They went and prepared themselves, then regrouped and joined the rather long queue that was slowly moving into the portal. Dale spotted Father Richard ahead, nearly bouncing as he waited his turn. Dale had to laugh at the man's antics.
“Think he is going to go find some stone masons?” Dale casually looked over at Hans, pointing at the powerful priest.
“Who?” Hans peered about.
“Father Richard, over there.”
“Oh. Most likely, I guess. Ah, Dale, about Father Richard, I’ve heard some-”
A bellowing voice reached them abruptly, “Dale! Dale wait, please!”
They turned toward this voice to see James, the portal maker, running toward them. He stopped, panting, face flush and eyes wild.
“Oh. Hello, James.” Dale spoke coolly, “How can I help you?” Dale was still rather displeased with James, his insults still fresh in his mind.
“Dale, please, I want to apologize. I wronged you and acted like a buffoon, holding prejudices for no reason other than to have them. Please don’t make me leave.” James begged. “This place… I’ve never seen anything like it!”
“Oh, now we get to the crux of it.” Hans interjected snidely. “Realized how profitable this area is going to be? How the dungeon has been churning out Runed items like a merchant churns out turds?”
Dale looked at Hans, startled at this unforeseen attitude. Hans, mistaking the look gave an explanation, “They churn turds out frequently. Because they eat so much. Dale? You ok?”
Dale's face was beet red, abruptly he erupted into laughter. Hans looked a bit confused, until he also started laughing. James looked shocked, then affronted, assuming they were calling him names, laughing at him for some reason.
“You don’t have to be cruel about it. I’ll go. The enchantment is already pulling me toward the portal, I may as well just...” James decreed sharply. He turned and started to pace away.
“W-wait!” Dale snorted around his laughter. “You’re fine, James. You don’t have to go, just try not to be an ass to everyone. It isn’t too fun when someone has so much power and you can’t do anything to stop it, right?”
“No. It. Is. Not.” James enunciated bitingly.
“Well, that's what you were trying to do when we met. I hope you can see the parallels in the situation. Bullying me and being pushy, with no regard for my opinion, simply due to your overwhelming strength.” Dale smiled to soften the insult. “Let’s meet up and talk sometime, I’d love to hear about portal making. Plus, I would really rather have you as a friend than an enemy.”
They left James standing there with a shocked look still on his face, as they walked over to the open portal, which they stepped through after a brief talk with the attendant, who marked something in a ledger book.
~Twenty-One~
Dale dropped to the ground heaving.
“Ah, the best and worst feeling in the world.” Hans chattered, glancing fondly at the portal.
“The… Worst… Ye-blargh.” Dale didn’t puke, the long distant breakfast being the only reason. The dry heaving wasn’t fun though.
“Oi! Move it, you’re about to be trampled!” The attendant on this side of the portal shouted.
“Oops. Forgot to tell you to close your eyes when you came through.” Hans grasped Dale, moving him forward as more people appeared in the spot they had been. Luckily, the design of the portal made it like walking through a door, not creating matter in the same area, else portal magic would have quickly gone out of style. With the exploding people and whatnot.
Dale looked around, quickly forgetting his nausea. This was a beautiful area, and the trees and flowers gave off a heady fragrance. A tang of salt was in the air as well, reminding Dale that the Lion Kingdom Capitol was adjacent to the ocean. The whitewashed stone of the surrounding buildings gave off a glare where the sun struck them, making him quickly avert his eyes. His clothing, thick wool under the armor he wore constantly, was already beginning to accumulate sweat as his body registered the heat and humidity of the region.
“This is…” Dale breathed.
“Hot, beautiful, and filthy.” Hans supplied cynically.
Dale looked at him askance, “Filthy?
“Under all that paint and rosy perfume, this is still a city. Last year, the shit piled so high in the streets that the King finally noticed, since his daughter's horse slipped in it, and she got a bit… messy.” Hans quieted near the end of his tale, “Don’t go telling that story too loudly, they’re still a bit, hmm, sensitive about it here. Anyway, the Kingdom paid off the Guild, and hired water Mages to flood the worst of the streets. This allowed careful flushing of everything foul off and away. Even the homeless that lived in the streets.”
“That's… good? Getting rid of the poop at least… Seems a bit temporary though.” Dale ventured. “They just washed people away?”
“Right, good head on those shoulders, boy-o. Well, he also bought most of the earth Mages in the city, their services at least, and they’ve been building an elaborate sewage system under the city. Have been for the better part of a year.” Hans grimaced with finality. “And yes, they don’t particularly care about people that refuse to work for a living. To be homeless in the city, you need a license from the Beggars Guild, which is not a Guild approved by the Realm.”
Dale decided he didn’t really want to get into a political discussion, so he returned to the sewer system, “Why does building it take so long? Seems like it wouldn’t be too hard to make a tunnel with Mana...”
“Ah, now you come to the crux of the matter, stonework is hard, and expensive, but when it is done right, it stays in place pretty much forever. Stone Mages convince the stone that this is the shape they’ve always wanted; it would take intense destructive power to convince them otherwise.” Hans sagely imparted wisdom, “The King does care about his working citizens though, which is the only reason this project is being successful. Since the cost is so high, short term planners don’t really see the worth of the idea, as the common citizens are the main beneficiaries of it.”
“Oh, well I guess I don’t really see why it's such a big deal if they can just cheaply wash it away every once in a while.” Dale suggested.
“There is the argument of the uneducated, my friend. Filth in the streets like that causes unrest, disease, and is a strong blow to morale. Not to mention, who likes shit on their feet?” Hans intently made eye contact, “The sewers will make the place healthier, wealthier, and happier for everyone. More so for cultivators like us, who may live here a very long time.”
Dale was quiet, considering Hans’ words. “Hans, why do you know these things? I mean, I know you’ve been around for a longer time than me but…”
Hans was quiet a short while, a considering look passing along on his face. Finally, he began softly, “Dale, I… Don’t want you to think poorly of me, but I’ll tell you a bit about myself if you’d like.”
Dale nodded, eager to learn about any of his tight-lipped squad mates.
“Alright, well, I grew up here.” Hans started as they walked along a palm tree lined street. “I was the lowest of the low, basically an orphan for how much I saw my father, my mother died before I ever knew her. Undisciplined, wild, and hungry, I joined the street gangs that roam the streets. Kids my age, governed by usually just one adult, someone who survived in the gang long enough to be called an adult at least. The guards are not... kind... to thieves if they are caught.”
Dale gazed on in surprise, he had never expected these revelations. He remained quiet, knowing an interruption might stop the flow of information.
“I… distinguished myself a little too much. I was careless, and boasted of my success. A thief, a real thief, from one of the hidden Guilds, approached me and offered training. It is not an offer you say no to - not if you plan to live. Soon after, I was being taught everything you would expect, stealth, legerdemain, better ways to pickpocket.” Hans glanced at Dale, to see if he had his attention.