âIndeed. A good doctor is rare to come by. Next time I go to the surface, Iâll have Maruruk tag along. We might even find a competent one.â Maruruk would suffer a terrible migraine from weathering the bright sun, but it was better than being stuck as a big-headed brat with sticks for torso and limbs. Ozen often wondered if the Curse had something to do with his lack of growth. Not that there was much to be done about it. She certainly wasnât about to live on the surface just because her apprentice was a twig.
âYou must read their mind. That skinny bird has hidden from me for years. If you see them, give them a good smack on the face for me, wonât you?â It wouldnât be the same as a smack from Lord Immovable, but Ozen didnât have the patience to scour the Fifth Layer just to collect a debt. She leaned forward, and rested her elbows on the table. Even with a chair made specific to her height, she still hunched, a dark mass of robes held up by a thin frame.
âEven if he joins us, he will not be sitting beside me.â Ozen chuckled, the sound rumbling in her throat. âWe are lucky in the Inverted Forest. There are many species of vegetation we can use to ferment and brew. The berries have yielded the best result. It tastes a bit like puke, but its sweet aftertaste is quite pleasant.â
Before long, Maruruk arrived in the dining room, pushing a cart of soup and wine. He greeted Bondrewd with a chipper, spirited âhelloâ, and took a bow. An experienced caretaker, he seemed to know everything that was needed, and prepped the table with a bowl and utensils for everyone. He poured a mug of wine for his mentor and her guests, and put a full bottle on the table before taking his leave. The dinner table of White Whistles wasnât his place to attend. The kitchen was close enough for him to know if he were needed.
Steam wafted from their gigantic bowls of soup. Large chunks of meat stuck out like hills, glistening under the light. An aroma of herbs and spices filled the air, a treat to the nose. Various root vegetables accompanied the meat, and bits of bloated insect stomachs bobbed on the surface.
Ozen took a sip with her spoon. âNot bad.â She commented. âDefinitely better than the dry wall you eat at Idofront.â
      bondrewd, despite his pressing, pondered not as to why ozen kept a child around like maruruk if only to pester and berate the child. it was typical, really. he expected no less of a fellow white whistle, especially one such as ozen. if the nature of the abyss were to be personified, itâd find itâs hands being that of people like ozen. cruel and unyielding. if anything, should the child ever end up growing well, ozenâs harshness would prepare him for a life typical of the abyss, far better than any other delver child would be.
       â i will be sure to keep it in mind. they only have passed through once, though what words where exchanged where minimum. iâm sure theyâll consider it a mercy it will come from me, however, rather than their skull being cracked! â an unintentional chuckle parted from bondrewd as he watched the massive woman haunch over yet again. to think; she lived here and did not take the opportunity to at least alter some of her surroundings to better suit her.Â
       âalas, vomit is still better according to many of my associates than the taste of the rations.â nods immediately echoed out from his two praying hands, in vehement agreement. despite this, they would not receive any sort of alcohol. only food. if he was to drink, they must remain well and both knew this. the food would suffice for their pallets.Â
       with the meal sat before them, and maruruk having left, bondrewd finally removed morning star from him, gently raising the relic and removing it of his head. it would be rude ( and rather impossible to eat with it on ) to keep it on at the dinner table. his praying hands did the same.Â
       all shared the same white in their hair as typical of abyss delvers, though of course, the white whistle hosted the most, for his entire head of hair was ashen, and even his eyes had lost whatever pigment that they had once held. it left them caught erie amounts of light as the white eyes would gaze down appreciatively to the meal before him as he reached, carefully resting morning star aside both the meal and drink.Â
      â it smells delicious, and youâre absolutely right. iâve yet to try it, but it does not take much to have better flavour than those bars. â with nothing holding him back now, the dawn would also move to enjoy the soup, his mouth immediately caught off guard by the flavours. while he had his fair share of meats and vegetation offered by the abyss during his ascent, it was nothing like a properly seasoned and cooked meal. â my, my, my - what a little chef you have. perhaps i will simply steal him away. â with their master eating and having approved the dish, both praying hands silently joined.Â
      after but a mouthful or two, the white whistle paused, reaching for his stemmed glass, and holding it up in a sort of half-cheers. âthank you, for hosting us this evening, lord ozen. â the praying hands nodded in agreement, only pausing for a second before continuing their feast.Â