After Momo welcomed her back with tearful eyes, she introduced Servi to Dineria, who told Servi that she had rubbed her body down with water infused with Remedium. Momo and Servi ended up thanking her, to which the Elf just giggled.
“You’re very welcome. Fisher Jin is taking care of the bill, so please, don't worry about it.”
“He’s out there?” Servi half-expected to fly into a rage after hearing his name, but she didn’t.
Is it because of Momo and Dineria? Or something else? I was talking to someone when I was out, right? Was it Itarr?
“He said he wanted to speak with you as soon as you woke up. It’s about the little red creature you saw. The one that had the sleepinwillo?” Dineria leaned up against the wall with her see-through briefcase hugged near her chest.
Servi was in the process of putting on a particular outfit that Momo had picked out for her. At first, she didn’t know how to explain the items appearing from thin air, but then Servi realized she had stored some bags. She descended into the ring, stuffed the clothes in bags while inside, and took them out in a location that was out of Momo and Dineria’s sight.
They swore there wasn’t a bag there before, but Momo said that she was too stressed out to be sure. Even though Servi had on underwear and they were both girls, Momo tried to not peek. And the Singi swore she did the best she could, but she might have spared a few glances.
It’s been a long time since I had to do this manually. I almost forgot how to tie my shoes.
“I don’t exactly remember a red creature,” Servi said, continuing on with the lie, “but it might be good to ask him.”
“Then I’ll go get him,” Dineria opened the door and went to shout but stopped when she saw the man in black armor sitting on a nearby bench.
“Oh my, it’s like you knew she’d be awake, even though she took in spores from a sleepinwillo,” Dineria teased the Captain, and he just sighed.
“Tell me how much it’s going to cost me,” Fisher started chanting his Dimensional Storage skill but was stopped by the Elf who healed Servi.
“It’s no charge this time. You’re lucky I was Momo’s mentor. And just so you know, I was totally against you bringing them out to fight a juncea. I knew something was going to go bad, and it did. If something would’ve happened to Servi or any of the others, I would never forgive you. Not in a million years,” as if she just didn’t pour her true feelings out to Fisher, Dineria gave a paradoxical smile that didn’t fit the current atmosphere, then walked towards the stairs. Her white coat fluttered behind her as she descended. Before she got too far away, she turned around. “Don’t be too rough with the girl. She just woke up, so I imagine her mind is in a bit of a jumble, so to speak.”
And with that, Dineria walked down the stairs and made her way to her store.
Fisher, meanwhile, took those words to heart.
Everything was going fine until Servi attacked me. We would’ve been home without a single incident, but I can’t blame it on her. She only went after me because of the things I’ve done in the past. Maybe we can talk this out before she decides to kill me. She was weak before, but if she’s in the right mind, I’m going to die the moment I walk in that room. But if Momo is in there, then I should be fine. I didn’t see her walk out. But, should I have my weapon out? No, that’s the wrong way to do it. I need to go in to prove I want to talk, not fight.
Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. “Servi? Momo? It’s me, Fisher.”
“Come in!” came a voice that certainly didn’t belong to Momo.
He opened it and walked in before closing it. He saw two people in his sight. A girl with black hair and red eyes wanted to murder him, and a Singi with pink hair. Both were sitting on the terrible mattress and looked up at him.
“Dineria said you wanted to talk to me about the red creature?” Servi stared at her armored, helmetless foe. His brown eyes stared down at her, then they turned to look at the Singi next to her.
“That’s right. If it’s alright with you, I was wondering if I could speak to you alone.”
“I’ll go tell Claire that you’re up. She was worried, too,” Momo announced. She got up, thanked Fisher once more for going to get Dineria, and left. It was only the two of them.
“Do you remember any of what we talked about?” Fisher started a conversation that might’ve been his last.
Servi stood up, and two brown chairs appeared from thin air. She sat down in one, and she pointed to the other chair.
“To be honest, I don’t. But someone I trust and love very much told me what you said. If you want an apology, you’re not getting one,” Servi placed a hand to her heart. The rugged blue overalls she had put on felt comforting, and she smiled.
Fisher reached out to grab the chair and positioned it behind him. Sitting down, he carefully thought about the right words that he needed to say. “Then you know my regret, right?”
Servi nodded.
“You know I cried for them, right?”
Another nod.
“And you know my past, right?”
“I know everything you said to me before we started fighting, so what’s your point?”
Fisher stared deeply into those red eyes. “Then you should know I’m ashamed of how I was in my youth. I killed a lot of innocent Demi-Humans because I forced myself to see them as enemies. That was something I could never take back, and those lives were cut short because of my ignorance. I admit I was weak and frail, and Arnold took advantage of me. But I don’t blame him. I blame myself.”
“…”
“I should’ve known that my past will come back to haunt me, but I didn’t expect it to take a form of a Human who doesn’t play by the rules the Gods have set.”
“What do you mean?” Servi asked a question she already knew the answer to. She needed him to keep talking so she could figure out, in her mind, the questions she wanted to ask him.
“Your ID didn’t have Telekinesis, yet those swords were flying. Your throat ripped open from your screaming and healed instantly. The green mist, from my staff, was created from highly concentrated sleepinwillo spores that could knock out a dragon for two days, yet you woke up in just a couple of hours. You can use skills even though you messed up the chant, not to mention it’s like you can them without speaking. I could go on and on.”
“And?”
“You’re something that goes against everything. You have all of this power at your disposal. Even what seems to be the ability to make physical objects from thin air.”
“Are you saying it’s wrong for me to use this power to get revenge, even after I swore I would use it to get revenge for those who’re unable to protect themselves?”
Fisher sighed. “I want to say yes, but I know that if I had this power when my village was attacked, I would’ve used it to its full potential. But ultimately, I would’ve lost myself in the death and carnage I would've brought to the Demi-Humans. I wouldn’t be Human anymore, and my anger would’ve consumed me, eventually turning me into nothing more than a monster. I imagine your anger got the best of you, and that’s why you…” he trailed off and stopped speaking.
Like what happened to me… Servi sighed. Itarr told me that I was nothing more than a beast who growled and screamed. Gods above, Servi, why did you do that? Is that your true self? A mad dog that can only feel alive when you fight and kill?
“…”
Fisher continued speaking, going in a slightly different direction. “I know what it’s like to dedicate a portion of your life to revenge. I can’t even begin to tell you how many lives I’ve taken. And hell, even if you don’t believe me, I’m going to do all I can to make reparations. I don’t hate Demi-Humans anymore. I don’t hold those who weren’t born at the time or weren't even there to be responsible for my village’s fate. Silverado and the others—”
“Then do you expect me to forgive you because you turned over a new leaf?”
“I don’t. Hell, I still hate myself. If killing me is enough for you to forgive me, then do it. But I won’t go down without a fight. I finally have something to direct my life towards, and I refuse to have that taken from me. I refuse to be separated from my wife and daughters. I know they’re too good and pure for a sin-stained man like myself, but—”
Servi stood up and sighed. “Goddammit, you’re making it hard for me. I hated you, and I fought off the urge to kill you for a month because I thought I’d have the perfect chance. And I did. But now…” Servi sat back down and cradled her head with her hands.
“If you don’t mind, can I ask you something?”
Servi shrugged.
“Does Momo know any of this?”
“Nope. And I plan to keep it that way.”
“Then does anyone else know?”
“Nobody knows the truth about me, but some know what I’m truly capable of. Those that know that aren’t here anymore, and I don’t know where they’ve gone.”
“I get the feeling you’re behind the attacks from a month ago.”
“And?”
“If you are or aren’t, it is of no concern to me. Hundreds of terrible Humans died in the attack, and many Demi-Human slaves were able to escape. I just want you to know that I want to thank the one responsible for freeing them... I used to be all about Humans. The good ones, the bad ones. The evil and despicable ones. That was the only reason I even bothered to train Silverado and the others. Because I convinced myself they would use the skills they learned to protect the Humans that would probably join their parties.
“But when I realized that there were some good Demi-Humans out there... I knew the world had to have its fair share of evil Humans. It sounds weird because I just said I used to be all about Humans, good and evil. But now it's like I'm seeing everything from a different angle. Of course, I’m well aware I’m one of the evil ones, and I’m not denying that. Gods above, I sound like such a hypocrite. I don't even know if the words coming out of my mouth are making any sense...” Fisher sighed and exhaustedly rubbed his head.
I can’t believe I just approved the actions of the girl who was responsible for hundreds of people dying. I know I should do my best to bring her in, but...
“However, I can’t forgive the person responsible for slaughtering the few good men who had no choice but to work there, but—”
“Then here,” Servi interrupted Fisher and brought out the rest of her sacks and filled them with dupla. They were overflowing, and the coins spilled out onto the wooden floor.
“This may or may not be from the culprit and may or may not have 500,000 dupla in it. The culprit would want the children and family of those affected by her actions to be taken care of. They had no say in the matter, and it wouldn’t be right for them to be punished. I’m sure the culprit knows this can’t bring back their fathers or mothers or brothers or sisters, but she doesn’t know what else to do. She wants to make sure that this money is properly distributed.”
Fisher cracked a smile and opened his Dimensional Storage.
“You don’t seem to be surprised at half a million dupla appearing from thin air. Why?”
“There are things in this world that can’t be explained. From my point of view from nothing is another one of your abilities.”
“You talk as if I’m a Goddess.”
“Aren’t you? I believe only a God or Goddess could break the rules set by the Gods.”
“Itarr, should I tell him?”
It is up to you.
“Itarr?” Fisher asked. It must be the one she loves and trusts. In that case, she might be possessed by a spirit. Maybe a Goddess? No, I don't think that's it... I've never heard of a God or Goddess taking control of someone, so it has to be a spirit. They can slip inside weapons and imbue them with their powers, so why they can't do the same with a person?
“Sorry, I can’t say much. But I can, however, say this. I am Human.”
At least I think I’m Human. I hope I’m Human.
Fisher moved over to the sitting giant sacks of dupla and began to store them inside his Dimensional Storage. Servi spoke to him. “You’re not planning on telling anyone, are you?”
“Who’s going to believe me? As far as I’m concerned, you encountered a small red creature who tossed a sleepinwillo at you. Then, you fell asleep and woke up hours later after being treated by Dineria. Your secrets are yours to keep and protect. They can only be revealed when you want them to.”
Once all of the bags were gone, he sat down back on his chair. Oddly enough, he only had to touch the bags for them to disappear.
The two silently stared at each other, and it was Fisher who spoke first. “Are you competing in the tournament?”
“Yeah. Though I realize it’s not fair of me. You saw a bad side of me, but I’m pretty damn good with a sword. You want me to forfeit or quit, right?”
Fisher nodded. “I do, but I realize you can’t. Your first reason for joining this program was Momo, wasn’t it? I remember you talking about two reasons.”
“Yeah. Momo's my closest friend, and I originally joined because I needed money. Though, I suppose I only have the one reason now.”
How strange… I’m talking so freely to the man I wanted to kill.
“I see," Fisher smiled.
“You didn’t tell Feral and the others, did you?” Servi knew she had already asked about him keeping it a secret, but she wanted to be extra sure.
“I did not. I just spoke of a red creature that had a sleepinwillo. That’s the lie I made up, so roll with it.”
Servi sighed again. “Look, I’m sorry, alright? At the time, I was just so upset and angry that you said you cared about your students when I thought you were willingly hurting Seka and Seko. But now I know your side of the story and your circumstances. If I was in your shoes, I probably couldn’t have done anything differently. So, I’m sorry for attacking you, and I thank you for keeping my abilities a secret.”
“There’s no need to thank me. If I was in your position, I would’ve attacked myself. I’m glad we were able to talk this out.”
Servi smiled. “Same here. I guess I know now that I shouldn’t always choose violence. Hell, maybe it’s time for me to tell Momo.”
“Are you afraid?”
Servi nodded. “She’s my first friend after Itarr, and she believes me to be unblessed, like her. If I told her that I have these powers, I’m afraid she would hate me.”
“I won’t say our situations are the same, but I will say this. My wife, Gods bless her soul, didn’t know anything about my past until a few days ago. I told her, and I fully expected her to leave with the kids. But, to my surprise, she was there smiling at me when I woke up. She knows my past and says she’ll forgive me if I can’t forgive myself. But, I need to do all I can to make amends for the lives I’ve stolen.”
“She sounds like a lovely woman.”
“Oh, she is. She deserves a better man than I, but she sees something in me. All I can do now is make her proud to be my wife.”
“And your two daughters are adorable.”
Fisher smiled. “Mari and Meri are certainly something. I’m proud of them, and I only wish I could do them right. I want them to be proud of their father, but I know I have a lot of work to do.”
“How are you going to distribute the money? I have 29,459,728 dupla left to use. If that’s not enough, I have some nadrium items and gemstones you can sell to get the rest.”
“I believe that’ll be enough. I’ll make sure it’s distributed equally. But, there is one thing I’m thinking of that you might like?”
“And what’s that?”
“Governor Blasé and his secretary Eina won’t be at the tournament. They had an appointment with someone important and won’t be back for a week or two.”
“Okay, so what does that mean?”
“Before we left for the juncea, they wanted me to brainstorm and come up with ideas to improve our city. And I think I have one if you’re willing to hear it. It’s something that’s been in the back of my mind for a few weeks now.”
“Alright. What is it?” Servi crossed her legs.
“If you’re willing to pay for it, I believe I can convince the Governor to build an orphanage. There’s a lot of children, both Human and Demi-Human, that are homeless. Right now, they have to steal and lie just to survive. I believe it’s something that Canary really needs right now.”
“I agree. Does Canary have any orphanages?”
Fisher shook his head and sighed. “ There’s probably some unofficial ones in the slums, and it’s better than nothing, but I feel it’s not enough.”
“How much is it going to cost?”
“A couple million, at least. But that also includes everything: beds, Wash Stones, the buildings, the crops and grains, the animals, and more. There’s a nice spot outside of town that’s perfect for farming and tending to animals. There's a lake nearby. For just a little bit more money, it's possible to build a little subdivision from it. That way, we wouldn’t need to use the Wash Stone to provide the water for the crops. If we do that, then the price drops dramatically. Wash Stones are pretty expensive."
“Having the kids work a farm is a good idea, provided they aren’t overworked and are allowed to take enough breaks. They’ve lived a hard life, and I refuse to force them to slave day and night for a place that’s supposed to be their refuge.”
“Definitely. I agree one hundred percent. I’ll personally see to that. If it’s alright with you, I’ll put together a document detailing everything I have planned, as well as an estimated cost. It’ll be expensive, but eventually, the orphanage would be self-sufficient by selling its produce. In addition, the donations they would receive from nobles wishing to flaunt their wealth and generosity should be more than enough to cover any unexpected costs. And yes, I’ll make sure the money that’s earned goes towards improving it. I won’t allow anyone to steal or embezzle anything."
“That sounds pretty good, and I like it, but don’t put my name on it. Momo doesn’t know I have all this cash on me.”
“I won’t. I’ll leave it blank. If the governor asks, I’ll just say it’s the same anonymous person who donated 500,000 dupla. But don’t take this to mean I’m just going to have it built and leave it alone. I’m not. I’ll make daily visits, and I’ll instruct my men to have a guard or two hanging around. I’m serious, Servi, the treatment of Demi-Human, both citizens and slaves, and the homeless in this city will turn around. I might not have the reach the Governor does, but people know me as the Justice Captain. Even though I’m not worthy of that damn name, I have a certain sway with some of the populace. I’ll do all I can. I promise.”
“I know you will. I don’t even know how many orphans I created, and this won’t even come close to paying it back, but if the orphanage needs it, I’ll donate everything I have. Right now, this is the only thing I can think of to atone for my sins."
Servi held her hand out, and Fisher smiled. He stuck out his armored hand, and they shook on it.
I’m happy for you, Servi. I believe Fisher is a man we can trust.
“I do too, Itarr.”
“May I ask what she said?” asked the man whose hand she was just shaking.
Servi smiled. “Itarr said she believes you’re a man we can trust. And I believe that as well. You’re one of the only people who know my secret.”
“Your trust in me is something I won’t betray. It goes without saying, but I trust you too. But.... I need to ask one last thing. Arnold was the one in silver armor who was with me at that time... Did you kill him?"
Servi sighed heavily. As she opened her mouth to speak, Fisher stopped her. "Even if you did, I know deep down he deserved it. And the ones who went with him deserved to die too. They were just like Arnold in the same way that they hated Demis, and it wasn't strange for me to find them with a dagger deep in a Demi-Human slave that either had no master or had run away. I had all the chances in the world to put a stop to it, but I was afraid and weak. But you already know that. At least they can't hurt them anymore. Just know that I don't hate you for what you did. I can only hope they died peacefully, without regret filling their heart. If there is a world after death, then I hope they'll do all they can to atone for their sins."
What a wonderful resolution! I was positively surprised.
She deserves a better man than I
This might just be Fisher's way of speaking (and if it is, don't change it), but it should be "me" not "I". "I" is a subject, "me" is an object.
"You talk as if I'm a God."
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you have used the word "Goddess" for Itarr at some point, but both here and in the title, the word "God" is used to describe a female being, Servi and Itarr respectively. Are you using the word "God" to describe a divine being no matter what gender? And how are you using "Goddess"? Clarification between how you will use "God" and "Goddess" would be nice.
After reading a few more chapters, I can say that you do also use the term "Goddess" to describe Itarr.
It's supposed to be Goddess when referring to Itarr, and in that instance, Servi. I will go back and change any instance of 'God,' when referring to Itarr and replace it with 'Goddess.' That includes the title. I've actually been meaning to do that for some time.
If I say something like 'the Gods Above,' or use a general statement like, 'the Gods' I am including every God and Goddess in that general statement.
When I first starting writing, I mistakenly switched back and forth, and didn't focus on keeping it in order. It's probably a bit confusing.
Sorry about that.
I wonder when servi will reveal her secrets to momo
If you would like to know the Book Number, then it's in the spoiler box below.
Book Three
@RuggyRuggy oh ok
I like this story a lot however it feels like as these changes happen she as well as the story is going from Naruto to Boruto... I hope and pray that isn't the case. Cause going from a world that feels real and painful and has murder and or violence to pacifist, friendship saves the day and no one has problems would make me super disappointed.
Cheers for the comment!
Cause going from a world that feels real and painful and has murder and or violence to pacifist, friendship saves the day and no one has problems would make me super disappointed.
Friendship saves the day was never my intention. Book Two was created to flesh out Momo, who's a main character from here on out, give some more characterization to Servi and Itarr, and create and flesh out some side characters who show up in the future.
Trust me, there's going to be problems galore, and that includes murder and violence. This story started as a grimdark tale of fantasy, and it's going to stay that way. However, I can't keep it all depressing and sadistic. If I do, then it gets stale, and the reader becomes desensitized to it. There has to be light somewhere, and Book Two was the light it needed.
I will say this: Spoiler for the overall atmosphere for book three. There's no plot spoilers.
It's darkest I've gone so far. Honestly, Book One doesn't compare to it in terms of sadness, anger, regret, and hopelessness. But it's not edgy darkness for the sake of being edgy. Based on the knowledge the reader's gain in Book Two, it's almost expected that the things in Book Three can happen.
@RuggyRuggy Thanks for being mellow about my opinions or thoughts regarding your work author I like that you respond so often and don't seem to get upset. Though I don't know if you've ever gotten really asinine comments or not. In my experience communicating with you has been awesome.
@PrimoGoodbody
I try to respond to everyone I can. Yeah, I'm not upset. I know that my writing isn't for everyone, and I'm okay with that. People like what they like, and that's fine.
In my experience communicating with you has been awesome
That's good to know.
Just one thing I wanted to say. I went to change the chapter number from 11 to 10 and I saved it, yet It said i went from 5501 words to 5860 words. I don't know if there's a glitch involved or not. But if someone notices something weird, please let me know.
Thanks for the chapter!
And you acidentely made the title chapter 11 instead of chapter 10.
Thanks for pointing that out. Because of an interlude, all of chapter 11 became 10 and I haven't fixed it. Will fix it soon.
Thanks for the Meal
"in a bit of a jungle" -> did you mean "a bit of a jumble"?
"everyone one of their camping "-> either "every one" or "every single one" or even "all of their camping"
Excellent character growth for both Servi and Momo, and Fisher got to shine too with his plan for the orphanage. Servi gets to put some of that money she looted from Parrel's mansion to good use. I think even if she spent all of it on the orphanage she would do it without even blinking. A very nice chapter and it's headed in a hopeful direction.
It also seems like the city of Canary in general will be headed in a better direction-the slave master former governor is dead and replaced by a much more competent and kind one, Fisher has found motivation and a good path in life and will help improve the city overall and the city guard, and the slave markets are all gone and won't return
A very nice way to end book 2
Thanks for the spoiler. Won't be able to fix it until tomorrow.
Yeah, Canary is in much greater hands than it was a few months ago. A major theme of the whole series is redemption, acceptance of the past, and finding the strength to move on. The good that Fisher's doing doesn't cancel out the bad, but he knows he has to live with it. But he is trying his best. And Servi's doing her best, too by paying reparations and funding the orphanage.
And book two isn't quite over yet. There's still the visit to the sweets shop, one more interlude, and the tournament.
Also, I don't know why this chapter came out when it did. I probably did something wrong with the scheduling, but it was supposed to come out three hours from now.
@RuggyRuggy Scheduling snafu huh? Weird. For the volume 2 end-I thought the chapter said it was chapter 11 part 2 and I remember you saying the book would end after chapter 11
Those are some neat themes, and so far you're doing a good job of having those themes show up
@FallingLeaf It was suppose too but I made a mistake in numbering the chapters. It will end with chapter 11, since that's the tournament.
Oohhhh a "revenge is actually bad now, convictions as flimsy as tissue paper in a hurricane" story, cool, got it. Hypocrite.
No thanks, don't need that kind of godawful justification. Don't need to read any more of this.
I keep coming back tp this story in my mind every now and then, to see if I can maybe pick it up again. But this chapter.
Every time I think about this chapter and the events leading to it. Servi being torn apart by rage, guilt, whatever, and Itarr hiding it from her instead of telling her, explaining it, or talking it out. Guilt/rage/whatever being able to damage the soul of someone with an indestructible soul. Itarr being able to adjust Servi's immortality like it's a dial, being able to turn her immortality on/off AT ALL. And Fisher Jin...
Fisher. f*cking. Jin.
Arguably the third worst character behind the Governor and Servi in terms of kill count and atrocities. But he gets a free f*cking pass because he 'feels bad' about all the mass murder he did, and because Servi feels bad for the families of SLAVERS, Like a perfect set of circumstances to just... pardon this MONSTER (from the perspective of demi humans), for nothing.... god if she'd even just cut off his sword arm it would be SOME form of retribution.
Sure, you wanted levity in your story. This wasn't the move to create it. It's a despicable act of hypocrisy, and I hope you care even a little how bad this is as a concept. This is f*cking fantasy operation paperclip (hyperbolic but I don't care at this point) and it's foul.
But whatever, you've moved on, book three exists. I'll never read it, unless I hear Fisher dies horribly in it, and not heroically either. A dogs death is what he deserves, and no amount of "I cried for them" will change my mind.
So long. Book 1 was fantastic for all that amounted to.
@RaelDeer
He doesn't get an easy way out, it's just that his punishment doesn't come until later. I can't explain it with light spoilers, so it's all going to be in a spoiler box. (the info below is revealed at about the half way mark of Book Three, during one of the interludes)
Book Three's main villain is a Kobold survivor of Fisher's rampage back when he was killing every demi-human in sight. His name was Sakdu, and he met up with another survivor of Fisher's attacks. Stuff happens, and the two work together for a decade to get revenge on him by raising an army in secret by using a powerful drug. Sakdu in particular plans to kills Fisher and eats his wife and children.
Major, major, major book four spoilers below. It concerns Fisher.
In Book Four, when Fisher becomes aware of this, breaks down and realizes just how close he and his family came to death. He realizes that the army was raised with the only goal of killing him. Even as strong as he was, he couldn't defeat 15,000 people while protecting the city from harm. All of Canary's guards couldn't do it. Reinforcements from other towns and the capital would've taken too long considering that great army was only 3 days out, hidden in the middle of a forest.
The guilt wracks his mind, and he can't sleep. He keeps thinking of how it might be better to leave his family because he wonders if other survivors from his past will try to use them to hurt him. He even turns to drinking himself stupid at one point, and he tries to convince himself to take the cowards way out by suicide because he thinks his family will be safe is he's dead.
His daughters eventually find out and they shout they hate him and they never want to see him again. And later on, he does lose an arm because he was distracted.
The reason he was distracted was because he saw a Kobold child with a sword walking towards him. Instead of slicing at the image, he just stops and waits for death. When the Kobold swings his sword, Fisher loses his sword arm. He can fight with his other arm, but he's only about half as strong.
That's not the end of it, but I'll stop there.
So yeah, Fisher does get his punishment, it's just that Book Two wasn't the right time for it because something else had to happen first. He does not get a free f*cking pass. There is no one in this story that gets a free f*cking pass. Not even Servi gets one. It might seem like she does at certain times, but punishment will always catch up.
@RuggyRuggy doesn't make this any less stupid. And honestly, that all sounds equally stupid.
The stupid garbage with Servi and her "guilt vulnerability" better not be her 'punishment' because that was contrived bullshit.
None of that makes me want to read more, because it sounds contrived and, funnily, avoidable if Servi had just killed the f*cker.
So yeah, he did get a free pass, from Servi, some paragon of revenge she turned out to be.
You lost me, but you can just dismiss me as a disgruntled whoever. Whatever. I'm sure plenty of people find this believable...
@RaelDeer
We're just going to have to agree to disagree. It's fine if this story isn't to your liking.
doesn't make this any less stupid. And honestly, that all sounds equally stupid.
The stupid garbage with Servi and her "guilt vulnerability" better not be her 'punishment' because that was contrived bullshit.
Just calling it stupid doesn't do much to get your point across because it sounds like you're upset because the story isn't developing the exact way you want it to, and that's fine. This story isn't meant to appeal to everyone. I'm sure the stories you like won't be the exact same ones I like.
I don't see how suffering from her guilt, when it catches up to her, is contrived. It isn't like that will make her outright stop her revenge. People can be feel tremendous guilt while continuing to do those things that make them guilty. She can feel guilt at having to kill someone to protect someone. That might be because she couldn't resolve the situation without a loss of life, or it might be that killing her target will be good in the short term, but not the long run. People aren't perfect, and that goes for Servi. Even if she's all powerful, she's still just a Human.
None of that makes me want to read more, because it sounds contrived and, funnily, avoidable if Servi had just killed the f*cker.
So yeah, he did get a free pass, from Servi, some paragon of revenge she turned out to be.
He might've gotten a pass from Servi, but not from fate. What does end up happening to him is worse than what Servi could ever do. If she killed him, which would be the easy way out, then what was coming up would lose all sense of what I was trying to accomplish.
And it sounds like you think she's completely over her desire to get revenge for those who can't protect themselves.
Spoiler: She isn't. I've gotten complaints about how depressing Book Three, with regards to Servi and her massive desire for revenge.
The revenge aspect is still a part of the story. Remember, this is just the 2nd book out of many.
I'm sure plenty of people find this believable...
This makes it sounds like you're insulting my readers. Please don't do that.
I hope you continue to read books you enjoy, even if this isn't one of them.
@RuggyRuggy Of course you'd disagree, you wrote it.
People feel guilt sure, but to the point it overwhelms her invulnerability? Or was that NOT guilt that Itarr had to stop from somehow killing her? Did I misread and further misremember that Itarr had to turn off her immortality a bit to knock her out so she wouldn't DIE, a thing she's supposed to... not be able to do... well, unless Itarr decides to switch off her immortality again which is also contrived.
Of course you think forgiving Fisher for arguably, no good reason, is good writing, because it would disrupt your plans, evidently, for book 3 and 4.
The way you've written this arc, why WOULDN'T she give up on revenge if the guilt of doing so can kill her. Why should I believe in her convictions if at the drop of a hat she can give someone a pass. Redemption and accepting your past as concepts are great for a story, but they feel MASSIVELY out of place in this one after the entirety of book one and, clearly, book three if people keep telling you it's depressing.
And no, I'm not insulting your readers. I don't find this believable, I don't find the way you have written your own characters IN CHARACTER for them in this book... except maybe Momo who remains the same character going in as coming out... probably LESS aggressive actually, since you seemingly dropped that plot point of her hidden rage for the whole book. But I'm sure I'm in the minority of people who read it. Everyone else probably DOES find it believable by virtue of being different people with different perspectives and opinions on your writing.
I know I'm just arguing for the sake of arguing at this point, and any further thought about this novel is just going to make me more annoyed when, you're right, I have better things to read.