Book One – Interlude – Part Six – Servi’s Nightly Stroll II – Attack on the Markets

Thirteen minutes later, Servi and Kire passed a company of guards panicking and running towards the fire. Usually, those who calmly walked away from a scene were the first to be interrogated, but that wasn’t the case today. The city was in a panic when the first dome appeared, and with the second, all reason was lost. Still, the only ones that Servi and Kire saw were guards in their armor. They didn’t see a single adventurer other than themselves. Most adventurers didn't like to risk their necks without any reward. Even Warden, a symbol of hope and goodness, couldn’t force members to go on quests or do things they didn't want to. Sure, some might have a hero complex, but most wanted to finish some quests and learn some skills.

“Wait, you hear that?” Kire said as he stopped. He strained his ears before exclaiming, “Blue, we gotta hurry. I hear fighting, and it’s coming from the last market!” Not waiting for any kind of response, Kire shot off like an arrow as his hulking body ran down past an intersection before taking a right. Another few meters after that, he  dodged down an alley and jumped over a wall. After taking one more left, the pair came to the entrance of the third market.

The sounds of battle died down.

Iron bars ran through the necks of five unfortunate victims who were pinned to the ground. Their limbs, torn asunder, laid nearby in a horrific pile of flesh as the blood oozed from their four openings. The remains of the gate that, presumably, guarded the entrance were torn asunder from its hinges.  It was now the primary structural part of a hideous flesh fountain that squirted blood.

Just then, the sounds of battle revived, and with it came a roar like no other followed by a soul-piercing screech of pain.

Servi and Kire both ran into the market and discovered a horrific sight. It stood at least three and a half meters tall; a towering green-skinned monster had half a body in his massive hands. The other half was in his mouth. After eating, he tossed the other half of his snack into his mouth before roaring and charging at a group of armored guards. He swept them away with his fist before grabbing a nearby horse and throwing it at his enemies. It exploded in a gory explosion. The beast roared once again, causing all those around him, except for a single girl, to freeze in fear.

Kire only had one word to shout.

“Ogre!”

The layout of the third market was unlike the other two. The first had the weird funnel shape walkway, and the second had the three long buildings. The third, this one, was an open-air market. It had no tunnels or buildings, just cages displaying people like cattle for sale. Right now, the ogre was near the entrance, just past the gate. From what Servi saw, there were no crushed or half-eaten cages, and she sighed in relief. As if a show of its strength, the ogre was surrounded by bodies. A lot of them. But as long as they weren’t slaves, and they weren’t because they had armor on, Servi didn’t care. And neither did Itarr, Kire, or anyone else.

Hearing footsteps racing in from behind her, Servi drew a sword from her ring and turned around, instantly transitioning into a stance engraved in her by Soul Essence of Primal Combat. But she had nothing to worry about because a familiar Elf ran in.  Servi absorbed her sword and slightly smiled.

“Hiya, Blue!” she said, panting for air.

“Hiya, Navel!” Servi replied.

A rude voice then came. “Damnit, cousin, you can’t just run off… Blue?” There was Arm, also breathing hard under the moonlight.

Both were absolutely out of breath, but it wasn’t the time to idly stand by. The moment the cousins realized the rampaging green monster was the source of the noise they had been hearing, they expertly drew their naginatas from their backs.

“Yeah, this is gonna have to wait. Let me kill that thing right quick," Servi said.

Without waiting for a response, Servi turned back around and walked calmly to the rampaging monster. She saw a guard chanting furiously as a small Greater Fireball appeared over the head of the ogre. The skill user grinned like she was assured of victory as the giant red orb smashed into the ogre’s head. After the smoke was cleared out by a wind skill from the same guard, it revealed the unaffected ogre. The monster showed off its yellow teeth in a fear-inducing smile. Shrugging off such a weak sill was simple for something as powerful as an Ogre.  Picking up a rock from the explosion, the ogre threw it with such strength and speed at the skill user. His body exploded like crimson confetti, and there wasn't anything left that could identify him.

Servi saw a second guard sneaking up behind the green monster. A yellow sword pulsed slightly in his hands as he charged forward. This was the skill Lightning Sword. Using Skill Energy, the user created a blade of pure lightning that they could wield. The yellow sword pierced through the ogre's dense hide, but that was it. If it was hurt, it didn’t show it. The monster retaliated by falling backwards, crushing the guard into nothing more than a bloody paste. Every bone in the poor bastard's body broke at the same time, but he wasn't alive long enough to feel it.

“Wait! You can’t possibly take that thing on!” Arm yelled out. He had just witnessed the ogre surviving a Greater Fireball AND a Lightning Sword, but Kire interrupted him.

“Look. Boss, I’ve seen what she can do, and something like that is a pebble to her.”

“And how would you know that? That thing just took two Rank 4 skills like they were water!” Navel demanded.

“Because she created those two fire domes that I’m sure you must’ve seen. They’re much hotter and fiercer than whatever that crummy skill user can muster.”

“She did?! But how?! Why?!” Arm and Navel both exclaimed at the same time.

“Or that Itarr person did. Regardless, that ogre is just a tiny bug to her. Just watch,” Kire tapped Arm on the shoulder and pointed at the black-haired girl.

Servi was about four meters from the monster, and she was still unnoticed. She took the opportunity to ask Itarr a question. “Itarr, do you know anything about this thing?

I do not. And I fear that thing is much too heavy for us to use Telekinesis on.

“I see. Well, I can finally try this out. Follow my lead.”

Servi took out five swords from her ring and used Telekinesis – Her current limit, not Itarr’s limit – and suddenly, twenty more appeared beside it. Commanding the swords to fly up, they flew around until they caught the attention of the ogre, at which they broke off into two groups, the first being made up of only three of Itarr’s swords. She controlled them as they flew in a set pattern that distracted the beast while the rest flew up high. Once they were in the sky and out of sight, Servi and Itarr ordered them down and used the skill Lightning Smash 23 times.

The entire night sky lit up for at least ten solid seconds. It was like the moon and darkness disappeared from the world, and all that was left was pure light.  Not to mention the thunder suddenly bellowing out likely caused many to soil their underwear from fright.

Half of the beast's corpse, now burnt, scorching hot, and tinging with electricity, fell to the ground next to 23 black marks.

After they regained sight in their eyes and hearing in their ears, the guards, who were being slaughtered by the deceased ogre, immediately dropped their weapons and surrendered. All it took was one glance at the charred and still burning ogre's corpse to know that the guards had no hope of emerging victoriously towards this new opponent.

After all, if they couldn’t kill an ogre when they had a group, how could they take on the one person who killed it singlehandedly.

A single man among them saw that the best way to escape with his life was to reason with the monster who killed the Ogre.

But what if the monster was more than that? What if she was living on the edge of being a simple mad dog and the personification of cataclysmic destruction?

“Nice work!” Servi praised Itarr.

Thanks!

Servi felt good at taking down the Ogre, and she walked back to the frightened group consisting of Kire, Arm, and Navel. Their wide-eyed stare said it all, displaying their amazement at witnessing such an intense battle.

“Blue, if things were just a slightly bit different and you didn’t stop your attack, is that how we would’ve died?”

“Probably.” Servi honestly answered Navel.

“…” Arm had nothing to say. How could he? The person in front of him was someone he tried to kill, and even though he apologized, he couldn’t help but shake in fear.

Is there a chance she wants revenge? The answer to that was no. Servi didn’t want anything even resembling revenge against Arm and Navel. But they didn’t know that, and Arm was too proud to ask.

“Are you gonna go get your people? Tell you what, you do that, and I’ll go talk to the guards. I’m mighty interested in where that thing came from.” the shock was still flowing through their bodies, and all they could do was nod. Kire stayed with Servi. Arm and his cousin ran off to some ruined building where their comrades had made their base.

Servi walked over to the sobbing guards and picked one of them up via Telekinesis. She put the anchor point around his neck, and the air slowly  squeezed out of him. Someone nearby went to stand but was smacked to the ground by a hard haymaker from Kire.  Kire's scales sliced open part of his cheeks.

“Are you gonna tell me what that ogre was doing here?”

“Eat shit!”

Servi cracked his neck and absorbed the corpse before picking up the next one.

“Let me try again. Tell me what that thing was doing here.”

“P-P-Please!! I know nothing!! Oh, don’t kill me! I have a wife and a daughter. Please do—AAAHHHHHHH!!!!” Servi used Telekinesis to toss the man high in the air and barely caught him half a meter before he smashed into the ground.

“Next time, I won’t catch you. Tell me!”

“Fine! Let him go, and I’ll tell everything,” a sitting guard took off his helmet to reveal an old man of about 45. Weathered scars ran down his nose and throat before disappearing under his armor.

“Sorry, man, but you’re in no position to make demands,” Servi said. “If none of you tell me, then you’re all dying. But then again, if you do tell me, I won’t have a reason to keep you alive.”

“And why is that?” he asked, not showing a hint of fear.

“Just look around you and tell me what you see in those cages!”

“Demi-Humans,” he calmly answered.

This fool of a woman is too easy to read. All I gotta do is play it like I’ve always wanted to help. He thought.

“Liar," Servi said, not falling for his rouse.

The invisible smirk he had disappeared instantly.

“What?! I always wanted to help these poor bastards, but how could I? Look at me! I’m weak, and the only way I could help was to get a job here and treat them nicer! I treated them the way they deserved to be treated!” sweat dropped from his face, and the girl with blue eyes sighed before killing the poor bastard held in her invisible grip.

“Look, that was your fault,” she said as she picked up another guard who struggled to the bitter end. “Just tell me what I want to know, and I’ll make your death painless.”

“But I was—”

“Wrong answer.” The guard watched as another life ended before him.

As she picked up the second to last enemy before the older man, the smell of ammonia filled the air. “I think we’ve gotten a little off-topic. Tell me why that ogre was here," she asked the man she held.

“We-we were gonna take advantage of the panic in the city to move the ogre, but the tranquilizer wore off.  The ogre woke up!! I-I-I swear that’s the truth!!” Servi heard a loud snap, and she stored his corpse.

“And then there were two,” Servi muttered. She picked the other guard, leaving the older man on the ground, but his face was full of hatred and anger when he exploded with rage.

“You fucking traitor!!!” he shouted.

“And there is it: your true colors and beliefs. Kire, you want him? It might feel good to blow off some steam,” Servi said.  She tossed the man she held up into the air and brought out a sword.  She held it out, and gravity assisted the man in bisecting himself down the middle.  The two halves of his corpses laid on the filthy ground.  Servi crushed the two halves of his brain that plopped out before absorbing both parts.

“No!!!!” the older guard hurriedly stood up, and that was as far as he made it. Servi immobilized him with Telekinesis in a way where he couldn’t budge. That allowed Kire to wrap his massive hands around the older man, and he whined out loud. A moment later, his head was ripped from his body like a cap from a drink.  Blood sprayed like a fountain, covering Kire in a hot crimson.

Servi absorbed both parts of the guard's body before moving on to the ogre's corpse. The weapons she used in the Lightning Smash attack were destroyed. Such simple and weak swords couldn’t handle the divine power of lightning.

“Thanks for that, but I don’t feel like I thought I would,” he said, pondering his thoughts and feelings. For someone like Kire, who’d been oppressed his whole life for being born a Demi, this should’ve felt good, but it didn’t.

“That’s something that you have to work out yourself. I think I see Arm and Navel?”

“Who and what?” Kire was incredibly confused, so Servi explained the name situation to him

“For your eyes?” Kire asked.

Servi nodded. "Think of it like codenames."

“Hey, we’re all here. Where’re those guards?” Navel asked.

“I took care of them.”

“But where are the corpses?” Arm asked.

“You don’t need to know. Follow me, and I’ll remove the cages and bracelets,” Servi said, not waiting to hear a word of protest from Arm or Navel.

As they walked through the multitude of torn apart corpses that the ogre was responsible for and watched Servi as she worked, Navel whispered to Kire.

“Do you know the bodies went? You were here with her, right? So you should know.”

“I don’t. Blue wouldn’t say, and I don’t ask questions that might annoy her. I make it a point not to piss off people who can break my neck silently if they want to. Don’t let it bother you. Corpses don’t tell truths or lie, so I’d say let it go.”

“You have a good point,” the woman in question said.

“Eeeppp!!” Navel screamed cutely. The girl they’ve been talking about had walked up behind them after she absorbed the cages and bracelets in this area and put a hand to Navel’s shoulder.

“What I do with the bodies doesn’t concern you. Let it go, okay?” Servi flashed a smile that made Navel’s gut sink from uneasiness.

What the hell?! That smile was so frightening!!!

Fifteen minutes later, the job was finished, and the mission was a success. The market was liberated, and everyone but Servi, Arm, and Navel watched the group of very thankful former slaves and their protectors as they walked to the area of the city that had the secret tunnel.  Servi still had no idea where the tunnel was even at.

You sure you don’t want to absorb the corpses? Itarr asked. Servi had debated on storing the scattered corpses produced by the ogre but decided against it. Maybe it was because she’d absorbed too many bodies for one night, and it wasn’t like they were going to be discovered. The forthcoming sacrificial fire would take care of that.

After making sure they were gone, Servi was about to ask Itarr to create yet another dome of fire when she heard two names from the two Elves beside her.

“Llamare Perro," said Arm.

“Liealia Perro,” said Navel.

“What?” Servi asked.

“Those are our names. I’m Llamare, and this is my cousin, Liealia. We’re of the Perro clan. After what you’ve done tonight, I can at least tell you that."

Taken a bit back, Servi had to ask them something important. “Why would you tell me your names? Ah, before I forget, here is your emblem.” The wooden badge Llamare had given her appeared from nowhere.

“Because we find you trustworthy. That’s all. No more and no less,” Liealia, formerly know as Navel, said as Llamare took the badge back and placed it in a pouch on his hip.

“Don’t think you’re gonna guilt trip me into revealing my name. As much as I want to, I can’t.”

“That’s fine and all, but can I ask why?” asked Liealia as she jabbed the end of naginata in the ground and rested against it. She got a mean look from Llamare, who quickly chastised her about treating her equipment poorly.

“Because there’s a small chance of it being spread, and I can’t risk it. My best friend is a Singi, and she doesn’t know I’m doing this.  If she suddenly hears my name and figures out I was behind this, her heart would probably break.”

Best friend after two days? Can I really call her that? Servi thought.

Liealia’s eyes started watering. “That’s so sweet!” she cried.

“Please, cousin, keep it together. Though it’s a bit unusual for a Singi and a human to be so close. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it’s rarer than you’d think," remarked Llamare.

“Maybe, but we can talk in a second. Itarr, you ready?”

I’ll get right to it.

To Servi, what was currently happening in front of her red-eyes-turned-blue was nothing special. Once she’d seen one massive fire dome capable of burning iron and steel to the blackest ash, it wouldn’t ever surprise her again. But the same couldn’t be said for the two Elves behind her. Llamare, with his collected and logical attitude that wouldn't allow any panicking or fear, muttered words of disbelief as he shook the fear from his system. Liealia, meanwhile, turned around and looked at the ground. She was unable to verify the destruction any longer with her eyes. She wondered what would happen if that devil’s fire was able to reign free.

Even from here, it’s sweltering…. And this is something Blue can use freely?! Liealia thought.

“Impossible! Impossible! Impossible……” She whispered to herself.  It was far too quiet for Servi to hear.

With flame stoking the fear in the hearts of thousands of onlookers, the third dome of fire in the city of Canary was formed. Within minutes, the market and everything in it would soon be reduced to something even less than ash.

“Good job!” Servi exclaimed to her beloved Goddess.

Thank you!

“Cousin?” Liealia asked.

“What is it?”

“Remind me to never piss her off.”

“Of course. I ask that you remind me as well.”

Servi ran up to them, and they turned to look at her. Black hair, blue eyes, and a backdrop of the most horrific red they had ever seen. She spoke with a gentle voice that did not match the situation.  “We might want to leave soon. Since this is the third dome, they probably have people on standby in case more show up.”

“That’s a good idea. Come, cousin," spoke Llamare.

“Right,” the three ran down the streets and alleys in an attempt to get away from the red dome. After about five minutes of running, they found themselves in the slums.  Luckily enough, they were in the midst of a large crowd of panicking citizens. Servi told them to follow her, and she led them to that playground she was at before.

The moon above would be the only witness to their conversation.

“This should be far away,” Servi said as she took a seat on the rusty swing. It squeaked and refused to move no matter how hard Servi tried to make it.

“Cousin, do you think she knows?” Liealia said as she took the other swing. It was recently greased because even as rusty as it was, it started to sway.

“Know what?” Servi asked.

“We actually came to this city to find an awful slaver by the name of Parrel. Do you know of him?” Llamare answered.

“I heard he lives in that sickeningly large and ugly mansion right over there,” Servi pointed to the eyesore that was a giant mansion with an ugly color. “Yesterday, I apparently killed two of his personal guards. A man and woman named Axel and Mossi. I think the man you're looking for is royalty.”

“Are you serious?! Cousin, we have to go!” Liealia immediately stopped swinging and stood up, taking her naginata off her back.

“I agree. Blue, I thank you for all that you’ve done for us.”

“Wait, royalty?!!!” Liealia said after a second of pondering. The gears in her brain made the connection.

“Yeah. Apparently, Your target is the first son of Virin Keywater, Emperor of Keywater. You know the place?"

“Yeah. It’s the country to the north. Virin's the current ruler... But this changes things, doesn't it?” Liealia asked her cousin.

“We kill him. Plain and simple. Him being royalty doesn’t change anything.”

“Now hold up, if you’re attacking, I want to go with you," Servi stood up.

Liealia ran up and hugged Servi. “Oh, that’s incredible! Isn’t it, cousin?!” Servi smelled the scent of sweet fruit coming from Liealia's hair as she returned the hug.

Servi hugging a girl she'd met only hours ago should've been something strange, but Servi realized she wanted that physical connection.

“Are you sure? Do you have any business with him?” asked Llamare.

“A reputable source told me that there’s a lot of slaves being held in the mansion, but I don’t know where,” Servi said as she gently pushed Liealia away. The Earth Elf realized what was happening, and her beautiful face took on a bit of a red tone.

“And you want to free them?” Llamare continued.

“That’s part of it. I imagine a place like that would have treasure or something inside. Maybe expensive paintings or furniture?" Servi held a finger to her chin. While she did need money, stealing it from someone innocent was out of the question. Luckily for her, Parrel, for all the knowledge Servi  had about him, didn't have a sinless bone in his body. "I’ll help on the condition that you let me rob the place,” she finally said.

“I don’t have a problem, do you?” Liealia asked her cousin.  He shook his head.

“It’s fine with me. I imagine the whole place is probably well guarded, even more so after the events of tonight.”

“You’re probably right, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Shall we go?” Servi asked as she used the max amount of Protection on the three of them.

“Yep!”

“I’m ready.”

The cousins said in unison.

"Then let's go free us some slaves," Servi said, re-adjusting her mask. Her nightly stroll was only reaching its halfway point, and the moon still had so much light to give before it had to rest up for the next night.