Book Four – Chapter One – Part Three – The Invitation

“Hey!!!” As soon as Momo stepped through the Warden doors, she heard an excited voice. She turned her head and saw Claire, who was taking a lunch break on the same bench her, Servi, and Momo had shared a bag of chocolate at. She was sitting at the far end, and there was just enough space for two girls to join her.

Momo walked over and sat down with Servy in hand. Claire was just taking a bite of her vegetable sandwich, which had lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, some type of sauce, and a few red peppers. It was partly wrapped up in a soft, clean towel. “So, how is she?” the Elf asked after swallowing. She reached down and grabbed a canteen of water she had placed between her knees.

“Servy’s doing good, though I did have a scare. I had to use the toilet. When I came out, I couldn’t find her. I’ll tell ya, I don’t think I’ve ever been that worried,” Momo said. “But she’s doing as good as ever. We went for a nice walk around town, and we stopped by and ate breakfast at this place called Shrimpyoena. Well, it wasn’t a place. It was a wooden stand on the side of the road.

“Shrimp for breakfast?” Claire asked as she wiped her mouth with the cloth that protected her sandwich. Her purple eyes fondly stared at Momo.

“Yep! I was thinking chicken or steak, but then I asked Servy. I had hoped she’d say something, but she didn’t, and I made a choice to try something different. But the shrimp was good. It was downright tasty, but I don’t know why the stall had no customers… It didn’t compare to the coconut shrimp I had before, but it was still super tasty,” Momo said.

“Well, I’m glad it was good. Did anything else happen?” Claire finished her sandwich and reached into the bag, pulling out a still-warm cookie. Little bits of white and dark chocolate were sprinkled on top of it.

“Claire, do you know a girl named Elly? She’s an Earth Elf who has a dog named Cue.”

The red-haired Elf nibbled on her desert and nodded. “She recently signed-up a few days ago. It was before you two got back. Every time she showed up here, she had that dog. And I’ll tell you, that dog doesn't like anyone. My boss tried to pet it, and he sure gave him a good fright. Haha! But she seems fine enough. Elly’s a bit on the brisk side, and she doesn’t speak longer than she needs to. Has she talked to you?”

“Well, she came up to us and thanked Servy for helping her in her time of need.”

“Really?”

“Yeah… She said it was thanks to Servy that she found the conviction to join Warden. And the dog, Cue, acted like he wanted Servy to play with her. I gotta say… It made me really proud to be Servy’s friend,” Momo said. She ended the last part of her sentence with a meek whisper, but Claire’s pointy ears picked up the kind words.

“Me too! Hey, I have an idea I wanna run by you,” Claire said. She chomped into her cookie and took a big swig of her water. She leaned back against the bench, enjoying the wonders of her break before it was back to the grind. Since it was summer, the days were hot and long. To cool off, Claire had taken off her jacket and only had her white blouse on. All of the buttons but first were buttoned. She definitely didn’t mean it, but the clear sweat running down her face and onto her neck only served to accentuate her Elven beauty. And Claire was definitely a pretty gal.

Even Momo had realized that. And when she thought about it, she was surrounded by pretty women. Dineria looked stunning with her green hair and slender figure, and Srassa had a cute girl-next-door look going on. Even the men were handsome. But even though Silverado’s and Desperado’s scales were like the shiniest star and the darkest abyss, Servi was the one that grasped Momo’s heart.

“Okay. What is it?” Momo asked, shaking her head free of thoughts. She still had Servi’s hand in her grasp, and it was currently lying in her lap.

“Remember when I talked about celebrating your promotion?”

Momo nodded.

“Why don’t we do that tonight? And if we don’t wanna go out to eat, we can do it at my place. Oh, I haven’t told you two, but I just bought a new stove!!! I had to save up a while for it, but it was definitely worth it!

“We can all cook together and have a good time. If Servi is surrounded by a lot of fun, it might help speed things along just a little bit,” Claire said. Though she spoke confidently, she was afraid Momo would reject the offer. Claire was never the type of girl who actively sought out and did activities, but that was something she wanted to change when her life brought her to Canary. All of her other family and friends back in her village had been outgoing, confident Elves who loved being the life of the party.

“Really? You don’t have a problem with us coming over?” Momo asked.

“Not at all. We’re friends, right? I like spending time with you two, and I want to see Servi get better.” Claire’s face had an obvious red tint to it. The warmness radiating from her cheeks had to be hot enough to cook a chicken.

“Servy, do you wanna go?” Momo turned to her Human friend and asked.

“Cook…? Cook! Cook!!!” Servi happily said. The brightest smile in the world returned to her face, and Claire breathed a sigh of relief.

“Then it’s settled!” Claire clapped and rubbed her hand through Servi’s hair. She enjoyed it immensely, giggling and laughing like a mischievous cat. “I get off in four hours. If you two wanna meet me here, we can head straight to the market. Servi, be thinking of what you wanna eat, okay?” Claire said. She stood up and gathered her trash and canteen. Evidentially, break time was coming to an end.

“Thank you, Claire. It’s super kind of you to do this,” Momo said. “Umm… I’ve been meaning to actually cook something for Servy, but I didn’t know where to find a stove. Now I can finally do that.”

“You’re very welcome! I have some new pots and pans that are just waiting to be used. I’ll see you two later, okay? Oh, and I love that new haircut!” Claire said. She walked away with a friendly wave, and Momo turned back to Servi.

“Cooking and eating with you and Claire… Nah, cooking and eating with my first two friends… Servy, I just can’t wait!” Momo said. She formed and fist and smiled like a laughing monkey. Servi copied her mannerisms motion for motion, and Momo couldn’t help but laugh.

“Okay. Momo, you gotta do your best, okay?” she said to herself. “You’ve never cooked before like this because grampy took care of most of your meals. So be on your best behavior, and do your ultimate best! You have to make the tastiest meal for your tastiest—I mean bestest—friend! Tasty friend? What…” Momo lowered her voice and whispered so quietly she didn’t even know if she was talking. “What would Servy taste like…?”

If… If I kiss Servy's lips, how would it feel…? What does a kiss even taste like…?

Momo realized she was staring at Servi’s smiling lips. They were just so pink and soft-looking… Just then, she felt something warm in the pits of her loins and immediately stood up. No, I can’t feel like that here and now! Bwah! “Servy, what do you think about another walk?"

Servi, who had been smiling like crazy and quietly watching Momo, stood up and started to walk away. It was strange seeing her act like a leader whilst in her current state, but Momo didn't not like it.

However, Servi’s proactive role lasted the entirety of 180 seconds. After rushing out of Warden with a Singi connected to her by her hand, Servi had only just ran around a corner when she suddenly stopped. She stood as dead as a nail in a relaxed position. Momo caught her breath and lightly reprimanded her best friend.

“Servy, you gotta give me a warning if you wanna run like that. It’s okay if you wanna run. I like to feel the wind in my hair, but give a girl a heads-up! Do you wanna walk around now?” Momo asked. She played with Servi’s hand while waiting for an answer that, unfortunately, never came. Since that happened, she just decided to walk forward. Servi followed her like a lost baby duckling.

In the span of two hours, Servi and Momo had walked the path Momo took to get to the shopping center near the noble district. They entered inside, feeling total relief at how cool it was when compared to the outside. Well, only Momo felt that way. Servi withstood the hellish temperature that came with being 3,000 kilometers under the planet’s surface without breaking a sweat. Momo, though, started to feel icky and sweaty when it was just slightly warm. The friends walked forward until they arrived at a bench. Momo plopped down and went to find her canteen. Since it was currently inside Servi’s ring, she asked the friendly neighborhood Goddess for it.

“Thanks, Itarr,” Momo said. She fondly looked at the water-storing device and twisted off the cap. She placed it on her lips and tilted her head back, allowing the cold, cold water to wet her tongue. After her thirst had been quenched, Momo wiped her mouth and looked over.

Servi was right there, as always, sitting next to her.

“Are you thirsty?” Momo asked as she took another sip. She swore it was half-empty when Itarr absorbed it, but it was now filled to the brim. Momo made sure to give her thanks.

“Momo?!” There was a startled voice to the Singi’s right. When Momo turned to it, she saw a girl with flowing, golden blond hair and green eyes. She wore a wonderfully fitted, off-the-shoulder gown that split off at the thigh, allowing one of her exceptionally smooth legs to become the center of attention. Her feet were slipped inside a pair of black high heels. The dress was sleeveless, but her right wrist was adorned with an unnoteworthy chain bracelet. The speaker's face had a dash of foundation applied to it, and her lips had been glossed over by ruby red lipstick.

“Srassa?!?!” Momo exclaimed. She had never seen her friend all dolled-up before. She stood up in a flash, with Servi following right behind, and the two ran over to their friend.

Srassa’s pretty eyes were leaking tears, running the make-up she had applied. The butler standing behind her was about twenty-seven years of age. Even if he was so young, he had a head of gray hair. Neatly stylized it was, he had combed it to perfection. He was the tallest one there.

“Good afternoon, Miss Momo, Miss Servi. It is wonderful to see you,” Jony said with a practiced and elegant bow. He kept his gloved hand securely attached to the wooden cane at his side.

“Momo! Are you okay?! I heard you were going to Arcton, but then you never came back. And we heard a bunch of awful things that I thought you and Servi had gotten hurt! Are you okay?!” Srassa frantically asked.

“We’re sorry for worrying you, but we’re fine,” Momo said. “We’re safe and sound—for the most part.”

“What’s wrong? What do you mean ‘for the most part?’ Are you injured anywhere?!” Again, Srassa spoke with such a frantic voice that people shopping around stopped and stared. Jony kicked into action, escorting the three girls over to a secluded corner of the shopping mall.

“Well. I did get attacked by a bandit, but Servy jumped in and saved me. She…she had to kill him to protect me. And taking a life was traumatizing for Servy. Since then, she’s been like this. Sometimes, she’s emotionless. And other times, she acts like a happy little kid. And sometimes, it’s all in between. I’ve been with her—helping her until she’s all better,” Momo said.

“Bandits?!?” Srassa exclaimed. “How awful!” She walked forward and wrapped her arms around Servi, giving her a big hug. Momo’s instincts roared alive, and she didn’t want Srassa to be the one comforting her best friend. That was supposed to be her role! That was to be her job! In order to calm down, Momo’s mind hastily went through the facts laid out in her mind.

Okay… I now know why I’m feeling so jealous... Now, I need to work on not feeling that. As much as I hate it, Servy isn’t exclusive to just me. I mean, her hand is… And hopefully... Her heart is...but that’s beside the point. It’s not my role to dictate who can and can’t hug her… Just even thinking that means I’m too childish and pathetic, and I don’t believe Servy would love a miserable girl… If anything, I think I should be happy that I’m the one Itarr trusted her to… And I can pretty much get hugs or hold her hand anytime I want to… I have an all-access pass to Servy! Muhahaha! I’m gonna use it, too.

“Servi, do you know who I am?” Srassa whispered. She pulled back from the hug but kept her soft hands attached to Servi’s forearms. When she didn’t say anything, Momo explained things.

“Servy doesn’t talk that much. Err, not since the incident,” Momo said. She didn’t want Srassa’s feelings to be hurt if it looked like she was being ignored. “But she does remember all of you. She remembered Claire when we came back. It’s not a memory thing. It’s just the way her emotions are being handled, I think. It kinda makes her act like a child sometimes.”

“Miss Servi, I do apologize that you had to experience such a harrowing set of events. I wish the world was much, much kinder,” Jony said, offering his own words of endearment.

“When did you two return?” Srassa asked. She tenderly removed her hands and rested them by her side, fighting the urge to give her broken friend another hug.

“A few days ago. Since then, we’ve been taking it easy. What about you? Have you partied up with Silverado and Desperado?”

Srassa nodded, sending her styled hair into a frenzy. Jony acted fast and started to fix it. “It was the day you and Servi left. Silverado, Desperado, and I walked into Warden and accepted a kill quest for rats and roaches. I’d say we did alright, I suppose. They focused on defending, and I’d reinforce them with Protection and provided supportive fire with my bow and arrows. There were a few problems with communication, but once we elected a leader, it was smooth sailing. But the giant roaches were tough. I never knew their hide was so hard to get through, and we couldn’t pierce it because Silverado and Desperado used blunt weapons. I did manage to frighten it with Lucem, then I tossed my sword to Silverado, and he finished it off.

“I think we’re almost ready to take on a quest that’ll send us to the nearby caves and forests.” When Srassa spoke to Momo, she usually had a slight sparkle in her eyes. However, during this occasion, they were gone...reduced to nothing. The glimmer just wasn’t there, and Momo didn’t notice it. If she had, then Momo would have realized her second favorite Human was stretching the very definition of truth.

“It sounded like it went well. I’m super happy for you, Srassa. And I know Servy is too! But what’s with the dress? It looks super good on you, by the way.” Momo was genuinely happy for her friend, and it wasn’t something she said to trick herself into believing. On her totem list of friends, it went Servi, Claire, Srassa, Dineria, Fisher, and everyone else. But that didn’t mean she disliked the ones at the bottom. Momo only had stronger feelings about those at the top.

“Oh, this?” Srassa twirled around, much to Jony’s annoyance still he was fiddling with her hair, trying to fix it. “Bwha! Sorry, Jony,” she meekly uttered after he lightly tapped her on the head.

“It is fine, Miss Flinn, but you do have a party to get to,” he said, admonishing her with a gentle tone.

“Party?” Momo asked. She was confused, but Momo patiently awaited an answer.

“Yes, my father is throwing a party because my mother is in her last three months of pregnancy. Her due date is fast approaching. I know it seems crash, but father said he threw a party just like this when mother was pregnant with me.” Srassa blushed a little bit.

“Wow…” Momo said. “But I bet you’re pretty excited, huh?”

“Oh, I am. I can’t wait to welcome my little sibling into the world! Once that happens, I know I can put all of my focus on Warden. Father said it was fine for me to travel with my party, but I just want to be close by because I definitely don’t want to miss the birth of my sibling. That’s why Silverado and Desperado said it was fine if we restricted our quests so that we were no more than two or three days away. Oh, you and Servi are more than welcome to come to the party. Silver and Despi will be there,” Srassa said.  Again, the twinkle in her eyes just wasn't there when this was supposed to have been a defining moment in the young noble's life.

Okay, those are some cute nicknames. “That sounds nice,” Momo said. Claire’s pretty face appeared in her mind. “But we had already made plans with Claire. We’re gonna go shopping for some food, and then we’re gonna cook it at her place. It’s her little way of congratulating us on being promoted.”

“Ah!” Srassa clapped. “So you two did get promoted? That’s wonderful! But what about Arcton? And that mysterious crater in the ground? I’ve heard a lot of bad rumors about that place and how dangerous it is. And the mass influx of refugees from there makes it seem like the rumors were true. For a moment, I thought things would have turned sour, but the governor was so efficient in handling the refugees. In just a day or so, he had already made agreements with the nearby villages to take in some people.”

Wow… That’s impressive…

“About that… It took us a while to return because we traveled nice and slow. Servy was—she still is—in a fragile mood, and I didn’t want to overextend. But yes, we have heard the rumors… And yes, I’m sure they’re all true…” Momo said. She turned back to Servi and squeezed her hand.

“Well, if anything, I am thankful that you two are safe,” Srassa said, placing a hand to her chest. She offered a quiet prayer of thanks to the Heavens Above for keeping her friends safe. Momo found it amusing and ironic because she did have the protection of a Goddess, and she was far, far closer than anyone thought.

As Srassa prayed, a suited man approached Jony and spoke to him. He nodded and turned to Srassa.

“Miss Flinn, I believe it is time to go back to the party. I received word that the supplies we came to purchase have been delivered,” Jony said.

“Okay. Well, I guess we have to head back. Momo, you just don’t know how worried I was about you two. Really... Now that I know you two are safe, a tremendous weight has been from my heart.” Srassa leaned in, wrapping her arms around both Servi and Momo. It was a group hug they all needed, and Momo and Srassa found it hard to break away from. The Singi even found herself growing emotional to the point where tears threatened to fall down those cute cheeks.

Even though their friendship was barely over a month old, Momo and Servi had changed the noble for the better. Without seeing Momo strive to better herself, Srassa wouldn’t have been encouraged to push as hard as she did. And Servi’s open friendliness motivated Srassa to accept Silverado’s and Desperado’s invitation to join their party. Even as isolated as she felt, it was their strength that gave her the little push she needed to break free of that introverted shell.

Even amongst other nobles, she was a bit of an outcast. Srassa didn’t have any other companions. She only had Jony, with who she spent all of her time when she was little.

Though it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Srassa wanted to go on an adventure with her first two real friends. Perhaps once Servi’s mind was healed, the three of them could take on a quest? Perhaps something small? She’d hoped her two current party members would be alright with it.

The group hug lasted as long as it needed to. Momo waved as Srassa walked away with Jony, who had retrieved a small make-up case and was currently redoing Srassa’s make-up while on the move. He was definitely a man of many talents, and Momo thought he was as mysterious as he was kind and friendly.

“Servy, you got me, and you got Claire, Srassa, and Jony. You have a whole heap of friends just waiting on you to come back to us,” Momo said. She turned away from watching Srassa’s back and faced Servi. “Ah… You’re crying.” Servi remained motionless, and her face never did scrunch up or move, but tears flowed from her eyes. It was an odd sight since it looked like a statue was weeping, but Momo just lovingly wrapped her arms around her friend and leaned back against the wall. “Servy, you can lean on me if you want to. I promise I’ll always be here for you to rely on.”

After that friendly embrace, Momo gently squeezed Servi’s hand, and the two of them made way for the shopping center’s exit. Their display of affection was clear for all to see, and Momo didn’t do a single thing to hide it. She bravely walked, bypassing the two guards standing by the exit. They were acting odd, like something unseen and invisible had wrapped its malicious grasp around them. It kept them frozen in place and unable to move even the shortest millimeter. Even their facial expressions were locked in place. Momo wasn’t focusing on that pair of guards, so she didn’t notice how strange it was. Instead, she chatted to Servi about how cute Srassa’s outfit was. She never knew there were dresses with slits at the thighs, and she wondered if she could ever pull off that look as well as Srassa did.

But Itarr did because she was the one who had restrained them. The looks in the guards’ eyes were eerily similar to the crazed look Sea and Jeri had before they attacked Momo and Servi. Instead of letting that happen, Itarr struck first, containing them in an unbreakable telekinetic hold.

“Servy, by the time we get back to Warden, Claire should be getting off of work. If not, then we shouldn’t have to wait that long. Let’s talk about what you wanna eat, okay?”