3 Chapter 2. The Unknown Saviour

Mia's POV

"Here is your packet of strawberry cream cookies Mrs. Brown." I smiled at the old lady standing in front of me.She smiled back and took the packet,"Thank you dear.My grandson just loves these cookies made by you." I nodded in appreciation and suddenly heard my Aunt Rose's voice,"Mia! Just show Mr Parker our newly baked chocolate crisp cookies.After all it's your recipe." She smiled brightly at me and I saw a man in his mid forties with a thick moustache standing at the counter.

"Hello Mr. Parker! These chocolate crisp cookies are some of the finest in town.We at "Rose's Bakers" make sure that every delicacy here follows the highest standard of quality." I beamed at him. The man hummed in response and I offered him a chocolate crisp cookie.He took a bite and closed his eyes.Slowly a smile formed a way on his lips.He munched on slowly and happily.Within seconds, he had the whole cookie popped into his mouth and gobbled it up.

My aunt who was standing beside me all this while, chuckled and gave me a nod of approval.She was a woman in her early thirties with a seven year old daughter.She had short black hair and green eyes.She had thin lips and pale skin.After her husband's demise she had taken full responsibility of the bakery.Her husband had died due to a vampire attack.

My story is similar.My parents too were attacked and killed by the vampires.Since then Aunt Rose had taken care of me along with her daughter, Alice.I had long black hair with light brown eyes.I had wavy hair that fell till my waist.I had my mother's eyes and had a sharp nose like my father's.I never liked my nose a lot.

I was successful in selling the cookies to Mr Parker.I handed him over his packet of cookies and wished him a great day ahead.My aunt exclaimed,"Now that's a new customer we added in our list today Mia."I laughed and nodded at her.After finishing with our work at the bakery, we closed the shop at around 6 pm.

We lived in a small town in the Empire of Blackmist.As me and my aunt were heading home, I looked around and saw people,both humans and vampires, strolling.The vampires were beautiful creatures.Their eyes turned red when they were angry.My memories took me back to the time when my family was attacked by two newly turned vampires.Ever since the vampires took over the human world, a law had been put in place to make it possible for the vampires and the humans to co exist.

The humans were looked down upon by the vampires and were given rights to live only because their blood was required by them to stay stronger.Vampires could thrive on animal blood but that didn't make them as strong as human blood did.The pure blood vampires, who were born of pure vampire ancestry, mostly thrived on human blood and had their own fair share of blood slaves.So, most of the humans who were poverty stricken and had no family were sold off in several slave shops.

I was ten when my family was attacked by two vampires.I was at my Aunt's place so I escaped.When I returned to my place I saw everything was in a mess, the chairs were toppled over, the dining table was broken, my father was lying on the ground dead and I saw my mother lying on the ground with her eyes closed, whimpering in pain.

"Mama!What happened to you?" I cried.She was lying in a pool of blood in front of me, only half conscious.She slowly opened her eyes,"Sweetie!I want you to know that I'll always be with you."Tears were rolling down my cheeks as my Aunt Rose kneeled down beside me and tenderly looked at my mother."Take care of my daughter Rose.You are her family now" she whispered.

"Don't worry Brenda.I'll bring her up as my own daughter."She reached out for my mother's hand and sobbed silently.My mother gave her a small smile and then closed her eyes.

Even today things hadn't changed much.Despite having a law in place, the vampires do as they please.There's no stopping them as they are now the topmost beings in the food chain.We humans, lived wary of these creatures.

Aunt Rose lost her husband to a rogue who attacked him while he was returning home late at night.He was attacked by a bloodthirsty vampire who couldn't control his blood lust.Such incidents were not new.

As I reached home, I was greeted by Alice, my little sister and Aunt Rose's daughter.She had green eyes like her mother and long blonde hair that reached her waist.She was the light of my life.I was very fond of her.

"Mia!You're home!" she squealed excitedly."How's my little princess been?" I laughed and hugged her tiny frame."I have waited for you the whole day" Alice whined."Now Dear! Don't you want to taste the new chocolate crisp cookies that Mia prepared today?" Aunt Rose cooed.

"A new recipe!Why didn't you tell me before?I want to have one!" Alice chirped.Aunt Rose laughed and handed her a cookie.Alice munched on happily and was all praises for my cookies.I smiled in response.

Our bakery was one of the best ones in town.People here loved my cookies and I was often told how good I was at baking them.I never thought too much about it.It was something that I loved doing.After my family's demise, I had taken to baking under the influence of my aunt.It helped me get over my loss and channel my energy in some positive direction.There was no greater satisfaction than in being able to bring a smile on people's faces.I loved it when they appreciated my cookies.

Next day I went to the shop early.I was feeling quite lonely and bored so I decided to open the shop at 6 am rather than the usual 7 am.It was a fifteen minute walk from my house.Aunt Rose had a mild headache.So I asked her to take rest today.Alice too would be delighted to spend a day at home with her mother.I set off alone and on my way met Mrs Benson.She was watering her plants in the wee hours of morning.

"Good morning Mrs Benson.How are your flowers coming up?" I asked her cheerfully."They are coming up just fine dear.Particularly, these lilies,my favourite ones.Going to your bakery all alone?" She enquired.

"Yes Mrs Benson.Aunt Rose was not too well today.I decided to go to work and let her have a little rest" I replied with a smile."Good day dear.Sometimes I wish I had a daughter just like you who could take care of me just as you do" she exclaimed with a smile.I chuckled at her response.Mrs Benson was too kind.She lived all alone now, her husband died long back and she was supported by her son who lived far off with his own wife and children.He would occasionally send her money, enough for her to sustain her basic needs.She had taken to gardening and loved her plants as her own kids.Loneliness made you do strange things.

I met a couple of early risers on my way and exchanged a few pleasantries.As I approached my little bakery shop, I could see the board hung above the tiny shop displaying, "Rose's Bakers."My Uncle Patrick had started the shop in the name of his wife when he was alive.Since then, this bakery had become our sole source of living.

I approached the main door and opened the lock.I went up to the counter and as I was setting up the bakery for a new day, two men entered my shop.One of them had red hair and a piercing in his left ear.He was tall and looked in his early twenties.The other one who looked about the same age, had brown hair.But what caught my attention, was their eyes! They were blazing red.Vampires!

"H-How m-may I help you,Sirs?" I stammered.The red haired vampire smiled evilly,"Hi Beautiful!What can you help us with?" I shuddered.Vampires certainly did not crave human food.Though they could eat it, they didn't find it appealing.

"D-Do you want some cookies?I have different flavours here," I responded nervously.Hearing this, both of them burst out laughing.The brown haired one spoke,"You have two vampires in your shop and you offer them cookies?" He laughed hysterically.

"How about your blood sweets!That smells better than the cookies here" As the red haired vampire said this, his fangs elongated and he pounced on me.I ran away just in time and he missed me by a few seconds.I dashed for the exit door but was caught by my waist by two super strong hands.I frantically tried to break free but he was way too strong for me.

"If you behave well, it won't be so painful love." He whispered near my ear and it sent chills down my spine and before I could comprehend anything, I felt a sharp pain in my neck and something dug deep into my skin.I frantically tried to break free but I was held in an iron grip by the monster.

I let out a high shrill and tears rolled down my cheeks.'This is it.This is the end of my short life in this world.' I thought to myself as I began falling into the darkness.Suddenly I felt his weight lift off me.The red haired vampire went flying out of the window which crashed into a million pieces.

A vampire who looked in his early twenties, with fangs elongated, stood near me.The brown haired vampire pounced on the new vampire but he threw him off balance with a single punch.The brown haired vampire went flying and crashed into the wall.

"You rogues aren't allowed to cause havoc in broad daylight.Aren't you aware of the rules of the Empire?" He hissed at him.As he was staring angrily at him, the red haired vampire entered the shop with a torch of fire in hand and snarled,"Now let's see who's in trouble here." As he said so, he threw the torch of fire at me.

I was pulled away in time by the new vampire and he took me out of the shop, closing the door behind him, locking in the two rogues.In seconds, I saw the entire bakery engulfed in flames.The wooden board reading"Rose's Bakers" soon caught the flames and I watched in horror as the entire shop burnt down with the two monsters inside shrieking in pain.