“Friend, Lover, Chef”
The Petrine Cross
Out ghost hunting in the local graveyard, you’ve ventured to the deepest depths, the portion that requires you follow multiple trails through dense, unkempt brush and downed trees. As your flashlight scans a row of worn, ancient headstones, you notice an oddly shaped headstone in the edge of your flashlight’s ray, tucked in a corner of the opening. Making your way back to the grave, you realize it’s an upside-down cross, made of marble, extremely worn with moss hanging off at every edge. You move the light to the very base of the monument, eyes following to read the brief inscription on it’s plaque:
“Friend, Lover, Chef”
It’s only then that you realize the intersection of the cross seems to have a glowing outline. Not sure what to do, you try touching it in a few different locations, but its when you touch the top left corner that suddenly a flap drops open, revealing an opening, glowing brightly. You shield your eyes, having adjust to the dark over an hour ago, and as the light dims gently, you see a knife sitting there, the source of the emanating glow. Slowly, you reach down and pick it up, seeing it’s handle replicates the headstone it sat within. Underneath the knife, lay a small, worn, folded note. Holding your flashlight with your teeth, you shake the note open and read,
“He who wields this knife shall be granted the skill necessary to become the foremost cook in the land. But be warned, for he who uses these skills to enrich only himself, will not long retain the knife, or the aptitude it brings with it.”
