Heretical Fishing

Book 4: Chapter 12: The Metaphorical Wolf

As the power rushed into Sue’s core, golden radiance washed out of her. Twilight had descended up Tropica, only the faintest of the sun’s rays still peeking over the western mountains. It was always a beautiful time of day, and the brilliant light coming from Sue only added to the dark pastel colors of night.

I honed in on Sue’s core, intent on seeing the changes. It seemed to me that this was an extension of Sue’s breakthrough. An amplification or what had already taken place. I marveled at it, each passing second further confirming my suspicion. The next moment, the light receded and Sue’s core stabilized.

I was used to people needing time to recover after they had any sort of advancement or awakening, but after the first part of this breakthrough, Sue had remained stalwart. I’d immediately dismissed it as one of the many side effects of the world’s chi returning to normal, but that wasn’t the entire truth—she hadn’t been affected because her breakthrough wasn’t finished.

That cup of coffee she’d poured, using passiona beans and every drop of skill she’d gained through hundreds of hours of practice, had been a part of her advancement. And drinking it had been the final step. And now, it was done.

Her core was filled to bursting with levels of power she’d never before known. Despite this, she didn’t tremble, collapse, or lose even an ounce of control. Her back remained as firm as her demeanor, her shoulders high and chest proud. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on me. When they did, I subtly gestured toward the crowd beyond her counter, pointing out the sea of friendly faces that were watching her with rapt attention.

Sue, now one of the most powerful cultivators on this continent, easily held their gazes. She cleared her throat and a tension grew in the air, everyone’s curiosity climbing to something unbearable.

It was too much for one man, and he was the first to break.

Ellis, his eyes looking like they might bulge right out of his head, stumbled forward. Like the rest of us, he could feel the words coming. Could sense that she was gathering the strength and will to state something profound. Even if it hadn’t been carved into her features, her core declared it for anyone with even a hint of chi. Ellis’s need for knowledge was a Sisyphean task, and never before had his metaphorical boulder seemed so heavy as he stared up at the silent barista.

Sue took a deep, calming breath. With nary another moment’s hesitation, she finally proclaimed her truth, yelling it out into the night. “That shit was fracking was delicious!”

“I know what my essence is now, Fischer.” She rested one hand on her coffee machine, standing as tall as her small stature would allow. “I received a profession.”

The only sound in response was a collective intake of breath from the crowd, all of us leaning closer toward her. I already knew what she was going to say, but that didn’t make the moment any less suspenseful.

“Apparently, I’m the first to earn this profession in a thousand years….” Sue trailed off, commanding the square.

Ellis made a series of exasperated noises as he scrambled back to his feet. I’d never seen him so ruffled. He leveled his pencil at her, fairly shaking with rage that the information hadn’t yet come.

She made a calming gesture. “Allow me some gravitas, Ellis. It’s not every day one becomes a barista.”

“Gravitas?” Ellis parroted, incredulous. “Each second that passes could be the difference between—”

“Ellis,” I interrupted. “She just told you, ya goose.”

“This is serious, Fischer! She—Wait, what?”

“A barista, mate. Someone who serves coffee. Keep up.” I looked over at Sue. “You must really like making coffee…”

“I really do, Fischer.” She patted her trusty machine. “I finally admitted to myself. As much as I wished I could have a grander goal—something suitable for protecting the village—all I want to do is make coffee and provide pastries for everyone.”

“Sounds like you’re protecting the village to me. We all need food to operate. Not to mention caffeine.”

“Well, when you put it that way…” She turned toward the crowd, taking in their still-stunned faces. “Who wants to make an order?”

***

Watching Sue make coffee was an absolute delight. Her very soul had identified with being a barista, and now that she’d experienced the subsequent breakthrough, she was a woman consumed. Every part of her was a blur as she steamed milk and poured shots. She flew through the orders, each person’s coffee order memorized. Every time she would finish a cup, she’d call their name and move on to the next.

“Am I crazy,” Maria whispered, “or is she using a bit of chi to move the ground beans around?”

“Sharp eye,” I replied. “She’s using way more than you think, though.”

“Oh?”

“She’s surrounded by strands of chi. They’re aerating the milk, adjusting the temperature and pressure, and... doing something to the foam.”

“Something...?” Maria repeated, giving me an odd expression.

“Uh, yeah. Why?”

“Aren’t you like... all-powerful now? Oh, don’t give me that look. I’m not saying you’re a god or anything like some of the others do, but I thought you’d be able to comprehend, well, everything chi-related.”

I shot her a wink, letting her know my horrified expression from a moment ago was in jest. “I get what you mean, because it’s a safe assumption to make. I can look at every building in the village and tell you what’s going on with it, right?”

“Right.”

“Well, it’s different with spirit beasts and cultivators. Take Barry, for example.” I pointed at the former leader of Tropica. I hadn’t been speaking softly, so he angled his body towards us and flexed, his stupidly large muscles gleaming under the streetlamps. “When he had his breakthrough, I could feel that he’d accepted his ego. Knowing that, though, doesn’t let me understand how his power actually works. He’s muscly, sure...”

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I paused, waiting for him to finish flexing. Helen, his wife, just smiled at his antics and shook her head.

“But,” I continued, “I’ve got no idea how his body uses chi to expand his muscles. I can tell it’s there doing something, but I couldn’t replicate it.” I gestured toward the coffee machine. “It’s the same with Sue. I know she’s doing something, but I couldn’t hope to do it myself.”

“Fascinating...” came a whisper from behind us.

Maria yelped, then glowered at our ambusher. “Shouldn’t you be observing Sue, Ellis? Not eavesdropping on us?”

“Nonsense.” He didn’t even look up from his notepad. “I can do both. Now, could you elaborate on Barry’s musculature, Fischer? What percentage of his transformation is caused by chi?”

“Fischer!” Sue called. “And Maria! You’re up!”

“Ah, a true shame, Ellis.” I shot him a wink. “Maybe next time.”

I moved to step forward, but a minor surge of chi held me in place. I looked toward Sue just in time to see two cups float through the air, held aloft by strands of her chi. They trembled slightly, and Sue focused, pouring more essence from her core.

Just when I thought she’d stabilized them, she lost control. Both cups tumbled down, threatening to dash against the ground and spill their contents. But I was ready. Sue let out a relieved sigh as she noticed that I’d caught them on lines of light.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I pulled the coffees toward us, both Maria and I grabbing one out of the air. “I’m the one that’s sorry.”

Sue blinked. “... Why are you sorry?”

I pointed over my shoulder at Ellis, who was breathing so heavily that he could be mistaken for a small plane. “He just saw you do that, and other than me, you’re the first person who can move things with their chi.” I gave the night sky a long look and rubbed my chin, exaggerating my movements. “Lovely night for a walk. What do you think, Maria?”

“Downright perfect night for it.}

Horror slowly dawned on Sue’s face. “Wait! Don’t you want to stay here while you drink the passiona coffee? You can tell Ellis all about what you felt. You have better senses than anyone else, right Fischer? B-besides! It would be rude to just take the coffee and run, wouldn’t it?”

Her eyes were manic when I shot a glance back her way.

“Wouldn’t it?” she demanded, growing desperate. “I tried to save you! I called your names to save you from questioning! You can’t do this to me!”

Maria and I had reached the back of the square, and I gave her an apologetic wave as Ellis charged through the crowd like a wolf that had caught the scent of blood.

The moment we walked around a corner and out of sight, Maria’s beautiful laughter bubbled up. It echoed off the empty streets, filling my already happy heart with glee.

“Her face!” she choked out, leaning against me for support.

“I know! Having suffered Ellis’s questions, though… Maybe we shouldn’t have abandoned her.”

“Oh, she’ll be fine.” Maria looped one arm through mine, then held her cup of passiona coffee out in invitation.

I grinned and raised my cup to hers. “Cheers.”

We both took a sip, and the moment the foam hit my tongue, I forgot all about Sue and the metaphorical wolf we’d thrown her to. Maria released a groan from beside me, experiencing the same thing. The foam was... creamy, yet still light and filled with little pockets of air. It held a hint of the flavors to come, a mere whisper that set my mouth to watering. Maria’s eyes met mine, and without another word, we both took another sip.

Though I knew what flavors would be present in the coffee, I was still floored by their combination. It was everything promised by the scents I’d been around all afternoon, my expectations well and truly exceeded as bitter undertones and sweet overtones collided.

Sip by slow sip, I savored every drop. When I’d consumed only a third, something unexpected occurred. The cup tried to draw my vision in. Furrowing my brow in confusion, I let it.

Passiona Infused Latte of the Barista

Mythic

Never before has Kallis seen anything like the specialty batch used to make this beverage. As this has been created by a self-taught barista, all quantifiable effects have been doubled. On top of a flat boost to focus, partaking in this drink will provide the Multipotentialite buff.

Bonus effect: +20 focus

Multipotentialite effect: Grants the user increased mastery in anything they set their mind to.

Duration: 2 hours

When my vision cleared, I found myself struck dumb by what I’d learned. A fog drifted over my awareness that warred with the warm sensations and delicious flavors the latte had provided. Abruptly, a funny thought came crashing through the haze, and I barked a laugh, my head arching backward as I cast my mirth up toward the night sky.

“What is it?” Maria cocked her head, causing her hair to fall down to the side.

“I just realized that Ellis is about to have a coffee. Can you imagine the questions he’s going to ask poor Sue? Worse, the effect…”

“It’s going to make him even better at asking questions!” She giggled so violently that she almost spilled her latte, a snort or two appearing that made my affection for her flourish. When she regained control, she wiped tears from her eyes. “Maybe we should go back and save her…”

I wasn’t sure if it was the coffee or the way her laughter impacted me, but a different idea came to mind. I chewed my upper lip for a moment, considering how to broach the subject. “How about we go do some thinking? Or talking, if you’d prefer?”

She picked up on my tone and turned to give me a thoughtful look. “Why?”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

An older version of myself might have floundered at that question. Might have said something stupid to make the situation weird. Or worse, said something that hurt her feelings. Instead, I gave her a genuine smile, letting my love for her show. “I know you’ve been having some doubts lately. I wasn’t going to bring it up because I trust you to bring it up when you’re ready, but this…” I gestured down at my latte. “I feel like the multipotentialite buff might be just what you need if you’re trying to work through multiple things.”

Before I’d even finished talking, a pang of guilt came from within her, swiftly followed by a burst of shame. Both emotions lingered as she actively tried to direct her thoughts elsewhere. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to know…”

“Please don’t apologize. You can’t be faulted for having human emotions. I did do my best to not intrude, but I’m still not in complete control…”

Her negative thoughts ebbed and waned as she continued thinking it through. I remained silent, trusting both that she knew I was here, and that she would talk when ready.

“Let’s walk,” she finally said, gripping the inside of my bicep.

Together, we drifted over sand dunes and toward the ocean. The further we got, the more Maria’s turbulent core stilled. I swirled the liquid remaining in my cup, collecting remnant foam that gave the next sip a deliciously creamy texture and caused a sense of peace to settle deep within my abdomen.

By the time I tipped the cup to take the last mouthful, we were standing before the darkened ocean, its waves softly crashing against the sandy shore. I released a contented sigh, my breath warm as it traveled from my lungs. “That might have ruined regular coffee for me.”

Maria agreed with a nod of her head, her heartbeat fluttering as she rested against my upper arm. Like an impending sunrise, something came from within her, starting as the faintest ray of light. It built by the second, her internal state growing brighter.

Under the effects of the latte, whether brain-chemistry related or just a placebo, I felt more connected to her and the complicated emotions swirling about her consciousness. As with every time she’d experienced this doubt, I could have pushed my way in. Could have forced her core to reveal the thoughts that troubled her so.

But that was neither the man I was, nor would ever be.

I slung my arm over her shoulder as softly as possible, hoping my touch reminded her that I was with her. That everything was going to be okay. The seconds passed as we sat in silence, her internal thoughts building and morphing. For what could have been mere seconds or a full minute, they seemed to stagnate, flaring occasionally but always returning to the same level.

All at once, she seemed to reach a decision. She cleared her throat and sat up straight. When her stunning eyes met mine, reflecting the pinprick lights of the stars above, she was resolute. And though her core remained a morass of doubt and indecision, it was overshadowed by the choice she had made.

“Is it okay if we talk about it?” she asked, giving my hand a ferocious squeeze. “I think I need to verbalize to process.”

“I’d love nothing more.”

With both our gazes drifting toward the ocean’s churning waters, Maria spoke.