Book Two – Interlude – Part One – Enemy & Friend, Side by Side

“Itarr,” said Servi, starting off the conversation. “Can you tell me what happened?”

It was strange. Itarr replied. Her words were laced with a benign poison that hinted of a second meaning behind them, but Servi didn’t pick up on it. One moment you were talking to him, and the next, you were growling and screaming. I tried to talk to you, but I couldn’t get through. Do you remember anything?

“I don’t. Only what you told me when I was unconscious. At least, I think it was you. It sounded like you and was warm like you.”

I’m so happy my words were able to reach you!

"Thank you, Itarr. Thank you so much for pulling me back. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done if I killed him.  I love you.”

And I love you too. I told you before that I will always bring you back.

“I know you do,” Servi rolled over and curled back into a ball. “I just wanted to thank you again. I mean, if it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead right now. Those juncea would’ve killed me.”

Itarr kept quiet and listened to the girl she loved.

“It seems like I always have to rely on you.  Every time I lose control, it's like you're the one keeping me from becoming a....” Servi trailed off and took a deep breath. She wanted to finish her sentence but was stopped by the Goddess.

And I want to thank you for unsealing me. If you hadn’t come along, then I still would've been inside that seal. And I wouldn’t have met Momo, or Claire, or any of the other people I’ve grown to consider my friends. Servi, I believe we need each other.

“I do too. You need me, and I need you. That’s the only reason we’re here right now. Hey, can you promise me something?”

Anything.

“Should I ever lose control of myself again…lose to my anger, and Momo is around, I want you to do everything you can to kill me. I know I can’t die, but I want you to kill and kill and kill me again. If not that, then imprison me by doing whatever you need to do.  And keep me sealed until I regain control of myself. If Momo ends up dying because of me, I….”

Servi, I promise you I'll do everything I can.

Then, she said two words that brought an insurmountable amount of pain to her heart. Two words that everyone would be delighted to say, but Itarr wasn’t everyone. She was, at that moment, the only one who knew the undesirable potential of what could happen in the near future.  Itarr didn’t know if she could stop it, but she was going to do her best.

Trust me.

Didn’t you say something about Black Croc? Itarr changed the subject.

Servi answered her after rolling to her back and placing her hands behind her head.  The moonlight peeping through the small window spied on her naked body. “I did. How long have I been lying here?”

A little bit over 30 minutes, I imagine.

Servi rolled off the bed and stood up. With a snap of her fingers, her body was adorned with a never-before-seen set of armor. It was half metal and half leather, with a gray cloak attached to the back of the chest plate. The greaves on her arms were solid metal, while the gloves themselves were leather stained in a light color. Her leg armor was entirely metallic, but the boots were leather. Her familiar shield was nowhere to be seen. A large silver axe rested on her back.  Though to her, it felt like a feather.

Why the armor? Itarr noticed a silver helmet suspended by Telekinesis.

“This is my new disguise,” A moment later, the new armor she christened as her disguise disappeared, leaving a familiar set of cracked leather armor in its place. “And this is my normal gear. We’ll go outside dressed like this and find a nice spot to put my disguise on.”

That sounds good to me. You know, it’s been a long time since it was just us going out at night.

“Yeah,” Servi replied with a gloved hand on her room’s doorknob. “It feels comforting but different.  Well, a little bit. I wish Momo was here with me.”

I’m sorry.

“Don’t be. It’s my fault I can’t come up with the courage to tell Momo.”

But…. It’s because of me that you can’t—

“Don’t say that, Itarr. Just don’t. I don’t blame you for anything, okay? How could I blame the Goddess, who saved my life?”

I….. I’m sorry, Servi. I won’t say that again.

“Good,” Servi cracked a small smile.

I forgot to ask, but do you think we’ll see Fisher? Yet again, Itarr changed the subject. Her voice seemed to contain less sadness than it did before.

“Maybe. Our mentor did say he was going to kill Black Croc tonight.”

I know we hated him a lot at first and wanted to kill him, but I’m glad we didn’t. He seems like a man who was a victim of a bad situation, and Arnold wasn’t the friend Fisher needed at the time.

“And he’s been tormented by it for years.  It wasn’t right for me to want to kill him without knowing the truth. You know,” Servi said, sitting back down on her bed. “It feels like I’m becoming more and more violent by the day. When I fought that juncea, all I could think about was ending its life.”

After a headache a second later, Servi stood back up.

“And I keep getting these headaches that change my mood. I wonder if something is wrong with me?”

I don’t think so. I think it’s stress.  I imagine it wasn't the easiest thing in the world to work with Fisher back when we hated him.  It may take a while for the stress to fade away. Itarr, for some reason, had trouble speaking those false truths. But she hid it from Servi, who didn’t pick up on the small nuances.

“Yeah. You’re probably right. These headaches must be some stubborn stress that my mind hasn’t processed. Or something like that.”

Walking over to the door, she opened it and went out. As she locked the door, Servi’s mind raced to the tournament and all the different ways it could end.  Unfortunately, it didn't look good for her.  Servi reached the lobby and scanned around. She saw three people looking at the quest board and two employees behind two of the eight windows.

“Must be a slow night,” she quietly said to herself.

It is. I wonder if we’re ever going to do night quests like this?

Servi shrugged her shoulders and opened the door. According to the clock nearby, it was very late. They had spent quite a lot of time talking and eating earlier, and Servi and Momo didn’t get to the Warden office until it was going on 10 PM. Now, it was nearly 11, and the scenery reflected that.

Other than a guard or two, who realized that a Warden member heading out late at night wasn’t anything suspicious, the streets were empty. A rare cloud high up in the sky moved in front of the moon, muffling its magnificent lustrous shine.

Servi made her way to the sewer entrance behind the Warden building and saw a man she wasn't surprised to see.

“I figured you’d show up. That’s why I was waiting," Fisher Jin said. He leaned against a sign that pointed to the metal door at the bottom of the nearby staircase.

Servi, wanting to add a little bit of flair, snapped her fingers.  The cracked leather armor was replaced instantly with her new disguise. “I figured you would be here, too.”

“I have to admit, I didn’t know you could produce armor and axes,” Fisher replied. “Did you have fun today?”

“I did.  Thank you for taking us out.”

“There’s no need to thank me, but can I ask about the outfit?” He wasn’t frightened or alarmed at the sudden change of clothes. Fisher Jin was a man who had seen a lot during his 30 years of life. He had seen more bloodshed and participated in more battles than most men who were twice his age. There were very few things in this world, natural or unnatural, that could get a reaction out of him.

“I don’t want to risk anyone finding me out. That’s why I put on this armor and equipped this great axe.” It floated above Servi until it dangled right in front of her.  She grabbed the handle and waved it around like a flag. Silver and pristine with a broad head, it was stolen from one of her victims when she helped Liealia and Llamare.

“It's a good idea, I suppose. Before we go in, I need to thank you.”

“For what?” the axe disappeared before reappearing on her back.

“For talking to my daughters and saying that I rescued you. Before they went to bed, they begged me to tell them a story of a hero. And then, after I turned off the light, Mari and Meri whispered that they thought I was cooler than the hero in the story. Hearing my daughters talk like that got to me.”

“You’re welcome. You said that you wanted your daughters to be proud of you, and I figured this was the best way. Besides, I didn’t lie. You did rescue me. That is a fact I will admit.”

Fisher took a deep breath before pulling out a flask from his belt. He didn't bother to wear his heavy armor for such a minor beast, so he chose to equip himself in a standard set of sleeveless leather armor he had lying around. Seeing the man known as the Justice Captain without his flashy armor was something of a rare occurrence.  His body was lean, toned, and scarred, yet it contained hints of well-trained muscles hiding beneath his skin. No doubt they've swung many swords and took as many lives, but now? Fisher wanted to use anything at his disposal, be it his battle-worn body with a chest full of scars and old wounds, to make the city he lived in a better one for his daughters.

Fisher took a sip of the water inside his flask and wiped away the tears accumulating in the corner of his eyes. “Shall we go in? I imagine you must be tired, so it might be a good idea to get this over with.”

Servi held a finger and corrected him. “That’s where you’re wrong. I don’t need to sleep. Nor do I need to eat or drink. I can, and it won’t hurt me if I do those things, but my body doesn’t need them.”

“I see. Doesn’t it ever get tiring?”

“Sometimes, I do feel tired. Or at least, what I assume to be tiredness. But I think it might be my mind forcing me to be tired. This has been one long month.”

Fisher walked down the stairs and opened up the door that led to a spacious tunnel connecting the outside to the sewer base. “Stress?”

Servi went through it and thanked him. “Yeah. I was extremely stressed out for reasons you should be able to guess. And now most of those reasons don’t exist anymore. I guess it might take a while for the stress to exit my mind and body. Or something like that, at least.”

“That makes sense to me,” Fisher replied. After walking for a big, they came to the door that led from the tunnel to the base. It was an odd design for sure, having two doors to get to a single outpost, but Servi believed it was a defensive tactic.  If monsters overran the base, then the town wasn't behind just a door.  Any would-be invaders had to at least travel down another hallway before they had a chance of doing any real damage to the city.

Since it was the dead of night, there were only two guards here. No one staffed the empty stalls, and the healers weren’t present.

“You two sure you want to go in? It’s practically pitch black down there, other than the torches," said the guard standing to the left of the door.

“That’s no problem. I’m Fisher Jin. There’s been word of Black Croc getting real close and friendly to people. I’m here to kill it.” He summoned his ID and gave it to the guard.

“I’m so sorry, sir! I didn’t know it was you! Please, proceed!” The guard nervously gave Fisher back his ID, which was black, and saluted.  The one on the right joined in.

“There’s no need for all that, alright? I’m not here as Captain of the Guard, but as a fellow Warden member." Fisher's words were meant to relax the two men.

“Sorry, sir!” both guards lowered their hands and stood straight, with perfect poise. It was clear to Servi that the two in front of her deeply respected Fisher on a personal level.

“As I said, there’s no need for that. Now then, If you’ll excuse me,” Fisher went through the guarded doors followed by Servi.

“See? I told you I had a certain sway with the populace. It’ll take a while, but I’m sure I can change this city for the better,” he said after hearing the door shut behind him.

“I believe you,” Servi replied as they went through one last door at the end of the tunnel.

Suddenly, the familiar stinky air of waste and trash assaulted her nose. A moment later, the smell was gone, and only the odorless scent of nothing remained.

I gotta say, I’m glad True Immortality includes making me immune to the rancid sewer air. But I kinda feel bad for Momo. She can’t neutralize the smell like I can.

“Where did you last see Black Croc? Did you take a left or a right from the entrance?" Fisher placed a hand on his chain as he examined his surroundings.

“To be honest, I can’t remember. I’m pretty sure we went right, but I don’t know the exact spot.”

“Hmm…. The sewers are big, but it shouldn’t take too long. I guess we’ll go right and hope for the best.”

And that was what they did. Using the lit torches alongside the wall to illuminate their path, the two walked through the dank and nasty sewers for fifteen minutes before finding an enemy. Well, enemies, to be exact.

“Let me take care of them.” Servi walked towards a group of two rats and three roaches, who were locked in a stare-off.

“What about your weapon?” Fisher asked in a voice that was a bit too loud. The five enemies turned to the lone girl, who had the audacity to approach them.

“Don’t need one,” she replied. Five black arrows, as large as the axe on her back, appeared in front of her. Like the guardian of hell, they swarmed their creator, protecting her from anything that dared to do her harm. “It’s been a while....” pulling the imaginary trigger in her mind, the five overcharged black arrows launched out, instantly turning the five enemies into nothing more than bloody corpses. They died so quickly that they didn’t have time to feel fear or pain, which was a blessing to them. Even though they were made from Skill Energy, they still bled and had feelings. The rats could reproduce the way nature intended to bolster their forces, which was something of a rarity amongst the monsters of the world.

Most monsters and animals were produced from an overabundance of Skill Energy. That was why a person could find a cave, kill the bear or goblins hiding inside, leave, come back a few days later, and find more bears or goblins.  Farm animals like sheep and cows had a low enough chance to spawn in an area filled with them, but counting on luck to make more animals when they could reproduce the natural way was a fool's errand. Very rarely did monsters spawn inside cities, towns, or villages.  Most of the time, those foul beasts appeared in dark places like caves or sewers.  Most avian monsters spawned in areas with a lack of people, like forests and mountain ranges.

Giving them a painless death is the most I can offer right now. Servi thought. She turned around when she heard a voice as five red souls, or whatever the monster equivalent was, flew over to her ring. Her companion didn't say anything about them, and that was because they were invisible to everyone but Servi.

“Shadow Shot?” Fisher walked closer and examined the air around Servi.

“Yeah. What’re you doing?” Servi followed his movements with her eyes.

“Five Shadow Shots appeared from nowhere without a chant. I mean no disrespect, but I do not understand your abilities.  I'm completely stumped..."

Do you want to explain it to him? I imagine you could leave out the soul part if it helps.

“I guess I can explain it to you. Well, most of it, at least,” Servi walked forward towards the five corpses, and Fisher didn’t react when they disappeared in front of him.

“I can absorb corpses into my ring,” she held it up her hand so Fisher could take a closer look. Servi’s ring wasn’t anything fancy: just a solid red ring that could be found at any jewelry store. “Everything that I own is stored inside of it. It's also the source of my power."

“How amazing. It seems to be enchanted, but I’ve never heard of something being that powerful. It also doesn’t seem to have a limit. Even my Dimensional Storage has a limit of a few thousand kilograms.”

"It's my most beloved item, and it belongs to Itarr, who I love so dearly."

“I have my thoughts on who Itarr is, but I’ll keep them to myself if that’s okay,” Fisher and Servi reached an intersection and took a left.”

“It is. Speaking of Itarr, can you skin and prepare the rats and roaches? We might not need to sell them, but we might find a use for them."

Of course! It’ll be done in a moment.

“So Itarr can do even that? How incredible. I’ve never heard of someone who can manipulate stored items.”

Tell him I thank him for the compliment.

“She says thank you for the compliment,” Servi relayed the message.

“She’s very welcome.”

“She heard you. But as for the Shadow Shot, I require no chant to use them. In fact, if I do use the chant, the skill fails to activate. Oh, the Lightning above who slumber in a place further our universe. I pray to you. Grant us your power of Thunder Snap!”

Servi snapped her fingers, and nothing happened. “That was the correct chant, right?” Servi looked to Fisher as he was her senior when it came to skills.

“It was. How strange... This might be stupid, but the skill is on your ID, right? You have learned it?"

"It is.  That's why you noticed my pre-casting was off.  I cannot properly use skills."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know why that's the case," Fisher replied as they continued their journey deeper into the sewer.