepped inside the building. Around rows of long tables and benches set out, Norbert was at the front as the group began piling in. The conversation from within the building dyed out as more and more people came in.

Whispers again of confusion about the crowd around it. Walking towards the desk to the side of the room, Norbert passed a notice board; seeing that it had pictures of creatures written on it with pieces of paper, enumeration underneath of some kind, Norbert assumed, unable to read any of it.

One of the pieces of paper caught his eye, with little writing compared to the others. All it had was a masked face with lines under the eyes and around the jaw at the bottom, a description. Funny that someone who was wanted would have the same mask as him.

It all clicked within his head. Norbert looked back to the notice board, happy that none of his other companions' faces were on the board.

The man behind the desk called out to Norbert, disrupting him from his thoughts, "Can I help you or your group with anything?" The man asked.