"Welcome to The Labyrinth Motel. We have all the types of barbecue in the world you could ask for! Cheap beer and alcohol too!" The bartender sings as she passes a bottle to the costumer beside her. "Room services too of course, that'll be 10 rubies per night. What's your name young miss?"

I catch a glimpse of her face when she swiftly turns around. I bet she is Peyton. "I said what's your name young-" Her breath hitches as she finally turns to look at me. My face is burning crimson as she surveys me from head to toe. My leaf dress must look quite embarrassing to be honest. "Carmine?!" She gushes toward me.

I'm about to open my mouth when she yanks me into the corner of a serving table. "Carmine, is it really you?"

"Well it depends on who you think I am, is it Carmine the song or the-" She wraps her arms around me and draws me in for a hug, not giving me any breathing space. "Don’t choke me to death."

"Stupid. Carmine the song or the colour? Since when did you become Kyle?" She wipes bead of tears conjuring in the corner of her eyes.

"Idiot. Who attacks a costumer and starts asking if they are really themselves or not?" I smile. The way we talk to each other sometimes makes me glad that we are friends. I love Peyton. Not that I'd ever admit it but she should know I do, I think.

"Come on, I needed to be sure. At least you look like the avatar you chose, not that idiotic Kyle that chose a better looking avatar than he is." She nods in the direction of a table crowded with Knights. "We entered the game at the same time. I chose to be a bartender because it seemed to be the most profitable thing at the moment. And Kyle chose Knight, well it was either that, Sword-drawer or Wizard."

"Huh... those were the two other options?" I ask a little too loudly. People turn to look at us and I give them death glares, warning them to keep doing what they have been doing.

"Shh, yes. I had bartender, barista or chef. I would say I got rather easy ones... from the looks of it, wait I can't even tell from the looks of it, what are you?"

"A common man." Now that I say it out loud, it sounds just as questionable as the look Peyton is giving me.

"That was part of the option? Lucky you, I got stuck in this smelly old motel, serving as a bartender." Peyton flips her blonde hair back and places her chin on her palms. "At least you're here now, shouldn't be that boring anymore!" She cheers up and her infective smile is imposing itself on my face.

"Hey bartender! We need two cups of beer and a plate of smoked chicken at this table!" A man's voice hollers from the other side of the building.

"Coming!" Peyton drags her feet on the floor. She looks like she is about to murder someone but when she gets to the costumer's table, her face brightens up. "What can I do for you, sir?" She is writing in a book and peeking under her eyelashes to look at the man.

"A plate of chicken... and some..." The man drawls out. He seems to be in a trance that he can't get out of. Peyton is still innocently looking at the man but I think that is the problem. Her guiltlessly wide baby blue eyes are intoxicating and her flawless wavy blonde hair adds up her features. I have to say my best friend is a keeper. "Beer," the man eventually says.

She giggles as she smiles a world winning smile. When she takes her leave the man is completely dumbfounded. Whether Peyton knew or not, she was flirting with the man. Seductive bartender!

There is a commotion going on a few tables away from mine. I trail after the noise to see what is happening and I land in the Knights table. My danger instinct is set into motion. Something bad is about to happen here, I can feel it, I can sense it. Ever since entering this game, my danger senses are more active and sensitive now.

"Hey what's the hold up?" A bearded Knight clothed in full armour with the exception of his helmet walks up to Peyton. He grabs her waist as he slurs, "Where's my order?"

Peyton pushes him back and replies, "You stink, get away from me. It's on its way but you'll have to wait. Please in the meantime, sit down and don't do anything stupid or I'll kick you out." She declares firmly. Yes! You tell him girl. I'm about to give her a high five as soon as she is about to pass by me but a loud clank sound rings in the air.

"Don't," A Knight warns. He is holding out his sword to the bearded Knight. "Don’t touch her." He warns then retreat. That stupid bearded Knight tried to slice my friend! Who does he think he is?! I march to where all this is happening but Peyton drags me further from them, she shakes her head disapprovingly.

I wonder why she is holding me back... I need to give that asshat a piece of my mind. I don't know how passive I was before but now that I look closely at the Knight that saved Peyton he is... Kyle?! "Calm your ass down Marcellus. We protect the people not attack them, remember?"

Marcellus snarls, "Protect that bitch all you want. I'll just get more aggressive when you're not around." He spits in Kyle's face.

Kyle seems to have had enough of his trash. He grasps Marcellus's left arm and bends it unevenly behind him. His arm makes a snap sound that I can't help but think it's broken, Kyle then kicks behind his leg and makes him fall face flat on the floor. Ha! Serves you right. Stupid Knight. "Get back to your post. I won't repeat my orders."

My smile reaches my eyes. Kyle is now facing off with Marcellus the stupid Knight. Marcellus lets loose a string of curses as he walks out of the motel. "Fuck you!" He yells but only once he is out and safe from Kyle's hold.

I burst out laughing, my sides hurt so bad. Who knew anybody would end up fearing Kyle this much? Or that he is even worthy of fearing? "Good job," I tell him when he is in close proximity.

His mouth is wide open and his eyes are saucers when he sees me. Then he starts laughing all of a sudden. "You... look... ridiculous!" He clutches the sides of his stomach.

That idiot! How dare he mock my preciously sewn dress. I kick him in the nuts, literally right in his crotch area. He winces as he drops to the floor but he's still laughing. "Shut up!"

"I... was joking. Not everyone has the talent to make a dress made from leaves and twigs look awesome." He just recovers from his fits of laughter but he goes right into another again. "My bad Carmine." So he knows who I am, and he could tell right away. I guess I must really not look all that different from the character I chose. "You look like a snack, a huge green one." He smiles sheepishly. Peyton is behind me, holding her laugh in. Come on, laugh it up! Since I'm the clown for today.

Peyton goes back to the reception and is taking orders slash handing keys over to costumers that seem to be trooping in by the minute. Kyle and I walk to the table I sat before with Peyton. "So, you're a Knight."

"I've always wanted to be one, you know that right?" I flashback to when three of us used to play Castle as kids. Ha, back in the days when the world was ruled by sane individuals.

"Being a Knight must have been the best thing to happen to you."

"Getting kidnapped and forced to play Knight isn't the best thing to happen to me. But it's still fun. It's just... the system here. It's trash to be honest." He starts tracing imaginary lines with his index finger on the table. "Okay so there's an order around here. The food chain goes like this, the King of the village is on top, the advisors are below him, the Knights next, the military, and the villagers."

Okay gotten, I nod. "So you're in the middle of the food chain. That means you're not important."

Kyle frowns. "No!" He says immediately and I chuckle. "Anyway, that's not the point I'm trying to make here. The villagers at the bottom of the food chain are the ones that suffer the most. If an epidemic hits, they'll be wiped out and if there's a loss of resources, they starve and labor for food. Not to mention the way they get treated like slaves to do the King's biddings. That's why Knights can treat them that way, people like Marcellus here have no sense of right or wrong. Knights like him make up 85 percent of the system." So the government is full of... Corrupt Knights!

I stretch my stiff arms and legs. Sitting here cocooned and talking with Kyle sure is causing me a lot of pain. "Marcellus the stupid Knight does look like one of those people. In short, Knights get to treat villagers however they want to? It's either me or that's some really messed up stuff."

Kyle lets out a throaty laugh. "I see you've named him already, I don't expect less of you Carmine." Whatever that's supposed to mean... but I laugh with him.

My talent at naming people: 100.

Peyton joins us at the table. The door has a closed sign so she must be done with her bartender job for the night. "You guys have been chatting without me? Wow, whatever happened to us being the three musketeers."

"We are still the three musketeers. You're the only one among us with serious duties to carry out." I reply her and Kyle gives me a speak-for-yourself look. "What? I'm the only one who is a common man around here?"

"A common man. What's that?" Kyle asks, leaning over to inspect me. "That's by the way. I sent you a companion request, why haven't you answered it?"

"One question at a time. I don't know what common man is but that's what I thought was convenient, boy was I wrong." I fold my arms, "And what is a companion request?"

"It's a request someone sends you when they want to become partners with you. Being partners with other people can give you exclusive perks. Kyle and I became companions immediately we got here. Apparently being partners also mean sharing location so I can tell when he's away and something is wrong." Peyton chips in. I smell something... is that a crush I smell?

"In short, accept the request already." His mouth twitches as he squints his eyes. "That dress though,"

I kick his leg under the table. Peyton chuckles. "Peyton dear, if you don't mind may I speak to you in private." I don't even let her respond, I'm already dragging her to the reception. "Do you have spare clothes? I've been embarrassed enough today."

"Sure. Do you have anywhere to stay tonight? If you don't you can stay here for as long as you want. It's on the house." Peyton hands me a key. "Follow me," She leads me to a detached room from the rest of the building. "It's a spare and it should be wide enough." She slides the key in and twists the knob. The door creaks open to an average sized room that contains a bed, table, and a small cube dresser.

"Thank you." I really am grateful to have someone this caring. I couldn't think of a more better person to have as a friend. "The cloth," I remind her.

She shuffles back to the main building and I try to move stuff around the room to make it more comfortable. I finally find a position that I like and I lay on the bed. It's soft, soft beds make me feel better, I like soft beds.

"It's not much but it should do." Peyton hands over folds of a cloth. She closes the door behind her and I start fitting in the cloth. It is a plain old cream shirt and brown trousers that fit me perfectly. I love the plainess and the texture. I fall back on the bed and add the leaf dress to my inventory.

Inventory: broken pocket watch, 50 rubies, knife, one healing potion, leaf dress.

Adding more things to your inventory makes you level up faster, young warrior. A voice I recognise as Serena comments.

A/N:
I passed 2000 words again 😅
It seems with this story in particular, I'm full of ideas 😃
Don't forget to vote and comment!