Heretical Fishing

Book 4: Chapter 11: Coffee

Back within the granary, coffee beans churned, the metal arms of the roaster’s cooling tray spinning slowly. The movement was as hypnotic as the sound was pleasant. Even more noticeable than these sensations, however, was the smell.

I wasn’t sure I’d ever experienced two scents that suited each other so well as those of coffee and passiona husk, and with their aromas suffusing the air, it was all I could do not to dive face-first into the beans. I’d been confused when the beans were roasted for longer than seemed necessary. But then the sweet scent of passiona husk joined the burnt coffee in the air, and I understood. It was the same reason why patisseries back on Earth often used dark-roasted beans—the bitterness enhanced the sweet treats they purveyed, both products boosting the other.

Maria was breathing heavily from beside me, and I stole a glance, smirking at the serious look she’d adopted. Sensing my attention, she gazed my way. “How much longer? If it’s more than a few minutes, I need to leave. This is torture.”

Air hissed through George’s teeth. “I might need to do the same. I find myself getting agitated.”

Geraldine grunted her agreement.

Only Snips seemed to remain unbothered; she loved neither coffee nor sweets.

“Not much longer,” I replied, my internal state not matching the cool front I presented.

Maria let out a strained breath, fussing her hair with both hands. When she was finished, she frowned at me. “You can’t fool me with that cool demeanor. I can feel how impatient you are.”

“Oh, thank the gods,” I rubbed my head, trying to vent excess energy. “I felt like I had to put on a show of strength for you guys, but I am beside myself here. Should we actually leave? This is getting...” I trailed off as the mechanical whirring drained from the room, leaving behind an empty quiet. Holding my breath, I slowly spun toward the machine.

Ellis, who I’d forced to stand outside the room because he wasn’t able to stop asking questions, came flying back inside. He was beside me in a second, joining me in leaning toward the tray. There was a soft buzzing of power above it. It started faint but slowly grew stronger, building to a static that I could feel as much as hear. The room’s chi vibrated at the same frequency, and all at once, rushed downward.

The essence pooled in the tray, condensing. Once the space couldn’t hold any more power, a fraction of it seeped into the coffee beans. The rest rose up and formed a protective dome, forming a seal between us and the beans that immediately muted their scent. Rather than gold, this dome was the same purple as the passiona husk, streaked by beams of a darker shade. The faces of those surrounding me were bathed in the twilight colors, as were the walls and ceiling, the palette both alien and beautiful.

Already knowing that this batch of coffee was no threat, I smiled and pinched the surface of the bubble, pulling it away. Purple light exploded out into the world, dazzling us with its intensity.

The scents returned next, somehow even stronger than they’d been before. But perhaps stronger wasn’t the correct word. It was like they were more synergistic than before, their aromas having become cohesive. The beans, now infused with passiona husk, called out to me. They demanded that I inspect them and learn what they’d become.

I agreed, and almost instantly, words appeared.

Passiona Infused Coffee Beans

Mythic

Though coffee has been a staple commodity for thousands of years, never before has Kallis seen anything like this specialty batch. Infused with an enhanced ingredient, these beans have had their rarity upgraded to mythic.

Bonus effect: +10 focus for the next hour when brewed.

“Focus…?” Ellis asked, his eyes bugging.

Before he could say another word, I snapped my fingers. “Suuue!” I singsonged, as we appeared before her cafe in a flash of light.

The sky overhead was darkening, the day’s light fleeing before the coming night. Sue was outside, having already closed the bakery for the day. At our arrival, she jumped so high that her head struck an awning. A string of expletives followed her collision, the phrasing so harsh that I forgot how to speak for a second.

“Damn, Sue. You good?”

“Good?” she repeated, rubbing the top of her head. “No, I’m not bloody good. Why are you popping up in a flash of light like that?”

“Well, you see, I was going to ask you to make me some coffee. We just—”

“Let me get this straight,” she interrupted, holding up a finger to stall me. “You came here, almost scared my hair straight, and now you... you...” she trailed off, her nostrils flaring. “What is that?”

“Well, well, well.” I held up a burlap sack, shaking it gently. “How the turntables.”

Her brow furrowed at my statement, but didn’t remain so for long. Her eyes flew wide, her mouth falling slightly ajar. “The ingredient... it was passiona husk...?”

“Let’s say, purely hypothetically, that it was… Would you brew us some coff... ee?”

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Sue had sprinted for the cafe’s storefront before I could finish the word. She threw the roller door open, the carved wooden panels sliding up and out of sight as I finished my question. She bent her knees and prepared to launch herself over the counter, but paused. Whirling, she took a deep breath and cupped her hands to her mouth.

“Specialty brew!” she bellowed, her enhanced voice bouncing off the surrounding buildings. “The cafe will be open till late!”

A crowd gathered at a swift pace, most people literally sprinting to see what had been so special that it deserved a village-wide announcement. As their numbers grew, Sue took to setting up the machine, her practiced fingers reassembling what she’d not long ago cleaned for the day. Each action, no matter how insignificant, made happiness well within me. Sue’s presumption, too—that I would want to share the passiona beans with everyone—delighted me. Though I was now the leader of the church, those closest to me treated me as they had before.

My animal pals were all among the first to arrive—including Lemon, who had a thin root growing between the street’s stones. None of them collided with me or made a showy entrance, all completely aware of the reverence and gratitude radiating from my core. Sue, only having eyes for her work, started grinding the beans.

The scents of passiona and coffee were released from within them, the dual aromas washing over the gathering. It was as if the entire crowd took a collective sniff, even the unascended able to appreciate the experience. Everyone in the square held their breath as Sue filled the portafilter with ground beans. She tamped them down, eyed them carefully, then attached the portafilter to the group head.

This moment, this first shot of espresso to be made with the passiona coffee, felt monumental. I couldn’t articulate why. The world was abuzz with potential, the very wind seeming to freeze and watch. The surrounding chi didn’t react as Sue turned the knob that released the pressurized hot water. The machine groaned with effort, and I bit the inside of my lip as the first drop of espresso fell down into the waiting cup. Though nothing happened, neither world nor chi responding, there was definitely something there waiting, but what...?

I became so focused on whatever was coming that the delicious smells of passiona and coffee faded away. Something akin to a storm of essence built in the surrounding square, my skin practically tingling with the power. My animal pals and Maria—everyone who had been present for our bonding experience in the sky—felt it too. I could feel their attention right beside mine, just waiting for the lightning to strike.

With all of our metaphorical gazes pinned on Sue as the shot finished pouring, the storm finally arrived.

Like I’d felt so many times before, the world’s chi condensed before rushing in toward Sue. Light and a feeling of ecstasy flooded from her core. Some flinched and pulled back—those that were either regular humans or newly awakened cultivators. Anyone who had already been present for one of these leaned forward, hoping to experience as much of the pleasant echoes of power as possible. It only took a second or so for those who had flinched back to realize their folly, physically and spiritually gravitating toward Sue.

Together, the dozens upon dozens of souls present witnessed her first breakthrough.

I’d never before been able to give such an event my full attention; the magnitude of it was overwhelming. Despite the barrage on my senses, I still noticed something odd about the shot of espresso Sue had created. The next thing I knew, my vision was tilting, my balance having failed me. Maria caught me as I stumbled, propping me up by slinging my arm over her shoulder.

I released a hissed breath as the light faded, the surrounding square filled with similar sounds of shock and desire. There was a beat of silence, and then, as Sue turned to focus on us, the cheers erupted.

“Yeahhhh Sue!” Maria called, bouncing on her heels.

Corporal Claws trilled so loudly that the surrounding non-cultivators flinched and covered their ears. Teddy let out a deep roar, so bassy that it reverberated in my chest. And Rocky was launched high above by Sergeant Snips, where he let off a series of colorful explosions, their red glow lighting the early evening. The rest of our yells were lost to the crowd as more and more people joined in, congratulating Sue at the top of their lungs.

With tears swelling in her eyes, she turned and started frothing the milk, not missing a beat. My words of celebration died in my throat as I felt chi flowing from her and down toward the machine. How was she upright so soon after a breakthrough, and more importantly, why did her essence feel the way it did?

Her newly strengthened core... it felt extremely similar, yet still defied my understanding. Rocky’s core felt like a volcano. Claws felt like a raging tempest, just waiting to be unleashed. And Roger felt like a damned sword, which was, admittedly, pretty weird. But Sue…

The reason for my confusion was simple: her core felt like that of a bloody barista. Every fiber of her being was dedicated to crafting delicious coffees. Was that the realization she’d had…?

The cheers finally tapered off as Sue added the frothed milk to the espresso shot. Unable to help myself, I moved a finger slightly, the gesture making me appear beside her. Not at all surprised by my appearance, she picked the cup up reverently, offering it to me with a deferential nod. I licked my lips, having to fight back the urge to grab it.

“Do you know what your essence is, Sue?” I asked.

“It’s about providing coffee,” she replied, her tone matter-of-fact as she pushed the cup toward me. “Drink this before it goes cold.”

“You feel like a barista, Sue. It’s something from my world, and is basically the person who makes coffee. I don’t exactly know what it means, but I guess the System recognised something you—”

“That’s lovely and all,” she interrupted, “but I don’t see what any of that has to do with this coffee.” She pressed it to my chest. “Drink it now, you block-headed man. It’s going to go cold.”

I barked a laugh, both the insult and her complete disregard for the importance of her breakthrough tickling me pink. “I’m not turning the coffee down because I don’t want it. My body is screaming for me to accept.”

“Why, then?”

“Because you need to drink it. Call it a hunch or divine intervention or whatever, but when the chi was rushing into your core, I felt it also rushing into this shot of espresso. I realize you just had the breakthrough, but try sending your senses toward it. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Her brow had slowly furrowed with each word, and at my request, she peered down at the coffee. Her awareness extended toward it. Though she was unpracticed, she still found what I was talking about, a soft gasp escaping her lips. “Are… are you sure?”

“I’m sure. It’s for you.”

As she raised it to her mouth she hesitated for the barest of seconds. Sweeping aside her indecisiveness, she took a long sip. Golden-purple crema lined her upper lip when she lowered the cup. She opened her mouth to speak, but froze when power once more swelled around us.

Before either of us could make a noise, the chi rushed down toward us, darting past me and into Sue’s core.

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