The Red Cook

Chapter 2: The Savior is Lavender

I woke up with a splitting headache. Grabbing my head, more pain made a groan escape my lips. I opened my eyes, the sudden light hurt. I was aware of the deep pounding in my head. I closed my eyes and reopened them repeatedly. Eventually, I was able to see without burning my retinas out of my skull. I found myself staring at a wood roof. Moving my head a little, I was able to see where I was. I was in a small bedroom, with late afternoon sunlight lazily floating n through the window. Dust particles floated in the air and caught the rays of the sun. I was on a bed, which was very comfortable, by the way. A small fireplace was stationed in the corner with a small pot hanging over the flame.

The quilt of the bed was a sky blue, with gold thread along the seams. Throwing the quilt aside, I was able to see the damage to my body. A large, ugly scar ran up my stomach. What was unique to this game was that any damage to your body would appear and would act like in real life. . It was about ten inches long, about the width of a broadsword. It was expertly stitched up. I touched the wound gently, I hissed as a lance of pain hit my body. The bad news was that I would not be able to fight until my wound had fully healed. The good news was that it did not seem infected, there was no traces that indicate internal bleeding, and most important I was alive.

Sliding my hand down, I opened the menu. I need to log out, I thought. I have to get to work, I can't be late again. Pressing the button, I closed my eyes and expected for the rushing feeling of being disconnected, but did not feel anything. Opening my eyes, I was faced with the same scenery as before. I pressed the button again. Nothing happened.

"Crap!" I slammed my fist down on the quilt. I dawned on me. The man. The ordinance.

Smirking, the man cleared his throat.

"By the order of his majesty, King Henry the 5th, and under the protection of the New Order, the masked killer has been deemed a traitor and a heretic. He has split the blood of our friends in his excursions. He has followed the paths of the old religion, which has deemed unworthy of our human beliefs under our king. He wears the face of mystery, and in that mystery, breeds chaos. If killed, there will be a substantial reward for all those involved. If captured alive, there will be a bonus for the man who kills him."

He dropped the scroll, which rolled on the damp earth before dissolving.

"The king has deemed it that upon reading this scroll, all deaths for the Travelers be permanent and that they cannot escape to their world in order to trap the traitor to his fellow men."

Then two things hits me. The first, player could not log out. The king had the power to be able to block the ability for us players to log out. The second thing was that death was permanent. I was not sure if our characters were deleted once we died or if we died along with our characters. But one thing was sure, I did not want to find out.

The door to my room opened and a young girl, maybe around six years ago, with frizzy blonde hair. She smiled, showing a set of teeth with a couple missing.

"You're awake? I'll go grab Ma."

And with that, she disappeared and closed the door behind her with a click. I blinked, not accustomed to very much interaction with other people. The door opened, more fully this time, revealing a middle aged woman. She was dressed in a brown dress with an apron. Her blonde hair had streaks of gray in it and was tied back in a bun. Her face lit up with a warm smile.

"You're awake, my son. That's a relief."

"How long was I asleep?" I asked.

"It's been four days since we found you in our garden." She chuckled. "My other daughter, Lavender, found you laying in our garden."

"Where are my clothes that were with me?" I asked.

"They are on the chair along with your sword." She replied.

"Good." I started to get up. "I need to leave."

A hand gently pushed me down. "No." Another voice said.

I looked up to see a younger version of the mother. Tall, and graceful, but with a shock of fiery red hair instead of her mother's blonde. Her face looked down at him in concern and anger.

"You need to heal and rest." Her brow crinkled. Seeing my stubbornness, she ran her fingers along the wound. I howled in pain as she touched a tender area.

"Exactly." Once I blinked the tears out of my eyes, I glared at her.

"If you care for yourself and for your family, I need to leave." I bared my teeth.

She laughed. "You just look like a cornered wolf, scared and baring it's teeth." I glared.

"Listen. You will stay with us until you are fully healed." She leaned closer. "Period."

I gulped. "Suppose I do stay, how will I repay your family for taking care of me?"

She smiled. "You could possibly help around the housing, cooking, cleaning, gardening, and helping in the fields."

I looked behind her at her mother. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

Her mother and sister chuckled. "No, you don't, honey." The mother responded. "I'm glad you realized that before she injures you again."

I looked back at Lavender. She had her arms crossed and was tapping her foot on the wooden floors. Her mouth has set into a straight line. At the sight, I chuckled. I began to laugh, not as a bloodthirsty maniac, but as an amused person. I stopped as the wound began to hurt.

"I guess I'll stay." Lavender grinned. "This will be your room then."

She smirked, knowing she had won the battle for today. I began to feel lightheaded. I laid my head down onto the pillow, letting it sink into the material.