361 Thin Dwarves at Rocket Mountain (1/2)
Something didn't look right. When Zero and Truen finally arrived at the capital of Rocket Mountain, they were stunned to see dwarves looking like skin and bones. Horrified, Zero asked around if there was a famine or league going on. The dwarves at Little Stone Town appeared fine so he couldn't understand how such a horrible thing could happen to the capital.
”You must be new,” the fruit stall grandmother sighed. ”We're not having a famine or a plague but you can say that disaster has befallen Rocket Mountain.”
Concerned, Zero requested more information and Truen gave the old lady some coins as a token of their sincerity.
The old lady looked around cautiously before lowering her voice.
”It's the princess. She's fallen for the Fae King and the King who favours his only daughter has ordered that all dwarves in the capital must show their sincerity and support for the princess' efforts and diet alongside her. Every week the princess tries a new diet and everyone follows it so as to motivate her to lose more weight and become the Fae King's ideal kind of lover. Initially, it wasn't that terrible and we were only made to exercise more and drink less. However as time went by, the princess' dieting became more extreme. It has only been six months since the start of this nonsense but already people have fallen ill and died so many of us are thinking of leaving the capital. My husband and I are leaving the capital next week because we cannot live on just an apple in the morning, a cabbage for lunch and a small chicken wing for dinner while running five miles. That's the diet plan for next week.”
Zero thanked the old lady and gave her a look of pity. Still, as a doctor, he couldn't turn a blind eye to those who were suffering. truen gave Zero a warning look when the doctor wanted to pull out some pills. Zero quickly stopped what he was about to do and left after he remembered the rules he agreed on. He couldn't do it for free.
The duo was given strange stares mostly because they were elves. Elves and dwarves didn't get along but nobody knew what to think of elves with dark skin so the dwarves remained cautious but not hostile. Zero was grateful that Truen wasn't a fair-skinned elf from the Great Altear Forest. It would have been impossible to negotiate at all.
The inn that Truen found was located near the castle. It was a reputable inn that was popular among travellers. Zero found himself watching a great spectacle when the innkeeper demanded two gold per night for a room when they saw Truen. The doctor didn't think it was too much of an issue. They had enough gold to spare but Truen wasn't happy about it.
”Is this your usual rate to all your customers?” the archer growled. Zero could tell that he was very close to putting an arrow through the innkeeper's skull.
The innkeeper was a buffy swarf slightly taller than others but still shorter than Zero by half a head. He leaned on the wooden counter top with a sneer.
”No, but it's a price for hateful long-ears like yourself. If you have a problem you can get out of my inn and sleep elsewhere.”
Truen was seeing red. If he was still an adventurer without Zero, he would have pulled out a dagger and cut off some fingers to make talking easier. Unfortunately, Zero would only ew them back together again and apologise before paying the unreasonable innkeeper the two gold coins for the stay and a few extra coins to apologise for the inconvenience. The wood elf restrained himself and took deep breaths to calm himself down.