Interconnected: Spliced Souls

“What are you doing? Stop! Just go back to sleep!” I heard a girl’s voice as she screamed, pleading with something to go away. The ground had been shaking non-stop for the last minute as we followed the trail of bulldozed trees, remnants of the powerful force that had passed through. 

Another roar followed, and Momo and I were thrown to the ground. She recovered with a flip. I wasn’t that graceful, but I quickly caught up as we took a hard left.   

And then we saw it—a golem. It was much like the ones we had taken out before Butterfly Rumble went to Waveret, but this one was bigger.   

It was gigantic—standing at least fifteen feet tall. Its body was made from large, jagged rocks. It didn’t have a mouth, but it still roared. It raised its spiky arms and slammed them down, narrowly avoiding a girl dressed as a witch as she jumped out of the way.    

“Come on! Leave us alone!!!” she screamed. She withdrew a green wand from a hip pouch and cast a spell downward. “[Whirlwind Speed]!” A verdant breeze enveloped her feet, enhancing her agility as a second forceful slam approached. The witch skillfully employed one hand to prevent her hat from being whisked away by the gust. 

“Just grab its attention!” shouted a man with a rhino horn. He ran perpendicular to the golem, trying to outpace earthen spikes that trailed behind while looking for an opportunity. He zigged and zagged, his fluttery cape trailing behind, avoiding potential death with every step as rocky pillars nearly skewered him. He was trying to approach an injured, youthful ogre with brown robes enclosed inside a rocky prison. Six smaller golems encroached, but he fended them off with his hammer-headed staff.    

“What do you think I’m trying to do?! I’m running out of options! Suusa!!! Hold on!!!” The witch dual-wielded blue wands. “[Aqua Stream]!” Parallel water geysers crashed into the largest golem’s legs, chipping off a piece larger than the damaged wagon about a hundred feet away.   

I didn’t see a horse.    

The monster groaned and went down. The Rhinokin charged to the earthen prison and viscously lashed at it with his jagged spear. “[Wind Slash]!” The edge flashed green, but he couldn’t break it-- the weapon bounced off as if it struck solid metal. 

The one called Suusa did what he could, but the golems were taller. They were slower, but his strikes weren't effective. He didn’t have the raw strength to break through their durable exterior with the wounds his body bore. 

Evidently, the brawl had been ongoing for a while. The group's exhaustion was visible as a cloud in the bright blue skies. 

“Servy!”  

“Got it!”  

Momo dashed ahead of me. She held her palm and fired [Acid Arrow] at the kneeling golem. It roared. Albert emerged from my ring and slammed his trident into the weakened spot, shattering parts of its rocky body.    

“What the—Help?! Hey, we have help!! Hey! You’re here to help us, right? Woah—” The witch smiled, but the mountainous beast recovered and flung a hailstorm of sizable rocks towards her. The wind around her feet vanished, and she tumbled from the speed she couldn’t handle.   

That was lucky because the attack went right over her head, narrowly missing her by a few inches.   

“Leave it to Butterfly Rumble!” I shouted, rushing to the guy with the rhino horn. His jagged spear clattered endlessly, but it couldn't shatter the earthen pillars. He grabbed the bars and pulled them as hard as he could, but he didn't have the raw strength to rip them from the ground. 

“It’s too tough!! Hey, Suusa! Hold on, man!”  

“Gah—” The young ogre wasn’t looking good. Two smaller golems had advanced to his rear. One lifted its arm and smacked him across his head, splattering blood. The monster's arm was covered in shiny crimson as Suusa fell to the ground with a heavy thud.    

He wasn’t moving.    

I cannot absorb it, Servi. It’s very slight, but its form is constantly shifting.  

That was weird, but not if I thought about it. The golem dispersed sandy-brown dust whenever it moved. The same thing was happening to the object keeping Suusa locked. So the spell was being constantly applied? The monsters near him also exhibited the same phenomenon.    

Well, there’s more than one way to open a locked door!   

“Captain, shoot [Acid Arrow] at me!” I backed up and raised my hand. She trusted me implicitly and did just that. Itarr absorbed the spell when it threatened to dissolve my face, and she splashed it over the bars when I returned. The Rhinokin roared, grabbing his spear. He cut away the now-weakened barrier to size and cursed-- he didn't have a way to kill the golems attacking his friend.  

I turned to Momo and saw her dodging deftly under attacks while green wind enhanced her speed. Earthen spikes tried to skewer her, but her tail fluttered behind as she dodged, choosing to go for quick and precise strikes to the spots Albert called out.    

“Give me some more magic! Six blasts oughta do it!”  

“Got it! It’s coming your way, Servy!” Momo backflipped to avoid a slam, then ran up the golem's arms. She jumped and launched a barrage of deadly acid my way like diseased fireflies on a suicide mission, illuminating the growing darkness.  

After absorbing them, I ran through the gap the Rhinokin had made.   

The same thing as before, right?!  

“Right!”  

I barged my way to Suusa and stood over him. Itarr rained acid on the golems. The Rhinokin came running with his spear held high. He jumped with a mighty yell and attacked the weakened heads, cutting through two of them in a flash. I spun and summoned my scythe, killing three before we dispatched the last together.   

A flock of crimson souls flew into my ring.  

“Speak to me, man! Come on!” cried the Rhinokin. He kneeled, rolled Suusa to his back, and lightly tapped his cheeks.    

“My captain knows healing magic,” I told him. We had a healing potion left over from our delve in the dungeon near Waveret, so I gave it to him. He thanked me, popped the cork, and poured it into Suusa’s mouth.  

I returned to the fight with the boss golem and realized half of its body had been cut to size. Albert was skilled. He was naturally speedy and athletic and confidently told Momo and the witch where to concentrate their magic.   

There was nothing for me to do. The witch grabbed a black wand after Momo covered the golem’s broad chest with her corrosive magic. “[Shadow Piercer]!” Dark energy gathered at the tip. It swirled around her hand and traveled to her arm. She braced herself as a thin, narrow beam shot like a bullet, striking true, as the recoil threw her back a dozen feet. It blew up a moment later, blasting the mighty foe apart.   

I looked behind and saw the rocky prison had vanished. I turned up and saw raining fragments bigger than my head hailing towards us.  

“Leave this to me!” Albert shouted. He jumped to Momo, raised his trident, and spun it. I returned to the Rhinokin and held my hand up. Itarr and I absorbed whatever came our way.  

“Is it…over?” said the Rhinokin. He finally raised his chin and understood the danger had passed.   

“Suusa!” The witch scampered and carefully held the young ogre’s hand. She lowered his hood, looked at his wounds, and sighed in relief because the potion was already working. I was glad those tears came from happiness. 

I looked at Momo and smiled.   

We didn’t expect this, and no one died.   

“Umm...” The witch must’ve remembered we were here. She looked at us and held a hand over her heart. “Thank you... Thank you so much... I don’t...know what would’ve happened if you didn’t show up.”  

“You’re welcome. Ain’t that right, Servy?”  

“Yep.”  

“What can we do to repay--”  

“Nope. There’s not going to be any of that.” Momo interrupted the witch. “We did it because it was the right thing to do. And it wouldn’t be right to leave, so... Do ya mind some company?”   

“M--Mind? No, not at all!” 

 

---

“We were just riding down the road, you know,” said Sissy, the witch. She sat with Momo and me around a campfire as Gerld, the Rhinokin, retrieved their camping supplies from their wagon. Luckily, it was mostly unharmed. It just needed a few repairs, which could wait until morning. Suusa was nearby—under Albert’s watchful eye as he performed a standard medical exam.    

After Sissy had given permission, of course.   

The potion was working well, and Momo had used her healing magic, so this precaution eased the witch’s worried heart.  

“And it happened out of nowhere. That…thing was sleeping, I guess, under a bunch of trees. I don’t know what we did to wake it up, but it slung this boulder towards us.”  

“It missed,” said Gerld, carrying three bare-bones tents. He started setting them up. “But the rock kept rolling. You’ve seen the destruction, right?”  

“Uh-huh. Servy and I were wondering what could’ve caused that. I didn’t think the golems were a problem this far from Canary.”  

“We’ve heard about that outbreak. But that attack spooked our horse,” Sissy continued. “It panicked and jerked, and we lost our spare wheel. Gerld tried to control the horse, but it ran into the forest instead of sticking to the road. And that thing followed us. The ground was unsteady, we hit a bump, lost another wheel, and then our horse broke free.”  

“We don’t know where he could’ve gone.” Gerld stood and admired his work. The tents were basic, but they were something.   

“I believe there’s a plain not that far from here,” said Albert, joining us. He sat beside me and crossed his legs, adding that Suusa needed rest. He’d have a headache, but the young ogre was fine. “If I recall correctly, there's a river nearby. It's often tended to by deer and their young, so I believe the horse wouldn't stray far from it.”  

I wanted to know why Suusa turned his nose and glared at me when we saw them the other day. They probably didn’t remember me, so it wasn’t worth it to bring it up.    

Grrroooowwwllllllll  

“Huh? That’s not my stomach this time,” Momo said.   

We heard another growl, and it came from Sissy. She blushed and said she hadn’t eaten anything in hours. They had some supplies in the wagon, but a few of their water jugs had spilled from the bumpy escape, ruining some of their food.    

“Don’t worry about it. We have more than enough,” I said.  

“Are you sure? We—” Sissy’s stomach roared a third time.  

Gerld laughed. She shot him a venomous glare while he gently placed Suusa in one of the tents. It didn’t have a latch, but he threw an oversized blanket over it.  The Rhinokin joined us around the campfire. His belly growled. He blamed it on Sissy, but she lightly smacked him upside the head.  

“It seems like you three get along just fine,” said Momo.   

“We’ve been together for a while. It was just me and Gerld at first. And then we met Suusa about two years after that? We haven’t agreed on a name, but we’re a party. What did you call yourselves again? Butterfly…”  

“Butterfly Rumble!” Momo flashed her dog tag.   

“That’s a cute name.”  

“It totally is. You can thank Servy for coming up with it. We’re Spheres. What are you?”  

“Globes,” replied Sissy. “We’ve been at it for four years. It was just us two at first until we met Suusa. He’s the same rank as us.”  

Itarr told me Globes meant Beginner Rank 10.    

How utterly confusing for no good reason. I’m starting to sound like a broken record... 

“I see… Do you wanna get the pizzas out? I’m starting to get hungry.”  

“Pizza?” Sissy slightly tilted her head. She looked at Gerld, but he shrugged his shoulders.    

“It’s this.” I retrieved a crimson serving platter and gently sat it down. Albert had spent almost all day testing the limit of our crystals, and he said they were perfect for cooking. The blood didn’t impact the taste, and Itarr said eating off it wouldn't add someone to [Pantheon] or [Outer Circle]. That included forks and knives from the stuff, too.   

 Blood crystal pots and pans didn’t require any seasoning—literally nothing stuck to it, so the flavor wouldn't be as vibrant as an actual seasoned cast iron pan, but we also didn’t have to worry about cleaning any dishes.   

But that was only impressive to me. No—what really made everyone’s jaws drop was what was lying on it.    

Thump! Thump! Thump!  

Momo tried to play it cool, but her tail was honest.    

"Woah…" Sissy and Gerald whispered at the same time. Oh, the pizza was beautiful. Its golden crust bore witness to Albert’s wise and aged culinary experience. The bubbling cheese and aromatic herbs enveloped us.   

Sissy’s eyes reflected her anticipation. She swallowed and reached a hand out before pulling it back. “How…do we eat this?”  

“Like this. But watch out, it’s going to be hot.” I retrieved a pizza cutter Albert had made and divided the gooey pie into eight pieces. Then...  

It was time for the cheese pull. I grabbed one slice and lifted, and…  

They couldn’t wait. Sissy reached for one and quietly yelped. She didn’t expect the crust to partly crackle. And I knew Momo was seduced by the stretchy goodness. Gerld finally grabbed his slice, and a harmonious silence settled as we savored the first bite.   

How long…has it been…since I’ve had this? The flavor… It’s out of this world…and so familiar…  

“And I take this to mean it’s everything you thought it would be? Has it triggered a memory?” Albert asked. “Oh, I had a slice earlier. A few, actually. A cook never lets anyone try something they haven’t personally tested and tasted, but I don’t see the harm in ensuring it’s up to my standards, o ho ho!”  

“You did this?! But you’re so young… Wait, memories?” Sissy spoke with a full mouth. Suddenly, she gasped and panicked, reaching for her canteen to soothe her burning tongue.    

“Yeah. Long story short… Albert’s my spirit, but he’s much older than he looks. And I don’t have any memories. Pizza is like something that’s just hanging in the back of my mind. And wheatwhirls are known as pasta.”  

“That’s…a lot to take in. Is that something you should share with us?”  

“Why not?” Momo licked her lips to wipe up the sauce that had strayed from its original destination. “Aren’t we friends? I mean, we fought together, so we're allies. We’re even sharing a meal.”  

Chomp!  

She bit into the crust and gasped. “It—It’s cheesy? But how?!”  

“There’s cheese in there?!” Sissy forgot about our conversation and verified Momo’s outrageous claims. Gerld joined them, and they needed their second slice to ascertain the truth that, yes…  

The pizza was made with stuffed crust.   

Sad murmurs went around the campfire when the obvious was discovered.   

There was no more pizza.   

Or was there?  

“Don’t worry. We have more. This is a steak pizza.”  

Another magnificent pie just materialized, and the positive vibes circulated once more.    

 

---

“Oh… I… I don’t think I can move an inch…” whined Gerld. He leaned back and took a healthy swig of water as I absorbed the empty serving trays. 

“What’s next? Stuff shell pizza? Wheatwhirl pizza?” asked Momo. She rubbed her stomach and yawned. “Err, pasta pizza, I mean.”  

“That could be. We need more ingredients, though,” replied Albert. “We must stock up in Arcton before returning.”  

“I guess the mighty pizza has slain your appetite, huh?”  

“Yep. And it’s good to be on the losing side if it means feeling this stuffed.” She stretched, yawning again as the crackling campfire led us to an eerie silence.   

“So… What are you guys doing out here?” I asked.   

“We have a delivery for Arcton. We set out from Canary a day or two ago.”  

“Really? So do we. But we went on foot—ah, I guess you can tell. If we would've waited a little longer, maybe we could’ve gone together?” inquired Momo. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you delivering?”  

“Ingredients to make medicine. First, the guild. They’ll tell us the destination. I'm thankful our little incident didn’t damage them. What about you guys?”    

“This box,” I said, summoning the deliverable to my ring. “It needs to go to our client’s grandmother, who has a shop in the medicinal district. I wonder if we’re delivering to the same person?”  

“Maybe? It wouldn’t be odd,” added Gerld. “Since we accepted the quest at the same guild branch.”  

“So... I'm curious... Are you a witch?”  

“You’ve figured out my secret, have you?” Sissy laughed and showed me a pouch she kept on her hips. “I’m from a covenant in Westera, but I’m not so good with magic even though my mother and grandmother are natural prodigies. I have my Skill Tablet, but... I need to rely on my wands.”  

“And I’m just a spearman trying to get stronger. I guess you can find someone with a story like mine everywhere. It’s kinda generic, isn’t it? I came across Sissy when she was starving, and we shared my last piece of bread. We didn’t want to be poor separately, so we partied up. And the rest is history, I guess. Suusa joined us when we trekked to the desert. He was our guide and just kinda stuck with us.”  

“Getting stronger isn't a bad dream,” Momo added. “I think that’s why most people join the guild. Sure, they want to help make the world a better place, but there’s nothing with having that be a side effect of acquiring skills and Skill Paths.”  

“Is it the same with you?” Sissy looked at me.  

“I guess you could say that.”  

I’m just going with the flow—wherever life takes me...is where I’ll float. And I’m hoping that’s a continued future with Momo and Srassa. And Claire... And Dineria and Nimyra... and Itarr and Fisher’s family, too.   

Momo yawned again and wiped her eyes.    

“Hey, why don’t we pick this up again in the morning? I’ll tend to the fire while you sleep,” I said.   

“Are you sure? I don’t mind doing it.”  

"That's nice of you, but you're exhausted. Running on adrenaline can only last for so long, and if you don't rest now, you'll feel it tomorrow." 

Gerld didn’t argue. He thanked me and went to one of the tents, leaving us with a smile.   

Sissy stood and dusted her clothes. “Ah, we have a few more blankets in the wagon. I wish we had pillows, but we don’t.”  

“That’s fine. Servy’s all the pillow I need.” Momo sat up, turned, and laid her pretty head on my lap. “And the fire’s going to keep me nice and toasty.”   

“I see," said the witch. 

We wished each other good night, and she walked to her makeshift tent.    

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask,” whispered Momo. “Can you really sleep sitting up like that?”  

“Yep. It’s not that hard.”  

“I don’t see how you do it. You know, you might wanna try and use me as a pillow. It doesn’t seem fair for me to hog you like this.”  

“I guess I can take you up on that later. I’ll need something cute and warm to hold against me.”  

“Lucky for you, I fit those two requirements. And Srassa does, too. We’ll defend you against the cold from the front and back.”  

“Then I’ll hold you to that. You better convince Srassa.”  

“Eh, it won’t be that hard. But it’s a promise. See you in the morning, okay?”  

“I'll be here.”   

Momo fluttered her pretty eyes and closed them. I loved how relaxed and vulnerable she could be when I was around. I looked behind and ensured Sissy and the others were asleep before pulling out my phone.   

Can you do me a favor?  

What is it?  

Do you think you can search for that horse?  

I don’t mind. Give me a moment, and I’ll emerge from the ring.   

Wait. We have [Create Low-Tier Undead], but we keep making skeletons. Can we make a zombie bird? Or something that flies?  

Hmm… There’s a skeleton ravenwatcher. It’s a bird capable of flight.   

And you can see through its eyes?  

Not quite. It constantly sends me updates, but it is similar.   

I told him we could use them as drones, and I needed to explain what they were. Albert soon emerged from my soul world and quietly snuck away. After getting deeper into the forest, he created the undead bird and started the search for the horse. 

Do you think we can control one if we make one? With the phone? 

Possibly, but I have no idea where to start. They’re complicated machines. We’d need batteries, a way to charge them, plastic or ceramic fiber for the shell. And all the complex electronics like processors and microchips.  

What about using magic? Albert said he didn’t know of a drone spell, but there could be one out there. 

There could. It would be nice to have one.

Itarr sounded a little upset, but she said something else was within reach—something she had added a long time ago that was never tested.  

Voice communication.   

I’d honestly forgotten about it because texting was much faster. Since we had the time—neither of us had planned on sleeping—we decided to take it for a test run.   

And it didn’t work.   

I held the phone to my ear and whispered, but Itarr remarked she couldn’t hear anything.   

Technology was bound to have a few errors. I’d say it was more likely that something would break the first few times you tried something. Itarr found the failures enduring, however. The goddess liked studying where she went wrong. I couldn’t help. I wanted to, but I wouldn’t even know where to begin.    

Moral support was something else, though, and I cheered her on throughout the night.    

---

It was slightly before dawn, and my phone vibrated.   

I’ve found the horse.   

Okay. Are you bringing it back now?  

That’s the plan. How is Itarr’s progress on the voice communication program?  

Not good. She’s going back to the beginning to try and approach from a different angle.   

Is she disheartened?  

Not at all. She’s happy. I’ll start repairing the wagon. It should be fixed when you return. Hopefully, everyone will be up by then.   

“Sorry, captain,” I whispered, gently lifting Momo enough to slide from under her. I wouldn't let her precious head touch the ground—no. We had plenty of pillows from my thievery of Viridian’s mansion, so why not use them? 

A velvet cushion supported Momo’s cute head while I quietly walked to the wagon.   

It was damaged, but it didn’t look too bad, which said something about its sturdy construction. I absorbed the wagon, dropped it five feet above me, absorbed it before it hit me, and repeated that process while investigating the undercarriage. The axles were fine. I didn’t see any broken wood, but a wheel was missing.   

Luckily, I had found the spare that had fallen off.    

I didn’t have permission to search their belongings for tools, so I made a spare wrench with a blood crystal and worked on installing the wheel. Itarr spoke about her design and iteration progress to help her mind work through the voice communication design process.    

Oh, Suusa’s awake. He’s looking around. Huh? He’s heading towards us, but he doesn’t…look happy. Why is he--    

Suddenly, the grass behind me crumbled.   

MOVE!  

I jumped to the right as something large and heavy narrowly avoided cracking my head in two. Recovering, I looked at my assailant and saw Suusa's unfettered rage flash in his eyes. 

“You’re a thief,” he whispered. He had enough control to stop his attack before it slammed into the wagon.   

“What? No. I’m not,” I argued.   

“Don’t lie to me!” He lunged with his sandy-colored staff with a hammerhead raised.   

I raised my arms and blocked the blow, but the bones shattered all the same. I gritted my teeth and pushed Suusa back, the wounds already healing. A little pain remained, but I ignored it.    

"I’m not lying!” But Suusa was relentless in his approach. He was faster than I thought. I knew he was dazed and confused—anyone would be after suffering a head wound, but I couldn’t get through to him.   

“Shut up! You’re a goddamn thief!” He kept hammering my arms, but I refused to lower them. Suusa stepped back and kicked forward, knocking me to my stomach. “[Earthforge: Longsword]!” His staff dissolved and transformed into a new weapon. Its edge leaked brown dust like falling petals from a vibrant flower.  Itarr tried to absorb it, but she couldn’t grasp its form. 

“Hey! Wake up!” I cried, rolling to the left. I recovered and summoned my scythe. Itarr said Albert was returning with the horse. He couldn’t rush it because it wouldn’t let him ride it. Momo was still asleep.   

Suusa scoffed, spat, and continued a barrage of powerful strikes and slashes. I fought defensively and focused on maintaining distance. Suusa's weapon never stayed the same shape, and I didn’t want to strip the guy with my ring. Instead, retreating was the better option. I let him believe he had the upper hand and slowly made my way to the campfire.   

“Come on, Servy, it’s—” Momo yawned. But she was bolted awake when she saw the fight. She scampered to Sissy and shook her awake. Gerld was already grabbing his spear.   

“You have it all wrong!” The Rhinokin jumped in and parried Suusa’s thrust, breaking his earthen blade. Flakey fragments scattered his scornful gaze, and it didn’t soften until after Sissy restrained him from behind.   

No.  

It never softened… Those eyes were…filled with utter distaste for me.    

 

---

“I’m still not apologizing. Anyone would’ve thought you were a thief or a murderer,” Suusa said, crossing his arms as we sat around the campfire. Sissy had explained who we were while he walked into the forest to do something. Suusa was gone for about ten minutes. “It’s rude to mess with other people’s belongings without permission. Your broken arms are your own fault.”  

“Broken…arms? But you’re moving them. Servy, are they broken?  

“Nope. They aren’t. They’re sore, though,” I faked a small yelp and received Momo’s healing magic. 

Suusa narrowed his gaze. I didn't enjoy his expression… “Next time—Hhmp!!”  

“Nope. No next time.” Sissy stuffed Suusa’s mouth with a roasted potato. “Shut up and eat to get your strength back. That golem hit you pretty hard. Oh, where’s that spirit of yours? Is he not joining us for breakfast?”  

“He left earlier to track your horse.”  

“Our horse?”   

“Yep. Ah, I see Albert now.” I pointed to a gap in the far trees.    

Everyone turned to see Albert emerge from the forest. He gently led a brown horse by a rope he had made from twine and leaves. He hitched the animal to a nearby tree and sat around the campfire. The light wasn't needed, but the warmth was pleasant. 

“How do we—”  

“There’s no need to thank us. We’re just doing what’s right,” replied Momo.   

“Our meeting… It really was a stroke of luck…” Sissy smiled. She adjusted her hat and returned to her meal.    

We finished before long while Gerld bragged about the pizza from last night. Itarr had leftovers, so I offered a slice of cheese pizza to Suusa, but he refused to take it.   

Was he seriously pissed at me? I understood why he would be angry, but his disdain should’ve faded once the misunderstandings were cleared.   

Momo probably sensed the uneasiness, but she didn’t say anything. Albert returned to my ring.   

We helped them pack their tents and other supplies, then guided the horse-drawn wagon back to the main road. Suusa looked at the destruction and theorized why the golem woke.   

“It must’ve been my weapon,” he said, adjusting the horse’s harness. Its hooves steadily clacked on the well-traveled dirt road. It seemed apprehensive to be back in a spot where it nearly died. “Golems react more strongly when they sense their element. I was raised by monks in the desert and blessed by a divine of the earth. It was rotten luck that we had to pass by a dormant one.”  

“So, that’s where you met Sissy and Gerld?” I asked while hopping in the back. Momo jumped up with me and cutely dangled her legs over the edge. The water damage was there, and I texted Itarr to see if she could do something-- maybe she could absorb the moisture?   

And she could.   

It would take much longer, but she put the Phone app update on hold to tend to us to allow her frazzled mind a chance to rest.   

“It was, although I’m not sure how you know that.”   

Snap!  

Gerld presumably snapped the reigns, and we were off.   

“Don’t be like that,” said Sissy. She unzipped the covering and folded it down. Momo and I turned around and saw the witch looking at us. “See? That’s much better. It’s too beautiful a day to have it blocked. But we told them.”  

“I wish you’d have taken my feelings into account.”  

“Eh? But it’s just how we met. I don’t see why that should be a secret.”  

Suusa didn’t reply. He turned away and kept his eyes on the road.   

“Sorry about that,” Sissy whispered. “He can be kinda cranky.”  

“I understand,” I said.   

“I’m not cranky,” said the cranky ogre. “One of us must be mature, and it certainly isn’t you two.”  

“Yeah. Yeah. But thank you again for fixing the wagon. Gerld, how does it ride?”  

“It’s as good as new. You know, I wonder if we can reach Arcton by tonight?”  

“Maybe. We were scheduled to arrive today, but that golem incident..." 

Suusa shifted his weight and refrained from speaking.  

“Hey, she didn’t say it was your fault,” said Gerld.    

Servi, does Suusa hate you?  

I reached a hand into my pocket and texted my goddess.   

Maybe. He might be the type of guy who finds it hard to apologize.   

Do you hate him?  

No. His reaction’s understandable. I might have done the same if we swapped positions.    

“…”  

Again, he was quiet.   

 Itarr and Albert spoke about Suusa and his potential feelings. Itarr wanted to learn more, and my revenant shared his aged wisdom as she worked on the Phone app.    

And we just enjoyed the trip, I guess.    

The road was smooth, and the ride was pleasant, even without a decent suspension. It also felt serene… Just watching the forests pass us by while enjoying a calming experience.   

It just felt rustic—like we were really…on an adventure. And I knew that sounded weird, but traveling to Arcton felt different than when we went to Waveret.   

I didn’t know…  

Maybe it was because I wasn’t in the right mindset then. I still had my secrets eating away at my heart like some wild animal—even now, a part of me dreaded telling the truth. And then the trip back was heavy because my anger was consumed by the thought of killing Fisher and Arnold.   

Too much…was on my mind, I guess.   

And I could argue that the heavy weight on my heart had only doubled because of my feelings for Momo and Srassa.   

I wasn’t an idiot.   

I was a cynic.   

I knew…what could possibly happen once the truth came out. And I wasn’t ready for that.   

I wasn’t ready to give up these feelings.  

I yearned to share it again and again with Momo and Srassa. I wanted to travel the world with them and Itarr once she found a way to leave the ring.   

And we could use Canary as a home base. Teleportation spells existed. I just needed to acquire a Skill Path with one, and I could probably manufacture a teleportation-like gate or something out of my blood crystals.   

An adventure was really waiting for me. And it was only just now that I realized it.    

“I see that smile, Servy,” Momo hugged her bag against her chest. “It really does look good on you. Are ya thinking about Srassa?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Srassa?” inquired Sissy.   

“If I’m the butter, and Servy is the fly, then Srassa’s the rumble. She’s our third, but she’s busy and couldn’t come with us on the quest.”  

“Ah, that’s a shame.”  

“Yeah. She had important business to attend to.”  

“Okay, so this might be weird, but hear me out. You two weren’t expecting to arrive until a few days from now, right?”  

“Yep. This ride is gonna shave off some time.”  

“Were you planning to hire a carriage for the return trip?”  

Momo shook her head.   

“Then… You’re not expected back for a while, so why not spend a few days in Arcton? That was our plan. We don’t have to return the horse and wagon for another two weeks.”  

“Servy?” Momo looked at me.   

“I don’t have a problem with it, but what about Srassa?”  

"You think she'll get jealous if we don't rush back?" I nodded. "I don't reckon we need to worry about that. Honestly? I believe she'd be more bothered if we hurried because of her. You know how she can get sometimes. Staying a few days isn’t a bad idea. We need to stock up on ingredients, don’t we? And that means we’ll have a piping hot pizza ready for her when we finally return. Is Albert okay with cooking it?”  

“He says he’ll make one exclusively for her—with all the toppings. But okay, it’s a deal. Let’s stay for a few days. But don't tell me you’ve forgotten about the stuffed shells already? Has the pizza already claimed victory in your heart?”  

“Oh, speaking of that. Just what are stuffed shells?” asked Sissy. She sat on her knees, resting her arms on the wagon’s backrest. 

Momo explained it, but she spent too much time describing the flavor instead of the appearance—and her stomach rumbled—almost as if it was preordained.   

“He said he’ll make some for us after we stop by the market, so I guess that’s our first stop once we make the delivery. Suusa, I still have a few pieces of pizza if you want. They’ll stay fresh and hot as long as they’re in my ring, so just let me know.”  

“Mmph. I don’t want your ‘pizza.’ I don’t eat food that I haven’t heard of before.”  

Now, that’s just a lie. You aren’t born knowing what food is. Everything you’ve ever consumed in your life was once unknown to you. But whatever. It’s fine. More for us, I suppose.