Book 4: Chapter 11: Coffee

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.

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.