Ritzbits grinned as he shook hands with Korhell. "You've got a deal! First one to present a full sack of coffee beans to Draconian Overlord wins the pick of Simba's litter."
Korhell looked affectionately at Draconian Overlord's powerful wardog, Simba, who was currently licking a pup. "But don't forget, we have to use cunning, not gold or force to obtain the beans. And we can only steal a handful each time."
Ritzbits scowled. "I know the rules. You'd do best to remember them yourself."
Draconian Overlord chuckled. "Easy there. They're all fine pups, this is just a friendly competition."
Ritzbits nodded. "I know, and we are friends. It's just that I have a really good feeling about that one pup."
That evening, Korhell waited in back of Iris's Roadhouse - known to serve the best coffee in town.
"Finally!" he exclaimed softly, when a serving girl left. Luckily for him, she forgot to lock the door behind her...
Korhell crept in, and found himself in a clean, tidy kitchen. He quietly opened one cupboard after another, until he found the coffee beans.
After placing a single handful in a small pouch, he made a beeline for the door. "YEOWLLL!"
The unearthly screech made Korhell leap, hitting his head on the low ceiling. As he crashed to the floor, he heard heavy footsteps, and a woman shouting.
"If you came in here to steal another pie, I'll take it out of your hide this time!" she roared, opening the door just as Korhell bolted out of the roadhouse.
Meanwhile, Ritzbits was standing outside of Gnody's General Store. When a customer left with a huge bag of coffee beans slung over his shoulder, the master pillager smiled as he pulled out a knife.
Casually stepping behind the man, he waited until they turned the corner onto a deserted street. Quickly slashing the bag, he put his pouch under the newly created opening. Once it was full, Ritzbits ducked behind an empty crate.
After waiting for a few minutes, he stepped out boldly and began to stroll towards the main road. When he turned the corner, he almost tripped over the man whose bag he had slit.
His eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sir! Please excuse me for my clumsiness."
The man gave an irritated grunt in reply, as he tried to stem the outward flow of valuable beans.
Both pillagers returned to their homes, hearts racing.
After several other close calls, the two both arrived at the same conclusion: the race was cursed!
Korhell sipped a strong cup of coffee in his good friend Frazfrea's living room. "I tell you, I've never had any problem, even as a kid I could lift a wallet and be gone without being noticed. Now I've not only been noticed, a few of those people almost saw my face!"
"How much more do you have to go?" Frazfrea asked.
"About half. I'm going to turn over what I've got later today, and concede to Ritzbits. Draconian Overlord was right, they're all fine pups. I guess that big pup wasn't meant for me."
When he walked into Draconian Overlord's home, Korhell sucked in his breath. Ritzbits was laying half a sack of coffee beans on the counter, eyeing the basket of puppies with regret.
The two men looked at him curiously.
Unable to hide his bag, Korhell stepped forward, and put his bag on the counter as well.
Draconian Overlord picked up both of them. "They feel about the same. I'll have the beans counted, and whoever has the most wins!"
Both Ritzbits and Korhell nodded.
The next day, while the three men sipped coffee which had been grown thousands of miles away, two servants busily counted the coffee beans.
"Fifty nine thousand each, my lords," declared the servants.
Draconian Overlord scratched his head, then smiled. "A tie... you know, I've taken a liking to the little guy myself. I think I'll just keep him, and personally select which pup each of you will get."
Korhell and Ritzbits glared at each other for several seconds, then the two men simultaneously roared in laughter. All tension dissolving instantly, they proceeded to swap tales about the doomed race.
This has been a story from the fantasy world of Serfdom and Sorcery. To play the game, go to the Serfdom and Sorcery Official Game Discord
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Cover image made in Canva Pro using their gallery