Book 4, Chapter 59: An Even More Local Specialty
I considered my options. I had quite a few [Friend] based Abilities. And I was a diplomat now, so getting a diplomatic Specialization could be the way to go.
But at the same time, it really wasn’t me.
From way, way back when, my and Caroline’s dream had always been to go cruising. Heck, it was practically my last regret before I… died.
Brewing was in my soul, winemaking was in my heart, and the desire to travel and vacation was in my bones. We’d seen London, we’d seen France, we’d seen the world’s largest underpants. They were in Missouri.
We’d traveled all over the world, really. And now I had another entire world to explore!
The ambassadorial work was more of a hobby.
So, now that I was pretty happy with my brewing Specializations, it was getting high time to branch out. Besides, I didn’t have a single Brewing Milestone I was willing to sacrifice at this point.
[Long Stride], [Wayfinder], [Paper Pusher], [Tools of the Trade], and [Fetch Friend] were all travel and dimensional based Abilities. I already had a dimensional Specialization, so it would probably be a good place to branch out.
“What are you thinking about?” Mirelda asked, coming up alongside me. “The kiddos are all having a fun time jumping in grapes, and it’s getting a bit messy. Especially the beards, and the fur. How do you put a beard net on a beaver, anyways?”
I laughed, remembering Sammy’s first time in a maceration tank.”That happens. Romero’s fancy tank prevents hairs and dirt from getting into the must, so don’t worry about it. I’m thinking about doing my next Specialization.”
“Oh, really?” Mirelda’s eyebrows rose. “Ah, right, you’re still getting Quests. How many Specializations are you at now?”
I pulled at my beard. “Three? This’ll be my fourth.”
“So many you’ve lost count? Lucky.” She flumped down on the grass beside me. “I’m not even at my first yet.”
She smelled of grapes and tea. She lifted her hair over her ear as she gave me a bright smile. For a moment, the sun framed her like a halo.
My throat suddenly felt dry. “Don’t have enough Milestones?”
“Not enough I’m willing to sacrifice. What’re you going for?”
“I’ve got enough for two options. Either something more diplomatic, with a bunch of [Friend] Milestones. Or something more travel based with a bunch of movement and teleportation and dimensional Milestones.”
“Travel, definitely.” Mirelda said without a moment’s hesitation.
“Oh?”
She leaned forward, resting her chin on her knees and giving me a teasing look. “Do you think you’ll be happy giving a portion of your soul to politics?”
“I am an ambassador,” I choked.
“A beer ambassador!” She tittered. “WIth an emphasis on the beer! I don’t think that a political Specialization is, well, you.”
I grinned. “Y’know, I agree with ya.”
I tossed the Abilities into my Specialisation notification, but before I could activate it Mirelda held up her hand. “Don’t you want to ask your family about it? Aqua said you made it a big todoo last time.”
I shrugged. “I usually do. But that’s because my last Specialization was about brewing, and since we’re brewers, it could impact the entire clan. This time, I’m not doing it to be a better brewer. I’m not doing it to save beer. I’m not doing it to strengthen the clan.”
I gestured at the beaven kits bouncing around the maceration tank; their tails could give them quite a bit of air. They ping-ponged into a group of dwarves, and they all fell into the must giggling.
“Being in here, seeing the beaven just live life, I feel like doing something for me. I get the feeling this may be my last Specialisation in a while, and I want it to be something I want. And I want to travel.”
Yep.
*Bing!*
Barck’s Butler
Group Leader
Yearn’s Dungeon Tender
Master Bartender
I frowned, and Mirelda asked in concern “What?”
“Like I expected, two of these seem pretty basic. But one of the Specialisations is in a different font. That usually means one of the Gods is interfering.”
“Oh. Is that good or bad?”
“It’s Yearn.”
Mirelda bit her lower lip. “So… good or bad?”
“I’ll check.”
I stared at it until Mirelda cleared her throat.
“Well?” She asked curiously.
“Ummm…” I mumbled.
“Ummm-pire? Ummm-bilical cord? Ummm-brella?”
“Updog?”
She gave me a playful shove on the shoulder. “No. I’m not falling for that one. Though at least it’s better than that awful ligma crap that my son used to be obsessed with.”
“I don’t know that one,” I admitted with a shrug of my shoulders.
“Lucky you.”
“I think… Yearn’s trying to screw with Barck,” I concluded.
“What? Really?”
“Aye… the Specialization is called [Yearn’s Dungeon Tender]. And there’s a buncha digs at Barck in tha description.”
“A Godly Specialization? Again?” Mirelda raised an eyebrow then glanced at the beaven. “Wait, don’t the beaven call you that?”
“Eh, they call me Dungeon Master. I wonder if that’s where Yearn got the idea from. And I was just thinkin’ how much I like tha name too. It’s definitely better than Barck’s Bartender
, or Tha Forefather of Brewing.”“Then shouldn’t you take it?”
I chewed my lips. “It sounds kinda dangerous, actually.”
“How dangerous?”
“Like, portal through hell dangerous.”
“Ooh! Take it! Think of the stories you could write!”
“Not a writer, thanks. Says I can bring people with me, too.”
“Oooh! Think of the stories I could write! Maybe something in the vein of Orpheus. Or a horror novel where you travel through hell and something comes back with you!” She delivered that last with a palpable hint of menace and I shivered.
“Ugh. But seriously, it’s almost exactly what I want, and I think… I think there’s a massive cheat.”
“Oh?”
“Have you heard of [Tamers]?”
“Sure. Standard monster summoner class. Not a very popular Title, they tend to die young.”
“This lets me summon ‘An Allied or Tamed monster from within a dimensional space or dungeon’.”
It took her a second, but she got it. “Isn’t Cascadia a dimensional space and a dungeon?”
“I think I could summon Deathbringer,” I pulled at my beard. “And if I traveled to other dungeons with Val and met other first generation monsters, maybe I could summon more. I could have a dozen boss monsters in my pocket.”
Mirelda gave me a horrified look, then a moment later she giggled. “If City Hall considered you a weapon of mass destruction now!”
“I know!” I groaned. “But it’s just so cool! Imagine I get into a fight with someone and I’m all like, ‘Pocket Beaver!’”
“Hee! Can I watch?”
“Deathbringer! I summon you!”
“Hah!”
“You’ve activated my BEAVER card!”
She doubled over laughing. “Ugh, stop! My sides!”
“Want to pet my beaver?”
She stopped laughing and rolled her eyes. “Nope. You killed it.”
“Says the romance writer! Should I quote some of your more tawdry lines? The ones describing the ‘supple lines of his verdant flesh, like corded ivy upon a marble palace’?”
“No! Never quote an author their books!” She held her hands over her ears. “La la laaa! I’m not listening!”
I reached up and tried to pull her hands away from her ears. “‘The sheer girth of him was only matched by the magnificent breadth of his beard!”
“No!!!”
“*Ahem*.” We both glanced up from where we were locked in mortal combat to see Deathbringer staring at us. “Are you two busy?”
“Nope!” We both declared, separating.
“What’s up?” I asked, smoothing out my beard.
“The kits are just about done,” he pointed at the maceration tank, where a dozen beady eyes were grinning at us. “And want to know what to do next.”
“I’ll go supervise,” Mirelda squeaked, hopping to her feet and adjusting her blouse.
“Just give me a moment.” I called after her, then turned to the beaven chief. “Deathbringer, just out of curiosity, would you consider me an ally?”
“Certainly! A truer friend of the beaverfolk there will never be! And are you not the master of this dungeon as well?"
"So you'd come if I called for help?"
"Mais oui? 'Ave you need?”
“Just wonderin’,” I replied, quickly looking over my other options. But while they seemed interesting, they didn’t really come close to the sheer power of [Dungeon Tender].
This Ability can be used once per hour.
Nope!
I skipped down to peek at [Barck’s Library] just in case, but it was just a dimensional library of books that Barck considered interesting. Like [Barck’s Cellar], but for books.
I’m not a reader, and I already hated being called [Barck’s Bartender] – it sounded like I was his personal purveyor of drinks. Being called his Butler would cause me literal spiritual pain, no matter WHAT it gave me.
I’d just make sure to never, ever mention it to Richter or Mirelda.
Moving on…
[Group Leader] and [Master Bartender] had been about what I was expecting for using such bland Milestones. [Master Bartender] was actually a bit tempting. Especially if [Right Tool for the Job] would help me get around not having [Soft Tools] like Master Romero.
But, being a Chosen Catalyst of the Gods did have its perks! Two Godly Specialisations! And one was even worth talking about!
“Never thought I’d be a fan of Yearn.” I said, shrugging. “But between the beaven and this? She’s definitely in my good books.”
Mirelda nodded. “She is the Goddess of Relationships for a reason. She knows what people like.”
“Eh, she's still kinda shifty. The whole thing with Val rubs me the wrong way. This scheme of hers is going to get a lot of people killed.”
“She's also the Goddess of Nether, and moderately schizophrenic according to the dogma.”
“Ugh. I wish I had another [Deific Revelation].” I threw up my hands. “Y’know what, even if I never use [Yearn's Dungeonwalk], the whole package is just too cool to pass up. By Yearns Yams, I wanna be the very best! Like no dwarf ever was! I choose ta become a Dungeon Master!” I selected the Specialisation with an air of fanfare.
“Dungeon Tender.”
“Shhh. Don’t ruin this for me.”