Book Four – Chapter Five – Part One – Surrounded by Love

In the south of Lando, particularly around the region where Canary was located, singing birds were as common as leaves in a tree. Rumor had it that the city was named after a particular fair-colored avian creature, whose songs could arouse even the sleepiest of dragons. These small, chirping beasts were all around the city, and if someone wanted to live here, they needed to get used to their sweet melodies.

Quite a few people thought it was a blessing in disguise to be woken up so gently, and Momo was one of them. The warm, orange glow of the blazing sun peeked through her window. It cast a cozy embrace upon a pair of extremely close friends who had fallen asleep in each other’s arms. The blanket warming them had been kicked to the wayside, allowing Momo’s yellow pajamas and Servi’s black underwear to see the light of day.

The latter had her cheeks softly nestled against the former’s chest.

“Hhmmm…” groaned Momo, whose eyes slowly opened. The first thing she saw was a head of black hair that was softer and smelled better than the freshest peach. Her nose was buried right in it, and she involuntary took a small sniff. A smile crept across her lovely face as happiness infected her heart.

So… Last night wasn’t a dream… I really did fall asleep with Servy… Momo subtly scooted a little bit, giving the girl she loved a few small kisses of affection upon the top of her head, but that was enough to wake up the sleeping beauty. Servi shook a tiny bit, her arms becoming untangled around her guardian’s back. She had fallen asleep partway down the pillow, but she shifted back up until she stared at the Singi and her bright blue eyes. In the following moment, Servi turned to her back and sat up, her hands going to her eyes to rub the sleepiness out.

Momo just laid there and watched, though she didn’t intend for her stare to turn lecherous. She just couldn’t help it that her eyes turned to Servi’s chest and wondered how that bra held in her bountiful bosom. Her gaze moved to her pokable, soft tummy, and even though Momo touched it last night, she wanted to give it a few more pokes. A cute yawn later, Servi was right back to her side, sharing the same pillow while giving her guardian an honest yet powerful smile. It was reminiscent of the one she had before they drifted off to sleep, and Momo was wonderfully proud of her friend.

“Good morning, Servy. I see you’re working as hard as ever… And I think that effort needs a few more friendship kisses!” Momo leaned in, hugging her slim chest against one that held power and bounciness while their legs touched and brushed each other. She placed a single peck on that pretty forehead. “And I can’t forget about my favorite Goddess. Good morning, Itarr… You probably watched over us last night, and I appreciate that… I—Oh? Someone’s in a touching mood… Hehehe!”

Servi had acted out of turn and managed to raise a single hand with a finger poked out. She brought to Momo’s blushing cheeks and managed to give them a cheeky poke. The Singi had to retaliate, of course, and she launched into a full-blown poke war that soon turned into a snuggle. Momo had turned to her back, and she stared up at the ceiling as Servi managed to rest against her guardian’s shoulder, looking up at her friend’s face with eyes full of wonder. One hand laid strewn across Momo’s stomach, and the Singi just placed a hand to Servi’s head and rubbed it gently.

They really did look like a pair of lovers, basking in the aftermath of a passionate night of cuddling and kissing.

“You’re acting awfully affectionate today. Since my pajama top started to ride up, you’re basically touching my bare stomach… But you know… I don’t feel embarrassed at all… Maybe that’s because I want to wake up next to you tomorrow morning. And the morning after, and even the morning after that… If I stop and get sheepish at every little thing, I probably wouldn’t have ever confessed to you.” Momo smiled and placed a hand to the one laid across her stomach. It held a lovely little red ring that was the source of so much otherworldly power.

“Itarr, I absolutely cannot wait for you to get a body,” Momo said while brushing a finger across the ring’s polished surface. “I want to give you an actual hug, and then I can actually apologize to you for my rude comments… I want to hold your hands like I do Servi’s, and I even want the three of us to share a warm bed… I can imagine the three of us chatting throughout the night, laughing and talking about who knows what… Then when we’re tired, I can fall asleep holding one of Servi’s hands, and you can do the other… That way… Even in our dreams, we’ll continue the fun… That sounds lovely to me, and I hope it’s something you might like… You’re my friend, Itarr… And that’s why I have a small favor…”

The mysterious Goddess used a simple skill called Pixie Gust to direct a chilling breeze around Momo’s hair, causing pink strands to flutter about so helplessly, but it was all in good fun. Momo giggled and knew she had permission. “I know if I want to ‘hug’ you, I just have to touch the ring, but what about this? If you can summon Servy’s ID, I can hug that. Since the Gods and Goddesses made them, and you share Servy’s soul, wouldn’t that be like an embrace?”

The quiet Goddess pondered on it for less than a second before birthing a crimson tablet. It descended from the air like a gift from the very heavens, and Momo thanked Itarr… “If you want…” she said while clutching to her chest. “You can just think of this like practice or something…because when you do get a body, I’m gonna give you the biggest hug in the whole entire world!”

Servi, who had only stared thus far, had a mysterious look bouncing around her eyes. She pushed off the bed and sat up, causing Momo to do the same. Her left hand clutched the ID to her chest.

“What’s wrong?” asked Momo. She tilted her head and brushed the hair from her eyes. Suddenly, Servi almost jumped towards her guardian with her arms out, and the pair of them tumbled to the bed, bouncing just a bit on the quality springs packed within the mattress. The still-healing Human buried her eyes within Momo’s chest, then started to cry and weep for about half an hour. During which, Momo stayed motionlessly still. She allowed Servi to do whatever she wanted while still offering a comforting touch.

The tearful scene came to an end when she, once again, sat straight up. Instead of doing anything odd, Servi simply fell back to the shared pillow and turned on her side.

“You have been crying a bit more, and you’re really wanting to get physical. That’s fine with me because I do like touching you…” Momo whispered. It was as if the scene currently playing out had happened once before, with Servi edging ever-so-closer to her friend. Before long, she had her head buried in her neck with two arms wrapped around her, and Momo snuggled her cheeks into that soft hair. The only difference was the ID smooshed between the two, but neither of them was bothered by it.

“Hey, so I was thinking about the menu for today. Servy, why don’t we go pay Dineria a visit? We honestly should have done that when we went to the shopping mall, but I guess it just passed us by. Oh man, I hope she isn’t angry with us… I don’t think she will, though… And after we spend some time there, we could just go back to this bed and cuddle some more… If you’re up to it, I mean… I don’t think I’m forcing you to do this because you’re doing it yourself… And if you were uncomfortable with it all, I’m sure Itarr would have done something… So… I certainly hope I’m not taking advantage of you to personally get me some Servy Time… You get some Mosie Time, too… Right? So it’s like an equal trade?”

Momo knew Servi wouldn’t respond, but she didn’t think her stomach would rudely interrupt.

“Gah! I swear I hate my stomach… Anyways, let me finish up before it eats me alive… I think it’s only natural that I let you see me in…my underwear…because I got to look at you… And to be honest, I really want you to see me when I’m at my most vulnerable because I really do trust you that much. And I’m sure you trust me. If not, why else would you do this? So! I hope you’re ready, Servy…because tonight, I’m going to hug, snuggle, and cuddle you like crazy!” Momo’s tail whipped around in a mad fury, responding to its master’s intense emotions.

She jumped out of bed and walked over to a floating curtain of metal Itarr made. Momo emerged a few seconds later wearing vivid, bright, pink unmentionables. Her bra hugged her slim chest, but Momo more than made up for it in her natural femininity and adorableness. Though she was considered ‘petite,’ there was no denying just how lovely her thighs were. Her unremarkable panties were riding her, and she wasn’t lacking in the lower body curves. Someone like Servi or Srassa had her beat, however.

But no one could deny that Momo had something no one else had, and that was her fierce desire to push through the embarrassment to do the cute, adorable things couples regularly did. She stood still like a beacon of beauty, her budding flesh a slight scarlet as she displayed her second most intimate state of being.

Her fingertips timidly danced around her stomach as she slowly turned from side to side. “Well?” she said as she managed to get the nerve to look up. She bent down to grab her bag and walked over to the bed, her nearly nude state causing a little bit of excitement in her area down under.

Servi was there, sitting on her butt with her legs crossed. The excitement in her eyes could put even a child receiving a present to shame. She stared with the purest gaze known to man at the one girl who had a ‘Servi-shaped’ hole in her heart.

“Well? Am I…pretty? Do you like me…when I’m dressed like this…?” Momo asked. She crawled onto the bed and sat down on her knees, her tail frozen in place behind her.

This time, it was Servi's turn to reach out with the back of her hand. She brought to a cute tummy, slowly pressing in. Then a second hand traveled to join the first. Momo leaned backwards and fell to her back, and Servi started to crawl forward. She brushed her breasts up Momo’s entire body, from her legs to her waist, and eventually pressed her chest into her guardian’s boobs as she leaned down. Servi brought her knee up and nearly rubbed it against Momo's most tender spot.

Their faces weren’t that far apart.

I want to kiss you so much… Just a small one… On the lips… Your pretty lips… But… But… I— Momo’s mind was overloaded, and she fought back to free her reason. Finding the source of strength inside her excited body, she reached up with her hands and caressed Servi’s warm cheeks. Her whole body felt hot, and her red eyes had a twinkle hiding amongst the tears that threatened to fall. Momo leaned up, altering her angle of approach so that this inevitable kiss became a rather emotionally charged hug.

The sanctity of Servi’s lips had been protected.

“No, Servy,” Momo whispered. She leaned back down and moved one arm to Servi’s bare back. She rubbed it gently. “Even if I want to kiss you on the lips, and I very much do… I want it to be special… I need you to really, really, really be here… Not like this, but like the old you… Even I can argue in favor of small kisses on your cheek, or maybe a peck on your forehead… But the lips? Yeah, that has to be special… So I’m sorry, Servy… Even if you’re able to consciously want that whole in this state of mind, I’m just not comfortable with my first kiss being like this…

“It probably doesn’t make much sense, does it? We’re obviously looking at each other while almost naked, and I have kissed your head a few—a lot of times… Heck, we even cuddled, snuggled, and snuggle cuddled together. All night, even, and not to mention this morning… You crawled over my body and even pushed your boobs against me… And honestly… I’m feeling really tingly down there… But even if I am horrible for blaming it all on ‘friendship’ kisses and even wanting to share a bed while you’re like this… I hope you can forgive me for it… Because it really is hard… I want to give my everything to you…

“And I mean everything… I especially want you to be the first person to touch my tail. Other than grampy, I mean. He said that the touching of a tail is really important, and it’s one of two things that signifies the trust you have in someone. As a Singi, I can’t offer you anything greater… I think… And I don’t know what a Human has that’s similar in… 'importance?’ I dunno if that’s the right word, but I don’t know the Human equivalent. Maybe it is the first kiss, just like it is for a Singi, but I wouldn’t ever forgive myself if I snatched it away while you were like this. And yes, I know it doesn’t make sense considering we’re half-naked… Gah, my mind hurts…”

Momo dropped her arms and sighed, and Servi pushed off the bed and straddled Momo across her waist, her hands pressing flat against the Singi’s stomach. She stared down, her fiery red eyes looking more lifeless than ever, then she hugged her own chest and trembled from something only she knew.

Maybe that was a mean thing to say, but…

Momo leaned up and wrapped arms around Servi’s waist, their stomach and breasts pushing into each other. She stared into her eyes. “I refuse to touch your lips, but if it’s a kiss to the cheek? Or a forehead? Or the top of your head? Heck, even your belly… Then I think that’s okay… I would say I’m sorry for being selfish, but I really think I’m just doing what you would do… If our positions were reversed, I like to think that I wouldn't mind a smooch here or there on my cheeks. Hey…” Momo fumbled around for Servi’s hand, then brought it to her cheeks. After staring deeply into a pair of crying peepers, Momo showed her affection by doing what the ancient knights did whenever they saw a fair maiden. “And kissing your hand like this… It really does make me feel like your knight…Hmm… And I wasn’t wrong before…

“Servy, you’re delicious… I’ve learned a lot about myself over the time I’ve been with you, and I really am thankful it was you who made me realize that love could blossom between two girls… And how it could feel so right… Now, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, and as much as I’d like to stay like this—hugging you, I mean, we are burning daylight.

“Besides, if I could have it my way, I really would like to stay in bed with you…  But we have a super cool instructor to meet, food to eat, and a bunch of other stuff to do. So, my best friend and the girl I utterly love,” Momo said with a bright smile, doing her best to halt Servi’s inconsistent weeping with a couple of forehead nuzzles, followed by a small kiss to her cheek. “Why don’t we get some grub and go on over to Dineria’s store? And then tonight, we can cuddle and be all lovable and stuff. I hope I’m not just being prudish or anything… I’ve never been in this situation before, so I’m just going off what my heart is telling me and the little things I picked up from grampy and my surroundings…”

Perhaps Servi understood Momo’s heartfelt message because she rolled off to the side and crawled out of bed. The moment her feet touched the ground, the very familiar ‘farmer’s daughter-esque’ outfit covered up her nearly nude state. Momo smiled and followed suit, quickly slipping on a pair of shorts and an otherwise unremarkably generic shirt. She wanted to wear something a bit more cuteness—something with style and flair, but the dreaded foe known as dirty clothes reared its stinky head.

Without any time to waste, Momo reached back into the bed, which had been tidied up by an ever-watching Goddess, to snag a stone tablet. “I certainly can’t forget about this, can I? Alrighty, it’s time to start the day!”

“Oh geez… You can just tell by that aggressive sweeping that Dineria is kinda upset… She isn’t even looking at us…but check out how fast she’s moving that broom…” Momo said as her teeth chattered like cackling ghosts. The store operated by Dineria had a convenient wall to hide behind next to the entrance. Momo held Servi’s hand as the Singi peeked out, taking small glimpses at her instructor.

Since it was rather appropriate for someone of Dineria’s belief and status, she only wore clothes or accessories she could make herself. As such, she sported a grass skirt with thin wooden sticks lined behind the leafy greens to provide backbone and support. Her emerald-colored hair just washed over her shoulders, covering both her chest and back as it was rather long. It disguised the strap of her over-the-neck top, which was made out of leaves and the sticky sap from the mountain maple tree. Dineria’s entire midriff was on full display, and so were most of her feet since her shoes had been carved out of a block of red pine.

She was the very embodiment of the stereotypical Elf, who avoided meat the best they could and dressed only in what was naturally created by the Mother Goddess. Even the red flower tattoo inked on the back of her slender, feminine hand came from ingredients that weren’t synthetically made.

“Okay… Maybe if we impress Dineria by sleuthing in, she won’t be as angry? She was never one to yell or shout, so it’s not like she’s going to hurt us or anything… Geez, I should just clamp up, walk in, and apologize like an adult… Or we can be a bunch of sneaky kittens… Yeah… Let’s try that, Servy.”

Beginning their operation, a girl and her Singi knight tiptoed over to the front door and carefully slipped inside the store. The refreshing and familiar naturalistic scent flooded Momo’s nose, reminding her of all the time she spent here. Getting lost in her memories wouldn’t do much to help her, so she sleuthed through the store with her friend, sticking to the side aisles.

This store certainly had it all. From providing the branches that one could make their own bow to selling them already constructed, Dineria's store had everything an archer needed. It also sold general goods, like potions in wooden flasks, dried fruits and veggies, and even all-in-one starter kits, which were perfect for the newbie adventurer. Such a kit came with a rope, wooden hooks, flammable resin, flint and steel, leafy bandages, and sticky sap meant for keeping two things bounded.

I guess having that would have been nice, but a box of goodies can’t compete with a Goddess… Momo thought as she snuck closer to her instructor.

“Oh! Woe is me and my little Elven heart…” Dineria suddenly spoke up, causing Momo and Servi to come to a halt next to where the spider strings were stocked at. Neither knew Dineria had heard their footsteps the moment they stepped inside. That was why she decided to have a little bit of fun. She sure was glad her student and her friend couldn’t see the wide grin on her face.

“It’s been but a fortnight since my student and her companion left to be promoted… The only thing I want is for them to be safe and sound… Please, let them emerge out from the darkness of uncertainty as uninjured as when they entered… Oh, and if they had made it back to our fair city, where the birds chirp and sing day-in and day-out… Surely they would not have wasted any time in alerting me that they were fine and dandy. How cruel would that be to their lovely, beautiful, enchanting, gorgeous, funny, amazing, and ever-popular instructor?” Somewhere during her rambling, Dineria had taken this little prank to the extreme by exaggerating her motions like an actress would.

Momo’s shoulders slouched with depression, a realization of selfishness collapsing upon her soul. She tugged on Servi’s hand and prepared to give the second biggest apology of her life. The instant the two walked out from the aisle, they stared at the smiling face of Momo’s instructor.

“Of course, it is a good thing another student of mine already relayed all of that information to me, so I suppose I can’t be that mad, could I?”

Even Dineria's gentle words couldn’t stop the tears coming from Momo’s eyes. She really did feel bad because Dineria was one of her closest allies. The Singi went in for a big hug, and the green-haired Elf slowly patted her pupil’s head. “I was just messing around a little since I heard you walk in… Hey, I’m taking a small break. You’re all in charge of the store!” Dineria barked out an order and escorted Momo and Servi to the large back room, where they would be safe from any prying eyes.

This room just so happened to be where Momo and Srassa had trained, and it certainly brought back some exceptionally sore memories. It took so long for the sad Singi to stop crying Dineria had started to feel bad. Right when she apologized, Momo grinned and started laughing, citing that she had gotten revenge on Dineria, getting equal. Then like a comedy show, the two laughed it all off and shared one more hug.

“But I am sorry…” Momo said, wiping her reddened eyes. She still had to force down a chuckle that refused to die out.

“I talked with Srassa when she came by to show off her armor, and she mentioned you and Servi were back. Oh, I have a table and some chairs over here. Why don’t we sit down? Would you two like some tea?”

“Thanks, Dineria,” Momo said while walking over to a cute rectangular table. There were four chairs, but only three were available. Momo briefly thought if it was the same one they had sat at all those weeks ago. It wouldn’t mean anything at all if it was or wasn’t, but it was just a brief wonder that skirted through her mind. The three took a seat while Dineria pointed to a walking Dwarf and asked if he could fetch a waiter and three cups of her favorite brew. She then took the time to explain to Servi that she had her personal kitchen in the back since she essentially lived here.

“Hmm… It is unfortunate, but Srassa was telling the truth… As much as it hurts me to hope she was lying, I can see that Servi’s been through a lot…”

“You could tell?” Momo asked.

“I can... Even if Srassa hadn’t told me anything, I know the look on Servi’s face very well because I once shared it.”

“You—you did?” Momo didn’t mean to stammer, and she tried to play it off by looking at the obstacle course and the archery ranges. Seeing the former brought back tons of memories of self-improvement. If she went through it now, how much faster would she be? On the flip side, she briefly wondered about Servi’s time. Especially if she went at full speed.

“It’s an all too common tale in this world… Bandits always believe women and children are the better targets for their thievery, so such a cruel tale is penned down far more often than it has any right to be. Momo, do you want to talk about it?” Somewhere, the sound of a door swung open. It was followed by the silent squeak of a wooden cart and the mouthwatering aroma of freshly brewed tea. A hint of citrus lingered in the air, leaving by the flavor of a ripe orange on the tip of everyone’s noses. A few seconds later, the Dwarven chef departed with a bow while leaving behind three wooden cups of deliciousness in liquid form.

“If you don’t mind…” Momo looked to Servi, then glanced at the table. Her hand was sitting above Servi's palm, their fingertips just resting against each other.

“Have you ever wondered why I haven’t tried to get promoted past Rank 6? I’ve been here for a while…and the real reason is that I’m afraid.” Dineria? The strongest Elf Momo knew was afraid? She obviously had to ask why. “It’s because when you get those ranks, your quests become more difficult. Instead of killing a bear and bringing back a pelt, you’re more liable to be tasked with breaking into a bandit camp and bringing them to justice. Or freeing a village from a tyrant’s control. Your targets regularly switched from beasts and nature to man and evil. It really isn’t for the faint of heart … But I just can’t take the killing anymore… I know it’s for the good since bandits deserve to swing from the gallows, but you get to a certain point…and you’re afraid of what you’re becoming…”

“Were... Were you ever afraid of yourself?” Momo cautiously asked.