Chapter 186

My Challenge.

Thrush

Hawkin had put thought into inviting me on the ethereal plane. Between Dellia’s wrath and including me in this new beginning of his, it was important to him that I come to the grand opening. The way that he looked at it, at worse, Dellia wouldn’t kill him. She was relying on his rise to becoming the world’s greatest Brewer.

And what better pairing could his beers have than smoked fish and smoked elodon ribs, and smoked bowls of cheese? But the humans didn’t seem too hungry for any of that. They seemed hungrier to talk with Hawkin. By the smell of sweat and dread radiating from Hawkin, he was having a tough time with all these humans.

They didn’t all go to him at once. Some went straight for the bar where foam cascaded from firkins and sloshed in freshly filled tankards. Others stayed as far from me as they could. Fear permeated the air with its astringent fragrance.

But I was a Merchant, and I had food aplenty!

“Come inside, I have delicious fish! Smoked purple tuna! Bark as thick as bark!”

Eyeballs flicked to me from profiled faces, and there was ample uneasiness in almost every gaze. The only humans who faced me were those in colorful robes. From what Hawkin had said, they could only be scholars. They stared wide-eyed.

Yet even the scholars did not approach me. Each of their hearts pumped blood which carried fear which sank through their skin. Perhaps I was more terrifying than usual. My skin was drooping like cream colored cooling magma. I could not stop eating cheese. My fangs were soft, and they often crumbled over my tongue. Only by purring could I replace them. Fur was molting off where I was most cheese-like.

I wanted them to approach despite their fear, but humans always obeyed their fear. There was food to share, and I had lately learned that food tasted better when shared.

“I won’t bite,” I said, but I supposed that wasn’t quite true. “Or perhaps I will. Yes, I’ll bite fish and smoked fish and meat and smoked meat and dreambons and trees and—” A small man screamed and fled. The rest went somewhat pale, and they turned away. “Wait. I suppose I’ll bite lots of things, except for humans… Yes, I won’t bite humans anymore… Unless they endanger my friends…” Adventurers shuffled away from my yurt. “Join me! Come in for a bite everyone!”

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One often scholars stepped forward on a trembling leg. “You are the nightream, are you not?” he stammered. “By gods new and old, you are magnificent!”

“I’m just Thrush.”

“It can’t be true that you have a system. You are the system. Hawkin must be mistaken. Why would he spread such ridiculous nonsense?”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Thrush. I am Richard Jollos.”

I shook Richard’s hand, but my skin and fur dripped between his fingers like he was squeezing slime. My Composition was too runny. My fur stuck to him the way that wet deer fur sticks to trees and trampled grass where the deer had brushed itself against.

I heard the scholar’s lungs shrink, and I heard his breath become shallow. He gulped, but kept his eyes wide. The smell of smoke spiced the air, and I heard dozens of lungs rapidly intake breath to smell the meaty fragrance.

Whether it was the handshake or the smoke, the mood lightened. Scholars were the first to enter my yurt. Other adventurers were curious, but they still kept some distance.

What a new experience. When I had traveled north by myself, my trades had been mostly when my Composition was mostly human. In Lavenfauvish, Hiccup had prepared humans for my arrival. Without preparation, it was difficult to trade with them. How disappointing it was that my appearance was a challenge. Would trade with humans be out of my reach then, without the help of my Composition or my friends?

I didn’t want to eat humans again. Even the thought didn’t sit quite right in my belly. However, there were still bandits about…

Lessons along my Merchant quest path had taught me a thing or two, so I made things easier for humans. I moved my low table just outside the yurt, and I filled it with smoked meats and cheeses and melted smoked cheese bowls. With scholars coming to surround me like I was a sight to behold, adventurers felt much more comfortable diving up to swipe food.

With all that settled, Scholars began asking me questions. They peppered me with questions of historical accuracy, questions about dreambons, questions of time, and questions of the system.

I didn’t respond because I suddenly caught a whiff of raw elodon meat, and lots of it! I spotted Eileen through the crowd. I went after her, leaving footprints of molting fur behind.

I ran into Hiccup along the way, and he said, “Thrush! I am thrilled to introduce you to Corylus.”

“Pleased to meet a friend of Hawkin’s,” said Corylus. “How do you do?”

“How do I do what?” I said.

The small giddy man bounced on his toes and said, “Oh, jolly!”

“He means to ask how you’re feeling,” said Hiccup.”

“I am worried about how short some lives are,” I said. “How do you do, too?”

“Marvelous!” said Corylus. “Absolutely marvelous! May I fetch a beer for everyone?”

Hiccup stood on his tiptoes and glanced around. “I would’ve liked to wait for Erik to arrive first. Thrush, you haven’t seen Erik, have you?”

I sniffed for him. “He’s not here.”

“Blast! Oh, I hope that fool is all right.”

“I’ll share beer with you after I talk to Eileen. She’s very important to me.”

I left molting fur in my wake.