Photo by Nik Owens on Unsplash
Photo by Pablo Pacheco on Unsplash

Links to the original post and the story so far (in order) can be found in the Tale of Two Pizza's Collection Post

First a lame excuse:

I've been behind the eight ball a bit lately and have let Tale of Two Pizza's languish while I was focused on a few other items. With the progress that we have made in Scholar and Scribe, the impending partnership with PageDAO and a claim drop to set up, and a slew of real world time sinks recently something had to give! It seems I am always finding myself in this position lately, but fear not! Tale of Two Pizza's will be seen through to its completion even if there is an occasional gap in our contest timeline.

As we continue the story and begin to approach a possible conclusion (not saying we are there just yet though!) I want to start thinking about how we plan to edit this beast and begin to refine it into a completed work. With access to an NFTbook minter, and Print on Demand features being added to that service in the future there is some real potential to monetize our story in novel ways once we are finished writing.

With that said I invite everyone that has contributed to drop a comment or stop by the Hive Pizza Discord some time to discuss these possibilities.

This rounds entries:

https://ecency.com/hive-199275/@wrestlingdesires/rachel-vs-the-trio-of
@wrestlingdesires continued on with an epic scene with Rachel first managing to cast out the weakest of three formidable foes as she attempted to save her brutally tortured brother from their clutches. It appeared touch and go for a moment, but with just a little help from the ever faithful (and evidently powerful) Bucephalus, she managed to defeat all three and return home with Barry in tow.

With only @wrestlingdesires entering this week of course the customary 2 SBI and 20 PIZZA has been delivered to him below:

Winners delivery pics

Several miles from Slickville and still moving at speed, Amber was surprised at the strength and persistence of the young man that still tugged at her reigns and urged her to slow. She had not spoken to him since declaring her intent and beginning her headlong gallop away from the town. It had not taken him long to start tugging and kicking and swearing at her. She was tempted to shake him off, but could not bring herself to. It would not be in keeping with her purpose anyway... To guide and aid those worthy, to intervene only when the darkness would otherwise consume, and to do no harm to any soul with a shred of virtue left...

The young man had listened to her and assisted her escape, however unknowingly, she could not throw him off and risk harm befalling him. He could not return to Slickville now either. Mrs. Preda would eat him alive for helping her. She was far enough now that she could not sense the great darkness that had pulsed and writhed like a cyst in the city. It was a wonder the humans couldn't taste it in the air it was so putrid, though perhaps the oil and smoke helped to disguise... No... Humans did not have the right senses, were too bound to the physical world to have any idea of the depth of evil that had settled there. She had never known a demon so strong to cross over. So why now?

She finally began to slow, allowing the young man to feel more in control.

"At last! Bloody horse! Why didn't I insist on Princess? What in hell was that all about!" He patted her neck, confirming her choice not to toss him off. She slowed to a stop at his urging and he dismounted. She let him pat her neck again before she spoke again. She guessed, rightly, that he had made up some explanation for her voice urging him to help her in the city and promptly forgot about it in the mad dash that followed.

What in hell is exactly the correct question! What is your name, young man? She turned her head slightly to fix him with a liquid brown eye, then snorted at the way he froze in shock with his hand halfway to her neck again.

"Did... did you just say that? It was you back in Slickville as well!? How? But... What?" He spoke slowly, then rapidly before spluttering lamely to a halt. She nickered her amusement.

I did indeed, but how isn't important, neither is what, particularly. Suffice to say I am grateful of your help, there is a great evil in Slickville at the Baron's house. It has been at war with me and mine for a very long time, and though it could not do much to harm me directly it knew that keeping me locked away would only help it to grow stronger!

"Mrs. Preda" He breathed.

Yes, well... you seem to be quite perceptive. You may call me Amber, what is your name? Amber asked impatiently. Impressed as she was that the man knew exactly where the rot had taken root, she had always been disappointed with how little humans cared for propriety. Names were important.

"My name is Terrence. There are others as well you know! It's not just Mrs. Preda. Though she has always scared the willies out of me... It suddenly got worse. Then... I started to get the same feeling from some of the other servants at her house."

What do you mean the same feeling? You could feel the difference in Mrs. Preda?! When Terrence? When did you notice! If she could identify when exactly whatever demon had taken Mrs. Preda crossed over she might be able to figure out who exactly it was. That information could inform their next moves. Wait, you said you could sense others as well?

"Yes, it was the cook first, even before Mrs. Preda, I thought it was just a strange feeling at first. But he had always been friendly to me. Gave me leftovers and a snack every once in a while when I got home late after delivering a message. He changed. A week later I felt it from Mrs. Preda too but much stronger. Then the ballet teacher, one of the old stablehands, a street sweeper, there are dozens of them now. I was planning not to go back after delivering this message anyway." He took a scroll from inside his shirt and showed it to her.

You must mount up again Terrence. I am glad that you were going to leave. The fact that you could sense them at all is a miracle... but I am troubled. I saw only Mrs. Preda, I don't doubt you, but if there are more of them than we thought we will need to be careful. Will you come with me to the Pizza Baron and allies? She could not bring herself to gallop off without telling him where they were headed. He had freed her after all.

He patted her neck once more and then swung himself into the saddle.

"I've heard... things about Danny Rupert. But I can't exactly go back to Slickville can I?" He sounded relieved, but somehow sad. "I will go with you, forget delivering this to Grove. It's nearly as bad there anyway..."

The rules for this week remain the same as previous weeks!

I'd like to continue building on the story of the Pizza Baron and his post apocalyptic world. Each week I'll pick a winner that becomes the next piece of the story and wins 20 $PIZZA and a 2 SBI sponsorship from me. I may award additional prizes if I feel multiple entries expand the story well.

Each week I'll write a post announcing the winner and then I will write another chunk of the story and open it up again for the next weeks competition. I'll compile the winning entry for each week. If we reach a conclusion of the epic tale of the Pizza Baron I'll divide another TBD amount of PIZZA among all the winning entries throughout the whole story and publish the finished story here on Hive with all the contributors as beneficiaries. If this goes well we might have the first open source blockchain novella on our hands! 😂

The first weeks contest established a secondary storyline that may be tied back into the main plot if you so wish!

Bear in mind this is an experiment as well as a competition so we will see how many entries I get and how well it goes!

Rules:

Entries must be more than 200.

Entries must use the hivepizza and scholarandscribe tags.

Entries must comment on this post with the link to their entry

Entries must fit in the world/scenario that has developed from the previous weeks contest(s). You are free to develop characters, introduce new ones, invite aliens to the feast, I don't care as long it makes some kind of sense in the context! The Pizza Baron should remain relevant to the plot!
(I've named it a Tale of TWO Pizza's for a reason HINT HINT)