Fisher went to the door first, opening it to allow his family to filter through. Next came his group of mentees sans Servi, followed by Dineria, Momo, Claire. Then Servi entered in, taking a spot beside her best friend. Fisher walked in after them. He quickly went to the front of the little group and looked up at the menu.  

The store was illuminated by the same lights that Servi saw in the headquarters. She didn’t notice them the last time she was here, but that was probably because of the smell.  Everyone was being led by their noses. Mouthwatering aromas of chocolate, cinnamon, and caramel-filled goodies monopolized the air inside the shop. Whenever the door opened, the delicate scents escaped to the outside, blessing the city of Canary with exquisite smells. Srassa, Momo, and Fisher's two daughters unintentionally drooled a little bit.  

“Aunt Canary?” Feral said, raising his voice a few decibels louder than usual.

“Feral, is that you? Give me a moment, and I’ll be right out. Did you bring customers?” came a voice from the back. It was slightly muffled.  

“Yes, I did.” 

“Very good. Please give me a moment. I’m cutting up more brown wrapping paper."

“Please, take your time,” Fisher said as he crouched down.

While he asked his daughters what they wanted, Servi looked around the shop. The display cases were immaculate and pristine like they were just cleaned, and the floors were spotless, except for dirt they brought in.  Servi felt kind of responsible, so she discreetly used Absorption to clean what she could.  

Those smaller dirt particles are still too much for me. I really need to practice.  

“Servi, what’re you getting?” Momo's tail lightly floated from left to right as she put an index finger to her chin. Her eyes scanned the menu of delicious, delectable delights.  

“The chocolate-dipped cherries sound good,” replied Servi.  

“They do. Hmm….” Momo took her time thinking.  

“Good evening,” said a voice that only could’ve come from a female Kobold. Aunt Canary emerged from the back room with a small stack of brown paper in one of her large hands.  

Fisher stood up and walked over to the counter. “Good evening,” he said back to her and smiled. Mari and Meri walked over and pointed to a bar of rainbow-colored chocolate that was sitting by itself.  “Can I get two of these?” Fisher requested.

“Certainly. Is all of this together?” Canary pulled a few sheets of brown wrapping paper she laid down a moment before. A simple bracelet adorned her right hand, and it was the same color as her frilly, colorful apron.

“It is. I’m paying for it. It’s to celebrate the end of the mentor program.” 

“Ahh, that’s right. I can’t believe it’s been a month already.” 

Fisher turned around. “You all worked extremely hard over the past month, so feel free to pick out what you want,” he turned back around and pointed to a glass cup full of small, colorful circles. “Are these hard candies?” 

Canary growled lightly. “It is. Yellow is pineapple, red is apple, purple is grape, orange is orange, and green is watermelon. Would you like some?” 

“Yes, please. Can I get one of each?” Fisher asked as a line formed behind him.

“Most certainly. Will that be all for you?” said the female Kobold. She had already wrapped the rainbow chocolate in two brown pieces of paper. Then, she reached over to her right and pulled out a small cup to put the hard candies in.  

“It will. Thank you,” Fisher walked over to the side with his daughters and allowed everyone else to order what they wanted.  

Next up was his wife, Marissa. “Oh goodness, it’s been a while since I had something sweet.” She placed her hands on the counter and scanned the menu above her before looking at the display case.  

“Can I recommend something?” asked Canary.  

Marissa nodded with a smile as Canary walked over to a nearby display case. Pulling out a small bowl of bear-shaped candy, she returned back.  

“These are called gummies. You’re supposed to chew on them, and they come in different shapes and flavors. The ones I have at the moment are shaped like a bear. They come in three flavors. Red for apple, purple for grape, and yellow for pineapple.” 

With a happy clap, Marissa nodded. “Then can I get a few of those, please?” 

“Of course. I’ll bag these up for you right now.” Canary got to work completing Marissa’s order and sat it off to the side next to the rainbow chocolate and hard candies.  

“Do you have anything hard and sweet that's shaped like a leaf or tree branch?" asked Dineria, next in line.

Canary nodded. “I do have something called chocolate bark. It wouldn’t take too long to cut it into the shape of a branch.” 

“Then I would like that. Please and thank you!” 

Canary walked herself back to the back room and came out a moment later, holding a metal object. It was in the shape of a tree branch with a few limbs sticking off, and it was incredibly sharp to the touch. Pulling out her chocolate bark from the display case, she began to use the cutter to cut out five pieces. 

“Is five enough, or would you like more?” 

“That is enough, thank you.” 

“Daddy, can we eat?” Mari whined and tapped on Fisher's armored leg. 

“In a minute, sweetie. You would like to eat together, yes? With your new friends?” he replied.  

“That’s right, we do, don’t we?” Meri asked her sister, and she nodded and smiled in return.

“Be patient, okay? It won’t be too long,” Fisher said as he watched Dineria move over to them.  

“I didn’t want to hurt your wallet, so five is enough," she said with sass. 

Fisher simply nodded as Claire was next to order. After a few long moments of intense internal deliberation, she ended up choosing the chocolate bark.

“You know,” she said as she walked over to the newly forming group, “Maybe I'll come down to the shop tomorrow. After I get off of work, of course.” 

“You’re more than welcome to come anytime you want. Regardless, I’ll be expecting you. Shall we put a little wager on it?” Dineria grinned.  One of the favorite things in the world was teasing Claire.

Claire smiled. “You’d take advantage of someone who hasn’t held a bow in years?” 

“Of course. After all, we Elves do not forget how to shoot once we learn.” 

As the two Elves talked of challenges and arrows, Silverado, Desperado, and the two Dwarves were next in line. The silver Koena chose a simple chocolate stick that had caramel drizzled down it. His black-scaled friend decided on two pieces of white chocolate covered in sprinkles.  

“You always did have a sweet tooth,” Silverado noted. 

“I did. It’s been a while since I had your sister’s baking. Once we get stronger, let’s go back and see her. You miss her, right?” 

“That I do. Maybe if it works out with Srassa, we could introduce her to our families?” 

Desperado smiled. “I would like that,” they quietly talked so Srassa wouldn’t overhear them.  

Riki and Rakkire both chose some chocolate bark in the shape of an axe. 

“Aye, during our birthdays, both of our moms would bake us something similar to this. It was a cake, but it’d be in the shape of an axe or a hammer. Seeing this reminds me of home, cousin.” 

Riki nodded. “It does. If we ever find a piece of nadrium or some other fancy ore, we should go back home and give it to our fathers.” 

“Sounds like a plan to me.” 

They do seem to miss their family. Servi thought as she waited her turn in line.  I wonder if I miss mine. Gah! There’s no use in getting sad, Servi. You have Itarr now. And you love her. And, believe it not, all of these people here are your friends.  

Suddenly, Momo’s face appeared in Servi’s mind.  

She doesn’t know the truth. Can we really be best friends if she doesn’t know? The best chance to tell her might be coming up, but I don’t know if I’m strong enough to lay it all out.  

Servi was in-between a rock and a hard place. She didn’t know Momo’s past, so she didn’t know how Momo would react to suddenly being told that her best friend had a Goddess inside of her.  

I thought it through over a thousand times. But it always ends with Momo getting mad and leaving me. Is there even a way to tell her that won’t end in her hating me? Damnit, Servi! Why don’t you have faith in your best friend! 

As Servi argued with herself, Feral stepped up the counter.  

“You did a wonderful job of bringing customers, Feral.” 

In a low voice, Feral spoke his true feelings to his aunt. “These are my friends, Aunt Canary. I truly believe they are all people I can rely on.” 

The female Kobold slightly teared up and moved to wipe her green eyes with a white napkin. “My nephew is growing up. Oh, if only your mother could see this.” 

“Hmm. Maybe I’ll go back to the swamp when I get stronger. I do admit that I would like to see mother again,” Feral muttered. Canary took out a very unique-looking chocolate bar from the display case. One half was white chocolate, and the other was dark chocolate. It looked ordinary, but the inside had tiny gummies surrounded by caramel. Most people would think that was too much, but Feral absolutely loved it.  He had a sweet tooth that dwarfed the size of his body.

“I know these are your favorite, so I’ll go ahead and wrap some up for you.” 

“Thank you,” Feral slightly grinned, showing off his sharp teeth as he moved over to the side. Mari and Meri looked at him, and they ran to the Kobold.  

As the two kids played with Feral, Srassa stepped up to the counter. She was nervous and didn’t know which one of the fine delights to choose. Eventually, she picked a few strands of chocolate licorice which were sprinkled with sugar.  

Next in line was Momo, who chose the same sweet delight that they had bought for Claire. Servi ended up picking the chocolate-dipped cherries, though the gummies were a close second.

“And is that all?” asked Canary. She had several bags on the right side of the counter as Fisher took out his wallet from his Dimensional Storage.  

“It is. Thank you,” Fisher replied in a kind tone as he sat down down a stack of dupla.  Aunt Canary counted it and realized he overpaid.  When she tried to hand it back, he shook his head and said it was a tip. Canary thanked him and placed his payment in the register, and Fisher began to pass out the savory sweets, starting with his family.  He didn't get far before Dineria stopped him.

“Why don’t you go take your bags and sit with your family? I’m sure we can handle this.”  

“Thank you." Around a minute later, the colorful tables and booths were filled up.  Servi, Momo, Srassa, and Claire sat together at one table while Fisher and his family filled up a booth. Dineria and the rest pulled up spare chairs and sat with one of the two groups. For the next thirty or so minutes, the usually quiet and slow Madam Canary's Sweetie Tweety was filled with a positive atmosphere that seemed to infect everyone that walked in.  

But the good time had to eventually end.

After saying their thanks to Canary and throwing away their trash, the large group left the beloved store and walked back to the headquarters. The nightly breeze was gustier than it was before, but it wasn’t a problem at all. Servi ran her fingers through her black hair, pushing it out of her eyes.

“Well, you got one day to rest for the tournament. The only advice I can say is to not overdo it tomorrow. It might seem like a waste, doing nothing, but you don’t want to risk being injured.” 

“That’s right,” said Dineria, adding on to what Fisher had said. “If you get injured tomorrow, then it’s all going to be for nothing. But if you must do something, then only stretch.” 

A little bit of small talk later, the group found itself at the place they met up.

“Remember, take it easy tomorrow, and make sure you have all of your gear. Unlike my training, you have to bring your equipment,” Fisher said as his wife walked their daughters over to a bench. Mari let out a big yawn, and Meri lazily rubbed her eyes that grew heavier with each passing second.  

“As for the rules, I can’t tell you.” 

“And that’s because we don’t know. I guess it’s to stop some mentors from giving their students an unfair advantage. Which means that you’ll find out at the same time we do," Dineria finished Fisher's sentence for him.

The group of mentees nodded.  

“It starts at 8 in the morning, so what do you all want to do? We can meet up here and walk together, or we can meet up there?” 

“Meet up here, yeah?” asked Servi. She looked around and saw her friends nod.  

“Very well. In that case, we need to meet up at 7:15. It’s about 30 minutes away from here, but it’s best to get there early. Is that good?” 

Those who would participate in the tournament all agreed that was fine.

“It’s decided, then. We’ll meet up here on the morning of the tournament and walk to the arena together. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think it's time for my children to go to bed.” Fisher walked over to the bench where his wife and daughters were at and gently picked up Mari. She ended up falling asleep leaning against her mother's leg.  

“I need to be leaving too. Momo, Srassa, I’ll see you here at 7:15 in two days, okay?” Dineria waved.

“Okay! We’ll be here.” Momo replied for herself and Srassa.

Everyone then said their goodbyes until it was just Servi, Momo, Srassa, and Claire.

“Jony!” Srassa said his name so suddenly and loudly that Claire flinched in fright. Srassa immediately apologized.

She was about to ask who this Jony was, but a smooth voice from a nearby old man holding a cane ended up confusing her even more.

“You called for me, Miss Flinn?” The old man removed his hood to reveal it was Jony in disguise. Even though he stood over 180cm tall, he somehow played the role of a hunched-over old man exceptionally well.

“I figured you were nearby,” Servi said.  

“You were with us all night?” asked the girl who Jony watched over.

“I was. The candy  you all were eating looked most delicious.” 

“Here. I saved you a little bit of the licorice I was eating,” Srassa produced a small item wrapped in brown paper. Jony accepted it most gracefully and opened it to reveal a piece of chocolate licorice.  

“Thank you, my lady,” he popped it in his mouth and began to chew.  

“You’re welcome. Claire, Servi, Momo, I’ll see you all later, okay?” 

The five said their goodbyes, and then there were three.

“Is he her bodyguard?” asked Claire as she, Servi, and Momo, began to walk back to Warden. Since it was late, not many people were braving the outdoors.  That didn't account for the patrolling guards, and there were at least two at every intersection.

“I guess. I thought Jony was just a butler, but he seems to be something even more than that,” said Momo.  

“And he’s a master of disguise, too," Servi added on.

I can never seem to pinpoint him out whenever Srassa is with us. Itarr said. He was probably with her when we talked to her earlier.

“I don’t think he’s a member of Warden,” Claire offered her opinion on the matter as her purple eyes looked up at the moon. “But anyway, this is where I have to leave you two. I live over there,” she pointed down a well-lit street and over to a row of houses that were nearly the exact same. The only difference was a wreathe of red leaves hanging on a single door. Other than that, the brown houses were generic and shallow, with no sense of uniqueness. 

“Why are the houses the same?” Servi asked.

“I don’t know. The landlord gave us the option to hang up decorations, but I guess I was the only one who did so. I actually made that red wreath out of leaves I collected last fall. But I have to work tomorrow, so I’ll see you at Warden. Good night you two.” 

“Good night, Claire,” Servi said.

“We’ll see you tomorrow,” Momo wanted to hug her Elven friend, but she fought against it.  For some reason, she was in a hugging mood.

Claire waved and walked away.

“And now it’s the two of us," Servi noted.

“Yeah. You know, I had a lot of fun today. The most fun I’ve had since I can’t even remember. And I was glad I was able to spend it with you and all of our friends,” Momo's face took on a hue similar to that of a ripe, red apple, but the words she spoke were the truth from her fragile heart.  

“I had fun, too." 

Should I tell her? I mean, this is the perfect chance. We’re alone together, and if I wanted to admit to being more than what I let on, this is the time. Fuck it, I’m going to tell her.  

“Servi?” Momo muttered her best friend's name as they turned a corner, interrupting Servi, who had just opened her mouth. The Warden office was in their sight.  

“Yeah?” 

“If we do end up fighting each other at the tournament, then I want you to promise me something.” 

“What is it?” 

She stopped walking and turned to face her best friend. Her blue eyes stared directly at her, and there was no hint of anything less than the fierce spirit of a warrior. “I want you to promise me that you won’t go easy on me. If you’re able to take down someone like Feral, then you’re strong.  And I want to face that strength head-on. I trained super hard this month, and I’m so much stronger than I was the last time we took on a quest together. And I want you to promise me one more thing. No matter who wins or loses, can you promise me that we’ll stay the same? That our relationship won’t be affected in any way?” 

Servi smiled and went to hug her best friend. Momo wasn’t alarmed or surprised by this act, and she wrapped her arms around Servi with an affection-filled giggle. The only witnesses to this declaration were the pearlescent celestial body in the sky that signified that it was night and a cool breeze that happened to pass by. Black and pink hair intermingled, twirled, and intertwined together as if dancing a practiced routine of trust between two friends.   

In a quiet voice, Servi spoke. “I promise I’ll go out there, and I won’t hold anything back. And if we face off against each other, and no matter the victor, you’ll still be the first one to appear in my mind when I think of the words ‘best friend.’” 

Momo buried her head in Servi's chest, feeling the steady, rhythmic beating of her heart. “Same here! Regardless of the winner, you’ll always be my best friend!” the Singi dropped her arms from around her friend and stood back a little bit. Servi just smiled.  

“But...” Momo grinned like a playful kitten, “I’ve got a new technique I’ve been practicing," Servi started to frown, but Momo's smile cheered her up.

She’s gotten really confident. And this is what I wanted. But will that confidence stay if I confess to her?  I mean, our whole friendship was built on a lie, right? If I tell her now, she wouldn’t be able to do her best at the tournament. The best thing for me to do is to keep it a secret. I’ll get the chance to tell her. I know I will. But it can't be now.  I don't want to distract her.

“Really?” 

“Yep! I actually got in trouble at Warden. I kept messing up and making a lot of noise, so they got mad at me. But I’m getting pretty good if I say so myself. I hope I don’t have to use it until we fight. I also decided to learn a new skill, but you’re not mad at me, are you?” 

"Why would I be mad?" Servi was confused.  If anything, she figured Momo deserved to be mad at her for keeping her life hidden.

"Because I went and learned it without consulting you.  We said we were going to skills them together, right?"

“I'm not mad at all! And I mean that. I’ll be hoping we face each other so I can see this secret technique and skill.” Servi grinned.  

The two best friends smiled at each other.  

I'm glad she isn't mad at me.  Servi, you're such a good and understanding friend. 

With both girls even more determined than ever, they resumed their walk back to Warden.  The distinct building was in their sight.

“So, we’ll take it easy tomorrow, yeah?” Servi opened up the door for her friend.  

“Yeah. I might shoot a few arrows in the training room, but I’ll mostly be doing my stretches. You’re more than welcome to join in," Momo thanked her.

They walked up the steps to the third floor. The lobby was mostly empty except for a few parties who liked to take on late-night quests.  

“I might just do that. Well, good night Momo. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

“Sweet dreams, Servi. Good night,” replied the Singi.  Her blue eyes looked up at her best friend in wonder. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around Servi and hugged her tight.  Servi only smiled and returned the hug, making sure to bury her head deep within the pink hair before her.  They didn't want to break away, but they had to.  Momo took a few steps back and waved to her best friend.

Servi waved to her friend and entered her room. Taking out the big fancy bed, she used her ring to strip naked and laid down. The soft covers and pillows made it seem like Servi was floating on air. Though she didn’t get underneath the covers, she laid on top of them.  After a few minutes, Servi decided to roll over to her side with her head pressed against a pillow while curling into a ball. For some reason, this was the only way the black-haired girl truly felt relaxed.

“I can’t go to sleep right now. I still have something to do,” Servi said out loud. The things she wanted to say to Itarr flashed like a flood through her mind, but one by one, she began to organize them. Well, somewhat at least. Once that was done, the time was right.

A crucial conversation was about to begin.