Dealings With Deities

Chapter 18 - A dwarven volition

Above the ground floor, footpaths became more narrow, sporadic and worst of all, crowded. The number of people had not changed but the amount of space had halved. The apprentices were joined by travelling merchants in the unified goal of taking up as much space as possible. Pushing wares, making deals and setting up shabby stalls in the middle of walkways.

As space to move shrunk so did the gap everyone had politely left for the giant human. Crowded and surrounded, Kaiho lost his relaxed swagger. His steps became narrow to match the start and stop pace of the people around him. His arms were stiff at his side, his hands deep in his pockets making sure he could feel his wallet and phone at all times.

No matter how much one would try, collisions were bound to happen. For Kaiho, this was nothing but an annoyance but poor Shinoko was not so heavily built. The people's constant push and shove in the claustrophobic space left her with no choice but to clamp herself tightly to Kaiho's arm. She refused to let go for any reason, in fear of getting swept away in the tide.

Collision after collision Kaiho grew more annoyed until he blurted out his thoughts again "God I hate malls"

He was thinking to himself so the words he blurted were not elvish and to Shinoko's surprise, it was not a human language she knew either.

"What language was that?"

Her innocent question cut deeper than she realised and Kaiho gave a pained look.

"The fact you don't know means it will probably never matter."

"Oh, I see." She replied sadly, almost replicating Kaiho's look exactly. "I do not know the language but I think I understood your meaning."

Kaiho hmmed.

"It was not so ... crowded last night. I know there are less people on the higher levels, so perhaps we can have a rest when we get there."

"That's okay, I think I see a space up ahead."

"Where?"

"Use your big ears." Kaiho jokingly remarked.

Shinoko puffed out her cheeks ready to give him an earful. Instead, she received one of her own.

"How difficult is it to get a simple order done!"

Vordum's voice boomed with such a force even Kaiho joined the crowd in protecting their ears. Though while they used their hands, Kaiho adjusted his headphones.

After his outburst, Vordum was easy to find. He was standing in front of a smithy, surrounded by smiths. Vordum's big angry square head swung towards whoever he chose to yell at next, quickly followed by his chubby hand pouring ale down his throat. How he drank and spoke at the same time was a mystery for all. His loud voice and angry square body looked like a boulder in a river of people. Everyone moved out of his way. What remained was likely the only place on the level where the floor was visible.

"How in the hammered hells can you mean not important. Bah hateful twigs blinded by bark and bound by the branches, the lot of you!" Vordum yelled, again hurting everyone's ears in the process.

"It does not matter dwarf." The smith replied with more spit than this language needed. "There are orders before you and they must be completed first."

"Now don't you lie to me you little-"

"Are you okay master dwarf?" Shinoko called out, clearly hoping her interruption would save her eardrums.

"Oh if it isn't the little miss, Long legs too. Come to push my order back further have you?"

"No thanks, I already have my orders being done. What's your issue?" Kaiho replied, much to Vordum's annoyance.