Norbert tapped the foot on the ground, back leaning on the counter as he waited for it to develop. Receiving a tap on his shoulder, Norbert turned around, seeing the clerk back again, looking slightly flustered compared to when he last saw them.

Norbert waited for the clerk to say something; the clerk getting even more nervous, saying in a high-pitched voice, "The owner said they would like to meet with you if you are available at the moment" Norbert could see the reptilians tail quivering behind them. Nodding as he went over his outcomes.

Thinking for a moment, Norbert replied to the clerk, "One moment", before he reached under his top bringing out the pendant.

Taking it off, Norbert spun it around his finger several times, hearing the voices around him change from standard English to a random language Norbert couldn't even discern. Happy that he wouldn't be overheard, Norbert took out the coin saying, "Hey Luck, know you can see some things and going to ask you again, heads to leave with the coin, tails to go and look at this owner", Norbert said, finishing it with a flick of the coin.

Watching it go into the sky as high as he could, Norbert could see it nearly touch the ceiling before it hovered in mid-air and fell back to the ground. Norbert intercepted it, palmed it over to the back of his left hand, and covered it. Spinning around, he presented it to the clerk, showing the tails facing up.

Flicking his wrist, Norbert caught it and placed it back into the coin pouch; placing his pendant over his neck again, Norbert heard the sounds around him turn back to English. Shaking his body at the weird feeling as it finally all clicked into place.

"I know the way upstairs by myself", Norbert said as he turned and walked off, heading to the glass stairs going to the level above.

"Sir, wait!" The clerk shouted. Norbert turning on his heels, looked as they came out of the entrance and walked over to him; Norbert could now see them nervous.

"Sir, the owner would like to meet you downstairs in their office," The clerk said.

Norbert just looked at the lizard person, wondering if this was another trap like before and if this owner would also want to "save face".

Shaking his head, Norbert nodded. "Then please lead the way", Norbert said, watching as the reptilian's tail stopped for a moment before relaxing, the first time that Norbert had seen since their entire conversation.

Following their lead through all the people, Norbert watched as they went to a wall in the building, the clerk waiting for a second before stepping through, walking right through the wall. Norbert just stared, startled momentarily, waiting for something to happen. Several seconds later, the clerk's head poked out before shaking their head, indicating to follow inside.

Norbert just breathed in, stepping through the wall, wondering if he would eat stone soon. Feeling something against his skin, Norbert was stopped momentarily before continuing through, passing a barrier of some sort.

On the other side, Norbert was in a white corridor, workers bustling this way and back, rooms off to the side as Norbert followed the clerk; as they continued, the corridor ended at a T juncture. Taking the right path, Norbert watched as they went down the stairs, the torches on the side of the wall replaced by lamps Norbert saw with a constant light, changing from natural fire to a magical light.

Norbert just watched, continuing more profound underground, six flights of stairs beneath, each having a right turn before going straight. On the fifth turn, Norbert saw dispersed between the lights guards stood, holding a spear in their right hand, one foot on each step; Norbert counted to ten before he stopped, seeing it pointless and just that there was a lot.

Finally, the steps ended, and Norbert found himself in an open chamber utterly cluttered with items. Norbert looked around, seeing boxes of all sorts, some open and everything from uniforms to food to weapons to chips scattered about. Norbert could not see any organisation or system used for it, looking more like someone just dumped it the first thing they saw.

As Norbert looked around, following the clerk in the room, Norbert saw a stone door on the side nearly blending in completely but standing out as the clerk made their way through and opened it, and he was jogging to catch up, his feet clapping on the solid stone beneath his feet.

Reaching the door, the clerk said, "The owner will see you inside." Norbert stepped through the door, seeing the theme of stone even here. The floor turned from grey to black, with white webs flowing through it; Norbert looked at the metal furniture within the room, simple in design and matching it.

Stepping in, Norbert saw the metal desk, one leather chair behind it and a simple steel one on the other side. Looking around the desk, Norbert saw pieces of paper all around, being held down and stopped from moving by piles of gold coins, flaunting the wealth before everyone who entered.

Behind the desk was a glass cabinet filled with gems and weapons. In the middle behind the glass was a painting of someone standing next to a tree on a hill, a silhouette in the setting sun as the sky turned red around the horizon, the night sky showing above.

Norbert just stared, hearing the door close behind him with the empty room; speaking out, Norbert closed his eyes. "If you turn out to be the owner with a disguise on. Very cliché” Norbert said. He reached for the chair and sat in it, rocking backwards and forth as he felt the coolness of the metal through his clothes.

After waiting several moments, Norbert heard some shuffling as they walked around, the chair scraping on the floor as it was moved backwards; Norbert heard a tapping on the desk, nails clicking against the metal.

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Opening one eye, Norbert saw the owner sitting before him, looking the same. Hair still cut short around the shoulders, and their face still looking like a hunter, ready to tear him apart.

Gulping, Norbert forgot for a moment who he was dealing with, hoping he hadn't bitten off more than he could chew. "Can't a woman have some fun every once in a while," She asked.

Norbert opened his mouth about to respond as the woman waved her hand, cutting him off and saying, "Well, it doesn't matter, and you're right. It was a bit cliché. The big boss turning up unexpectedly and all." She finished, shaking her head.

"But enough fun and games, I'm sure you read the note. If I recall, last time we had a conversation, it was agreed you wouldn't pull the same trick again." The owner said leaning forward continuing "Well, do you have anything to say for yourself?" she asked.

Undoing the strap around his sword, "Well, I need money; lots and fast. I thought a city like this would have a casino that I could win big in. Wasn't expecting it to be one of yours, though," Norbert said.

"Well, if you realised, why did you come inside then? I hope your memory isn't that bad", the owner said.

"Well, I hoped you wouldn't be over here just because we are in a different country. Just a quick in and out and off we go, have a bag full of gold and able to continue with our dealings here," Norbert said, opening his hand as if presenting a pitch to the board of directors.

"Well, I am here, and you didn't go with just a few gold coins but an entire bag full. And you only put in two silver as initial. How is that not suspicious at all, especially when you stay on the lowest floor" The owner said.

"Correction, not the lowest floor. But don't like the dealings that happen above." Norbert said, trailing off.

The owner just looked at him before she started laughing. Rocking back and forth, she rested her head on the table, visibly shaking. Getting back up smiling, she excused herself. "Sorry, just funny to hear someone who has killed beasts not wanting to see a little fighting between them."

Norbert continued to stare, "To each their own," Norbert said.

The owner is still smiling. "Ah yes, different strokes for different folks", nodding in approval. "But enough of that. To the reason why I invited you down here, about this," She said, taking two pieces of paper and spinning them around, allowing Norbert to see.

Looking down, Norbert saw the poster with his face and mask on it again, looking the same as before. The other showed him without his mask; Norbert looked, squinting his eyes, seeing that it could be him but not likely.

Removing his mask, Norbert asked while pointing to his face, "Do I look like that?" he asked.

Just receiving a nod in response, Norbert picked up the picture, looking at the ugly mug shot. "Damn, didn't know I looked this good" he said, putting the paper down. Pointing to the writing, Norbert asked, "You know what it says?"

Nodding, the owner responded, "Wanted poster for one Norbert. He assisted in escaping prisoners as well as destruction of property and murder. Wanted alive," She said before running her hand down. "It also says about accomplices that you have been looking for several but are not determined about their exact details. Oh yes, and reward for bringing in fifty gold."

Norbert's eyes popped wide, fifty gold on his head—over a million dollar bounty and for what, just escaping one man. Norbert thought about the giant he had faced before, thinking about what situation he threw himself into.

She finished placing the paper back down. "But that isn't why I bring it up. I had to do some digging to find this, but it turns out the one most interested in you is Arzlan."

Norbert just nodded. "Makes sense that it is him, did have a bout with him and escape with some of my colleagues", Norbert finished, looking up and seeing the owner thinking about something else. "And anyway, you know my name, but I don't know yours. A bit rude to keep on calling you 'the owner,'" Norbert finished.

Broken from her trance, the owner looked up. "You've been calling me 'the owner' all this time?" She asked. Norbert just nodded. "Elizabeth," She said.

Norbert nodded before Elizabeth continued, "Now it all makes sense" She finished, opening a drawer of her desk; Norbert heard the wheels before she took out a wooden box filled with bottles.

Norbert quickly counted and saw two rows of five, all having different colour liquids inside, ranging from yellow with a mix to some reds and blues. As Norbert looked at them, he realised what he was seeing. An entire carton of elixirs, Norbert's eyes are swimming just thinking at the cost it would be.

"Ummm, are you sure this isn't a mistake?" Norbert asked.

"No, guess you have some friends in very high places," Elizabeth said.

Norbert nodded, opening, his mouth. "No, I'm not going to help you with whatever you're doing here, and I also don't want to know. Officially and off the books, this conversation never happened." Elizabeth said, interrupting him from asking for help with his current predicament.

Norbert nodded again, waving his hand over the potions. "Any place you want me to take them or order it was given in?" Norbert asked.

Elizabeth just pushed them over. "Row by row, going from closest to you to me, left to right on your side", She said, pointing it out before continuing "And take it here, want to see if the rumours are true. Bet some good money on them being false."

Norbert nodded. "Any idea what I'm drinking will give me?" Norbert asked.

Elizabeth reached into the draw and started reciting off a piece of paper, pointing to each one. "Night vision, magic vision, magic strength, magic capacity, two of them, strength, strength, strength, agility and two resistances. One focused on bone and the other on allowing the knitting of muscles to the skeleton to be stronger, stopping your muscles from ripping themselves off your bones if you put all your strength through it."

Norbert just nodded, eyeing them up. Seeing the first two wondering what Luck had done to organise all of this. Shaking his head, hoping he hadn't made a deal with the devil and slowly selling his soul piece by piece, Norbert reached over to the perception, the yellow potion with flecks of red and blue.

Picking it up, taking the cork out of the top and smelling pineapple and mangos in a sorbet, and mixing berries through yogurt. Eyes closed, Norbert downed the bottle, tasting it on his tongue as it went down into his gullet.

Norbert waited for a moment, feeling a tinge in his eyes, liquid coming down his eyes. Wiping them, Norbert waited several seconds, nothing else coming out. Opening his eyes, Norbert looked around, asking, "Any idea how to activate it?" he asked.

Just receiving a shake of the head, Norbert just shrugged, taking the next one and focusing on his eyes. Uncorking the yellow and blue potion, Norbert smelt it, lemons and a blueberry sandwich. Reminding Norbert of wanting to have a lemon drop when they go back to Earth, he downed this again.

This one, as it hit his tongue, Norbert felt it go to the roof of his mouth, going through it until it left a slight popping on his tongue. Wiping his eyes, Norbert looked around, trying to focus on Elizabeth before him.

Watching Norbert saw an outline over her, a blue halo around the woman. Norbert asked, "Can you do a spell, any kind?" He asked, not wanting to get distracted. Norbert is not moving as Elizabeth raises her hand, and Norbert can see a spell form. From her hand, Norbert saw the magic come from her core, flying down her hand and condensing there.

Norbert just nodded, happy that he could now see something. Norbert looked at the other eight elixirs, his stomach gurgling in response; he hoped he could keep it all in.