Chapter 77

Brass Tacks

Brewer’s Reputation: 521.

Perage and I traipsed along the trail that led to Barnacle-eyes’ old cove. The gray winter sea blended with the sky between skeletal trees. A thin layer of crystalline snowflakes laid over the land. Cocoons squirmed along the ground, writhed in high branches, wiggled over roots, and pulsed like fallen logs over the trial from time to time. We left footprints of boots and bare feet behind.

“Quite the beer that was!” said Perage.

“Do you know that man? With all the eyes?”

“Not personally; no.”

“That wasn’t a gift was it? It was to push me to brew ethereal planes for each one of you?”

“You’ll have to ask Grafth. I’m the messenger.”

We passed by a clump of cocoons. The outline of insect legs, each as big as my leg, moved beneath the layers of one cocoon. The cocoon shuddered.

“So you really don’t know the purpose of a Dream Cutter Stone?” said Perage.

“So far no.”

“You’ve built things on your planes.”

“Except for the Ethereal Dungeon planes. Dungeon cores created dungeons on each one, otherwise I used Ethereal Landmark ales. I did build a log house with some of these woods.”

“Ethereal Landmark ales. Interesting.”

The sea crashed against a rocky stretch of beach below. Surf foam hissed. Falling snowflakes melted on the water.

Perage continued. “We employ Dream Cutters to build our kingdoms. Each one is equipped with a Dream Cutter Stone. Instead of building log houses with wood, or landscaping with your Ethereal Landmark ales, Dream Cutters build kingdom worlds with these stones. If you know how clay can be baked into pottery, then you know how Dream Cutter Stones can work.” Perage withdrew a beige clay tea cup from his inventory. It was small and fit for someone the size of Boggo. He withdrew a kettle and poured himself a green-gold steaming tea. “The colors and shapes of dreams can be baked like clay, laid like brick, stacked like stone, stood like columns…. An entire swath of kingdom can be erected in less than a year with only a dozen Dream Cutters.”

“I can see the appeal.”

“The Brewer/Planes Cutter quest path is the first combination to create ethereal kingdoms that are pocket sized: a bottle of beer. Until now, it takes hours to enter these planes by ritual.”

For a moment, I thought I saw a cocoon, high up in a tree, blink yellow. We rounded a corner that took us away from the sea and into the more quiet of the woods. I listened to the snow fall as we traipsed.

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“Aren’t there other Brewer/Planes Cutters?” I said.

“There has been a surge after your success. All bronze ranked. None yet manufacture ethereal planes. My companions and I have…Tsk, how shall I put this…We have competitors. Yes, competitors. I’m confident these competitors have already offered these upcoming Brewer/Planes Cutters promising opportunities in exchange for their loyalty. But they won’t be seeing their ethereal planes for some time.”

“And through me, they’re already available.”

“Precisely. And Grafth has done something nice for you, hasn’t he?”

My laughter came out bright. Perage’s laughter—mischievous knowing laughter—joined mine. Through a vista between trees, we spotted colossal trees whose branches seemed to burn in the stratosphere. Perhaps it was the glint of the horizon's sun?

“The only thing preventing you from brewing for us is what your assigned goddess has told you? That you should always keep the master beers? Is that correct?”

“It is. I have no reason not to trust her. She’s always been kind.”

“Why does she want this?”

“People could die. Someone could be stuck on a plane with no exit. There they could die without help.”

“Do you think adventurers haven’t died on your Ethereal Dungeon planes?”

“That’s different.”

“You’re right it is, and I’ll tell you why. I’ve been here thrice as long as your potential lifetime. I’ve learned a few things. People expect danger from an ethereal plane with a dungeon sprawled therein. It’s exciting and people are flocking to experience it. This is very good for a young Dellia Lucerne. Her reputation is quickly growing, spreading. On the other hand, if people were to die on your nice, little, cozy planes, her reputation might suffer. It’s very important to her that you keep your master beers so no shroud of mystery lingers on the use of ethereal planes. …They are more dangerous than you might so far have realized.”

“I understand, but that’s exactly why I’m not willing to hand them over.”

“But now that you know why she doesn’t want you to give master beers away, it must change everything, and you must realize that. We will employ Brewers who will clone your master beer. Not only will they look after our ethereal kingdoms, but each one of us will. Hawkin, it’s like selling a castle. Have you ever sold a castle before?”

It was probably the look I cast at Perage that made him frown and continue. “-Right; of course not. Well it is like selling a castle. Dangers abound in a castle, but once it’s sold, the new homeowner becomes the one responsible. They who sold it relinquish all responsibility. Each one of us is more than responsible enough to hold the master beers. That is ultimately what your goddess wanted if you read between the lines.”

I considered things as the trail brought us back to the sea. Didn’t I essentially transfer ownership of the Ethereal Dungeon beers to Hiccup? Being the sole seller, he’s taken care of everything, even employing a small party of adventurers to sweep the dungeon once a day for stragglers and human remains. I never once returned to those planes. And although it was easy to see that the gift of Grafth’s beer was not truly an act of kindness, I found myself questioning why not? Why not brew ethereal beers for them? Why not give them the master beers? After all, everything Perage said made sense. My concerns were more or less settled. But…I needed more.

“What will stop others of your rank from seeking me out? I’ll have to deal with this all over again. If others know that I’m willing to do this, I fear I'll be forever hounded.”

“Some things come at a price.”

I halted between two patches of cocoons. The sea wind scraped across my face. Perage eyed me with one eye more than the other.

“Help me with that,” I said.

Perage crossed his arms. “Beg your pardon?”

“If I brew these ethereal beers for you, will you and your companions stop others of your rank from seeking me out?”

Perage blew a breath. He looked out at the sea and fingered his bottom lip. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Grafth might find the task annoying and severely beneath him.”

A voice grew in volume from the shadows of trees. “Perage is right. The task is severely beneath me. I won’t spend the time nor the power to hide you. Instead, with my influence, my dissuasion will prevent our…competitors…from reaching out to you. On my word, you won’t have to worry about them. No one will come asking for kingdoms from you again.”

With a resigned sigh, I said, “Let me look at some recipes.”