Chapter 40

Dice and Warm-warm roots

Boggo had returned. He brought with him an armful of his possessions. Among those were a pair of dice, a tangle of roots, and a handful of gems. Before sitting himself down with me by Hawkin’s fermenting barrels, he shook some fur from his coat and tucked the blue pile into a small nest to sit upon.

“Let’s begin,” Boggo said. He patted the ground between us. “This is the pot. I’m putting warm-warm roots in the pot. Now you put something you want to roll for.”

“Hmmm, how about this chunk of tree?” I said, withdrawing the bitten wood from my inventory.

“Uhhh… Ok. Just for the tutorial. After that you’re gonna have to bet something with more value.”

“Can we barter after we play?”

“Yea, yea. Sure thing. Here is a die. We’re each going to roll a die to see who goes first. I'll roll. Then you roll.”

Boggo rolled a 4. I rolled a 3.

“My number is bigger so I’ll go first,” Boggo said and scooped up the dice. “Here are the rules. You’re rolling for the pot; both die at the same time. If you roll a seven, then you win. If you roll a 2, 3, or 12, then you lose the pot to the other player. I’ll elaborate as we go. Here we go.”

Boggo rolled a total 8 from a 5 and a 3.

“I’ve rolled what’s called a point. That’s my point. I’ve got to roll until I roll another total 8. It can be a 5 and 3. It can be a 6 and 2. It can be a 4 and 4. If I roll that point, then I win.”

“How do you lose?” I said.

“If I roll a 7, then I lose and you get everything that’s in the pot. I’ll roll again.”

Boggo rolled a total 2.

Boggo rolled a total 9.

Boggo rolled a total 7.

“Oh no,” Boggo drawled out in a whine. “Why?” Boggo said.

“That’s a 7,” I said. “I win?”

Boggo sighed. “Yup,” he said. “You win. I didn’t want your chunk of—what is that? Just a piece of wood?”

“I eat trees sometimes.”

“Yea. Ok. Sure. You eat trees. Alright.”

“So we can barter now?” I said.

“Fine, fine; we’ll barter. What are you looking for?”

“What do you mean?” I said.

“Well, are you looking for some human coin? We’ve got some. Gems? Raw materials? There’s gotta be something particular you’re in the market for.”

“Hawkin collects raw materials. Nuts and plants and things of nature. He makes tea sometimes with roots and spices. Perhaps I’m in the market for raw materials.”

“Well if this isn’t my lucky day,” Boggo said. “That’s what Blue Besties do best. Whatever root you're looking for, we’ll find it. Anything above ground will be harder to get to this time of year. Roots, however; roots we can do. You’ve just won yourself some great roots. Warm-warm roots. Have you had them before?”

I popped a red rat’s tail looking root into my mouth. Boggo shrieked and leapt to his tiny feet.

“No, you fool! You don’t eat it raw! It’s gonna burn you! Spit it out! Spit it out! You’re supposed to squeeze it for the juice!”

Satiation 76%

Composition

39% dreambon

30% fish

08% beer

06% goblin

01% squash

01% ale

01% Warm-warm root

13% world mix

01% smoke

After I swallowed the root, Boggo looked at me in trepidation. He bit his nails and his ears flattened back. His tail puffed up and he shrank back.

The root was sweet and tasted of cinnamon and blood. I felt a fire in my throat and belly. My whole body warmed to an incredibly hot temperature. I could see my breath when I exhaled. The heat that I felt was homey. I felt nice and cozy. So cozy that I almost wanted to fall asleep right there.

“Are-are you alright?” Boggo tentatively said.

It took time for my heavy, giant eyelids to open, but they did, and I gazed upon the squirrel-ish creature.

“Quite fine, thank you.”

“Are you sure? You should be in pain right now, like if you ate a pepper too hot for your stomach.”

“I feel good. Warm-warm root. Interesting. Do you eat it?”

“Hell no. I would die. We squeeze the juice from the root and dilute it in water. That’s how we stay warm in the winter.”

“I wonder if Hawkin would like this,” I said.

“Don’t give it to him straight like that. Why don’t I get a jug of warm-warm tea. You can sample that and share it with your friend.”

“How about we bargain for it?”

“If that’s how you want to do things from now on, then sure. Let’s barter for it. I’ll be back. Again.”

Boggo trotted off and scrambled into a tunnel. Dirt was kicked out into the cellar as his feet disappeared. When he returned fifteen minutes later, kindred voices accompanied him.

“...and it didn’t hurt him?”

“No,” Boggo said. “I think it relaxed him.”

“You’re lying.”

“Not lying.”

“He’s probably dead now.”

“He’s not dead. He’s waiting for me to return.”

“This is as far as we go. You’re on your own, Boggo.”

“I’ll be fine. He’s a pal, and I got him to shoot dice.”

“Boggo! You’re flirting with disaster. This is not the Bestie way. Besties stick together and don’t start talking to humans and monsters.”

“Oh, please. I didn’t have a choice at first.”

“You do now!”

“Ok! shh, shh,” Boggo said. “He’s right there, he can hear us. I’ll see you guys later.”

“You’re going to regret this, Boggo!”

Boggo Popped out of the tunnel and trotted on over with a waterskin under one arm. A strap slung over one shoulder. Heat waves radiated from the waterskin.

“Sorry that took so long,” he said and plopped himself into his blue nest of fur. He wiggled till he was comfortable, then set the waterskin aside. “I’m ready. What do you want to barter for this?”

I held out the sack of Blue Bestie items that Hawkin and I collected after the excavation.

“Are you going to tell me what’s in it?” Boggo said. “For all I know, it’s a bag of rocks and you’re trying to dupe me.”

“Why would I deceive you?”

“Yea—you’re fresh out the womb. Don’t give me that sass. Just show me the goods.”

I pulled out a picture book. Boggo gasped.

“Th-that’s Getta’s! She’s been looking for it! How did you get it?”

“When I was digging.”

“What else is in there?”

“Other things.”

“Come on now,” Boggo said. “We don’t need to keep things secret, do we?”

“What do I get for Getta’s picture book?”

“Fine. How about some more warm-warm root?”

“And the waterskin,” I said.

“No deal,” Boggo said. “I’m gonna need one more thing from you.”

I pulled out handfuls of blue fur.

“Psshht,” Boggo said. “I’ll pass on that.”

I pulled out a nail file.

“Ok, now we’re talking,” Boggo said.

We bartered until the bag was empty and I had a nice pile of warm-warm roots beside my waterskin of warm-warm root tea. After that, I didn’t have much to barter besides smoked fish and an inventory full of snow.

“I’m all out of anything to trade,” I said.

“That’s a bummer,” Boggo said. “We’ll call it a day then. How about you get some stuff to trade and I’ll do the same. Anything in particular you’re looking for? Blue Besties are excellent scavengers.”

“I honestly don’t know. Ingredients are helpful to Hawkin. Anything that has to do with beer.”

“Beer?”

“Yes,” I said. “Have you had beer before?”

“The animal?”

“The drink. Why don’t we find each other sometime later. I’ll share some beer with you.”

“As long as we can shoot dice.”

“How about we shoot to see who drinks beer.”

“That sounds interesting,” Boggo said. “Depends on if I like beer. Let’s call it a maybe, for now.”