Everyone sat around the fire, stuffed.

"Damn, Levi, where'd you learn to fry fish like that?" David asked. He was sitting on the ground leaning back on the log stool, feet stretched out in front of him.

"My dad. And trust me, it wasn't nearly as good as he could fry it. I still haven't figured out his secret."

"Your dad or your stepdad?" Paige asked. She remembered him talking about fishing with his stepdad earlier.

"My dad. Both liked fishing, and I think James could fry fish okay, but my dad was a master. He had it down to a science. We used to have these huge family reunions, and everyone would always want my dad to fry fish."

"I don't know, man. I think you're just seeing things through a lens of nostalgia. That fish was perfect," Joe argued.

Levi laughed. "Yeah, and you're only saying that because you never had my dad's fish."

"Did you and your dad have a good relationship before the system?" Grace asked.

"He passed away about eight years ago." Levi shrugged. "But yeah, we had an okay relationship before he died, I guess."

"I'm sorry to hear that, man," David said. "I lost my own mom a couple of years ago. Breast cancer. It was just me and her when I was growing up, so it hit me pretty hard. So, I get it."

"Yeah, sorry about your mom, too," Levi said.

"What about you, Maddy and Paige?" Grace asked.

Maddy looked up from some sort of spell book she was reading. "My parents died way back when I was little. I don't remember them. But, they also had money and a huge life insurance policy, so I still had a pretty nice life."

Paige suddenly felt a little out of place and embarrassed, though she knew she didn't really have any reason to be. "My parents are alive. They're actually in the closest safezone from us. The system has it marked on my map. I'm actually planning on leaving soon to go find them."

Grace perked up at that. "The council will definitely be interested in that. We have been discussing locating other safezones and trying to open up some form of communication and trade network."

"Why do you want to know about everyone's family all of the sudden, Grace?" Joe asked. "Seems kind of weird."

"It's this theory I have. Came up in the council meeting when we were discussing security. Have you all noticed we don't have any kids or families here. Everyone, except Paige, it seems, had no close family before the system. We were thinking maybe it had to do with the way the system organized the safezones." Grace lifted her hat and scratched at her scalp beneath it. "Paige kind of throws a kink in that, though."

"Not really. I was told I only placed in this safezone because they couldn't fit me into my parents' safezone, and this one was closest to theirs."

Grace nodded. "That kind of makes more sense. So when did you plan on leaving? The council may want to send someone with you or at least a letter to the other safezone. And if you could come by tomorrow and tell us everything you know, we would appreciate it."

"Sure, I'll come by. And me and Levi are heading out after he recovers. We're going to go check out the portal and leave after that."

Grace gave Levi a look but didn't say anything.

"I'd be interested in checking out the portal with you." Maddy perked up suddenly, setting her spell book to the side entirely.

"I'm in too, for sure." Joe sat up straighter and looked at Maddy. "I thought you'd be going with your group, though, Maddy.

Maddy shook her head. "After what happened, they're just... done with it."

Joe nodded but didn't say anything.

Levi decided to shift the subject back to the portal so no one dwelled on what had happened for too long. "What about you, David? You're a damned terror with that bow."

"If Maddy's in, I'm in. So... hell yeah, let's do it."

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Maddy blushed at David's words but didn't comment.

A relaxed silence fell between the group for a moment until Grace interrupted in with an outburst.

"Can we please talk about the coffee, now?"

Paige just looked at Grace levelly.

"Fine... I'm sorry. I'm just an old busy-body. You're grown and you can do whatever you want... I'll mind my own business. But please, it's fucking coffee, Paige. What do you want from me?"

Paige smirked and pulled the rolled up parchment from where, earlier, she'd tucked it into her circlet to be on constant display.

----

After a long discussion, Levi felt the start of a headache coming.

"And you're sure that's what it means?" Grace asked Levi.

"I mean, I'm pretty sure, it seems straightforward. To catch fish, you must have bait. But for the treasure, wait half a turn. Good things come to those who wait. But the early bird gets the worm. And we got the clue while fishing."

"So it's simple," Maddy commented. "Tomorrow evening, we all go out there with fishing poles, leave them in the water from sunset to sunrise, and get a bunch of coffee beans."

"I seriously doubt that will work. It will probably either only go to Paige or to whoever is in possession of the clue. I mean, we can all go out there and try, but I doubt more than one person will get the reward."

"Ooh... we can just have someone else hold the clue, and then Paige and that person gets the coffee," David added.

"That is probably risky, too. In the best case scenario, either Paige gets the reward or the person holding the clue gets it. Worst case scenario is that Paige needs to be holding the clue to get the reward, in which case, we just wasted our time. So Paige needs to hold on to the clue. You're all welcome to come, but I wouldn't get your hopes up for any extra rewards."

"Damn."

----

In the end, everyone came. Whether it was the excitement about coffee in general or the hope of getting even more rewards, no one missed the opportunity.

Paige had went to the council and told them what she knew about the other safezone earlier in the day. But after that, everyone had spent the rest of the day in anticipation.

They all found themselves on the log with empty hooks in the water well over an hour before sunset.

As the night wore on, people's nerves were tested and everyone got a bit grumpy. Grace was the worst. She kept snapping at everyone, making sure they were staying awake, yet she was the only one who'd nodded off.

No one woke her up the second time, happy to let her sleep and leave them in peace.

As the sun rose that following morning, everyone stared in anticipation at the water. The moment stretched forever as everyone, except sleeping Grace, leaned forward.

And just as they were about to give up hope, Paige felt a tug on her line.

Quickly pulling it in, they all saw as a small wooden cask, maybe three liters in volume, come to the surface.

Paige pulled it to shore, and Levi quickly pulled his dagger, fighting with the cask to get it open.

When he finally did, they all stared down at the green colored beans.

"What the fuck?" David said.

"Are they magic or something?" Paige asked.

Levi picked up one of the beans, sniffed it, then stuck it in his mouth and chewed. After a moment, he spat the bean remnants out. "Nope. Normal coffee beans. But we're going to have to roast them before we can make any coffee from them."

Maddy let out a sigh. "Oh man, I was worried the system was fucking with us for a second. I've been daydreaming about a nice cup of coffee with tons of cream and sugar for so long now. I would have been pissed. Shouldn't be too hard to roast them, though."

"Alright then. So, who wants to wake up Grace so we can get back and get started on it?" David asked.

Everyone exchanged looks for a moment.

After a moment, Paige answered. "I mean, she knows her way back..."

"Well, we can't just leave her, can we?" Maddy commented. "...Can we?"

"I mean..." David scratched at the back of his head. "She'll be pissed, but isn't she kind of always grumpy, anyway." David shrugged.

"I say we leave her a note," Levi said.

"Fuck me, are y'all really going to make me do it?" Joe asked.

They all stared at him, silent.

"Ugh. You guys suck," Joe said.

Joe leaned over and shook the old witch. Grace jerked awake with a swing that Joe quickly leaned to avoid.

"I'll rip your balls off, you sorry son of a bitch." As she thrashed, Grace's wild eyes caught the sight of Joe. She started taking in deep breaths, and after a moment, she seemed calm again.

"Sorry about that, Joe... I must have been dreaming," Grace began. Suddenly, she straightened. "Wait, what happened. Did we get the coffee? Why'd you all let me sleep? But... more importantly... did you get the coffee."

"Yeah, we got the coffee." Joe answered dryly.

"What? Why do you say it like that? Is there only enough for one cup or something?" Grace turned to Paige. "Paige, I'll do anything you want. I'll wash all your clothes. You can have every potion in my inventory. I'll-I'll do things to you no man will ever know how to do... we'll...make it really dark first. I need that coffee..."

"Whoa, whoa... before you start giving me any more nightmares..." Paige popped the top off of the small barrel beneath her arm, showing it to Grace, and laughed. "They just need to be roasted, you crazy addict bitch. I'm just glad it was coffee and not cocaine."

Grace relaxed. "Oh, thank God. You have no idea the things I was willing to do. And that cocaine comment is unfair. I haven't done cocaine since the quality dropped in the 90s."

"Eh... pretty sure we all got way too familiar with what you were willing to do. How about we just get back to the safezone and you stop talking before we all end up wishing we were never here," Joe butted in.

"That sounds lovely," Grace said, straightening herself and readjusting her hat.

"Well, don't start trying to act all dignified now," Levi joked.

"Yeah, well, I'm not proud of the things I said, but..." Grace unnecessarily readjusted her hat a second time. "But maybe we can keep this between us. I am a little embarrassed about the way I reacted."

"No promises," David joked, receiving a glare from Grace.

"Oh, I can DEFINITELY promise... you'll never live it down," Paige said, with a laugh.

Maddy shook her head. "That was just weird, Grace."