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

“I'll get it,” announced Servi as she got to work. A few seconds later, the solid golden door disappeared to reveal a medium-sized circular room. The floor and walls were wooden and plain, unlike the intricate tile designed that made up all the other rooms. In the middle sat three treasure chests made of solid gold.  

They're nearly the same size as Parrel... Itarr said in disbelief. Parrel stood a bit over 190 centimeters, and these chests were as tall as he was and as wide as his gut.  

Twenty fully armored mannequins surrounded the chests. They were as black as night, but the chest, arms, legs, and feet of each one had a pair of glowing blue lines. Servi glanced at the armor long enough and somehow felt that they were alive. Perhaps it was her stressed mind playing tricks on her.

Next to the armor sat five wooden pallets stacked beside each other. Each pallet laid five weapons of different types, and each had the same pulsing black and blue lines. The fifth and last one had four black bows. Their strings were blue, and a quiver of arrows was next to them. As Servi expected, the projectiles' shafts were black, and their tips were blue.  

“Nadrium?!! Twenty sets of nadrium armor?!!” Liealia exclaimed as she ran her hand down the surface. Llamare looked around for the door with the bloody handprint. He found it and started to break it down as Servi asked Liealia to explain.  

“Nadrium is metal forged from meteorites that fall to the ground from the sky. It’s a tough material, resistant to all forms of attacks. It’s also very sharp, so it’s good for weapons. Just making one set of armor is enough to feed a city for a year, and for Parrel to have TWENTY SETS is unheard of. Only royalty would ever have three or four at most, so I guess he really was the son of Virin Keywater. And the weapons would be considered national treasures-- something only given to the most powerful soldier… Blue, if you sold this haul, there's no doubt you’d be the richest woman in the world. The only problem would be finding a buyer...” 

“Good,” That was all Servi said as she got to work. That richest in the world that Liealia was talking about didn’t include the three giant treasure chests. Flashy jewels filled the left chest. The right one was filled to the brim with different kinds of necklaces and watches, with each one carrying an expensive stone. The middle container was overflowing with dupla of a variety of denominations. Just from the one chest with the coins, Servi was thirty million dupla richer. Even if she would never find a buyer for the weapons, thirty million was still an incredible amount of money.

All of the armor looked too big for Servi to wear, so that was a bit of a bust. And she didn’t know how much it would cost to have it altered to suit her body. They were useless for the time being.

But the same couldn’t be said about the weapons. If they were made from nadrium and meant for the strongest, then the weapon horde couldn't have been a better find. Servi finally had a proper weapon that could support her ever-growing strength. Sure, she’d like to use the red sword with the blue jewel, but it wasn’t worth the risk.  

It’ll take me quite a while to categorize all of this. I’ll let you know when I’m done.  

“Right.  Now, what about that door….” Servi glanced over and saw Llamare was just about done tearing the door down. With a final roar-filled strike, the door broke into two, and he ran in. Liealia was behind him and was about to go in when he screamed.  

“DON’T!” he immediately turned around and body-blocked the doorway.

“Wh—hmmph!!” Suddenly, Liealia found herself forced against her cousin’s chest as he lifted up her and carried her away. He stopped a meter or so away from the door and wanted to move further, but the sight he saw destroyed his spirit and motivation.  

She struggled to pull back but stopped when her hair became damp with her cousin's tears. Llamare was crying. “Don’t go in. Don’t....” he begged as he hugged tighter.  

She was about to bite him to make him back off but stopped when a horrible stench invaded her nose. Liealia was a smart girl, and she connected the smell to the words Parrel said when they confronted him.  

“NOOO!!!!” she cried out as the tears flowed from her eyes. She pressed her head against his toned chest as he wailed in return. Servi finished up robbing the treasury and just so happened to glance inside the door.  

She was lucky True Immortality extended to horrible smells, or else she would’ve vomited. The corpses of thirty slaves were inside. Some were on the floor, covered with excrement and urine, but no eyes. Others were hanging with a rope around their neck. The skin on their stomach was removed, showing their gruesome red insides to any who dared to walk in.  

Six tables lined the room, and each had a corpse on it, but the bodies had no hair or ears. They were skinned. The worst part was that based on their size, the carcasses clearly belonged to children, and Servi had no way to know if they were Singi, Dwarven, Koena, Kobold, or Elven in origin. But then she thought about it. The children's races didn’t matter at all. In the end, it was still children that had to suffer most horribly before their lives were extinguished in a fit of rage by a mad man.

On the far back wall, a pregnant woman was impaled to it by four swords. With her stomach cut open, Servi could see and make out every little, bloody detail. From between her legs, Servi followed a flesh-colored cord that led to a baby-sized, unmoving body, still red with blood. Some bastard had wrapped the umbilical cord around the baby's neck. Its first few seconds in this horrible world was its last as the very air it strived to breathe was denied to it.  

How monstrous…. 

“Burn it," Servi ordered.

Of course… 

Itarr used Fire Wall to burn the entire room before using it one more time to create a door-sized wall of fire to block the doorway. Servi started to walk over to Liealia and Llamare, but they were still crying, consoling each other. She thought it best not to disturb them and instead made her way over a box on the wall she missed before. It was just like the one Arty spoke into in the sewer base.  

Maybe that thing connects to this house? 

“Probably,” Servi pressed the red button and talked into it. Her voice was a bit delayed, but it came from overhead. The two hugging Elves were a bit started, and they looked over at Servi with wet eyes.  

“Hello. I can’t tell you my name or anything like that, but Parrel is dead. So are his wife and child. This is what he had coming, and we feel no regret about doing so. The horrible way he treated slaves as nothing more than property was not something that could remain. And so we slaughtered him. But our attack is not over. In three minutes, this disgusting mansion will burn. If you don't want to face your crimes with death, then leave like a fucking coward. Just be warned that if I catch you, I will string you up by your entrails and leave you for the crows. If anyone wants to try and stop me, then come to the top floor. That is all.” She moved away from the box and walked to the two Elves.  

Servi went to open her mouth but stopped. She couldn’t think of anything to say to make it any less painful. But she could do something. Liealia looked at her with those watery eyes, and Servi went in for a hug. Just as she thought all of her tears had dried up, Liealia let loose the waterworks once again.  

“WWAAHHHHHH!!!! IT’S NOT FAIR!!!”  

“…” Servi could do nothing but hold her, and soon after, her tears dried up for good. She stepped away from Servi.  

Though she still sniffled, she walked back to the pseudo throne room. Llamare and Servi followed her over to a wide glass window. Three giant domes of fire were still burning as hot as ever as three groups of little torches made their way through the city. Servi imagined they were trying to find a way to put the fire out, but it would be no use.  

“You know, now I can finally see just how frightening that must be. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to what must seem like three gates of hell covering parts of the city. I hope Momo’s still asleep….” she said so quietly that she wasn’t sure if she said it at all.  

We still have about two hours left on the fire. Itarr reported.  

Servi relayed that to Llamare and Liealia, who just nodded.  

And so, three minutes passed, and not a single person entered the throne room. Servi walked back a few steps, and she asked the two to do the same. Three Greater Fireballs floated beside her as they launched into the glass wall, instantly burning it to ash.  

“It’s so much more powerful now,” Servi noticed. Itarr explained.  

Between now and the last time, our overall strength has grown tremendously. It’s like comparing a child to an adult. This is how it’s gonna be from now on. We’re going to get stronger and stronger.  

“I see…” 

Also, how are you going to get out? That man, Albert, had Earth Wall. It's a skill that allowed him to freely make walls from a surface. That might be an option to consider.  

“I can use that to create steps? I guess I can.  Liealia, Llamare, you ready?” she asked the Elves. They nodded. Servi walked over to the ledge of the building and looked down. She was high up, and the breeze felt so good on her face.  

Using Earth Wall for the first time, knowledge flooded Servi's mind, and she instantly knew the best way to use it. By choosing an anchor point, she could see an outline of what would become the wall. She could make it small or big. At higher levels, Servi could make items like beds and climbable structures by altering the outline. Depending on where the anchor point was at, the material could be strong or weak. For example, using dirt as a base would result in a wall, while using a chunk of rock would make it quite durable and sturdy.

“Come on!” Servi hollered to the Elves as she ran down the stairs materializing in front of her. The Elves were right behind her as they descended more and more. Servi glanced to her side and saw a large number of torches coming to the mansion, but that problem was something she could handle later.

Finally reaching the ground, the three were surprised by a small unit that happened to be standing near. Servi couldn't kill them quick enough, and the group managed to produce a scream.

“They’re over there!” a nearby unit heard their screams and ran over. A neighboring squad near them heard it and passed the news on. And soon, ten groups were running towards them with their weapons at the ready.

“Shit! You two, get ready to run! I’ll catch up!” Servi commanded. Using Earth Wall, Servi created a giant wall in front of them that blocked off the pursuing guards. Itarr worked her skills, and thirty Greater Fireballs appeared over ahead.  

“Destroy the mansion!” 

I’m on it! 

Itarr sent the command to the thirty giant orbs that appeared to be destruction incarnate. All fell concurrently, exploding into a firestorm as they hit the wall of the ugly mansion. The moment the building started to crumble, Itarr skillfully created seventy Fire Walls.

Like a puppet master, she expertly manipulated and contorted them into a dome shape. As with the three previous incidents, the Goddess then set the dome down, doing her best to prevent any flame from splashing away. If anyone was still inside, then they’d most certainly be dead. Most likely, the intense residual heat scorched everyone within 100 meters except those with access to fire-resistant skills or clothing. Even then, they only had a few seconds at most to properly apply any resistances.

From the other side of the wall, Servi could hear screams that got quieter and quieter. Then, forty more souls floated to her.  

“Good job! Now, let’s go. Gotta catch up with Liealia and Llamare!” With the objective accomplished, Servi rushed down the alleyways in an attempt to catch up with her new friends. 

A minute later, she ran down a side street only lit with the flaming dome behind her. Servi heard a hushed voice followed by a hand grabbing her. “Blue! Here!” She turned around and saw Liealia and Llamare breathing hard.

“We saw the fire….” Liealia said.  

Llamare finished the sentence. “And now our job is done.” 

“I should be happier, but I’m not…” Liealia said sadly, and Llamare took her hand with his own.  

“We did the best we could, and nobody can deny that. Liealia, just think of the lives that were saved today.” 

“I know…” she muttered as she turned to face Servi.  

“Blue?!” Servi was no longer in regular old iron armor. She’d been seen at the mansion, and there was a chance she was noticed. Servi changed the armor for a black set of overalls, complete with a yellow shirt, white pants, and red boots. The mask she wore was also changed, and her eyes were pink.

“Had to change my clothes and mask. There was a chance I was seen, and I have to play it safe,” she explained.  

“But your eyes are pink... Wait, they aren’t blue?” Liealia looked shocked, and Llamare chuckled.  

“That’s smart. Here I thought the mask for just for show. I guess we call you Pink now?” 

“Servi,” the girl said, absorbing the mask and revealing her red eyes that burned with the same intensity as the four hell-like domes.  

So you’re going to tell them? 

“But I thought you wanted to keep it hidden?!” Llamare exclaimed, a bit out of character.  

“Pretty….” Liealia whispered while looking at Servi's eyes.  

“Umm...thanks,” replied Servi, embarrassed and red in the face. “I did want to hide it, but then I thought it wouldn’t be fair to you. So here I am,”  Servi opened her arms wide, indicating that she had nothing to hide.  

“Oh, Servi…” Liealia went for a hug and cried a bit, even though she thought her tears were all dried up.  

“Oh, Liealia…” Servi replied as she hugged the girl back.  

“I take this to mean that you trust us?” Liealia said as she pulled back from the hug, and Servi nodded. Llamare smiled and pulled out a wooden emblem from his pouch. The feel of it was vastly different compared to the one he gave her when they first met. It had an eye-raising design of three arrows and three bows arranged in a pattern.

“This badge bears the symbol of our family. It means that you are someone who helped us in our time of need. I doubt it, considering your strength, but if you're ever in trouble, or you are lost in a forest, and you meet an Elf, show them this."

Servi carefully accepted it, stored it, and thanked him.  

He turned to his cousin and grabbed her hand.  

“It’s time for us to go.” 

“I know. Servi?” 

“Yeah?” 

“We’ll meet again, right? Please say we can…” 

Servi smiled gently and took hold of Liealia's other hand, gripping it tightly. “We can, and we will.” 

“I’ll miss you….” Liealia whimpered before pulling her hand from Llamare and hugging Servi again. She giggled and gave Liealia one last hug.  

“I’m sorry. Liealia hates goodbyes,” Llamare tried to apologize for his cousin’s actions, but Servi giggled again.  

“I hate goodbyes too.” 

“Come on, cousin, we need to meet up with the others.” He said as he tried to drag Liealia away from Servi. After a bit of a struggle, he did, and Servi waved them off as they left. The pair of Earth Elves used the growing chaos to mask their escape, managing to squeeze through the west gate without being stopped for questioning.

“Llamare?” Liealia asked when they were far past the city gate. The sun peaked through the dark night above, and the world was beginning to light up. They were walking on a beautiful path in the Forest of Gife, surrounded by trees, which the pair relished. Wood and leaves were vastly preferable to stone and metal. The singing songbirds waking from a night of sleep was music to their ears, and both smiled when the familiar smell of flowers wafted to their nostrils.

“Yes?” Llamare replied. 

“After what happened tonight, I think I’m ready.” 

“You are?” 

“Yes. I want to—”  

“HEY!!!!” a loud voice interrupted the two as Liealia was about to confess something. It belonged to a rock juggling Singi trying to impress a large gaggle of slaves resting nearby. His sharp ears picked up a couple of footsteps, and he turned around, ignoring the fact that there were currently three rocks in the air. They fell on his head. Though he didn’t find it that funny, the tortured and abused slaves laughed. It was a small flame of humor in the dark and murky mess that was their lives.  

“Stupid Scratch and his stupid yellow ears...interruptin’ me…” Liealia muttered and adorably pouted as Llamare yelled back. He yelled at Scratch to get ready because they were about to head out.  

“So you’re ready?” Llamare asked his cousin, who affectionately held his hand. They walked forward towards the hidden area where their friends and comrades were waiting.  

“I am. I got my feelings all sorted out. We can talk to our parents when we get back.” 

“I see. I’ll be right there beside you, hand in hand.” 

“I know you will.” 

Two Earth Elves walked together towards a crowd of people. Some were their comrades, and others were just frightened children who finally had a chance to live the life they were given.

For the Earth Elf cousins? They were ecstatic. Llamare discovered that some Humans were worthy of his trust, and Liealia had a new friend who she wanted to meet again. Not to mention that the depressing and dark doubts that clouded her mind were gone, and a beautiful green paradise laid within it.

I’m ready for the next step. Even if our parents disagree, I know what my heart desires. I couldn’t see it until I almost died, and I feel like such a fool. I’m happy we accepted this mission together.