Book Two – Chapter Five – Chocolate Time!

Feeling happy, Servi tapped her feet against the ground as she watched her friend descend from the stairs. She had a white and blue striped shirt, black suspenders, and blue shorts that came to just above her knees. With her trademark bag hung around her shoulders, pink socks, and black boots, she walked up to Servi.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this outfit before. Is it new?”

“Yep! I bought it last week after I did laundry. Remember, you went to go get us some drinks, and I popped into the guild store for a quick minute? I wanted you to be the first one I showed it to,” Momo slightly blushed, but Servi didn’t catch on to it. She was too busy inside her own mind. But she did keep her attention on her friend.

That’s right. I remember now. I went and got us some juice, and we sat outside and talked for a while.  Momo had a bag with her that was obviously full of clothes. How could I have forgotten that?

“Well, it looks great on you.” Giving her a friend a smile, the two went down to the lobby together. Being a little bit past 5 PM, the once packed central location for all Warden members was finally thinning out. Before they reached the door, they looked over to the sign-up corner and saw Claire. She looked utterly exhausted. Her beautiful red hair was in a bit of a mess, her collar was sloppily crooked, and it even looked like her Elf ears were drooping.

“She looks rough, doesn’t she?” Servi said as she stepped through the door. She held it open for Momo to follow through after her. The Singi thanked her before responding.

“Yeah, she does. I only helped my grandpa’s friend for one day, and I couldn’t take it. Honestly, if he wasn’t with me and I had to do it by myself, I probably would've just left after thirty minutes.  It was just that bad."

But if I had to do it now, I think I would be able to get through it. Maybe at least half a shift. I got a wonderful friend to help me, and I have a super cool mentor teaching me. I’m not the same Momo from a month ago. I’m Super Momo! Oh geez, that was corny.

Servi looked down and saw her friend as red as a tomato and silently giggled.

Why did I ever think she would leave me? We're friends.  We'll always be friends.

“So uh… Do you know where this place is?”

“…” Momo didn’t say anything.

“We’ve been walking for twenty minutes without knowing where this place is?”

“…..Yep. I’m so sorry, I didn’t even think to ask for directions,” pink hair whipped through the air as Momo turned to her friend.  The tips of her index fingers were nervously rubbing against each other.

Servi smiled down at her friend. “It’s no big deal. The breeze is pretty good. And there’s nothing wrong with a walk.”

She jogged up to the nearest person who looked trustworthy and asked him for directions. He was helpful and knowledgeable, and Servi walked back to her patient friend.

“We were heading in the right direction. It’s actually just up here. That man said to take the second left, and it’ll be to our right.”

“Well, at least we’re close by,” Momo grinned, but her cheeks remained as red as a ripe tomato.  Servi cutely giggled, prompting Momo to laugh at the situation as a whole.

"Come on," Servi said.  Her best friend nodded, and the two continued their short-lived journey to their destination.

A few minutes later, the smell of wonderfully baked chocolate and other sweets began to permeate their nostrils. Chocolate, honey, and caramel acted as a guide. Servi and Momo followed their noses, and soon, the best friends stood in front of the source of the sugary smells.

‘Madam Canary’s Sweetie Tweety’ had been written on a giant wooden board. Drawn in bright and colorful paint that stood atop the building, Servi wanted to believe the bubbly letters were the aftermath of a child having fun. The sign was of average size, maybe a bit taller and thicker than what would usually be used. Through the glass windows, Servi and Momo saw display cases full of cakes, cookies, and candies, but that wasn't all. There were so many delectable goodies the friends couldn't believe it.

“I believe this is the place," Servi said. She had her hand on the handle to the glass door when she saw a familiar Kobold standing behind the counter near the back.

She opened the door for Momo and followed her in. Once inside, the smell was more pleasant and grander. It felt like a glorious concert of sweetness was erupting inside. The giant being that Servi saw turned around, and she smiled at him.

“Welcome to Madam Canary’s Sweetie Tweety. How can— Servi?” the surprised giant asked.

“Feral. Long time no see,” Servi walked up to the light blue counter and put her hands on it. Momo followed and was a bit apprehensive at first, but then she remembered what her grandpa told her about judging appearances. Her body relaxed, and she let out a natural smile.

“Servi, do you know him?” asked the Singi with a twitching tail.

“Yep. This is Feral. Feral, this is Momo. We’re in a party together. He’s the one I spared with and lost in a single hit.”

“Ahh, a Singi. Welcome to my family’s shop.” He held his large hands aside as if presenting everything in the display cases.

“I never would’ve imagined you working in a place like this.”

He grinned, showing off his impressive set of sharp teeth, and explained. “I work here to make money to pay for my time in the city. My kin owns the store, and she hired me.”

As if Feral's kin was waiting for the opportune moment to make her appearance, a smaller Kobold emerged out of the backroom behind the counter.

“Feral, do we have customers?”

“Aunt Canary, this is the Human I was telling you about.”

The female Kobold was also named Canary. It was such a strange coincidence that she wanted to open a store in the city that shared her name. Unlike most Kobolds, she didn’t want to dedicate her life to fighting and warmongering, so she decided to take up baking. Canary's life was filled with hardships and torment since what she wanted to do didn’t match what people thought of when they heard the word ‘Kobold.’ Still, she worked hard at her craft and opened a store that was thriving. Her green scales and fur formed something like a natural emerald dress, and her head and tail were green like her nephew’s. She had less skin than Feral, however, but more scales and fur.

“Ah, so you’re the Human?”

“I am. My name’s Servi. It’s nice to meet you.” Servi held out her hand, and the Kobold shook it.

“And I’m Momo. It’s nice to meet you,” Momo also held out her hand and was surprised by how soft Canary’s hand felt.

“Same here. Any friend of Feral is a friend of mine. What can I do for you?” her alligator-like mouth spoke softly and sweetly, the complete opposite of Feral when he first met Servi.

“We’re looking for some chocolate. We have a friend who works at Warden, and she was looking a bit rough. She probably had a hard day today,” Servi said.

“Yeah. We wanted to get Claire something sweet to cheer her up,” added Momo.

“Today was sign-ups, wasn’t it? I can imagine how stressful that can be. In that case, I recommend this,” Canary moved over to the rightmost side of the display case and pulled out a tray of brown chocolate that lightly sparkled in the light.

“This is the sweetest chocolate I make. It’s wrapped in caramel and baked in a white chocolate shell. Then I heat up dark chocolate and dip the white chocolate inside. Once it cools down, I sprinkle just a tiny bit of sugar on top. Please, try one.  It's on the house.”

Servi and Momo thanked her and grabbed a piece. Popping it in their mouths, they were instantly assaulted by the sugary chocolatey  goodness inside. The moment their teeth bit into it, delicious brown caramel filled their mouths. It was absolutely heaven in a bite-sized snack.

“I don’t think I ever tasted anything so sweet before," Momo said, after making sure the sweetness covered her tongue. She instantly wanted to reach out for a second one but stopped.

“Agreed. It’s so good.” Servi added.

Slamming her tail into the ground, which seemed to be a trademark of their family, Canary grinned and told Feral to fetch some bags and paper. He disappeared into the back room and came back with the requested items. In one hand, he had uniformed squares of brown paper, and the other had two bags that were neatly folded. The price tag on the tray said one piece was 3 dupla each.

“Now, I take it you two want some of this?”

Momo looked at Servi, who nodded. “Yes, please. We’ll take six," Momo answered as her tail delightfully squirmed in excitement.

Canary took six pieces and wrapped them in the brown paper before setting them on the counter.

“This chocolate is 3 dupla each, for 18. But since you know Feral, I’ll give them to you for 14. Is that acceptable?”

“That’s so nice of you!” Momo dug into her bag and pulled out seven dupla. Servi reached into her pockets and used her ring to take out her share of the payment.

Putting them on the table, Canary handed the bag to Servi, and Feral took the coins.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Servi looked at Momo, who shook her head. “I don’t think so. Thanks for the discount.”

Waving goodbye to the two Kobolds, Canary wished for the two to have a good evening. Leaving the store, Momo kept eyeing the bag that Servi held.

“You want one of yours?”

“I do, but I want us to eat it together,” Momo whined. “What about you?”

“I feel the same. Hopefully, we get there before Claire leaves.”

And with that, the two friends, one holding a bag of the most delicious chocolate they’ve ever tasted, made their way through the streets until the imposing figure of the Warden office came into view. The sun had mostly set, but a few glimpses of reddish light were still visible in the ever-changing sky. Like always, the setting sun reminded Momo of her friend’s eyes.

A few minutes later, Servi and Momo entered through the doors. Although there were fewer people inside, there were still enough that made it a bit difficult to maneuver.

“Oh, I think we came just in time!” Momo exclaimed. A door in the far back near the receptionists' windows opened up to reveal a tired Claire. She looked even worse than she did before the two left. Her eyes were absentminded, and her clothes were unprofessionally messy. Her collar was scrunched, her sleeves were rolled up, but they were of uneven length. A slight frown covered her pretty face.

Walking towards her, Servi and Momo each had a small piece of wrapped chocolate in their hands.

“Claire!” Momo said. The Elf in question turned her head to the Singi who called her.

“Momo? Servi? How was your day? Did you sign up?” she mumbled.

“It was fine, and we did, but what about your day? Was it rough?” asked Momo.

Claire chuckled as she remembered the torrent of abuse she suffered from. Of course, it wasn’t physical abuse but verbal abuse. With such a grand announcement, like offering mentorships to all Rank 10s, there would be scores and scores of people who always wanted a chance to join Warden. However, that proved to be a lie for the scoundrels who only wanted to take advantage of Warden's generosity in such a trying time.

Oh, but Claire had to keep a strict, professional appearance at all times. It was funny when she thought about it.  She had heard stories and legends of a handful of Gods descending to the world below to create Warden.  According to one of the stories, they constructed the Skill System and IDs at the same time to give the races of the world a chance to fight back against the monsters. That was the lore, but Claire didn't know how much of it was true.

If it was true, then how come I always get stuck with the rude jackasses?!

“Oh, it was….something. Why couldn’t I get more people as nice as you two?” Claire sighed again and most desperately wanted to go home to her bed.  The bottle of Flytha she had bought a few weeks ago still sat uncorked.  After downing it, she would toss off her clothes and curl up next to her stuffed bear on her soft bed sheets.

But she didn’t do any of that. It would be one thing to leave at that very moment, but Servi and Momo were there.  She couldn't immediately end the conversation and walk away because that would be rude. Instead, she walked over to a bench and sat down in the middle. Servi and Momo sat beside her.

“Claire, I probably know how your day went. When I was younger, me and my grandpa helped his friend with his store for a few days. I didn’t last long. Not at all. So I know how rude people can be. So here! Me and Servi got you this. It’s our present for taking good care of us and answering our questions.”

Momo held out the brown wrapped chocolate in her soft hands, and Claire took it. Unwrapping it, the sweet smells of caramel and chocolate tickled her nose.

“You got this for me?” the light in her eyes gradually returned, and a small smile appeared on her face.

“Yep. Try it. It’s good, right, Servi?”

“She’s right. It’s delicious,” Servi undid the brown paper on the chocolate in her hand and popped it in her mouth. Claire did the same, and happy tears fell from her eyes.

“You two, this is just what I needed. Today was rough. It was really, really, rough,” Claire said. She pulled a tissue from her purse and wiped her eyes and face. “But at least I’m off the day after tomorrow.”

“You’re welcome,” Momo dug out another piece and ate it. When the dark and white chocolate shells broke, she smiled as the caramel covered her mouth.

They had three left.

“So, tell me about your mentors? Have you learned anything?” Claire said with a mouth full of food. Her smile was more natural, and she felt so relaxed. Perhaps all she needed was a bit of time to rest. Of course, the delicious chocolate helped a lot.

“I learned I’m no match for a Kobold.”

Claire coughed and almost choked on her treat. She recovered a moment later.

“A Kobold?!” she exclaimed. “Not even grown men like to compare their strength to a Kobold. What happened?!”

“My mentor had the six of us spar with each other. I won against a Dwarf named Riki,  I but lost against Feral.  That's the Kobold."

“Six mentees to a single mentor? But forget that. Are you okay?”

Servi nodded. “My armor is a bit crushed, but it’s still wearable. It was probably time for an upgrade, anyways.”

“I see. Well, as long as you’re okay. If I can ask, who is your mentor? The only one who would’ve done such a thing is probably the Captain of the Guard, Fisher Jin. His training is supposed to be intense. He was actually a late addition to our mentor list.”

“Bingo! Yeah, it’s him. For the first day, it wasn’t so bad,” Servi swallowed the chocolate and desperately wished she had some milk to chase it down with. “I thought it was gonna be terrible, but I was wrong.”

I was so against it, but now I’m looking forward to it. Servi thought it was weird how her thoughts on the entire thing kept flip-flopping.

“Be careful. I don’t want you to get injured before the tournament," Claire spoke in a serious tone, then she turned to the cute Singi sitting beside her. "Momo, how about you?”

“Her name is Dineria. She’s an Elf, and there's two of us learning from her."

“Oh, I remember her. Light green hair, tall, and a red flower tattooed on the back of her hand?”

“Yep! You know her?”

“Yeah. Dineria rose from Rank 10 to Rank 6 in two years. It was honestly kinda startling how fast she kept getting promoted, but then she settled down and just hovered around. Honestly, she’s probably in the top ten or twenty of her Rank.”

Sparkles illuminated Momo’s eyes as she realized Dineria had to be an incredible woman!  She couldn't wait to learn from her.

“Did you have to spar like Servi?”

She shook her head. “No. Today was a meet and greet. We talked for a while about what we want to do and how to do it, then she made us some tea. Then she gave us a display of her abilities. She said that tomorrow will be when she evaluates our skills. I gotta say, I’m nervous.”

“I won’t say to not be nervous. Everyone is at first. But remember, it's called mentoring for a reason. So don’t try to be too upset if you somehow perform lower than you wanted to. It’s normal to mess up and get nervous, and it’s to be expected.”

“Thanks, Claire. I feel a little better.”

“I’m glad. You know, just between us, I think you two really have something. And I don’t just say that to anyone, and it’s not because of the chocolate.”

“Really?!”

She smiled at the Singi. “Really. Now, if you excuse me, I gotta be back here bright and early. Again, thank you two so much for the chocolate. It was very delicious.”

As she went to stand up, Momo pulled out another piece of chocolate. “We got six, so that’s two apiece.”

Claire took it from her outstretched hand and smiled before thanking them again. The two friends then decided to eat their last piece together as they watched Claire leave.

Just like her and Servi, Claire had dreams and hopes for the future. And although her life was difficult at the moment, the gift given to her by the two friends made it a little bit easier to bear.

“You guys had no idea how much I need this...” Claire silently wept the moment she reached her door. She didn’t even bother opening the liquor sitting on her kitchen table, instead choosing to slump through her house until she came to her bedroom. Her eyes did glance at the sink full of dirty dishes, but she ignored it with a simple sigh as she opened the door to her room. The Elf stripped naked, grabbed her stuffed bear, and hopped into bed while hugging her sleeping companion against her much-to-be-desired chest. For the first time in a long time, Claire slept with a smile and tears of happiness and not a frown and a heart full of worries.

A little bit of kindness was often the only thing that stood in the face of depression and the ability to continue on.

Such things wouldn't go noticed by Servi and Momo, who stayed seated on the bench.

“I gotta be up early in the morning,” said Servi after she swallowed her treat.

“What time?”

“7 AM, bright and early. Fisher told us to be there at 8.”

“You know you can put in a request to be woken up at a certain time. It’s one of the services offered if you stay at a Warden office.”

“I had no idea. Hold on a sec...” Servi stood up and made her way to a window that had no line. Talking to the old man behind it, Servi asked to be woken up at 7. He nodded and added her name to a list at the back of the room.

That was easy. Maybe we should use this more often.

“Yeah. I won’t have to worry about oversleeping," Servi said.

Servi walked back to where Momo was at. Instead of sitting down, she walked over to the little trashcan and deposited her trash.

“So what now? It’s getting pretty late,” she asked her friend.

“I’ll probably take a shower and eat a quick dinner. After that, I'll probably head to bed.”

“I’ll probably do the same. We’re eating together, right?” Momo asked as she glanced towards the ground. The little nightly ritual of her and Servi eating every night became something she was looking forward to, and she never wanted to skip it.

“Of course. Like I said this morning, we might be busy throughout the day, but we can still eat dinner,” Servi smiled as she spoke.

The two friends went up the stairs and to their respective rooms. Servi pulled some regular old clothes from her ring. Solid black t-shirt, black pants, and black boots. Unlike before, she didn’t feel like putting in the effort to choose a proper outfit.

I was so hyper and excited earlier, and now, I’m just feeling sluggish. Maybe I’ll feel better after a shower…

She made her way up the stairs and didn’t run into Momo. Going into the women’s bath and finding an empty room, Servi slid her ticket in and walked inside. This time, she didn’t even bother masturbating because the mood didn't strike her. Even though just a day ago, she had the best orgasm of her life.

Her shower was as boring as boring could be.  She washed her hair and cleaned her body, and it was a dull affair. Drying off by using her Fire Wall, she used her ring to dress herself and went downstairs. She saw Momo sitting in the corner of the room and went to join her.

Their dinner wasn’t exciting. It was below average. Servi felt like her steak was cooked a bit differently. It didn’t have any flavor to it. Still, she didn’t let that bother her. The two friends spoke and laughed and joked about what happened during their respective training.

“And Srassa said that she had never even touched a bow before! I’m hoping I can use what you taught me to make an impression tomorrow. I’m seriously gonna take this seriously. I’m serious! I think it’ll be so cool if it ends up being you against me. I’m gonna work hard!” she said as she finished off her milk with a defiant gulp.

“Good." Servi smiled at her adorable friend, noticing how cute Momo's tail could be when it was in a good mood. "I’m going to do the same. Let’s have our rematch be in the ring! And I won’t lose this time!” Servi referred to the one time when she and Momo sparred. Well, it wasn’t sparring but her trying to avoid Momo’s ferocious attacks. In the end, she tossed her weapon at Servi and ran in. Servi, who relied on Soul Essence of Primal Combat, didn’t get an afterimage, and she panicked. Momo ended up taking her down.

They did spar during the past month, but it was for both shield training for Servi and sword training for Momo. Servi used her shield to block the incoming attacks, and Momo would have to try to swing fast and quick enough to get past her defenses by using a wooden sword. If she used her grandpa’s sword, then there was a chance she would’ve injured her friend. And she didn’t want that.

Momo was good; there was no doubt about it. A surprising amount of skill laid underneath her core. It only needed to come out, and that was the hard part.  Momo thought so little of herself that she unconsciously held herself back from showing off her full potential.

“Right! Let’s do our best!” with their determination flaring higher than ever, the two finished their meals and said their goodnights.

Momo went to bed pretty quickly. The moment she changed into her nightgown and laid her head on the mattress, not even ten seconds had passed before she drifted off to sleep.

She had a pretty peculiar dream. It was of a girl who looked like her in every way. From an outside perspective, they would've been twins, if not for one specific detail. She had the general appearance of a Singi, but was she? Her tail and ears were pink but also bigger and fluffier. She had the same sweet smile, the same pretty pink hair that came somewhat down her back, and the same deep blue eyes that wanted to make friends. Even their clothes, a long white sundress, were the same.

The two of them were lying in a bed of pink flowers underneath a clear, blue sky. They were holding hands, and no matter how hard Momo struggled to speak, her mouth wouldn’t open. But Momo wasn't scared. No, far from it. When she looked at the girl who shared her face, it brought a sense of pleasantness and calmness that couldn’t be described with all the words in the world.

Even in the dream, Momo drifted off to sleep. She woke up feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready to tackle the day.

As for Servi? Once she returned to her room, she took out her bed, got undressed, and curled under the covers. She closed her eyes for twenty or so seconds before sleep stole her away.

Goodnight, Servi. I love you. That was the last thing she heard, but it wasn't the last thing Itarr said.

I know what I’ve done was wrong, but I can’t stop. Not now. I need to do this. This is for you and you alone.  I love you, my sweet Servi.