Living on Borealis-9: The Story Of A Reincarnated Human

Chapter 12, Part 3: Long Night

That night, I couldn't sleep. So, I decided to go with the next best thing and went out to cut wood.

What? Oh, yes, I should mention that Luna and I had a dedicated forestry in order to not hurt the forest. She knew that I am not the smartest of men, and that I'd inevitably cause some destruction by accident. So, we set up a forestry space where I could chop away. And, since she's a Dryad and all, we had the mysterious luck of having fast-growing trees. Lovely!

So, I cut down a tree and started to hack up some billets of wood. I used a bit of torn cloth off of my tunic to tie a bundle together, then grabbed the rest, alongside the splinters, to bring home. When I did, I plunked the big bundle down, threw the splinters into the hearth, and got ready to light a fire. That's when I took a good, long look out the window, and realised just how dark it was. Not only that, but just how...scary it felt looking outside. The howling coast wind, the darkness, uncertainty...Perhaps I should go out and try lighting a few torches.

Pro tip: Congealed animal fat is very good for making torches! Just...as long as you soak a rope in it beforehand. Just take your fat-soaked rope, wrap it around a stick, and light! Within five minutes, I had made around twenty torches to hang up outside. Now, it was just deciding where. And how. So, I grabbed some rusty old metal meat hooks that were here beforehand, and drove them into the wooden beams of various structures to create sort of 'sconces' to place the torches in. As I lit them, one by one, down the streets, the place did look a little bit more hospitable. Much less...Ominous, and just plain creepy. Not the best, but better than nothing. At least people could see the general shapes of things, not just the darkness. Good.

But then I got distracted by some of the old houses. Maybe I could repair those as well, or give a few a glow-up? I mean, one of them was sort of like a barn. Maybe, if I got a sledgehammer from my house, I could go ahead and knock down the bottom floor and instead make it a top-only house. Then we could put stuff in the bottom! It'd be perfect for The Merchant! It can become a trade depot! Or that house over the-No! I could build us a defensive wall!

And so...I did. I knocked out the bottom floor of a house, careful of the load-bearing beams. I added in a few pillars of carved stone, as well as a few half-logs I set aside for support. Sure, it wasn't very private at that moment, but the house was much more prospective now. And for the wall, while it didn't look very good, I made a three-foot tall fence that could stop...I dunno, arrows? Maybe a few bullets? It was pretty bad, all things considered, but I was proud of my work in just one night. And I did shake the insomnia I was suffering that evening. As soon as I placed the last touches, and a few more torches around town, I was exhausted. So, I stumbled back home, while it was just starting to become day, and flopped into my bed.

When morning came, I was awoken by the smell of smoke and meat. Mmm...It looked like Luna was making breakfast. I'd have to take over that duty from her later down the road, since I liked cooking, and I didn't want her working so hard. Way too many assholes on Earth make their wives and girlfriends cook for them, and I didn't want her to feel like she had to cook for me. We were partners. We were EQUALS. You know? But, for the time being, I knew she was being really nice. So, sucking a small line of salivation, I got out of bed and staggered downstairs. What I did not expect was our guest.

"I say, Luna, that this is delicious meat! So tender! You say that you hunted it yourself?" I heard The Merchant say. He was in our house. Eating at the...Well, ok, it wasn't a table. It was more like the crispy remains of one, plus a few stools made from cool rocks. But he was eating at our table! What the hell? How did he get in? Luna, duh, but why?

"Uh...Morning." I said to him. Was that coffee I smelled?

"Good morning, Matt! I know that yesterday we had a bit of a butting of heads, so I came here to say that I was sorry. Your wife-"

"Girlfriend." Luna and I said together.

"Sorry. Your girlfriend allowed me inside, and offered to make us breakfast. However..."

The Merchant began to struggle with some kind of sack.

"I...Bring you a gift...Of...YAH!" He yelled, tugging at the knot that kept the bag closed. "I bring you a gift of rare seeds: Coffee!"

Coffee. Of all things, coffee. Alright, cool.

"Uh...Thanks, man. You want a cup yourself?" I offered.

"Oh, no! I can't digest the seeds very well."

"Seeds? What? No, you...Merchant, how do you make coffee?" I asked. I was afraid of the response.

"Make? You bake the seeds, and then you eat them." He said, now looking confused. "That is how I was taught to enjoy them."

"Oh...Oh no...No..." I said, holding my hands to my eyes and forehead. No...that... "That's...not how you have coffee. I'll show you, do you have any paper?"

The Merchant took out a handkerchief.

"Good enough."

And so, I taught The Merchant and Luna how to make Cowboy Coffee. It's actually fun, once you get the hang of it. I did it a lot when I was on Earth, when I was poor and still trying to get my feet under me. That was...Gosh, I think 5 months ago? I can't even remember...How long have I been in this world? Whatever. I like it here a lot more. Anyways, as soon as I finished making three cups of coffee, I passed them to Luna and The Merchant.

"Go ahead, take a sip. Just don't burn yourself with the water, it's hot." I said, taking a nice drink from my cup. Ah...I felt a wave of energy go through me. I really needed a cuppa after all this time, not just because I was still tired, but...I like coffee. French roast, traditional Ethiopian, confectionary, pure black. All sorts of kinds. It was one of the things my Uncle... Dad...Markus, liked so much. Alongside a good wine, smoke...Pretty much any kind of substance that made you feel better, even if it was for a short time, he seemed to be into. Unfortunately...

Lost in thought, I didn't realise how confused Luna looked, or how sour The Merchant seemed.

"Um...How DO I sip it?" Luna asked. "Do I just throw it back, or..."

"Um...No, you just take a small sip of coffee."

The Merchant was eying his cup suspiciously. "I don't trust this drink. It looks like tainted water."

"Just drink it. You'll like it."

The Merchant grunted, then downed the whole cup. When he came back up, he looked like had seen the face of God, and it was smiling at him.

"BY OGHER'S BREATH AND LIFE! This is amazing! I had no idea it was consumed this way!" He yelled. "I didn't even know it could taste anything like this! Oh my...Amazing! This was quite the delightful...What else do you know? Tell me everything you can about coffee! What about food? What other meals can you make? If I gave you access to my food stock, what would you be able to prepare?"

Meanwhile, Luna started vibrating after one sip. She had clearly never had coffee before...and I didn't like what may be coming.