For the next 25 days or so, the lives of Momo and Servi were quite formulaic.  

Every morning, they woke up at 7 AM. Sometimes they would meet up with each other while coming down the stairs, and other times they would only meet for dinner. It was an obvious consequence of their current circumstances. Still, they made sure to see each other at least once a day.  

For Servi, her life was summarized in a monotonous way: wake up, go to the headquarters, train for hours, come home, eat dinner with Momo, and go to bed. Sometimes she didn’t even shower.  

She was in a slump one day and then the opposite the next. She flipped flopped back and forth between being sad and happy, and she didn’t know how she would act until she woke up. She knew, deep down, it should’ve frightened her, but the moment she was afraid, that fear disappeared.

Nah, I’m fine. I’m just a bit stressed out. That was how Servi convinced herself she was okay.

But then there was an incident that occurred during the sixth day of training.  It was during such a day when Servi felt like she was in a rut. Fisher told the six of them to do sixty sit-ups on the concrete, but this time, it was in groups of two. If one didn’t finish, the other didn’t finish. Servi was paired up with Silverado.  His sparkling silver scales shimmered in the sunlight when he gave a Servi a quick nod.

She didn't know all that much about him, but he seemed like a nice guy. He didn't speak that much to anyone but Desperado.  And somehow, when it came to it, Servi felt like she could trust him to watch her back.

He held down Servi’s legs as she did her sixty, her black hair laid against the green grass.  It didn’t take her long, maybe a bit over two minutes. Servi and Silverado switched positions, and she held his cloth-covered legs. Her soft hands swam over his silvery scales, and they were hard to the touch.  It almost didn't feel organic.

I do want to ask, but it's not the right time.  Maybe later.

And so he started. At first, he was on pace with ten sit-ups every fifteen seconds. But then he slowed down to one every six before stopping outright.

“I…I…I can’t do….it,” Silverado said with a pained expression after huffing for air. His left hand went to his scaled stomach.

“Come on, man! You got 28 left!” Servi encouraged him, but it was no use. She saw the struggle and pain in his eyes, and her mood changed. She wanted to see Silverado finish.  

“But I can’t! I have nothing left to give! I’m all tapped out!” before they had to do the sit-ups, they had to run fifteen laps with the weights they had previously chosen held their hands. And before that, it was sixty push-ups. And even before that was fifty squats. And that was after the five previous days of training that only grew more and more intense. It was easy to see why he was complaining, and all of his muscles and joints screamed and begged him to stop.

“No, you’re not! You’re only truly tapped out when you're dead!” Servi yelled. Her black hair shook wildly. “Pull it together and dig deep inside! Remember the first few days?! You looked like you were about to pass out, but you gave it your all!! You did it then, so do it now!” 

“But—but…” 

“No, none of that. Up and down, up and down. Do it!” 

From a distance, Fisher stared at the girl, who seemed to have an unlimited amount of strength, encouraging her teammate. Even though they weren’t in the same party, that didn’t mean they couldn’t help each other. It was one of the most significant non-verbal agreements amongst parties of adventurers.  

Help when you can, even if you have to use valuable resources. Lives were priceless, being more vital than potions or food. Unlike the latter, the former couldn't be replaced by simply stopping by the store.

“What’s it going to be, Silverado? You’re going to give up?” Fisher said, taunting the struggling Koena. He walked over and crouched down. His brown eyes and hair looked down on the silver scaley being.  Silverado grimaced as he forced himself to breathe.

“28 left. If you give up now, you’ll have to do an extra fifty tomorrow on top of all the other shit I have planned. So don’t fucking quit! Fight through the pain. And that goes for all of you!” Fisher stood up and turned around the other two groups.  They stopped what they were doing and stared at their mentor. “That pain you feel is something to embrace. That means you’re doing your goddamn job! You should know this by now because I've been beating this into you fuckers! Every single goddamn hit you take, every cut you endure, and every bruise you receive is one less that affects your party! Don’t fuck this up!” 

Servi thought it looked cracks were beginning to form in Silverado's scales, but it could have been an illusion. Sweat-like liquid began to flow down his body, and he cried out.  

But with a new source of determination, he resumed his sit-ups. Every time he sat up, he grunted and gritted his teeth. Every time his back touched blistering hot blacktop, he yelped in agony. The scorching sun or surface didn't have anything to do with it because Koena were naturally resistant to heat. Instead, it was the pain in his abdomen that radiated through his body. Though his pace remained slow, he eventually did finish.  

The moment his back touched the ground after number sixty, he cried out with a tearful voice that had both pain and relief.  

“Good work, Silverado. You’re done,” Servi stood up and held her arm out. He took it, and she helped him up. He tried to be brave, but his body was so sore that he immediately went down to his knees.  

“Are you okay? Need a medic?” 

“Thank you, Servi, but I am fine. I’m...I’m just a little tired,” Silverado grunted in pain and went back to his feet. Without any assistance, the proud Koena stood tall even as his body screamed for rest.

Fisher crossed his arms and watched from a distance as the scene played out. The other two groups, Desperado and Riki and Rakkire and Feral, had been finished for a couple of minutes.  They walked over and congratulated the silvered being for a job well done.

The harsh mentor smiled but for a fraction of a second.  

It seems they don’t hate me yet. Strange, by this point, I would’ve received a few death threats.

Fisher silently sighed and hollered at them to form up. He spoke to them for a few minutes before dismissing them. Before he did, he let them know that they would spar on the following day.

“Bring your armor and your shield. Don’t worry about a weapon because you’ll use the ones that are over on those shelves. Now, you're all dismissed!” 

 Servi made her way back to the Warden office with a skip in her step, waving to Roland, the receptionist.

What’s wrong? Itarr asked, feeling something was amiss.

“Nothing. I just felt good when I encouraged Silverado. It almost felt like I was remembering something when I did that, but it’s gone now. Man, over a month and I still have no...” she couldn't finish her sentence.

Rest assured, I’ll be here for you. Every step of the way! 

“I know,” she smiled to herself and started to jog. “We’ll find them together!” 

And so, the night ended with a meal that was more delicious than the previous one, but it still didn't compare to the food she had when she first stayed at Warden. 

After eating, the two friends decided to sit on the bench outside Servi’s room and talk before going off to bed.  

Momo, wearing some pink pajamas which she had bought a few days prior, smiled brightly and kicked her legs as she told Servi how she helped Srassa.

“So I did what you did to me. When Srassa pulled back the arrow, I noticed that the form I learned from you and Dineria didn't match what she was doing. So, I slightly adjusted her form when Dineria had to step out. And guess what?!”

“What?” Servi smiled at her best friend's genuine happiness.  

“She hit the bull's-eye on a target ten meters away! I can’t believe it! I know, it’s been six days, but she did it! Oh, Servi, you should’ve seen how happy she was! She almost started crying.” 

“Well, I’m happy for her. But how is your training going?” 

“It’s going super good! Dineria said that since I have experience with the bow, I should divert my attention and focus on something else. Oh, but it’d not like I’m ignoring it. I shoot a bunch of arrows, and Dineria grades me on my stance and how accurate I am, then I go to the obstacle course to work on my agility.” 

“Obstacle course?” asked Servi.  

“Yep. It’s filled with rocks, trees, and walls. There’s a rope swing I have to do, and there's even a tree I have to climb. I mean, it’s a fake tree, but it's still a tree. Dineria said that a Singi should be maneuverable and agile. I think grandpa said the same thing long ago.” 

“Well, it sounds like you’re having fun.” 

“I am. But I miss going out on quests with you. By the time I get back, I’m just so tired. And then you’re tired from all of the physical stuff you have to do for Fisher's training."

Momo’s ears drooped just a little bit, and her tail slowed to a crawl.  

“It’s only a month. And then there’s the tournament. Hey, didn’t you say we were close to ranking up?” Servi asked.

“Yeah. Claire told us that. Why?” Momo replied.

Servi smiled at her friend. “Why not have that be the first quest we do together after the tournament? We have a pretty good track record, so I’m sure Claire would think it’s time for us to at least attempt it, right? It can be light a congratulatory thing for the two of us seeing this mentoring program through the end.” 

Internally, Momo exploded with happiness.

Grandpa!! It’s gonna take a lot more days, but I’ll finally have the chance to be promoted!!! 

“Really?! Really really?!" like an engine, Momo's tail wagged so fast, and Servi was afraid it would fly off.

“Yep. Really really.” 

“Oh man, that’ll be just perfect, wouldn't it?!” That way, I can show you how much stronger I’ve gotten. Momo thought.

Servi leaned back against the bench and smiled. "Yeah, it definitely would..."

The two friends talked a little bit more before Momo yawned.  They said good night and went to bed in their respective rooms. Like always, Itarr and Servi told each other they loved each other.  

---

And on the seventh day of mentoring, Servi found herself standing in front of Silverado. He had a small bandage wrapped around his shiny scaley stomach, but he looked to be somewhat recovered.  He wasn't grunting or limping, and he didn't have the same grimace of pain he had the day before.

The two of them were the first match of the day, and even at 8:32 AM, the sun was sweltering hot. It was so hot that Fisher had some canteens on a wooden table nearby under an umbrella. Throughout the day, usually after their matches, the six mentees made plenty of trips to the water table. According to Fisher, he would push them hard but not deprive them of hydration.

I guess he can be nice, but I’m still going to kill him. Servi thought. Throughout the entire mentorship, her memories of what he did not match up to the Fisher she now knew. He didn’t display that pure carnal desire for violence she thought she felt from him when she saw him and the silver armored guy together. That was the very first day she arrived in Canary. She couldn’t speak or understand the language, but…. 

Both of their weapons were bloody, and both Seka and Seko were wounded…. NO! Don’t back down, Servi! You know what you saw, and you trust that, right? Who else can you trust if not yourself?! 

“Remember! Same rules as last time. Your body may be sore, but that’s how it’s going to be! There may be times where you have to fight and fight and fight and fight back to back to back without any rest! That’s what this whole week was about! Your body is tired and sore, and it’s running on fumes. It wants to collapse! It wants to give up! Don't submit to your body's demands! Use everything you got to win! Now, start!” Fisher yelled out and stomped his feet.  

Servi twirled her weapon around her hand and took a stance. She had had her left leg out, with her left arm held up. Her right arm was pulled back to where her entire sword was hidden behind the shield.  

Silverado had chosen a club as his weapon, and he did not hide it behind his shield. Wielding a kite shield, he had a tiny bit less upper body protection since it was narrower than Servi’s heater shield, but it was longer. The one saving grace for Silverado was that his shield eventually tapered off until it came to a point. That meant he didn't modify his equipment to add on any spikes because his shield could do both.

Servi activated Soul Essence of Primal Combat and walked forward.  Keeping her weapon hidden behind her shield, she waited for the afterimages to show themselves.

Silverado made the first move. He went for a shield bash that Servi saw from her afterimages, then he went for a quick bonk with his club after she blocked his first attack. Servi blocked the strike with her shield and responded with a quick jab that barely missed.  The scraping noise from her sword grinding against the left side of his shield produced yellow sparks that danced around for only a fraction of a second before disappearing.  

“They’re going at it much more slowly,” Desperado noticed. His black kite shield stood in front of him.  In every way but the color, it was a dead ringer for the one his friend had.

“To break a guard is not easy,” Feral spoke while sitting on his shield, “I wonder how she is going to do it.” 

“In a real battle, the tank is focused on keeping the opponent’s attention while the rest deal the damage. It’s not common that it comes to a one-on-one fight. But if it does, then I need to see how you react,” Fisher said without turning around.  

Come now, show me what you two got. The results of today determine how I'm going to spend next week. Fisher opened the notebook in his hands and began to pen down his thoughts as the sparring match continued.  

Servi followed the afterimages as she blocked a few attacks. But then she saw something coming that she knew she could take advantage of. Servi ran in with her shield in hand and allowed the red afterimages to guide her. As she charged in, she waited until the very last moment to dodge to her left.

When he raised his hand up, Servi grinned and realized victory was within her grasp.

She knew Silverado was left-handed, and he held his shield with his right hand. Because of that, he swung his left arm from top left to bottom right in a diagonal strike, but Servi turned around and blocked it. Then she used all of her strength to push against his attack. When he shoved back, Servi allowed Silverado to gain the upper hand.  

She did this for two reasons. One: she knew she wouldn’t touch the ground, and therefore, she wouldn't lose in Fisher's eyes. Two: she wouldn’t even need to use her weapon to become victorious.  

As she was pushed back, Servi suddenly held her ground and marched forward with all her strength.  Silverado's advance immediately stopped cold in its tracks. It was something he didn't expect, and that gave Servi enough time to drop her sword and launch out with her free hand. A few seconds later, Silverado laid helplessly on the ground. With no weapon, he couldn't do anything but hold his injured head.

Fisher couldn’t believe it. He just witnessed a student drop her own weapon, reach around her opponent’s shield, and grab his club. Then she pulled up and away from her and ran forward. It was damn near the damndest thing he’d ever seen during a training match.  

Everyone could run forward, but those with a weaker sense of balance found it hard to run backwards. Servi was counting on that. She increased her speed, and Silverado tripped over his feet and fell to the ground. That caused him to weaken his grip on his weapon, and Servi yanked it out. She then gave him a bonk on his silvery scaled head to end the fight.

“Servi. Tell me why you went into his guard?” Fisher asked after she had helped Silverado up. The Koena's hand went to his head and rubbed it.  The scales protected him against any real damage, but the pain would linger for a few minutes.

“He didn’t have a sword, so I knew my fingers would be safe. And I wasn’t trying to steal it. I was trying to divide his attention between staying balanced and keeping his weapon. When he fell, I took the opportunity to take his club and bonked him on the head.” 

“So what would you do if he had a sword?” 

“I probably would’ve tried to deflect it and counter with an attack my own.” 

“Hmm. Next! Riki and Rakkire,” Servi walked over to the group with Silverado. He just nodded at Servi. She didn’t think he was angry. At least, not at her. If anything, he was probably beating himself up inside.  

The match between the two Dwarves took around six or seven minutes. They each tried to match blows with their bucklers. Servi thought they were trying to counter each other to get the upper hand. Eventually, Rakkire went for a shield bash, and his cousin took it head-on and responded with one of his own. The two backed off, but then Rakkire rushed forward with his axe held high.  Riki’s hand was too slow to bring his axe up.  He was caught unaware. Rakkire didn't go for a slash or slice, but he smacked his cousin with the flat, wooden handle of his axe.  

They had helmets on, so it didn’t hurt too much.  When Servi walked over and asked if he was alright, Riki asked if she saw the two yellow birds.  She asked him to clarify, and Rakkire chuckled.

"The fool's fine.  Come on, get up.  Drinks are on me tonight," Rakkire walked over and held out a hand.  His cousin took it and used it to get to his feet.

"Keep the money.  Next time, how about double or nothing?"

"Fine with me, but I hope you like paying!"

Servi smiled as she walked back to Fisher and the others with the Dwarves.  The relationship those two had with each other was one that she wanted to have with Momo.  

I guess we do have that relationship somewhat, but will it stay the same when I tell her the truth about me?