Chapter 57

For Greater Influence

The rain continued for the rest of the week. It had strengthened until I couldn’t even see the trees. BarnacleEyes spent much of her time with Thrush. Her apprehension of him had evaporated and turned to curiosity.

Alone in my cabin, I decided to try and complete the Answer Dellia’s Calling quest. There was maybe a gallon left of Ale from the Vale of Ara. It amazed me how well the beer kept. How it maintained its chill. Its quality was untouched by age. I poured myself a mug to begin my quest.

[Consume Planes Cutter Shard?]

[Y/N?]

Yes, I thought.

The shard disappeared from my inventory. I felt an electric divinity replace every vein and branch in my body. My vision became perfect. Colors were true and vibrant.

“Here goes,” I breathed.

I drank.

The aroma felt like the kiss of a goddess. A kiss that numbed the lips, that drank from the soul and entered the marrow. I could smell summer hills where chamomiles danced with partners of wind round my ankles. Daffodils, sweet grass, and honeysuckles washed over me like the embrace of a long lost lover jumping into my arms.

I expected that I only had the briefest moment to search for Dellia in this place between worlds. Just like every other time I enjoyed this beer. Less than the blink of an eye.

When I opened my eyes to find myself on summer hills where flowers grew in tall clusters like pretty dresses ready to wear, I searched for Dellia. There she was. In a dress made of sunflowers and yarrow. Where she walked, chicory flowers bloomed. On seeing me, she laughed with delight and clapped. She twirled and the sun twirled around the entire world with her, always keeping its light upon her. The shadow she cast was made of the shadows of poppies.

“My dear Hawkin,” Dellia said.

She approached like a breeze and settled on the grass beside me, landing light as a butterfly. She patted the ground and I crouched then sat beside her.

“This is lasting a lot longer than normal,” I said.

“That’s because of the Planes Cutter shard,” she said. “I’m happy to see you. You’ve been busy.”

“I can stay here longer because of a shard?”

“Yes. You have the whole day to yourself here. I’ll only take a little bit of your time. I wanted to talk with you. See how you’re doing.”

The goddess urged me to tell her everything I’d been up to lately. She knew about all of it, but it still cracked her up to hear the development between Thrush and I, and the goblins. When I asked how to get a Fable Stone for BarnacleEyes, she said, “I won’t help you with that.”

She listened attentively. When there were silences, she told me of her world. Her life. Things I could not understand. Things I could not fathom. I listened as best as I could. Until it came time for her to tell me why she’d requested my presence in this… place.

“You’re on a plane,” Dellia said. “Slipping under the comforter of your bed when you go to sleep is very similar to Planes Cutting. It’s a place between places.” Dellia leaned in. “Instead of sleeping, Hawkin, you can do so much more on planes when Planes Cutting.”

“I love it,” I said.

“This Thrush,” she said, after leaning back and wrapping her arms around her knees. “He’s shared something called a dreambon with you?”

“Oof,” I said. “They’re delicious. Phenomenal.”

“Good,” she said. “Would you say that you’re friends?”

I pondered for a moment while watching goldenrods wave through a summer haze in a summer wind.

“Thrush and I are friends, yes.”

“Yes,” Dellia said, gazing into the distance as well. She added quietly, “you’ve done something to change the world of brewing.”

“What was that?” I said, but I think I heard correctly.

“Did you know, Hawkin—my dear, dear Hawkin—that Brewer’s Attribute portals can carry you through an ethereal plane to another location?”

“I imagine so, yes. I guess that’s what's happening right now?”

“Not quite. You’re still bronzed rank. You won’t be able to use the Brewer’s Portal attribute until you’re silver. Still, Brewer’s Portals sort of skip this part. This place is the plane that you instantly cross when portaling. To be here means you’ll have to use Planes Cutter shards. That’s the only thing you can do to get here. Understand?”

I nodded and plucked grass at my feet.

“Well, what if I told you that you could brew a beer that is itself a location. A destination.”

“Like this place?”

“Imagine going to an inn, clad in battlegear. You ask your bartender for a draft of Hawkin’s Ale. You pay. You drink. You’re then transported to a plane where adventure awaits. Where quests are desperate to be fulfilled. Where a dungeon lay waiting to be explored. Where monsters not of this world await the courageous. Where you can build an entire kingdom where the only access is through a beer.”

I was baffled.

“I’m a Planes Cutter,” Dellia said, turning to lay on her back with her head in my lap. “I want the people of your world to know who I am. I want to expand my influence. Imagine if people spoke of the adventures that await on Dellia’s realms? Imagine if you were the one who could brew these…doors.”

The sun was fierce, but they didn’t sting Dellia’s gold irises. Her hair sheened bronze in the light.

“Are you listening, Hawkin?”

I smiled an entranced smile. Dellia had listened attentively to me, and I now listened attentively to her.

“This plane is for you. I’ve brought you to these hills for a reason. You’ve just learned a new skill. Brewer’s Harvest. I want you to level that skill here on this Plane. Portal attributes only work when the ingredients have come from the place you want to portal to. Planes Cutter attributes are similar. When you harvest all your ingredients from this plane and you’ve acquired the Brewer’s Alchemical Control skill, you can begin to make beers that will transport you here. You will use Planes Cutter shards to create these beers.”

“This is crazy,” I whispered, drawn into Dellia’s charm and ease of being.

“Imagine, my lovely Hawkin,” she said and raised a hand to my cheek. “Imagine creating beers that will bring adventure to everyone. In return, everyone will know my name. I will be one of the greatest goddesses.”

We looked at each other for an infinite moment.

“I just don’t want to leave my woods,” I said at last.

Dellia smiled.

“Continue to collect Planes Cutter shards. Use them to come here and level up your skills. Harvest your ingredients from here.”

“How long do I have here?” I said.

“An entire day,” Dellia said. “However, you must understand that one day on this plane is but the blink of an eye in your world. When your day on this plane is done, you will open your eyes to find yourself in the exact same moment before arriving here.”

“Would I be able to bring Thrush?”

“NO!”

“May I ask why?”

“Your friendship with Thrush is important. Not only to you and him, but to me and my plans as well—If I may be a little transparent. To be fully transparent, I don’t want Thrush coming onto this plane because…” Dellia took her time answering. “...I am very afraid of him.”

“You’re afraid of Thrush?”

“All the gods are.”

“Wow,” I whispered.

“Come,” Dellia said, rising to her feet and offering a hand to help me. “I will show you where the berries grow. Have your fill. Wander around. Practice your skills. The atmosphere here will replenish your mana quite quickly. Oh, there’s one more thing. You won’t be receiving Planes Cutter shards in your loot chests anymore. You’ll need to donate beers to me in exchange for them.”

“What do you do with my beers, by the way?”

“I use them to gain influence. I disseminate them into other adventurer’s loot chests all around the world. Sometimes I trade with other gods and goddesses. Now surely, you must be hungry. Come.”