One More Mug: Odd Pot

“Can I see the sac?”

The people in the tavern slightly stole a glance from where they heard it and saw the beefy chef talking to a lean, built man, a bag as big as him, some drippings on the bottom of it, and an odor that you are sure is not from an animal.

“Here you go, one flame sac of a mature wyvern”

And places the organ, still radiating heat, as big as a wheel, heavy as a calf, on the counter.

“... your chef… is he serving us wyvern sac?” a huge muscular orc adventurer asked the tavern keeper, forgetting what they were talking about as they stared at the sac.

“I… I am not sure,” he replied.

The two went towards the traveler and the chef, asking both, “Why do you have that, and why did you want one?”

The chef looks at the two while holding the flame sac and accidentally burns his palm

“Ow! Ok, this is fresh! Well done, traveler! I'll take it!!”

And he turns his head back at them

“You see, stuff like this? It’s perfect to keep things hot and ready without any fuel”

The traveler added in with glee

“Not just that, give that part a squeeze,” he points to the artery, and as the chef squeezes it gently, fire erupts from the other side.

“It also can serve as a stove or fire source! I use the smaller mature wyverns, but they run out after a week or so. This one? Can last years! Tho it does cost extra to slay.”

The chef chuckles as he hands him a bag of gold and compliments him as he puts the sac behind the counter for later use.

The tavernkeeper and the orc impressed rubbed their chin, and the tavernkeeper just cautioned the chef, “Just don’t burn the kitchen down”

He chuckles as he leaves the three, saying, “I’ll talk to the carpenter to get it set up tomorrow. I'll be back”

The traveler started to pack up, too, but was stopped by the orc.

“Wait, you still haven’t told us why you have that”

“I sell monster parts; I don’t slay them personally, but you come across multiple slain ones when traveling on foot, so… gold is gold, you know?”

“But what do you eat? You look like you haven’t seen people for days,” the tavernkeeper questioned

“Maybe even weeks; I may adventure around, but I always move from town to town to be safe”

The orc took a seat beside them.

The traveler unpacked again and showed his rations. As he did, before he could utter a word, the two dropped their jaw and pointed at every ingredient showed a claw a big as their head, a wing as wide as the counter, an eye that is bigger than their fist, one more questionable than the last.

“Is that a Griffin wing? " the tavernkeeper asked. “The wing is normal, look at this! Harpy eggs!!” The orc pulled the eggs towards him, and as the two looked at the center, together they said “Mermaid flesh…”

They look at each other, then to the traveler, and shove all in his bag. “Keep that! And why do you have those, like, you know, those things have side effects!” the orc warns him. “And you eat all of those? We got pigs, cows, poultry, and even fish! Why monsters?!”

The traveler shrugs, “I mean it's everywhere, and no one makes me pay for getting them, so I get to save up some more.

“That's not it! I mean that’s a good point, but that's not the point!” The orc was baffled and took a deep breath to calm himself down and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Look, when you make a dish, sometimes you need ones for tradition or a certain dish, for example, my people and I eat wolf testicle stew. Many will question, but at least it's not a monster nor is it a norm to our species… You don’t eat this, right, tavern keeper?”

“Not one bit.”

The orc let out a sigh of relief as he chuckled. “So you get my point, right?”

“Oh, I know, I get it, it is not a conventional food, but it's quite tasty, I mean I could even remake your wolf testicle stew with a chimera testicle!!” The traveler explained as he showed a testicle that's half lion, half sheep.

“I don’t think it will come close if you try,” the orc gently declined him.

As the two talk, the tavernkeeper notices the chef

“So, found him?”

“No, I dont think I have seen him for a while now that I am looking “ The chef replied joining the three and looking at the ingredients with bewilderment.

“If i may ask what are you two doing” he asked the orc and traveler and the traveler smiled.

“Perfect timing, I heard you dont have someone to install the sac, how about I do so, but in exchange, you let me and buddy here use it for a food war” He places his hand over the orc's shoulder and looks at him confused but then agreed.

“I agree with the boy, let me show you that you need the right ingredients and steps” The orc proudly stated with his chest puffed and his arms crossed while nodding.

“Deal, but that means me and the tavern keeper will be the judge” And as he looks at the tavern keeper he noticed talking to the other staff.

“Ill be on break, you guys cover me for a bit” The tavern keeper told his staff before disappearing with the three to the kitchen.

The three watches the traveler set up the wyvern stove

“You see, i been using smaller ones as i did say, but i have handled big ones back home too…and..there… we… go!”

He finished up and the wyvern stove is completed.

“You use that, chef, wheres the normal one?” The orc ask as he brings out the wolf testicles as the traveler washes the chimera testicles.

“Over here… just make sure you two wash the utensils very thorough, i don't want other customers tasting animal jewels…” He leaned to the tavern keeper “maybe lets buy a new one instead”

The tavernkeeper looks at the two cooks and their special ingredients and its contents “...good idea”

“Ok done prepping my ingredients, how bout you big guy?” He challenges the orc

“ready as my bloodline”

The chef went in the middle of the two and announce “the dish for tonight is “wolf ball stew” and will be judge by me and the tavernkeeper, to defend the honor of this dish is the orc adventurer, against the challenger of cultural dish, the traveler. You may start….NOW!” He slams the cleaver in the chopping board as he signals.

Both of the cooks went to their station and the orc started steaming the wolf testicles and chops carrots, chives, onion, and garlic.

Over on the wyvern stove, the boiling water has the veggies in but the traveler is tenderizing the chimera ball and putting turmeric powder and harpy eggs in the mix and shape them into tiny balls with each down the pot, and boiling them.

The orc accidentally spilled his chilly powder “NO! wait hang on, i need to buy one outside!” Then the traveler toss him a pouch of chili. “Make sure you win against me, i wanna see what to improve” He smug, and the orc bowed his head as thanks and went back to his station to finish.

As the stew thickens, the meat softens. The two finally finished and before the two serves it they talk on having only one of them serve, so no one knows which one made which. The orc agrees and he serve both

The chef and tavern keeper saw the dish as it appears before them, the aroma flooding their nostrils, and both confused on which is which as they never tasted a wolf ball stew made by an orc and is authentic, nor one from a chimera meat.

The two took their spoon and tasted the first stew

“This is, woah! The flavor is within the meat, and the broth is in the right consistency that the rice soaks in it enough but the broth isn't gone!” The chef stated in amusement.

“Not only that, I don't taste any testicles! Like I am eating normal meat despite knowing the ingredients… chef, isn't wolf testicle meat cheap?” The tavernkeeper ask and stared by the chef in horror.

“Dont you dare”

“No, no, i mean i wanna make one at home”

“Oh, yeah but you can hunt one”

“Our blood sell them affordable if you want”

“Or you can put a bounty for monsters with testicles”

The three look at the traveler in a manner they are still questioning him.

“Wait, we still haven't tasted the other” the tavernkeeper shared and went ahead to taste it

“... The taste” The orc smirks knowing its not his

“Its very close!! Or almost exactly the same!!” The tavernkeeper excitedly told them making the chef quickly taste it too.

“Wrong! Its exactly the same!! But… the texture, the feels, its very different! The broth is soupy that its more of a soup than a stew, yet… its very the same, how?”

The orc shocked and took a small bowl to serve as his spoon and tasted it.

“Impossible… but.. You used different ingredients! I tasted my work and its just like home! How is it possible?!”

The orc questioned the traveler in shock and the traveler tasted the one the orc made.

“So that's what I did wrong, the broth!”

“No, you did the broth well, it's just watery that if there's a wolf ball soup, you just made it… without the wolf too.” The orc corrected him while still tasting the dish of the traveler.

“Where did you learn?” The orc ask him while the chef and the tavernkeeper is eating plenty om both dish in the back.

“Back then i came across an orc canteen and tasted my first stew there, I did ask the chef and she was gentle with me despite the hiccups, but i got the taste down! But she is laughing at me cause she is amused i got the taste but forgot the wolf testicles”

“By the mountains in the Northwest?”

“Yup! I am headed there cause i wanna show her this dish, shes gonna laugh her boots off knowing I used the wrong meat hahaha!” the traveler chuckle as he shoeed the orc what the chef looks like.

“Aunty…”

Everyone went silent and all said “aunty?...” In unison.

“Yeah, she thought me that dish! But she scolds me when I get it wrong…” he looks at the traveler. “Let's go, I want to back you up on how you cook!”

The orc picks up the traveler, and his bag too

“Woah! Hey guys, you got it covered here right? The wyvern stove is simple to use! Just make sure to plug when not in use” The traveler caution them, but the chef and the tavernkeeper are busy indulging themselves in the stew.

“We got it, don't worry! Make sure to come back abd make some more you two!” The tavernkeeper happily waved them goodbye.

“Oh also my aunt is looking for a mate…” the orc told the traveler as he closed the door.

“What”

…

…

…

The tavernkeeper is now washing the utensils with an angry chef on guard.

“Next time make them clean this”