"We wouldn't be here without you!" Wystan said with slurred speech. His blushing face turned towards the bar. The woman working it quickly crouched down beneath the counter once the Cutthroat's eyes were on her. "Hey! I saw you!" Wystan released Daego and marched towards the bar. "We're going to need more... drinks here!"

"Hold on a second," Daego said as he put a hand on Wystan's shoulders. The Cutthroat leader staggered forward, almost falling over as he tried his best to turn around. "What have you been drinking all this time?" he asked while staring at the empty mug in the man's hand.

"I... don't know." Wystan lifted his glass to eye level and squinted into it.

"Whatever it is, I guarantee you that it's not the good stuff." Daego smirked.

Wystan belched. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about one of the best drinks that you can import!"

Wystan shook his head in confusion. "Still not following you."

"Rhoda Rum!"

The other Cutthroats went silent, all staring at Daego with enormous eyes.

"You're telling me that you've got Rhoda Rum here?" Wystan's face lit up. He smiled from ear to ear as he bounced up and down on the heels of his feet like a child. "No one said anything about that! Haven't had a taste of that in over a decade! Managed to steal a pint from some old man on a charter vessel!"

"You know how potent it is though," Daego replied. He crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side. "I'm more than willing to pay for a glass or two for you and your crew. But it looks you folks already have a good amount of alcohol in your system. If you're worried about getting too drunk, I guess you can keep sipping on..." the swindler reached over and took Wystan's empty glass. He took a whiff of the mug and made a disgruntled face. "Whatever... this is. Back Alley Brew?"

"Hey! I'll have you know that no one can hold their drinks like a Cutthroat!" Wystan stomped his foot and faced the bar again. "Miss! You hear what this man said?"

The woman popped her head just above the counter. "Oh, I heard him all right. He better be telling the truth, too!" she said as she shot Daego a mean glare.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go and get us some of that Rhonda Rum!" The Cutthroats all joined in loud applause as the woman made her way past the counter and towards the stairway. Once she was inside, Aurrie stopped her short by raising her hand.

"Don't worry about it, Donna," Aurrie said. "I'll bring it up here."

"Are you serious?" the older woman cried. "You know how much that stuff cost to get! And you and I both know just how broke Daego really is! He couldn't even afford a glass for himself, let alone for a band of thirsty Cutthroats."

"So what were you gettin' ready to do then?" Aurrie asked.

"I was going to get one of the cheap barrels and pray that they’re too intoxicated to tell the difference. I'm not looking to get run out of business!"

Aurrie stepped past the bartender and looked out through the stairwell's door. The Cutthroats all stood up and were shouting and clapping. Chairs toppled over. Plates and glasses fell to the floor. And the other customers started to inch closer to the door as the bandits continued in their festivities.

"You act like the Cutthroats ain't tryin' to do that already," Aurrie whispered. "They're already tearin' this place apart! You like buying new dishes every other day?"

"And you think giving them all a free barrel of Rhoda Rum is going to make things better?" Donna contested. "They'll just get even more belligerent!"

"That's the plan," Aurrie replied as she cracked her knuckles. "Get them so drunk they can't defend themselves!"

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"What?" Startled, Donna took in a deep breath and placed her hand over her chest. "Don't tell me Daego plans on fighting Wystan and his men."

"Daego won't."

Donna sighed a breath of relief. "Oh, thank The Deity."

"I'm gonna be the one to teach 'em a lesson!"

"What?" The bartender pulled Aurrie away from the door by the shoulders. "You know that's even crazier, right? How is a young girl like you going to handle all those crooks, huh?" Donna lifted Aurrie's right arm and looked at the bicep. "Just because you're able to lift a keg up a flight of stairs by yourself doesn't mean that you can defend yourself from a bunch of Cutthroats."

Aurrie freed herself from Donna's hand. "I've got a plan. It's a bit complicated. And all the details ain’t fully fleshed out, but I got faith that I'll come through just fine. And those Cutthroats won't be a problem anymore."

The bartender shook her head. "I don't know what kind of trouble you and Daego plan on getting yourselves into. And I for sure don't want any part. Understand?"

"Don't worry. You we weren't bankin' on havin' your help in the first place!" the housekeep snapped.

"Try not to get the place ruined any more than it already has been." After her statement, Donna stormed out of the stairwell and marched back to the bar. The Cutthroats watched with eager eyes as she began to pull empty glasses from the wall and slam them on the counter in frustration.

"Aye, lady!" Wystan shouted. "Where's the good stuff at?"

"Oh, don't you worry," Donna replied as she arranged the mugs in a straight line. "Someone else is gonna bring it up any moment now."

A unanimous applause arose from the crowd of Cutthroats. Wystan moved to center of the bar and took a seat on one of the stools in the center. Daego followed and took the seat beside him.

"Are you sure you can handle yourself?" the swindler asked as he waved a hand in front of the woozy man. "Looks like you're going to topple over any second."

"What are you implying?"

Daego shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe my offer was a bad idea. I think you could use a warm glass of milk instead." The sarcasm in his tone was lost on the drunken bandit.

"Wanna make a bet?" Wystan grunted. "You seem really confident in your ability to take on one of us when it comes to drinking."

The swindler responded by shrugging his shoulders. His eyes panned across the other gang members as the surrounded the bar, all staring him with contemplation. "You looking to do a contest, eh? I'd be down. And I think the rest of your men are too!"

Heads nodded and murmurings began to stir as the Cutthroats chatted amongst themselves. Despite individual conversations being incomprehensible, there appeared to be an agreement amongst the men.

"What's that, boys?" Wystan sloppily spun around on his stool and faced the rest of the gang. "You want in on this wager too?"

"Yeah!" one called out from the back. The others soon repeated the sentiment.

"Fine then. Last one standing wins! How does that sound?"

The gang's response was an eager cheer.

"Since I'm paying for the drinks, maybe you could offer something up for the winner's prize. What do you say?" Daego extended an open hand. Wystan shook it without hesitation as he tapped his chin with his other hand. His head angled up high, staring at the ceiling in search of inspiration.

"How about... a promotion?" he muttered. The Cutthroats oohed at the suggestion. "That sounds like a fair prize to me. Anyone that keep up with me is worth standing by my side. And a bigger cut in the loot we get too, of course."

Wystan's men applauded at the suggestion before scurrying to the bar to grab mugs for themselves. Within a minute each Cutthroat was equipped with an empty glass and surrounded the bar.

"What about me, Wystan?" Daego asked, raising his voice louder than the anxious men that surrounded him. "I'm not a Cutthroat. What do I get if I win?"

"You think you're going to win?" Wystan made a bellied laugh. "That's not going to happen. Don't even worry about what we can do for you. Just make sure you got enough coin on you to cover all this. Or not. Either way we're not paying for this."

"Aww, come on Wystan," Daego moaned. "Even if I can't win, you have to admit that putting something on the line will make this more fun. That's what wagering is all about!"

"All right, fine." Wystan belched and blinked a few times before facing Daego again. "Name whatever you want. If you somehow end up wining, I'll be sure to give it to you."

The swindler paused and turned her his head away. He leaned back in his stool with his arms crossed as his foot tapped against the ground. "Ah! I think I've got something in mind."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"You still got those necklaces?"

Wystan felt around his waist for the pouch fastened to his belt. "Yeah. Still have them on me."

"Maybe I could get those? If I win, of course. I think they'd fetch a fair amount down at the market."

"Yeah, yeah. I don't see why not. But when one of us wins..." Wystan stroked the wiry hairs on his chin as he scanned Daego from bottom up. "You're going to join us."

Daego froze. He blinked twice and shook his head. "Come again?"

"The Cutthroats could use a good servant. No one in the gang has been keeping up with their chores. I think someone like you would make a fine housekeeper!" Wystan's laughing turned hysterical, as did that of his men. They all stared at Daego while keeping their mugs held tight. "What do you say? Let's shake on it!"

Wystan extended his hand. Dirt and alcohol covered his skin as he let it linger in front of Daego's chest. "I thought you wanted to make a bet?" the larger man began. "Don't tell me you want to back out now!"

After a gulp and a silent sigh, Daego accepted the offer by shaking the man's hand. "You... got yourself a bet."