Page 158 of The Gods Veiling
A little pep is added to his steps when we head in the direction of the market again. He murmurs one of his melodies to himself while my eyes eat up everything they can.
This is obviously more of the business side of Godsden. There’re no homes or anything like that. The few gods I see walking around are dressed in their best and we stick out with our pants and casual shirts. A few glances are directed our way, but for the most part, they go on about their day.
Riven tugs my arm as we take a path between two buildings and then another. This route has stolen the gorgeous and open sights for me to see, but we aren’t cast in shadows for long. A gasp escapes me, and my eyes grow wide when we hit a busy street.
“Oh. This is truly a market.”
My lips part as I turn in a circle. Both ways down the street have merchants, but they don’t look like the ones I’m used to. Nor do their stands or what they’re selling and trading.
Instead of just tables set out with a few items for sale, they have shops behind them that are even fuller of their things. People go from the table to inside, and others emerge with their hands full of things.
“This is not at all what it was like when Oddian met with Darlander.”
“No? What was it like?”
“Well, we all met at the line that separates our regions. We’d have tables set out in like a circle. Them on their side, us on ours. What we brought with us was all we had. Darlander would always have more variety because they’d bring with themthe things from the other regions, but we always had the most produce. This is like…everything in one place and it seems not to run out.”
“Oddian people wouldn’t go farther into the regions?”
“Yeah, sure, some of them, but I never did. How do they afford and make all of this with so much abundance?”
I’m starstruck by the buzzing and excitement all around me. There’s so much happening, it’s overwhelming.
“I’m assuming the same as you all did. Trading products, the gods’ gold, or with the exchange and use of power.” He tilts his head and his nostrils kind of twitch at the confusion scripted across my face. “Why do you look like that?”
“Because it’s not the same at all, really. Yes, we traded products, but our currency wasn’t called the gods’ gold. We didn’t even have gold. We had paper bills. And obviously we didn’t exchange or have power to use to make anything.”
“Huh, strange. I guess that makes sense for ungodly people. Amick really is slacking on his teachings. Anyways, follow me.”
With that, he starts weaving in and out of people, and I rush to catch up to him before I get left and lost in the sea of people.
An umph falls from my lips when a body collides with mine. I instinctively grab their shoulders since they’re smaller than me and I glance down into a mischievous set of brown eyes.
I smile softly and arch my brow down at the young boy. “Someone’s in a hurry this morning.”
“Sorry, ma’am, had to get a head start—”
“Uh, Rowden, you cheeky boy. I can’t let you out of my sight for a moment,” a sweet, teasing, motherly voice calls out and the boy giggles as he turns in my arms.
“I wasn’t going to go far.”
“You said that last time and I found you on the roof of a temple.”
I snort at the kid’s laugh. He’s obviously not really in trouble and this is a common occurrence.
“And of course you found yourself in the arms of a beautiful woman. Oh, my dear, thank you for catching him.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I caught him. He more so crashed into me.”
“There’s the goddess I’m looking for. Standing with the goddess I was running from,” Riven says as he comes up beside the lady and slings his arm over her shoulders.
I grumble beneath my breath, “I knew you were doing that on purpose.”
“Oh, Riven, my boy. I didn’t know you were coming today and bringing a friend. Mind your manners and properly introduce us. It’s bad enough Rowden just ran into her while trying to escape me. Sound familiar?”
The boy and I chuckle while she and Riven have a stare off.
“Fine, very well. Thayla, this is Mrs. Annalise Akova. The best cook in Godsden. Annalise, this is Thayla Godrun, the new thorn in my side.”
