The Dwarves were a hardy race, an attribute seen best in their miners. Generations down in the mines gave Dwarves a keen eye in the dark, needing only a tiny flame to see far ahead in the lonely, large caverns.

"Coorie up, Laddie. we're nearly thaur." yelled Urist, holding out a small lantern in front of him.

Behind the dwarf was his friend, Laddie. They'd found him within the mines, following the dwarves around, being a nuisance. Though he was terrifying to look at, and three times higher than any normal dwarf, Laddie was one of simple mind and pleasures. People realised he didn't mean much harm, just wanted to play. The dwarves also learned that they could train him somewhat; any boundaries he overstepped, a simple wave of a candle would have him realise his mistake, like the one time he juggled three full-grown dwarven men. They don't like to mention it in public, but they enjoyed it too.

"We're almost haem noo, laddie. 'main 'en."

Urist, Laddie and a few other dwarves were sent down the mines for a few-month spelunking trip, though Urist and Laddie were let off a few weeks early on account of Urist's wife going into labour.

"Ooh, Ah hope mah wee bairn will hae 'er faither's hans an' 'er mother's beard!" Urist joyously giggled, hoping to see his loinsfruit soon.

When Laddie and Urist finally arrived to the main dwarven settlement, Ivarbeerd, the place was lit with plenty of candles and lanterns, alive with townsfolk were peddling their tools, clothes and unique overworld technologies, the stands surrounded with drunken dwarves raving about with beard-soaked beers and beer-soaked beards. Urist started waving his arms bout, signalling people of the town pet, who had a large distaste of light.

"Soften yer lights, fowk. make a path fur laddie an' me, we're gonnae see mah new bairn! coorie up noo!" said Urist, clearing a path down the muddy streets, heading to his home in the Littlefoot district, where the shorter mining dwarves live.

A few thuds on the door, and Urist was met with his sister-in-law, Moory. A big lass, standing at a solid four foot, her beard only a few inches from the floor.

"Hoo ye daein', urist?" "Guid, moory! hoo is mah guidwife daein'? an' th' bairn?" "They're waitin' fur ye it back, hen. ye brooght laddie wi' ye? i'll turn th' lecht aff fur ye, clear ye some room."

Urist's eye caught the contraption hung from the ceiling. A glass bulb with a bright fire inside, a thin rope hanging from it.

"Uh, Moory, what's 'at?" said Urist, gesturing at the light. "It's a lecht bulb frae th' overworld! it's loch a candle 'at cannae be pit it by win', an' insteid ay a wick, it runs oan thes "electricity" mince." replied Moory. "Huir uv a handy an' bricht! takes some gettin' used tae, but it's worth it. whole settlement's gonnae be changin' tae them."

"...Th' whole settlement?" Urist passed a worried glance to Laddie, his whole body visibly wincing at the light. "Micht cause problems fur laddie haur. he usually puts candles it wi' a bit ay win'"

Moory pulled on the string and halted the light. She was about to open her mouth when the sound of crying erupted through the whole house.

"Me bairn!" cried out Urist, pelting past Moory. Laddie bent his body in various ways, letting him crawl through the five-foot door into the living room, then through to the back room where Urist was holding his newborn girl, his fingers lightly rubbing the fine, blond hair on her chin. "laddie! come see mah lassie!" Urist said cheerfully, eyes stuck on the little one in his arms.

Laddie had always thought of the Dwarves as hundreds of children living underground, trying to play with them and help them with adult stuff, but in that room he realised that something was wrong about all of this. He stewed in the doorway for a few minutes, still as can be, his little mind trying to work out how children can have children.

"Laddie?" said Urist, turning around to see what was going on with the giant head in the doorway. "what's wrang?"

When Laddie's mind clicked, he had to get out of there. All the dwarves had been adults all along, and he'd been in their plain sight for all that time. He had to get away, leave the dwarven underground and go up to the surface where humanity lived in fire-lit homes and where everything was better comaptible for his size.

He burst through the front door, Urist returning his daughter to his wife and quickly following, and headed to the abandoned cave system; an ancient mining shaft that lead up to the surface.

A few hours later, Laddie emerged from the face of a steep hill into a forest in the middle of the night. He had to go to human civilisation, to see if they hadn't become tiny as well. But as he reached past the first wall, into the first back garden, up to the first window, he was thrown aback, face full of pain. Light flooded from the glass-filled hole in the wall, a light of intensity that flame alone could never produce.

He shifted into the next garden, but had the same result. He came to realise that, even if the people had turned tiny, that'd be the least of his problems.

Laddie climbed back over the wooden fences to return to the forest, but then suddenly came Urist running towards him.

"Th' heel ye daein' laddie?" Urist yelled, "Up oan th' feckin' surface? we're nae allowed up haur, it's foo ay humans!"

Laddie tried to grab the dwarf, causing Urist to shout out a bit more, until the sound of wood creaking appeared behind them. Laddie made himself flat on the ground, moving the shadows to make him less visible, but Urist was plain to see from the light flooding out of the house's open door.

"Mommy, what's that little man doing in our back garden?"

"Oh feck."