Book One – Interlude – Part Three – Servi’s Nightly Stroll

Sixteen minutes later, the clothing store known as Old Onyx was empty. The paintings on the wall, the vases, the safe that Servi found, and even the dressers that held an incredible amount of clothes, rings, and jewelry were gone.

A lone woman with black hair and red eyes walked out, talking to herself. She didn’t have a destination in mind, so she made her way back to the main road and wandered.

I’ll let you know when everything is organized. Oh, one more thing. Based on your description, I believe there was some jewelry inside the dressers, so I’ll go ahead and categorize that for you.

“Thanks, Itarr. You’re the best.”

You are most welcome. While I do that, do you have any other plans? I assume that you want to find Brick Bri and Rowan?

Brick Bri was the noble who set off the slave bracelet that killed a young boy. Rowan was the adventurer that sold the poor child.

“No matter what, those two must die tonight. The problem is how to find those jackasses.”

Might I offer a suggestion?

“You know, you don’t have to ask for permission. I trust you, and you’re my partner. We’re in this together. If you have something to say, then say it.”

Very well, then. Rowan is an adventurer, correct? And he looks a bit shifty to me. While we’ve been walking, I overheard talk of a place called a ‘bar.’ I would try my hand there.

“Good idea. I want to make myself less noticeable, and now that I got the clothes, I need the armor. Oh, and a weapon, too. Something that won’t make me stick out. I need to do whatever I can to make sure that whatever I do won’t get traced back. Oh, a bar is a place where people go to get drinks.”

That makes sense. I guess if I was thirsty, I’d like to be surrounded by friends and talk while I drink. Anyway, am I assuming that we are heading for an armor shop?

“That’s right,” Servi walked through the main roads until she gave up and asked for directions for the nearest armor shop. The person she asked was a mature-looking woman who was more naked than clothed. The only thing she had on was small heart-shaped stickers that barely covered her nipples and her sweet spot between her legs. Servi glanced at her head and noticed pointy ears. An Elf. Her skin was light and fair, and it looked like she had recently slathered her body in a thin lotion.

Though her state of dress would indicate otherwise, the woman was quite pleasant and lovely. Still, for Servi, who stared at the large breasts in front of her, it wasn’t a good time. Still, Servi wasn’t rude to the nice woman. She had no anger or hatred towards such a woman, so she kept a friendly tone.

“Thank you very much!” Servi said as she turned away, red in the face, and walked towards the armor shop that the woman had pointed out.

“You’re very welcome, my sweet little doll,” the woman seductively placed a finger to her lips, “You know, I’d like to get a taste of you. I wonder how sweet you are…” Unfortunately for her, and fortunately for Servi, she was too far away to hear that last comment.

I sort of sense something amiss. Are you okay?

“Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t help but stare at that woman’s boobs. I mean, they were so big. And they looked so soft that I wanted to touch them.”

I take this to mean that you prefer them big?

“I don’t know. At least, I don’t think so. Wait, why am I even talking about this?! Hey, there it is,” saved by a place she briefly thought of as a holy sanctuary, Servi walked up the steps and went into the shop.

Though it specialized in armor, the blacksmiths here made and sold weapons in their spare time, though the quality was nothing compared to what one would find at a dedicated weapon shop.

It was smaller than the building led Servi to believe, and five stubby dwarfs walked around carrying a mop and a bucket of water. The smell of soap tickled Servi’s nose.

“Aye, hello there. Ye came just in time. We were about to close up. If ye ain’t got something in mind, can I ask ye to come back tomorrow? Me an’ the boys got a date with the Rude Crystal. Bahaha,” the tallest one said. He had black hair and a black beard.

What is this Rude Crystal?

“I don’t know. Uh yes, hello. I’m looking for a lightweight set of armor. It doesn’t need to fit right.”

“Ye sure? Armor is the protective skin of ye adventurers, but as long as I get paid, I don’t care,” Blackbeard, as Servi began to internally call him, dropped his mop and bucket and walked Servi over to a set. It looked to be a bit too big, and there was a burnt mark on the helmet that made it darker than the rest of the armor.

“Aye, sorry about the forge burn. My brother was a bit too hasty with the flame.”

“Doesn’t matter, I’ll take it. How much?”

“Quick to the point, and ye don’t even haggle. I like ye. Aye, this suit has been here for a bit over a year. No one wants it, so hell, ye can have it for 20 dupla."

“Deal,” Servi reached into her pouch, took out two coins with a ‘10’ on them, and handed it to the dwarf. He nodded and walked over to grab a step stool.

“I can get it.”

“Lass, it’s company policy for us wor—never mind, I guess. I didn’t know ye had the Dimensional Storage skill. Well, thank ye for shopping, and be sure to tell ye friends about us,” Servi used her ring to store the armor and walked out. She put up a hand and waved goodbye. Now, all she needed was a weapon, like a dagger or stiletto, but that could wait.

Servi slipped through the crowds and made her way towards a dark alley.

Just to let you know, everything from the dresser has been sorted. I compared the sizes of the clothes you picked out to those inside the dresser and organized them accordingly. Also, the suit of armor is categorized as well.

“You have my deepest thanks,” Servi said as she looked around, making sure the coast was clear.

Earlier that day, after getting out of the shower and waiting for dinner, Servi discovered something interesting. If she focused hard and concentrated on her ring, she could send her essence inside. After doing so, she saw everything that had ever been absorbed, including the corpses of those she had killed. It was also messy, like a child's room, and it gave Servi a headache as she tried to swim her mind through the horde of items. That was when she came up with the idea of categorizing everything. Unfortunately, she had to leave it to Itarr, and Servi didn’t want to put her to work. Fortunately for Servi, Itarr didn’t mind doing it. And now, if she was correct, the next time she went inside the ring, it would be far less painful and headache-inducing.

If she knew what she wanted to take out or what to wear, then Servi did not need to dive into the ring.  She only needed to do so if she felt like searching for something particular.

With a focus on her ring, Servi soon found herself inside it. Only this time, it was neater and more organized. It was like she was in space, floating aimlessly in a sea of black with bright specs of light. Off in the distance sat a glimmering spark of red light. It faintly illuminated the deep darkness like a candle in a cave. She stayed still until she focused on a direction to move. In her sight, she saw floating red words. Categories she could go into. She focused on ‘clothes,’ and her spirit floated over to it.

The moment her spirit made contact, the word disappeared and more appeared in its place. She focused on ‘clothes I can wear,’ after that, she focused on ‘masks.'

29 masks floating about, and Servi felt the tinge of a headache coming on. Even just 29 items were too much for her brain to process.  She decided to pick a mask that she felt would disguise her the most and left the ring before her headache grew in pain.

She heard Itarr’s voice when her spirit re-entered her body.

I see you are back. It’s a bit strange. I know for sure that you spent at least a minute inside the ring, but not even half a second had passed. Oh, and I see you have a mask in your hand.

“I guess time flows slower in the ring? Or is it faster? Regardless, it’s so much easier to navigate. Thank you again.”

As I said before, you are most welcome.

Servi took a look at the mask that was in her hand. It was a half mask that only covered her eyes and a little of her cheeks. It was a deep black, and small white dots filled in the empty space. A bit of red silk was added to the edges to make it seem like it was on fire. Servi thought it was perhaps a symbol of the maker because quite a few masks in her collection had the same red silk in the same spots.

A small piece of blue glass covering the eye holes allowed the wearer to change their eye color. In her case, her eyes would be blue. That was the main reason she chose it. In her short travels, very few people, if at all, had red eyes. If she was going to do her nightly strolls, she didn't want to stand out.

She quickly equipped her slightly too big armor, which she didn’t need to dive for because it was fresh in her mind, and put on the mask to disguise her eyes.

For some reason, the armor was a lot lighter than she thought it would, but even she could tell that her set of leather armor was more durable.

Is the disguise complete?

“Yes, it is. I’d like to make two or three more sets, but I can do that later.  Now, let us roam the town and find this bar. Quick question, am I able to get drunk?” she said as she retraced her steps through the alley. Soon, she was back on the road and walked down it, well aware of the weird looks she was getting.

Sorry?

“Like, can I be affected by alcohol?”

I’m not quite sure what that is.

“It’s a type of drink that makes you drunk.”

Does it affect the body?

“It does.”

Then no. From what I can gather, my True Immortality will always keep you in perfect health. If you drink or ingest something that does even the slightest amount of harm or discomfort, your body is restored to fighting shape.

“I see. That’s good. I bet I can make a pretty good amount of money off of drinking contests.”

Is that a competition to drink the most alcohol?

“That it is. Usually, the more you drink alcohol, the drunker you get. And if you drink too much, it’s possible to die. So, if I can drink all I want without getting drunk in the slightest, then I’m certain to win any drinking contest that comes my way. Wow, it’s a wonder that I have general knowledge like that. Itarr, I hope we can find a way to get our memories back.”

I do as well.

And with that, the two walked underneath the gaze of the almighty moon. Servi's eyes darted left to right, taking in the various shops and stores that had closed down for the night.

A few minutes later, Servi spotted a sign above a rundown building that said ‘Rude Crystal – Bar and Food.’

“Hey, that’s the place those Dwarves were talking about, right?”

I do believe so. Shall we go in?

“Yep.”

Servi walked closer to the building and opened the door. The smell of grilled meat rushed out and assaulted her, causing her to drool just a little bit. Even though she didn’t need to eat, the mouthwatering smell of good food was sometimes irresistible.

She walked in and glanced around for a moment. The rustic atmosphere and the live band playing did not match up with the building’s dilapidated appearance. The song that played was a smooth tune, with a bit of an upbeat tempo that was enough for people to channel the rhythm through their bodies.

Servi eyed the bar, which was black as night. She sauntered over to an empty stool and took a seat, waving away a thick fog of cigarette smoke.  A few questions from Itarr later, Servi explained and asked the Goddess to absorb any smoke that came her way. Itarr agreed, promising to filter the area around her.

As Servi waited for the bartender, she glanced around and examined the kind of patrons a place liked this would have.

It was mainly adventurers who didn’t have anything planned for tomorrow and women of the night trying to find a warm bed and a spot of food. In a dark corner of the bar, Servi saw a few of the aforementioned women wearing very low-cut shirts that showed off their breasts and extremely short skirts that put their thighs and other assets on display.

What are those women over there doing? Itarr asked.

In a low voice, Servi answered her. “They’re probably prostitutes.”

What is that?

“A person who sells their body for sex.”

For this ‘sex’ thing? And what do they get in return?

“Yep. Money, food, or even a place to live. And I think some people who do it cause it feels good.”

I see. How fascinating.

“Hmm.”

Besides that, have you spotted Rowan?

“Nope. I mean, the chances of him being here at this bar at this time are not high at all. I’ll ask the bartender when he comes over.”

In the meantime, Servi took another look at the layout of the place.

The floor was hardwood and nasty, a far cry from the spotless floor of the Warden office. If someone walked barefoot, they’d be sure to pick up some disease. There was a space reserved for dancing and a stage set up for a band.  Other than that, it looked pretty ordinary.

The Rude Crystal's logo hung behind the bar on a red sign. It was a red crystal that looked like it would steal candy from a baby.  A polished sword in its hand was bloody and red.  Servi presumed the blood came from the dead man lying next to the crying baby.  It was a weird sign, to say the least.

A bit gruesome, if I say so. Itarr offered her commentary on the rather brutish logo.

“Sorry for the wait, ma’am. What can I get ya?”

A voice coming from behind the bar interrupted Servi, and she turned around. The bartender was an elderly man, maybe a bit older than 50. His grey hair was well-groomed, and it was like his body was made for that suit he wore. The one thing that stood out to Servi was his way of speaking. Though he was getting on in age, he talked like a young lad.

“…!” the bartender jumped a bit when he saw the mask that Servi wore but quickly shook it off.

“What do you recommend?” Servi asked.

“For someone like yourself, I’d recommend an Aviation. It's one of our calmer brands of drinks, but it's nice and subtle.”

“That works for me. How much?”

“That’ll be 5 dupla, ma’am.”

A drink is 5, but an entire room is 10?!  I really don’t understand these prices.

Ignoring Itarr for a moment, Servi reached down beside her leg and used her ring to take out the 5 coins. She forgot to put her pouch on, so she had to do it this way to avoid attention.

“Here you go.”

The man reached out to take the coins but pulled back when Servi closed her hand.

“You know, I’d like to pay double or even triple, but I’d like some information,” she teased.

The bartender eyed Servi and sighed. In his line of work, it was easy to overhear information that shouldn’t be public. After all, tight lips become loose after a few drinks. And for those with loose lips, nothing was private. It wouldn't be the first he sold information, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

“Fine, but info doesn’t come cheap. What do you want to know?”

“I’m looking for a fancy-looking man named Brick Bri. He hangs out with Rowan, a Warden member.”

“I might know a thing or two. Do you need anything else?”

“Do you know a girl named Mossi? She usually hangs around a guy named Axel and another person.”

“That I do. And I know where you can find the people you're looking for, but this info doesn’t come cheap. 500 dupla. That’s what it’ll cost you.”

“Deal,” Servi put her hand on the bar and started taking out coins. They just fell to the counter from her open palm. It took a while, considering that most of her coins were only 1 dupla, but to her surprise, the bartender didn’t look annoyed.

And Servi didn’t bother hiding that ability. It’d be too much effort to secretly move 500 coins. Still, she found it weird that the bartender didn't react when the coins fell from her palm. It was like a never-ending jingling waterfall that most certainly ruined a few dates.

“Here,” Servi moved her hand back, and the bartender retrieved the coins. “Give me the info.”

The bartender was scrutinized by everyone at the bar while he counted the money. After finding it sufficient, he retrieved a bag from under the bar. In a fluid motion, he filled it and stored it under the bar. “Very well. As it turns out, everyone you listed likes to come here."

“Here?” Servi pointed down. “To this bar?”

“Yes, ma’am. That’s what I said. They show up almost every night for a round of drinking. The five of them are friends, or at least really close. I don’t know your business with them, but I told you what you wanted to know,” Servi thanked the man, and he nodded and walked away. He came back a few moments later with a lavender-colored drink in his hand.

“Ma’am, here is your drink. Consider it on the house,” he sat it down and smiled at Servi, who thanked him once again. He nodded and walked away to take someone else's order.

Do you want me to take the coins back?

“Yeah, but leave half.”

It's done. By my count, we have 380 dupla on us.

Servi took the glass and held it to her nose. She breathed in slowly and enjoyed the sweet-smelling aroma that tickled her nostrils.

“Bottoms up,” Servi said as she lifted the glass to her soft pink lips. For some reason, Servi thought the drink would taste sour, probably due to the lavender color, but it was a bit sweet. “Ahh…”

Did it taste good?

“It did. For just a split second, it burned going down, but now I can’t feel that. It’s got a pleasant aftertaste, though.”

That’s True Immortality at work. Any bit of discomfort or any foreign feeling that's harmful to you is eliminated as soon as you feel it. In any case, I’m glad you like the drink. If it’s alright with you, could I try some when I get my body?

“Of course, you can. We can even share a glass if you want.”

That’d be wonderful. Thank you.

“Eh… Talking to yourself like that. Ain’t you too young to be going senile?”

Servi glanced over and saw a nasty-looking man whose grey hair seemed to be falling out. He was probably over 70 and had a disgusting lustful look in his eyes.

“Just mind your business, old man.”

He slammed his drink down, though due to the music, it was barely audible. “You little bitch! I’m your elder! Show me some damn respect!”

“An elder? I just see a washed-up son of a bitch who’s not worthy of any kind of respect.”

“Says the whore who hides her face. What, you ugly as sin under there?”

Servi sat her glass on the counter and sighed. “Look, you keep talking like that, and you ain’t going home alive.”

“Fuck you! Whore!!” the old man picked up his drink and pulled back his arm. Instantly, Soul Essence of Primal Combat activated, and Servi saw those afterimages. Though compared to the fight with the rat, these images were much clearer.

Later, when Servi asked Itarr about it, she said it was because most of the human souls they’d absorbed were accustomed to combat. Therefore, the afterimages of humans would be easier to follow than those of monsters.

“You bitch!” the man said as he threw the glass cup. Servi followed the images and ducked under the pathetic throw. It crashed against the wall next to a large man who wore a shirt with the word 'Security' on it. His thick forearms were the size of Servi's head, and the atrocious scars lining his arms probably meant he had a history of violence.

There wasn't a chance in hell he could've ignored the thrown projectile, and the security guard stomped over with a fierce look in his hazel eyes.

“Now, are you two gonna tell me what happened, or am I throwing both of ya asses out of here?” he demanded.

Servi pointed to the old guy. “He did it. He started calling me a whore and a bitch. I told him to shut up, and he lost his temper.”

“Wha!!” The old man stared dumbfounded with his mouth open. “This ugly as sin whore said she was gonna kill me.”

Just then, the bartender came over and spoke to the security guard.

“Niel, the girl is telling the truth. This…..gentleman, and I use that lightly, has been causing trouble all week.”

“Is that so? You’re coming with me,” Niel, the guard, grabbed the old man by his shirt and practically dragged him out, kicking and screaming.

“You bitch! I’ll fucking kill you! Let go of me! GGAhh!!” Niel tightened his grip, and the old man whimpered in pain. As if to make it worse, the band stopped playing and tormented the rude man. The crowd joined in too, and the old man went red in the face as he screamed even louder.

Though all things must come to an end. A few seconds later, Neil came back in, and to his surprise, some of the patrons and even the band cheered him.

“Let’s hear a shout out for our man Niel. He’s keeping it real by protecting us from the baaaaaad dudes!”

“Neil! Neil! Neil! Neil!"

Servi, could you explain to me what’s happening? I’m am so utterly confused.

“Me too, Itarr. Me too," Servi sighed and spun around in her chair. The bartender met her gaze and shrugged his shoulders.

As Neil enjoyed his heroic return, throwing fist after fist into the air, he walked over to Servi and apologized. She waved it off, saying it was no big deal, and he offered to buy her a drink. She accepted his kindness. It was an Aviation, a drink that was quickly becoming one of her favorite things in the world. It had just the right amount of flavor and sweetness.

With a happy and gleeful smile on her face, she drunk it and once again enjoyed the sweet aftertaste.

Servi thanked the man, and that was when it happened.