Heretical Fishing

Book 2: Chapter 78: Fever Dream

Beneath the shade of my deck, I cut into the tuna. Recalling the memory of a particular video on Earth, I did my best to emulate the movements of a Japanese master of his craft. Surprisingly, the flesh came away just as I imagined. There was no way it should have worked out, so I took a second to thank the System and the levels of fishing and cooking it granted me. As much as I railed against the thing and its annoying messages, I couldn’t process the tuna so efficiently without it.

Before I knew it, I had slipped into a zen-like state. My hands took over, lifting, slicing, and removing massive chunks of the fish at a time. I set each filet aside, and when the last of the usable sashimi had been removed, I started cutting away skin. As before, my body moved of its own accord, easily parting the edible flesh. There were strips of dark meat that ran down the tuna’s spine. I removed them with careful incisions, making sure to not take more of the pink flesh than necessary. I set the dark meat aside on a spare board, knowing my animal pals would likely love the stronger flavor.

A gust swept past me, bringing with it savory scents that made my mouth water. I smiled. Maria was at the campfire making a sauce. We had been experimenting over the last couple of weeks, doing our best to replicate soy sauce. It was a complete failure, if I was being honest, but we’d managed to create a delightful alternative using garlic, salt, and other spices, skipping the fermentation step entirely.

After washing my hands and knife in the kitchen, I started slicing strips of the raw flesh, cutting against the grain as my instinct told me to. One cut at a time, I filled three wooden boards, layering the fish in an aesthetically pleasing way. I so desperately wanted to try some. It took every ounce of will I had to withhold, knowing it would be better to experience it with everyone else. Pelly was sitting beside me, her eyes filled with the same hunger I felt.

“You can help yourself if you like,” I said.

She shook her head slowly, staying strong.

“It’s worth the wait,” I replied, focusing on each cut I made. “Food tastes better when shared with friends.” Remembering an important detail, I held an uncut chunk of tuna out to Pelly. “Would you put this on the fire, Pelly? It needs to be fully cooked.”

She nodded, grabbed the fish, and took off.

I lapsed into silence as I finished the final filet. I placed it on the board, marveling at the sight. It was a veritable mountain of food, all three boards piled high.

Pistachio lumbered around the corner, freezing for a moment when he caught sight of all the food.

“It’s a lot, huh? More than I expected.”

He slowly nodded, his eyes locked onto the closest board.

“Could you carry one for me, mate?”

Blowing bubbles of anticipation and hunger both, he picked a board up, holding it before him with care belying his size. I grabbed the other two, lifting them high and striding around the corner. A sea of faces met me, some hesitant, most excited.

“Hope you all brought your appetites!” I said, sweeping forward with the mountains of fish. “The feast is ready!”

“Uh, Fischer?” Barry asked, giving me an odd look.

“Yeah, mate?”

“Is that raw...?”

“It certainly is! It’s called sashimi. I’ve eaten it plenty before and can confirm it’s bloody delicious. It should be safe to eat for everyone except Ruby.” I leaned past Barry to look at her. “Sorry, Rubes. Raw fish is no bueno for pregnant women. There’s a portion cooking on the fire for you.”

She smiled in response, shrugging one shoulder as she held a hand to her stomach.

Pistachio and I set the boards down on stumps beside the campfire. Snips, Claws, and Bill stepped through the crowd, all following the scent of the fish.

“Oh! I almost forgot! One moment!” I dashed off toward my deck, returning with the red, flavorful cuts that I removed from the pink flesh. I set it on the corner of a board and cut it into strips. “You guys will love this. I think it will be too strong for us humans, but that’s only because we’re inferior.”

Claws gave a little wiggle, puffing out her chest as she nodded.

“Are you sure it’s safe, Fischer?” Barry asked, looking skeptical.

Maria set bowls down next to each board, pouring her finished sauce into them.

“Well,” I said, “I’m willing to eat some to prove how safe it is. Even if it would make people sick, I’m pretty sure being cultivators would save us. The System specifically said in the description that it’s a delicacy when eaten raw, though.”

“A delicacy...?” Peter asked, stepping forward.

“Damned right, mate. You in?”

He nodded, licking his lips as he stared down at the pile of pink meat. I picked up a slice. It was tender and cool between my fingers. Most came forward, the only exceptions being Ruby, Roger, Sue, and Sturgill. Maria removed the now-cooked chunk of tuna, setting it on a plate and passing it to Ruby before collecting her own bit of sashimi.

“I recommend trying it without the sauce first.” I locked eyes with all present, then held my sashimi high. “To friendship, family, and good food.”

They cheered in response. As always, Claws was the loudest, giving a shrill chirp as she held her red cut of sashimi above her furry little head. As one, we threw it into our mouths.

Despite having it without any of the sauce, the sashimi’s umami notes immediately sprang forth. I’d tasted plenty of sashimi on Earth, including from Michelin starred restaurants in Japan. None of those experiences held a candle to the flavor of the fish currently blessing my palate. I bit down into the soft flesh; the flavor profile transformed. A sweet, subtle taste took over, smothering my taste buds with each bite. As I got used to the sweetness, I tasted the umami again. They melded together, perfectly complimenting each other. The more I chewed, the more their compatibility grew, becoming something greater than the sum of their parts. I closed my eyes, letting the mouthful encompass my awareness. The flavors swept across my tongue like a crashing wave, only for the next wave to form and join its predecessor.

Finally, I swallowed. The chi within the meat warmed my throat as it traveled down to my core. I exhaled a shaky breath, overwhelmed by the experience. When I opened my eyes, I found someone standing before me. Peter’s eyes were teary, his lower lip trembling as he blinked at me. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

“Need a hug, mate?”

He nodded shakily, so I pulled him in, patting him on the back. He took a steadying breath, his silent trembling slowly receding.

When he let go, he exhaled, taking a step back. “That was...”

“Unbelievable...” Maria finished, her voice awestruck.

“Yeah.” Peter cleared his throat. “That.”

“Hestia’s welcoming hearth,” Ruby swore, cutting through the silence. “If the raw fish is as good as this, I totally get it.” She scooped up another forkful of cooked tuna and put it in her mouth, letting out a loud, drawn-out groan.

“All right,” I said. “Show of hands—who wants more?”

The hand of everyone who had tried it shot up, animals included. Claws flopped to her back in the sand, raising all four paws as high as she could. Maria laughed, bending to scratch Claws’s belly and fuss over how cute she was.

“Um...” someone said, drawing my attention. Sue, seeing everyone looking at her, blushed. She absently tugged at her apron and stood tall beneath our gazes. “Can I have some too?”

I raised an eyebrow, peering over at Barry. “I take it things went well, then?”

He gave me a single nod before turning to Sue. “Of course you can have some. Just remember not to choose a name for now.”

Sue, ringing her hands, shot a furtive glance at Sturgill. “Is that okay, dear?”

Sturgill’s head slowly tilted to the side, his face growing concerned. “Did you just ask me for permission to do something? Who are you, and what did you do with my wife?”

I barked a laugh, unable to help myself—as did at least half of those present.

Sue went beet red, and she whapped him on the upper‌ arm. “This is why I never ask your permission! You can’t be serious for a gods’ damned second!”

He laughed along with the crowd, easily catching and holding her wrists. “Of course I’m okay with it.”

She tutted, withdrawing her hands as he let go. “Well, you’d better run if it makes me awaken. I won’t be so easy to fend off.”

Roger’s face had been shifting the entire time, moving between frustration and want. I knew better than to address it, though, and my patience was rewarded when he cleared his throat.

“Will this make me more powerful?”

“Yup,” I said cheerily. “I felt the chi I got from that single slice. It was potent.”

He sniffed. “I suppose I’ll have some then.”

Sharon and I shared a knowing glance as he bent to grab a bit of fish. She rolled her eyes playfully, shaking her head as everyone joined Roger in taking more. I dipped my slice into the garlicky sauce Maria made, my mouth watering in anticipation.

I held it before me as I waited for everyone else, one palm under it so I didn’t waste a single drop of flavor. Sue and Sturgill were the last to fetch some. Sue’s hands bunched around her apron, twisting it as she stared at the pink, glossy fish. Her jaw clenched, and just as I thought she had changed her mind, Sturgill lay a hand on her arm. He whispered something in her ear that I intentionally didn’t listen in on. Whatever he said made her body relax, and she nodded, plucking a thin piece of sashimi from the board. Without dipping it into the sauce, she stepped back, locked eyes with me, and gave me a nervous smile.

With everyone else’s gazes on me, I put the fish into my mouth. The sauce dripped, touching my tongue before anything else. It was as a bomb, its umami essence exploding throughout in mouth. Knowing the overpowering flavor’s cure was already within reach, I bit down into the sashimi. Sweetness rushed out, the tuna’s mild notes joining the fray. They swept each other up, like a warm updraft and cool downdraft forming a tornado. Rather than leaving destruction in its wake, however, the tempestuous flavors left only bliss. I smiled, a tear forming in the corner of my eye.

I waited to hear someone unleash an mmm, or perhaps for Peter to sniffle. Instead, power bloomed across from me. To my enhanced awareness, it came at glacial speed, forming at waist-height. I was more than a little surprised to feel strands of power reaching up from the ground to join the coalescence taking place. They curled upward from different directions, weaving into then solidifying the core. All at once, it was done. A wave of euphoria washed out, just as enjoyable as the first time I’d felt it.

I swallowed the mouthful, letting its flavor linger in the afterglow of Sue’s awakening. When I opened my eyes, every head was facing her, one and all smiling. Sue blinked, her eyes clearing as she once more looked out at the world.

“So,” I said, trying to appear indifferent, “have you guys planned out their names?”

Barry slowly turned, his face intentionally blank. “Why do you ask?”

Maria, much less tactful, let out a groan. “Just cut to the chase and tell us the delinquent names you’ve thought up, Fischer.”

I grinned. “I thought you’d never ask!”

***

High above the capital city of Gormona, within a relic-filled room, Augstus Reginald Gormona swallowed.

It did nothing to help his reflux.

He leaned against a lifeless artifact, his eyes locked on a screen that he’d scarcely looked away from since learning of it. Upon being told of its existence, he had thought it an error. The screen had to have been showing advancements from another age, right? But then the slew of new messages had begun. His enemies were more vast than he could have imagined, and the spirit beasts appeared to have recruited humans to the cause. Worse, they grew stronger by the day. Especially that troublesome flock of birds. Each appeared to be mastering different crafts. It was a terrifying prospect, and the main reason for Augustus’s lack of sleep.

“You should get some rest, my king,” the guard leaning beside him said.

The out of turn comment made the rage of a thousand suns flare in his chest, but as the king whirled on the man, his fury deflated.

“You’re probably correct, Deklan.” The man had been a rock these past weeks—he didn’t deserve his ruler’s scorn. “And please—call me Augustus.”

The lackadaisical man, rather than protest as most would, simply nodded. “I can do that, Augustus. Tell you what, if you go get some sleep, I’ll come and let you know right away if anything crazy gets reported by the relics.”

August Reginald Gormona, a king who prided himself on his unflappable demeanor, let out a weary sigh. “You’re a good man, Deklan. Thank you.”

He bent and crawled his way back through the sea of artifacts. When he emerged on the other side of the room, a blue light sprang forth. He slowly spun, horror dawning—he already knew what it meant. On numb, exhausted legs, he stumbled over to the artifact, leaning on other relics for support. At a speed that belied belief, Deklan appeared at his side, having crawled to meet him.

“Let me help, Augustus.”

“Thank you,” he replied, his voice coming shakily. Deklan’s support was a welcome balm to his worries, but any semblance of reassurance vanished the moment he spied the lines of text printed on the screen. His stomach dropped, the floor itself feeling as though it disappeared beneath his feet.

“Please tell me my eyes deceive me, Deklan.”

“Okay. Your eyes deceive you.”

Augustus chuckled, yet it held no mirth. “Our chances of surviving the eventual onslaught grow slimmer by the day.”

He rubbed his weary eyes, praying that when he opened them again, he would wake from this fever dream.

He didn’t.

The lines of text taunted him, further cementing the doom of his kingdom. He read the first line again.

Fat Rat Pack

Swallowing, he took in the second, despairing at the implications.

The Beetle Boys