Dealings With Deities

Chapter 20 - The tree's don't care

"Kaiho, Kaiho" Shinoko came running, arrows and sword strapped to her back the many people made space as she made a bee-line towards the giant and the dwarf. "Kaiho big news."

"Back so soon missy?" Vordum asked.

"Who's up there?"

"Klelone, god of elven steel crafts." She replied out of breath, having somehow sprinted through the crowd.

"Let's go then," Kaiho announced already making his way to the stairs.

Moving beyond the fifth floor, the crowds shrunk at an exponential rate. Specialist crafters and expensive goods led to a lack of window shoppers. Only people with set orders and merchants with a key purpose were left.

"Klelone, god of 'elven steel crafts. Does that mean other races have gods of steel crafts as well?"

"Not exactly," Shinoko responded. "Humans and Dwarves follow the same god, Gnomes have too many to count. Gods are more limited to location than race"

"Klelone is god of thieves. No matter what lies these elves would tell you."

"Why's that?" Kaiho asked.

"Vordum, like most dwarves. Consider Klelone to have stolen the knowledge of iron from a dwarven smith."

"Not even a good one at that," Vordum spat on the ground showing his disgust.

"I see."

Kaiho did not delve into it further. With the glares, Shinoko and Vordum were throwing between each other. It seemed smarter to let the conversation die. Instead, he turned to what was ahead. Klelone's altar came in sight.

"Is that it there?"

The others did not reply as it was clear to anybody that it was.

A lonely statue of hammer and anvil stood proudly upon a short podium, emitting a golden light from no discernible source. The anvil had three heads and was overly flourished with intricate carvings and patterns woven throughout. The hammer which hung above as if mid-strike, was horribly plain in comparison. Utilitarian in design with a large iron head and wooden handle much to thick for elven hands. Together they made up the altar of Klelone, god of steel crafts and if Vordum is right, stealer of dwarven knowledge.

"Why are you and Long legs in such a hurry to find this altar?"

After much deliberation about what she felt was the correct wording and some glances towards Kaiho, Shinoko replied. "I thought it would be helpful in our journey to receive guidance from the gods."

"What makes this one so special?"

"Well... I don't know, Kaiho has been saying that the other altars we visited were empty."

"How the hells can you tell if an altar is empty," Vordum muttered.

"You mean apart from this heat?" Kaiho replied soaking his sleeve in another layer of head sweat.

"There is no heat, stop drinking," Shinoko shot back.

"Another way to tell," Kaiho continued, ignoring her remark and stretching one hand out in front of him. "Is to check for defences."

"Defences?" Vordum and Shinoko asked in unison.

Kaiho stopped in his tracks as an audible thump emitted from his palm, "One, for example, is this." He rapped his knuckles upon the invisible surface creating a hollow bell-like echo.

"What was that?" Shinoko exclaimed.

"A barrier, like the cool spells those mages used. Only this one is a million times stronger. Do you think those elves will teach me how to make them?"