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

A girl with black hair and red eyes stood alone in an empty alley.  With a sword slotted into the shield on her left arm, she crouched down and ran a hand through her hair.

I’ll miss them.  

“Me too.” 

What do we do now? 

“I guess we go back to the guild, but I want to look around for a bit.” 

That sounds good to me.  

Not having a single direction in mind, Servi made her way back to a main street and walked. Being out this late at night, or rather it was so early in the morning, was quite different. The roads that should’ve been mostly empty were packed to the brim from the sheer panic that four unknown domes of fire could cause. Servi moseyed on over and leaned against a stone wall, eavesdropping on a conversation between four people. Due to the wall of bodies in front of her, she couldn’t tell who they were. All she could do was listen.   

“Are we under attack?!”  

“Nah, we can’t be.” 

“Then explain why there’s a fucking firestorm?!” 

“Hey, it’s alright to be scared.” 

“Fuck off, I’m not scared.” 

“Look, man, it’s alright. I’m scared too.” 

“…”  

“Do we know anything?” 

“I don’t.” 

“I actually heard something a bit ago. Some guy was saying he saw a strange woman with blue eyes running around near the underground market. Apparently, it's where the first fire dome appeared, but I don't know if that's true.” 

“Blue eyes? They didn’t say anything else?” 

“Nah. But I heard it from a drunk who stumbled about. Who the hell knows if he’s telling the truth.” 

“Hold on, you mean the slave market? That’s what they attacked?!” 

“You didn’t know?” 

“Why would I? I’m too poor to be going around there. Besides, why would I want to see my own race in chains?!” 

“Calm down, man, I’m just asking.” 

“If you ask me, I’m happy they attacked them.” 

“Look, Singi, I wouldn’t joke like that. You’re probably new here, but if it was the markets that got attacked, then that’s bad. Really bad.” 

“Why?” 

“Because of the rumors.” 

“You mean about our governor?” 

“Yeah. Word around town says he came to this city ten years ago, and he was the reason it got so big. Even though Canary's been here for a long time, it was poor, and we really only had a Warden office.”

“And what else?” 

“Governor Parrel was the sole reason behind the growth of this city. He was the one who brought in slaves and enticed those fancy nobles to move here. They even say he picks out a few slave girls and sends them over to the family heads for a bit of fun, but that's not all.  There was even a rumor of him sending slaves to Westera and Keywater every few months, and don't even get me started on the connection between Parrel at the king of Lando. If you wanna know why there haven't been any elections, that's why. The nobles love him, and they don't see a reason to get rid of him."

“That’s preposterous!” 

“Is it? Just look at how slavery is treated here compared to other places. Especially Arcton.” 

“I just came from there, and it’s bad. Slaves are property, just like here.” 

“While that may be true, the Mafia running that corrupt town owns them.” 

“Hold up, Mafia? Do you mean a secret organization?” 

“Yeah. It’s no secret that Arcton is super corrupt. The Mafia controls damn near everything, and that includes slaves.” 

“What do you mean by renting?” 

“I can answer that. You gotta pay a certain amount that depends on the slaves. You also gotta tell them what you’re going to do with them. Hell, if you pay enough, you can even kill them.” 

“That’s sad.” 

“Serves them right. Those damn things deserve what they get.” 

“You’re a Dwarf.  How can you say that?” 

“Because I’m a believer in the Church of the Heavens. The teachings say that slaves are a right for those who believe. I wish I had enough saved up to buy one.” 

Servi had heard enough. She stood up and walked closer to the group, staying just far enough away. Once she saw the Dwarf and made sure it was him, she broke his neck via telekinesis. The sturdy thing collapsed as he struggled to breathe.  

“What the hell?!” 

“Come on….” 

“The fuck are you doing?! Help!” 

“I-i-i-I don’t know any healing skills!” 

“He deserved it,” Servi quietly said as she walked off. A red soul trailed behind her eventually went inside her ring.

I agree.  

Leaving that group behind, Servi wandered aimlessly, going wherever her feet took her. She’d been walking for around for who knows how long when the four bright sources of light instantly disappeared.  

Loud and frightened screams came with the sudden darkness. Since the lights were so bright, everyone became momentarily blind as they waited for their eyes to adjust. Servi was the only one who kept walking since her eyes adapted instantly, bypassing and squeezing through a multitude of humanoid barriers.  

I guess time is up.  

“I believe so. Good work on the domes.” 

You’re welcome. What now? 

“I’ll walk around for a bit more, then go to the guild.” 

Alright.  

And so her walk continued until it felt like she’d circled the whole city twice over. She passed by the guild twice, that fish stall three times, and went back to the slums and playground once. Maybe a part of her hoped she’d be able to see Elly and Cue, but they weren’t there.  

After leaving the slums and rotten houses for the final time, Servi eventually found herself around ten blocks from the first dome Itarr had made. She wasn’t able to get any closer because the guards had sectioned it off, so Servi walked back until she was near the welcome center she went into a day or so ago. The benches that littered the area were filled with the elderly. Perhaps they were afraid of a forthcoming attack and were waiting for a chance to escape the city with their lives? Servi had no idea.  

Still, she didn’t know why she was walking so much and decided to lean against a nearby wall, watching the people walk on by. Servi knew that everyone had their own story. Perhaps that young Dwarf with the small pickaxe had a friend who was stolen away and sold like a cut of meat, or maybe he was one of the lucky ones who never had to part with a loved one. There was just no way for Servi to know. However, she did see a close-knit group of Koena and Singi walk by and  overheard what they were saying. They were glad the attacks happen as they told each other stories of what happened in their dark past. Each of them had a family member who was sold into slavery, and they wanted to thank the person responsible for it. Servi knew she couldn’t tell anyone, so she just smiled to herself.  

Servi then saw a girl and boy talking as they walked down the street together. The two had honey-blond hair and the same face. The only differences were their gender and hair design. The male had short hair styled down the middle, and to Servi, it looked shoddy compared to the long flowing hair that reached the middle of the girl’s back. Two pairs of pure blue eyes stared ahead as they chatted amongst themselves. They each had on a set of armor that would make a deceased boy's rusty armor look magnificent.  

“Twins?” 

I believe so. I can feel quite a bit of power coming from those two.  

Servi didn’t think anything of them and turned to walk away but stopped when she saw a young girl fall in front of her.  

“Owie…” she said as she got up. Putting weight on her left ankle, the girl winced in pain and fell back to the ground.  

“Get the fuck outta the street.” 

“Move on, little girl.” 

“Stop hogging the damn road!” 

The heartless people walking around her spat and muttered curses and harsh words at a little girl who couldn’t walk.  

“I’m-I’m sorry!” she cried. Since she couldn’t walk, the girl dragged herself out of the street, ruining her white skirt.   

She was a Singi. Though her hair was orange instead of pink, Servi couldn’t help but think of Momo and how she would eventually have to explain herself. She knew there was no way she could keep all of this a secret, and she even pondered about never telling at all but knew that was impossible.  One day, sooner or later, they would encounter a situation that they could not handle with their regular strength, and Servi would be forced to use her true power.  

Shaking her head, Servi went to move away from the wall. She planned to walk by and heal the girl without stopping. Even if Remedium worked best by physical contact, it would be fruitful enough if Servi stacked it.

But her plan wouldn’t work out. The girl who walked with her twin brother sped past Servi and crouched beside the fallen girl.

“There there...” she spoke sweetly like sugar and rubbed the girl's head. “I’ll make it all better, so be strong. Okay?” 

“Okay…” The girl’s tail stopped moving and slowly wrapped around her waist like she had on an orange belt.  

“Deus Lux.” The girl with golden hair spoke two words. From Servi’s viewpoint, nothing happened, but that couldn’t be true since the girl in the armor helped the Singi to her feet. She didn’t fall when she balanced on her left foot.

“Wow… Thank you so much!” The Singi smiled and thanked the girl, who blushed a bit.  

“Aie?!” Servi turned her head and saw a frantic woman, also a Singi with orange hair and tail, run rapidly towards her. She had a red and white apron over a white blouse and a black skirt. Her face was red, and she breathed heavily.  

“Momma, I’m right here,” said the young Singi. “This nice woman helped me after I fell,” the mother ran to Aie and crouched down, hugging her hard before scolding her.  

“Don’t run off like that ever again!”  

“I'm sorry, momma.”  

“And you… I thank you for helping my child, but please don’t do it again.” 

“B-But—” the girl stuttered but was interrupted.

“She is my child, and I’ll take care of her. We don’t need to be in debt to the stupid church or anyone else. It’s hard enough to make a living even without being attacked in the middle of the night! I’m sorry, but we can’t pay you!” 

She stood up and grabbed her daughter by the hand before rushing off.  

The girl sadly stood still and stared at her hands. 

Servi should’ve left and walked away, but something told her to talk to her. She glanced back and saw her brother standing a bit away. He just sighed.  

“Hey,” Servi said as she walked up the stiff girl who still stared at her hands like they were poison, “Don’t take it the wrong way.” 

“But I just wanted to help!” 

“That may be true, but this city’s been through a lot tonight,” The girl turned to look at Servi, and she couldn’t help but stare into her bright red eyes. They were like a void that she could never escape from. Eventually, the golden-haired girl spoke.

“Do you know what happened?”

“Only what I know from rumors. They say the first dome appeared outta nowhere. The second one showed up sometime later after a loud noise. You see, I got scared and hid, but then later, it was like a lightning storm hit the town. Just back to back to back loud noises. I swear I saw thunderbolts in the middle of the city. I slowly peaked out from my window, and just then, another massive fire dome appeared.”

“Why are you out walking? Shouldn’t you be inside?”

“Because I wanted to help. I can’t really do much, though, but I thought I could try to hear some rumors and maybe try to find out what’s the truth. I was just about to head back when I saw that girl trip and fall.” 

“What do you think is the truth?” She asked as she waved her brother on over.  

“I heard the slave markets got hit, so maybe it was a group who wanted to free them?.” 

“That’s what we think as well,” her brother said, sighing again before complaining. “Been traveling all night, and we arrive to this…” 

“I hope you don’t mind, but I noticed you used a skill without chanting. I thought it was illegal to heal without a license?” 

“That? I was blessed with it. Oh, that skill was called Deus Lux. It’s a strong healing skill. And it is illegal, but I’m sure you won’t tell anyone, right?” 

It’s a high-level healing skill. Requires Rank 1. Itarr said.

“I see. I’m not blessed, so I was wondering. And no, I won’t tell anyone. Hell, I’ll just happen to forget it.” 

“Come, Eina, we have to leave.” her brother said.  

“I know,” she held out her hand. “I’m Eina, and that’s my brother Blasé,” Blasé nodded, and Servi shook hands with Eina.

“My name’s Flyneria. It’s nice to meet you,” Servi said, giving a fake name. 

“Flyneria? Such a unique name. Regardless, it’s nice to meet you too.” 

They waved goodbye, and Servi decided that now was a good time to go back to the guild. Since she was so far away and the roads were crowded, it took her about an hour.  

Flyneria? 

“Fake name. Hell, it might even be my real name for all I know. I only chose Servi because of that strange memory.” 

So why not tell her your real name? 

“Because I still don’t want anything to be traced back to me, especially when Momo still doesn’t know. Besides, with a city this big, who knows if I’ll see them again.” 

That makes sense.  

“And I’m pretty sure they’re lying as well.” 

How can you tell? 

“If she can use skills by saying the name, then she has to blessed by a Major God, right? And besides, Deus Lux is a Rank 1 skill, so she has to be strong. If that’s the case, why were they wearing such low-quality armor? That has to be a disguise.  I bet the names they gave me were fake as well."

That makes sense.  

“Itarr, I don’t know what to do.” 

About Momo? 

“Yeah. I’m petrified... If I was withholding my strength, it would be one thing, but we killed many people tonight. And not just regular old people… We killed fathers, brothers, cousins, sons, mothers, sisters, and daughters… It’ll be one thing if I could think of them as heartless slavers, but I can’t. We destroyed a lot of families…”

They deserved it.  

“I know, but what if Momo doesn’t think that way? What if I tell her, and she thinks I’m nothing more than a murderer? Someone who just destroyed hundreds of families?” 

I’m sorry. I didn’t think about all that. These emotions are still too new for me to understand.  

“I can just hope for the best, I guess. But I’m not looking forward to it.” 

An hour later, the sun broke through the barrier of the night, casting a purplish glow. Servi glanced at a large clock hanging on a building near the Warden office.

“I never knew there was a clock there,” Servi said.

Neither did I.  

But that wasn’t the only thing that surprised them. The area in front of the guild was full of people packed shoulder to shoulder, with barely enough room for Servi to squeeze through. Once she finally did and received a few hateful messages because she forced herself through everyone, an idea popped in her head as she raced to the fourth floor. Well, not so much as raced but squeeze by people.  

Isn’t our room on the third floor? 

“It is, but I gotta check on Momo. I didn’t even think about how the guild would react to all of this. If I check on her, then when I’m forced to tell her the truth, it’ll hurt her less,” while her logic was wonky, it made sense. At least it did in her mind. She explained her plan to Itarr.  

That’s one way to do it.  

Perhaps it was a little mean for her to check on Momo for that reason, but it wasn’t as if that was the sole motivation. She considered Momo to be her best friend after Itarr, even if they’ve only been friends for two days. Servi knew it was stupid to think that, but for the sake of her sanity, Servi needed something to cling to. Like how most of her skills needed an anchor point, her mind needed one as well. It just so happened that Momo was her anchor.

Though she didn’t think about it often, she wondered what would’ve happened if she never met Momo. What if Servi showed up a day early or a day too late, or even two hours earlier? It wouldn’t be dramatic to say that the Servi of now would be a complete stranger when put up against the Servi of that hypothetical parallel. The same physical body, but her thoughts and mannerisms would most definitely be different.  

“Finally!” though it took fifteen minutes to squeeze up to the fourth floor, Servi had finally made it. But then she ran into a problem.  

“I don’t know what room she’s in… Damn!” she silently swore as she stood in front of a random door. She debated on knocking, but that stopped when the door swung open, and someone ran into her.  

“Hey, watch it—oh, Momo?” Servi turned to face the open doorway and saw a Singi.  A familiar set of pink ears adorned her head, and a tail so cute and fluffy wagged behind her.

This girl right here, one who trusted Servi with her life, was the one girl she had to lie to. And that destroyed Servi's heart more than anything. Friends were something she didn't have a lot of, and something deep inside told her that she needed comrades to rely on, and that made looking at such an innocent Singi gut-wrenchingly harder than it needed to be.

Well, Momo’s fine. Itarr said.

For some reason, Servi couldn’t keep her mind on the conversation, and she only remembered Momo hugging her, her hugging Momo back, and saying  a single sentence as she fought back the tears in her eyes.  

“I’m so glad you’re okay!”