The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 6: Dwarves

"Yin, please!"

"For a week straight, she only packed him a single horseradish. He'd try so hard to trade, but no one wanted horseradish. After that, we called him Radish Boy for a few years, until..." His voice trailed off. Yin was looking uncomfortable. Vao crossed his arms, a scowl taking its place on his feminine face.

"Until what?" Salem pressed. Yin's cheeks were pink.

"Um... W-well, as Vao got older, his body, u-um..." He struggled to find the right words. "Well... He started to look more and more like a girl..."

Vao shot to his feet, his fists clenched. "Oh, bollocks, you twat! You're just jealous I have an hourglass figure and you don't!"

They could hear the carriage driver burst out laughing. Yin looked at his brother with pity. "Vao... You're not supposed to... You know what, nevermind."

"That's right. I win," Vao snickered. Verde decided to speak.

"Well... Any other-"

"Shut up, heretic," Yin snapped. Verde closed her mouth again. There was silence for a long while before Oswald spoke. He had woken up from his nap while Vao was screaming about his body. No one had noticed because his eyes were hidden by his helmet.

"... I don't think men are supposed to have hourglass figures..."

Vao looked up, his eyes flaring with anger. Yin groaned, putting his hands over his face. "Can we please stop talking about my brother's figure?"

Oswald leaned on his knees. "Yes, we can."

The carriage driver turned around, flashing them a smile. "We're coming up on Ragna, the city of dwarves! We'll be there in less than an hour. You guys want to see?"

"About time," Salem muttered. Her legs were falling asleep from sitting down for so long.

"You know, Ragna's one of the few places I never visited when I left Aldia," Sasha said cheerily.

"No one cares about your homeland, elf," Yin growled venomously.

The carriage driver pulled a string. The tent of the carriage unfolded, exposing them to daylight for the first time in several days. When their eyes adjusted, they saw it. Looming on the horizon, it was massive. A tall mountain that impaled the clouds. And carved into its side they could see the city. Ragna was much larger than they had thought, sprawling across the face of the mountain.

"W-woah..."

That was the only response from the party with the exception of Oswald. The mysterious knight chuckled.

"Well, isn't that a sight to behold?"

The shadow of the mountain engulfed the carriage as they moved closer, the carriage driver smirking. "Ragna's got plenty to see. Mines, bars, whore houses, you name it! For your little witch friend, she ain't gonna find much for magic. Dwarves aren't really magic people. Plenty of ingredients for potions, though!"

Oswald leaned forward, his armored hand resting on the driver's shoulder. "I have a question, and it is important. Depending on your answer, my world may be in grave danger."

The man looked nervous. "U-uh... What is it?"

"Do they have hot cocoa?"

...

The gates of Ragna stood before them, the carriage on its return journey back to Faralda. Vao was gushing over the architecture, his red eyes wide with delight.

"S-s-solid g-gold gates... O-oh..."

"Calm down. You're freaking me out," Sasha growled. Vao turned to her, his face a deep shade of scarlet.