After getting a couple of cases of Red Wizard whiskey from one of the merchants, Ozzy took a look at his list.

1000 stone bricks,

mop bucket

6 mixing barrels

barrel of soy sauce

assorted spices (50 lbs.)

one whole heap each of:

  onions

  garlic

  black peppercorns

brown sugar or honey

two whole heaps of tomatoes

hot peppers of the sort not eaten by humans

a root cellar

He'd found the bulk of the items on the list and was only missing the peppers and honey. Honey, he was told he could get from a farm a half-mile to the South. The family kept a dozen hives and brought honey and combs to the keep now and then to sell. None of the merchants had hot peppers and said it would take weeks to ship them from the far south. He asked around the keep. The Legion had outposts everywhere, and the soldiers were good sources of information. One of the soldiers at the front gate stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then pointed at a small trail heading west into the forest.

"This is just a guess, but you might try the old dwarf that lives off that way a few miles. He does some panning in the river for gold and has a coal mine and a farm somewhere out that way. He comes to town once or twice a year. Picks up a bunch of the stuff you were shopping for today. He talks a little about cooking, but what he calls food, we call flaming catapult ammunition. Three recruits tried his chili once, and it put them in the infirmary for a week. He laughed and said those were his 'baby-mild peppers' in the chili."

Ozzy figured it was worth a try, but he needed to get his wagonload of supplies home. If he slaughtered cows late into the night, he could get most of the next day's work in and make another trip to the keep to go pepper hunting. Billy was fine with that plan. As long as his regular work got done, Billy didn't mind him putting in extra hours to research something new to cook and possibly sell.

The path looked pretty narrow. He purchased a large backpack in case he needed to carry anything back. He was immediately glad he'd decided to leave the wagon. The pathway started as a single-lane road but soon came to a small stone bridge and continued on the other side as a very narrow path. The bridge itself was interesting. The stones were so tightly laid that he didn't think mortar was used. Whoever made it knew his business. The path was packed clay, hard enough that he doubted any greenery could get a foothold. He moved along at a good pace as it wound through the trees and up into the low hills.

Coming out on top of a hill, he had a good view of what he assumed was the dwarf's house. It was built in the middle of a large meadow with a fast-moving stream running. A waterwheel provided power to another building and pumped water into an irrigation system. Both buildings were surrounded by a huge garden. Water from the stream was pumped into a raised stone canal, which fed irrigation ditches that reached every bit of the farm. It was a nifty setup that saved a lot of time. He'd have to mention it to Billy.

A low rock wall surrounded the entire area of roughly four acres. The pathway he was on eventually made its way to a stone archway set in the wall and then up to the house. Ozzy headed down that way, moving at a slow walk. He'd just gotten to the archway when the smell hit him. Pungent and strong, his eyes started to water, and it felt like any exposed skin was burning.

Through blurry eyes, he tried to look at the crops. An astounding amount of them were peppers. Long, short, thick, fat, bright red, and every other color, they were growing in nice compact rows. As the wind shifted and blew their aroma towards him, the burning on his skin got worse. He took a few steps back and made sure not to wipe his eyes. This was chemical warfare!

The door of the house opened, and a figure moved out. The short and stocky figure was obviously a dwarf. They wore a set of black cloth pants and a full-sleeved shirt with a hood. Leather gloves, goggles, and a red bushy beard left little skin showing. He held a cocked crossbow that was pointed toward the Butcher. "You look halfway peaceable, so I won't shoot first. But be careful of my garden, you crush one of the plants and you'll die screaming. They're just a wee bit potent this time of year. What are you doing out here?"

Ozzy raised both hands. "Just came to talk and maybe trade or buy some peppers."

The dwarf shook his head from side to side. "Not selling any peppers. You're after my seeds, just like the last few fellows. Now git before I put a bolt through your eye."

"I don't care about the seeds. I just need peppers for my barb-b-que pit. Strip the seeds and sell me the hulls for all I care."

After a bit of consideration, the dwarf nodded. "No promises. Come on up to the house, tell me what you're cooking, and have a bowl of red. Maybe we can work something out. But you even look at me cross-eyed, and you'll be out back pulling weeds until you die."

Ozzy just nodded that he understood. He took a deep breath, squinted, and quickly approached the house. The dwarf held the door for him and closed it tight after entering. The inside of the house was well-built and quite cozy. The woodwork of the cabinets and table gleamed. A large black stove had a couple of copper pots cooking on it, and more hung from the walls. Well-oiled tools hung in various places. Ozzy moved in and took a seat at the table.

The dwarf tossed back his hood and took off his goggles. The crossbow was hung on the wall, and he moved to the stove. A copper ladle filled two large clay bowls with food that he placed before Ozzy and his spot at the other end of the table. The smell coming from the bowl was rich and threatening. It looked like chili. A clay spoon and a large mug of beer joined each of the bubbling bowls. "Eat up and tell me what you think."

Ozzy took a large bite. It was indeed chili. Ground meat, tomatoes, garlic...a lot of garlic. Other spices were there, too, but the heat from the peppers was overwhelming. It started slow, with just a hint of pain on his tongue, and then it was like his whole mouth exploded. Tears poured down his eyes, and it was all he could do to take a sip of beer. The beer didn't help a whole lot. The dwarf was laughing. "Just keep shoveling it down. That pain is just the peppers getting acquainted with your taste buds."

Or making war on them, Ozzy thought. He shoveled down another couple of huge bites, nearly finishing the bowl. It hit his stomach, and the pain moved to other parts of his body. He knew why the bastard used clay spoons and crockery; wood would be burning at this point and metal dissolving. He grabbed the tankard and finished the beer in one gulp. The burning that started at his lips and went to his gut intensified. He was sweating profusely, and his heart was beating faster.

The dwarf took down a large bottle full of pink liquid and poured it into two large shot glasses. He handed one to Ozzy. "Here, a little strawberry surprise will take the sting off of things. Bottoms up." He downed his own shot glass and slammed it down on the table upside-down. The glass felt cool in Ozzy's hand, like the promise of salvation. He downed the glass and slammed it down to match the dwarf.

Then he choked and felt his heart stop. It missed one beat, then a second, and finally remembered its job. "Shit, what the hell was that?" He was gasping, and pounding his chest, things were getting dizzy. The dwarf smiled. "Old family recipe. 190 proof corn alcohol with ghost pepper extract added for flavor."

...." Strawberries?...

"HA! Surprise! No strawberries."

Ozzy sprawled in his chair and swore that smoke was coming from his mouth. Probably his insides burning up. It hurt to move at all, and he was exhausted. The dwarf came over and took his pulse. "Damn, son, you're running fast but strong as a horse. Maybe you do want these for Bar-b-que. That should have killed you dead." He stuck out his hand, and Ozzy shook it. "Welcome to the humble home of Makken Peppersmith of Clan FireEater. "

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Ozzy could only croak out, "I'm Ozzy."

[You have lived through the traditional greeting ritual among members of the FireEater Clan. Granted, you cried like a runt kobold with his tail cut off, but at least you're still breathing.

You have gained the skill: Fire Eater. This is a Primary Skill governed by CON.

You have gained +50 CON experience

You have gained +50 experience in Fire Eater

You gained a smidgeon of respect from Makken Peppersmith.]

"Seeing as how you aren't dead, I guess we can talk some. Here, drink this; it will take the edge off. I keep it around for some of the young ones." The drink proved to be a cool glass of milk with bits of mint and strawberries added to it. It did a good job of quenching most of the fires inside of him.

"So tell me, new friend Ozzy, just what are you looking to cook with my lowly peppers?"

Ozzy finished his milk. "A friend and I want to cook up some Dragon's Breath Sausages. His recipe needs 'peppers not normally eaten by humans, ' and I think these might do."

The dwarf lit a pipe and nodded. "Oh, they will. And I have some stuff hotter than that. Tell you what, you get your breath back, and then help me pull up some weeds, and I'll load you up with a peck of pickled peppers. They pick up some extra heat as they age. I haven't had good Dragon's Breath links in a decade or more. I'll trade you the peppers for a nice string of sausage."

----------------------------------------

Steven was thinking over the implications of the message they had just received detailing an event between ACME corporation and Famco. Wally was reacting badly.

"I am uncomfortable with this, Steven. I know it is what the corporations asked for and what we agreed to, but all my projections point to less-than-desirable outcomes due to maneuvering prior to the event. Holding this competition in and around an actual village poses many complications. Damage to NPCs and infrastructure is a great concern, now that I see how this will play out. Neither side is 'fighting a little battle in an open field.' I'm amazed that Famco suggested the village as the field of battle and even more surprised that ACME agreed."

"Yes, this is a real stinker, and it sets a bad example for what will most likely be many more to come. They asked for a way to compete with each other and make wagers. This was meant to avoid wars."

"And despite what was said in those meetings, we have a war anyway. It's humbling that I can be deceived. I see no solution other than to let events play out. This will be messy, but it will give us data on this type of event. If in the future things need to be adjusted, at least we will have this even as an example to justify changes."

"And the System is allowing this to happen?"

Wally sighed theatrically, keeping up his human appearance even with just Steven to see, "The System not only approved the scenario but seemed to be looking forward to playing referee. It sent an official notice to ACME that will arrive by Courier."

=================================================

DECLARATION OF WAR

Due to reasons known to both parties and too tedious to recount here, the Famco Corporation declares limited war upon the ACME Corporation.

Area of Confrontation: War to be held in the area within 5 miles of the village of Sedgewick.

Participants: Each side may designate a number of participants, including employees of their respective corporations and mercenaries hired from player guilds. This number will not exceed 250 participants per side. Special rules will apply when a participant is eliminated to control the information known to participants.

-Participants may not log out of the game. Logging out results in being counted as dead.

-No headstones will be left when a participant dies. No clues to how they were killed will be left.

-All gear worn or carried by a participant when they die will be placed in a special storage area. Should that participant's side win, it will be returned. Otherwise, all items are ceded to the victorious side as part of the spoils of war.

-Participants killed for any reason may take no further part in the event. The time from death until respawning will be extended until the end of the event. Dead men tell no tales. Dead participants will remain offline, and any attempt to communicate knowledge of the event to remaining participants will result in a 7-year ban from the game and a hefty penalty.

-Leaving the area of the event counts as death.

Points of Control:

1) The Center of the Village of Sedgewick in the courtyard near the Tavern.

2) The Dungeon under the area of confrontation.

3) The entrance to the City of Gadobhra

Period of War: 10 days.

Stakes:

1.)Should Famco win, ACME will cede ownership of all buildings and any land under their control within the area of confrontation. In addition, the contract for supplying the Emperor's Legions will be ceded to Famco.

2.) Should ACME successfully defend the area, Famco will cede to ACME ownership of the Bitterlode Coppermine in the village of Thunderhead, the area within 1 mile of the mine, and all mineral or other rights to the land beneath that area. Famco further agrees not to engage in mining or exploring areas within 10 miles of this mine. The contract for supplying the Miners Guild with Copper and other metals will also be ceded to ACME.

Preliminary Period: Famco agrees to remove all participants, employees, and hired mercenaries from the area of confrontation for seven days before the start of hostilities. This period begins upon delivery of this declaration to ACME corporation.

NPC Participation: Residents of the village will be asked to relocate for the period of the war but cannot be forced to leave. Compensation will be provided by the System and charged to the event loser. Those who remain in the area will be neutral non-participants unless a participant gives them a reason to become aggressive toward one site or another. Reasons include but are not limited to Being threatened with harm or death, being attacked, seeing a family member or friend attacked, and loss of animals or property. If a neutral party takes offense and turns aggressive, they may not be attacked by either side unless or until they are witnessed openly attacking a participant in the event.

Contract Workers: Workers cannot be forced by either side to participate and are counted as Neutral Participants. They lack the ability to defend themselves and pose no serious threat to the opposing corporation. If killed, they will respawn as normal. If attacked, they may retaliate similar to the conditions that apply to NPCs. Workers may not be forced out of their housing, and neither side may make use of their housing. Workers will continue to perform their normal duties if possible. If a worker is found to have attacked someone from an opposed faction, they may be killed and suffer an increased period before respawning and increased death penalties. These are cumulative.

Deciding Victory: The main scoring conditions are control of the three points in the area of confrontation. Additional points are scored for each opposing participant removed from the event. Points will be subtracted for the unwarranted killing of Contract Workers or NPCs, destruction of buildings, or infrastructure controlled by NPCs. Additional unforeseen situations that cause damage to the area of confrontation will be judged as they happen. (In other words, starting a forest fire is bad and will cost you points.)

Arbitration: An NPC Judge will be assigned to the event in addition to System notifications.

====================================================================================

As Ben rode through Rowan Keep and dropped off the correspondence given to him, he was handed an official-looking scroll by Centurion Marcus Aurellius. "Your pardon, courier. This scroll is official business to be delivered to the ACME corporation or its representatives no later than midnight tonight."

Ben tucked it into his ring. "Not a problem, Centurion. I'll deliver it as soon as I hit town."