Chapter 35

Fish and Snow and Anything Else That Fits

Thrush

Halfway from the sea to Hawkin’s cabin, I used the Fable Stone.

It flashed a brilliant turquoise. Everything went dark. Though I was already awake, it felt like I woke up again, in a very different part of the world. Rainbow colored, nebulous clouds shifted around me in the fathomless space of the heavens. The clouds swirled together to form three different shapes of gods. The colors converged and mixed until each god was whole and exact.

“Kapere, god of deception,” one said.

“Merkul; Merchant,” another said.

“I am Wekwu, young… hero,” the third god said. “I am the god of charm and persuasion.”

“Well, well, well,” Kapere said. “A nightream is in our midst.”

“Of course he’s in our midst,” Wekwu said. “Greatness begets greatness.”

“Hello,” I said. “I want an inventory like my friend Hawkin has.”

“That’s all you want?” Merkul said. “An inventory? Assign me as the god to your merchant quest path, and you shall receive a system inventory.”

“Merkul and Wekwu can offer you a basic life of adventure,” Kapere said. “I, on the other hand, can bring you to greatness others only dream of. We can mutually benefit each other. Assign me to the Slight of Hand quest path, and nothing will stop our ascension and spread of my influence.”

“Slight of Hand,” Wekwu tutted. “The charmers path is the obvious choice. Why steal when you can charm anything into your possession.”

“Why do you want an inventory?” Merkul said.

“I want to store smoked fish in it,” I said. "That way I always have smoked fish. Dreambons too. I want to carry more than what fits into my mouth and hands.”

“You like fish?” Merkul said.

“Yes,” I said. “My friend Hawkin taught me how to smoke fish. I love smoked fish. It’s my favorite.”

“Who doesn’t like smoked fish?” Wekwu said.

“I’ll only say this once,” Merkul said. “Then my companions here can try and convince you all they want. The merchant class is one of the few classes that allows you to level up your inventory space.”

The gods bickered after that. They entertained me with promises of impressive rewards and awesome potential. Wekwu and Kapere argued over each other.

“I’ve made up my mind,” I said. “If I can level up my inventory, then I’ll take the Merchant path. I choose to assign Merkul to my quest path.”

“Fool,” Wekwu said and vanished in a puff of dispersing clouds.

“Fool,” Kapere said and vanished as well.

Merkul smiled and we looked into each other's eyes for a moment.

“It’s quite dangerous for a god to call a nightream a fool. Don’t you think? I’m looking forward to watching your progression, young monster. Or should I say: old? You’ve been around for a long time. Haven’t you?”

“Longer than some of you,” I said.

Merkul chuckled and his cloud form swirled and dispersed.

“Until next time, little monster.”

I blinked and found myself still in the same northern winter that could not chill me. A system screen came up in my mind in a similar way as my composition and satiation information.

[Fable Stone used.

Merkul assigned as god to quest path: Merchant.

Rewards, quest path, and loot will now be influenced by Merkul.

Merkul’s Reward: Level 1 Merchant skill book acquired.

Level 1 Barter skill book acquired.

Level 1 Inventory Management skill book acquired.]

[New Quest Objective: Make your first trade!

Reward: 2 skill books and 1 merchant loot chest.]

I was beyond thrilled to try out my inventory. It was a foreign feeling in my consciousness. A mental pocket I was immediately aware of. I took my backpack from my shoulders, held it out and thought of stowing it away. It vanished from my hands and appeared in an inventory screen with a little icon. I took it out. I put it back. I took it out. I put it back.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I played and played and played. I scooped up snow and put it in my inventory. I bit a chunk of wood from a tree and tore it free. The chunk ripped away with loud cracks. Then I put that in my inventory alongside the raw materials, my backpack, and the skill books.

The first book I took out was the Merchant skill book. As soon as it was in my hand, a screen came up in my mind.

[Use Level 1 Merchant skill book?]

[Y/N?]

Upon thinking “yes”, the book flipped pages from cover to cover in two seconds. All the information flooded the folds of my brain. It was euphoric. I officially felt as though I’d begun my quest path. I wanted more skill books. More knowledge. So I absorbed the next two skill books as well.

That last time I felt so fulfilled was when I’d eaten my fill of smoked swordfish. Now that I learned from my Inventory Management skill book that food doesn't spoil in my inventory, I wanted to fill it with all kinds of smoked fish. I went back to the coast, broke through the ice, and dove into the depths of the sea.

While I would have spent days filling my inventory with the fish I caught, I needed to inform Hawkin that the trade was good and he would need to start brewing goblin spit beer right away.

I took a bite out of every fish that I caught, just so my composition would tell me what they were. Then I arranged them by size beside the snow and chunk of tree in my inventory.

[12x Doublefin Suet. Toxic.]

[1x Hedgehog shark.]

[4x Purple Lobsters.]

[2x Sunfish.]

[3x Slickback Rays.]

[1x Deep Sea Coral Fish.]

When the shelf of ice on the surface of the sea glowed from the morning sun, I returned ashore. I couldn’t help but scoop up pawfuls of ice and snow along the trail back to Hawkin’s cabin and stuff it into my inventory. A warning came up that I was carrying too much weight, but I hardly felt it. It felt like wearing my hide backpack.

Hawkin had his stove going when I arrived. Potatoes were roasting and I told him all about my adventure. My friend patiently listened to me and I found that I could not stop talking. He was as elated as I was. Though I was worried that he might not like having to brew goblin spit beer, he was fine with GloomGlower’s condition.

“Absolutely worth it in my book,” Hawkin said. “You got your inventory that you wanted and a merchant class! I think we came out with the better end of the deal.”

“How’s your clone brew quest going?”

“We’ll see when this one’s done fermenting but it’s not looking good. Goblin spit beer is quite difficult to clone brew. It feels like I’m missing something.”

“I should see if I can find SlimeTooth,” I said. “He’s the one who brews the goblin spit beers. I’m sure he could help.”

“That might be what we have to do. Especially since I'm going to need to brew a lot now.”

“I’ll help in any way I can.”

“I’m going to need a lot of water and a lot of barrels.”

“I’ll see about having GloomGlower lend us any empty barrels.”

“Then there’s one more problem,” Hawkin said. “I’ve run out of room. I think our only option is to expand the cabin and cellar.”

“I’m an excellent digger,” I said.

“I believe you. I’ve just finished a batch of Greater Poor Man’s ale if you want to sit and enjoy some Ale from the Vale of Ara. You can tell me what you think of my ideas to expand the cabin.”

I withdrew a deep sea coral fish from my inventory.

“I’m going to put this to smoke first. Then we can talk.”