Interconnected: Spliced Souls

“Ms. Momo?”  

“Yeah?”  

“Servi didn't show up again. I'm getting worried,” Srassa said, holding a stuffed bear between her slender arms, a depressing grimace plastered on her lovely face. She was sitting on her bed in her gray pajamas. Her blond hair was just very lightly damp from the long, hot bath she'd taken about half an hour prior. Her eyes wandered to the window and stared at the evening moon.   

The pink-haired singi sitting at the foot of the bed sighed and rested her chin on her hand. “Same here. It's hard to remain motivated when you don't know if a friend is safe. Tomorrow’s gonna be the third day…” She touched her oversized pink shirt and felt the fabric between her soft fingers.  

“Are you talking about when I dropped my sword when we fought that rat?” Srassa asked.   

“That too. It's a miracle we've managed to complete this much,” replied Momo, sighing again. “We've both been making stupid little mistakes. Losing focus can be fatal if your mind strays too far at the wrong moment.”  

“Then…what can we do?” Srassa looked at her beautiful instructor.   

“There’s only one thing we can do. The Crimson Grotto… Servi used to stay there, right?” Srassa nodded. “After breakfast, we'll head to that inn and try to find the woman she was staying with.”  

“But… Ms. Momo…” Srassa seemed hesitant. “Mother and father have warned me against straying too close to the slums. The Crimson Grotto is on the cusp. And just yesterday, we lodged a missing person’s report,” said the shivering girl with a kind heart.   

“Yeah, I know. I remember,” Momo replied, leaning back slightly while sighing. She closed her eyes for just a moment, yet the events of the day prior came rushing to the forefront of her mind.   

---

After Servi didn't show up on time, the two assumed the worst and proceeded to the hub of Canary’s military might: the central headquarters. There were two branches-- for Canary's two districts, barring the slums. They were supposed to be equal and offer the same services, but bias existed everywhere, especially when money was involved. The two housed dark, dank dungeons in their basements. 

While in the motions of filing their report, a specific Wing Elf happened to pass by the room Momo and Srassa were in. Her pointy ears picked up a name that had given her nightmares, prompting her heart to skip a few beats. Before she knew it, Siora had gripped the handle so hard and practically slammed the door open, much to the chagrin of the inhabitants.   

The elf apologized profusely for her uncouth behavior and requested to take command of the report, which the guard on duty initially refused. Yet when she dropped some of Servi’s physical details, he relented and returned to the front receptionist desk after Momo said they wanted to speak to her.   

Siora, after she had introduced herself, explained how she met Servi. Neither Momo nor Srassa could ever imagine Servi climbing the city walls to get in because she didn't have identification papers. Thinking about it, Momo figured they weren't asked to show any because Srassa was with them. Even if her identity was supposed to be a secret, Momo had foolishly called Srassa by her full name the day they met in front of someone not authorized to know her name. 

Luckily, she didn’t face any repercussions because she didn’t find this out until after she met Srassa. In that regard, the fault belonged with Srassa's parents and the butler for not telling Momo. But the guards had received word to not question anyone traveling with a pink-haired Singi.   

The two women found it nearly inconceivable to ever think Servi would freely throw herself from atop the city walls and land on a pile of garbage. If Servi had indeed done as the Wing Elf claimed, wouldn't she have a disease? The slums were the very epitome of filth. Sickness ran rampant as flames in a fiery inferno, and if anything, Servi should've been bedridden and weakened from a hundred different infections.   

But no. Servi seemed to have been as healthy as an ox whenever she came around.   

The men and women who joined the guard swore to protect the Kingdom of Lando and Canary from all threats, foreign or domestic.   

But things were not equal on the surface. It was well-known that the slums were, by far, the least patrolled area. After Siora watched Servi fall and scamper away, she immediately returned to the headquarters and put together a search and rescue without authorization from the two lieutenants. It had gotten her and the rest of her unit in trouble, leading to a demotion and a handful of demerits. That was why she was effectively on desk duty and happened to be in the right place at the right time to overhear two girls’ reports.   

Momo knew the chances of finding Servi were slim. She believed the slums were only as bad as they were because the guards never did their duty. The singi’s thoughts were particularly negative because, in a just world, the slums wouldn't have any reason to exist.   

But Momo knew more than others that the world was unfair. It often derived sick pleasure to kick someone while they were down, spit in them, and rub salt in their wounds.   

For what it mattered, though, Siora did promise them that she would re-energize her effort in patrolling the slums. Or at least send a spirit bird or two to investigate the areas where women were known to disappear. And if nothing else, she said she could plead with Lieutenant Fisher to convince Duke Biggins to devote more effort into taming the lawlessness that was the slums.   

Every journey etched its mark on the world with a single step. And in this case, it would be much of the same. 

Momo only hoped this wouldn't turn out like some other event in her past... 

---

“Then let's have Jony come with us,” Momo replied, returning from her momentary flash to the past. The soft glow of the nearby gas lanterns warmed her gorgeous face, making her eyes seem like glimmering lakes of azure blue. “He handles our morning training like a piece of cake. Besides, with him and your emblem, you'd have to be a fool to mess with us. And I'm gonna be there. I won't let anything happen to you or me. You can swear on it!” Momo crossed an arm across her chest and determinedly smiled, displaying a coarse vow of protection. Her tail went haywire with happiness, proving to all who watched its owner’s true feelings.   

As if there was any doubt of that. There was an age-old saying that said the tail of a singi was often more trustworthy than the one it was attached to.   

“Father's in Adenaford, but I'll ask mother in the morning.”  

“Oh, yeah. Definitely. But I think your mom'll let us go.” Srassa wondered how Momo could be so sure, but she just offered another friendly, warm smile. “It's a singi type of thing. Consider it our feline instinct.” Momo raised her arms and stretched– she lightly moaned once she heard a small pop. Rolling backwards, she performed a handstand and used her momentum to land on her feet. “It's getting late, so let's call it here for the night. Sweet dreams, Srassa. I'll see you in the morning.”  

“Okay. Good night, Ms. Momo.” Srassa watched her teacher leave through the open door and couldn't hear the sound of it shutting. She rested her head on her pillow, which was stuffed with the illustrious, velvet-like fur of a unicorn. It had just enough give while remaining eternally cool, like the chilly evening of an autumn night.   

She rolled to her left. Then her right. Then to her stomach and her back. Restless, she was. Her mind was just as frantic. Really, the past two days had been the worst sleep of her life.   

She liked Servi. She thought she was strong, determined, and beautiful. Someone who, when faced with potential death, kept a cool head and escaped danger. It was like nothing affected her.   

But Srassa also felt for the girl. Having no memories? Unable to tell who you used to be?   

The memories Servi made… I wonder if it's like… If it's like a distinct moment– where everything before a cut-off point is just blank? What…does that feel like…?   

Srassa turned on her side and closed her eyes, her arms hugging her beloved bear close to her ample bosom. Her anxiousness for her friend turned into drowsiness, and morning was here before she knew it.   

---

“Hey, is he here yet?” asked Momo, who sat on a bench in one of the many parks in the noble district. Two parallel rows of trees sat behind her, extending the garden’s length. Since there wasn't to be any fighting, the lovely singi with hair as beautiful as the falling petals of a cherry blossom was dressed in her favorite casual outfit: a cute shirt, a dazzling skirt with sporty suspenders, her favorite socks, and a cute ribbon. And she couldn’t have forgotten about her favorite pair of boots, either.  

 

“Jony said he had to take care of preparations,” replied Srassa, dressed in a white collared shirt, black vest, a red ribbon, a crimson headband, and black pants. Perhaps it didn’t suit a noble who was about to visit one of the most famous brothels in Lando, but Jony had advised against wearing anything too revealing or one of her dresses.  

Although her healthy bosom was rather...forcefully pressing against the buttons... 

“Umm... Do...I look okay? I’m... How’s my smile, Ms. Momo? Is it too much?!” 

 

 

“It’s beautiful, but don’t get so worked up. It’ll be fine. This elf sounds like a nice woman from what Servi had told us.” 

“What about my sword--?” 

“Nope. It’s not a good idea to wear it. It’ll be safe in my bag with my longsword and your shield. Now...” Momo tapped the empty space beside her.  

Srassa sat beside her instructor, which didn’t help her nervousness. “It’ll be okay. Your mom did give her permission. More readily than I predicted, too. Servi is our friend, so maybe she knows just how important this is to you? To us, I mean. I'm sure if someone she’s close with goes missing, she'll do what she can to find them. We're doing the same thing.”  

After some idle chatter, which was masked by the presence of uncertainty, a familiar butler appeared in the distance. He told Srassa the slums were incredibly dangerous– even more so after the arson attacks destroyed those buildings and filled the night sky with hazy smoke. Therefore, he had to meet with the correct people to ensure their safety. “When it comes to your protection, there can be no compromises,” he added. “There must be absolutely no misunderstandings of any kind.” 

That was right before Servi vanished… Srassa unconsciously held a hand to where her sword would usually be... 

It wasn’t there. 

“Shall we get going?” The girls nodded towards the trained butler and walked, making their way from the park to the market, where they had bought ingredients for sandwiches not that long ago. The wives of the guardsmen were out doing their shopping, and the area was filled with casual chatter and catty gossip.   

“Lady Srassa, is that you?” asked Albert Crystalerik, who was in the midst of his scheduled shopping– he had a gentlemanly reputation amongst the women of the center, who often came to him for his experienced wisdom and scholarly advice. The basket he held was full of fresh herbs and ingredients, yet the joyous smile on his weathered face was somewhat forced. “And Jony, and Miss Momo! How wonderful it is to run into you three here.”  

Momo predicted the next thing to come out of his mouth.   

“By the by, have you seen that red-eyed young woman you were with the last we met?” Momo shook her head and asked why, and Albert explained that he gifted Servi some of his favorite spice blends. “She purchased the ingredients to make soup. She wanted me to taste it the next morning. However, I've seen neither hide nor hair of her since. My weathered heart is starting to ache at the thought of something terrible happening to her.”  

“You aren't the only one,” Momo replied. She told Albert of their plan to meet with the woman Servi had stayed with at the Crimson Grotto.”  

“Then please act with care and caution, my ladies. That side of town is not the safest. But I wish you well in your endeavor. Please know that I will be praying for your companion's safety.” Albert slightly bowed, keeping the perfect posture. Momo and Srassa said their goodbyes while Jony returned the bow.  

The group waded through the market and continued down the streets of Canary until coming to an unspoken divide. A slightly downward road separated the slums from everything else, and a single inn of lust sat in the middle, connecting Canary’s over and underworlds.   

Srassa gulped loud enough for Momo to ask if she was okay. Jony put a hand on her shoulder and offered to venture inside alone, but the noble shook her head. Silently, she took that first step, and Momo and her loyal butler followed suit.   

The guards at the front were on edge and wasted no time taking an aggressive stance. Jony was an eloquent maestro of words, an arbitrator of vocal arguments with a silver tongue to sway the opinions of those he conversed with. Such a skill was a requirement to be the head butler to a family as prosperous and illustrious as the Flynn household.   

The four soldiers nodded after a fifth went inside and spoke to someone in a suit, who emerged from a backroom to investigate the disturbance he saw through his window. When the guard returned, they sheathed their weapons and allowed the group to enter.  

Momo's first thought of the place was negative. She didn't like the gross overuse of crimson that much. She thought the color looked best on Servi because it was just her eyes– a fiery accent made it seem the flaming orbs were alive and burning inside her head.   

But here? There was so much red that it was almost sickening.   

Jony spoke to the suited man while Momo walked to the desk and spoke to the pretty woman behind it. Her name was Meghann, and she quickly understood who they were talking about.   

“Servi? Yes, I know her. I can confirm she stayed here until she departed a few days ago. She left in the morning, just after breakfast.”  

“So, she hasn't come back since then?” Momo asked.   

Meghann shook her head. She waited until her manager gave her a look of approval before telling the group Nimyra’s room number. With that in hand, they ventured upstairs until coming to the floor that was exclusively hers.   

Jony stood to the side while Momo rapped her knuckles against the door.   

Knock! Knock! Knock! 

“Who is it?! What do you want?! I don't have any clients scheduled for another hour?” came a slightly violent voice when the door swung open, revealing a Drow Elf far too comfortable in her nudity. She only wore a purple thong. It came up high on her shapely hips, her generous breasts swaying gently.   

Instantly, two sets of eyes stared at the proof of the woman’s femininity hanging from her chest– their cheeks going as red as the eyes belonging to their missing friend.   

“Lady Nimyra? The Queen of Night?” inquired Jony, never once losing his cool.   

“Yes, that's me. What do you want?” Nimyra put her hands on her hips.   

“It's about a girl named Servi. We heard she's recently been staying here. Is that true?”  

“Servi?! You know her? Where is she? Is she safe?!” Nimyra exclaimed. Jony asked if they could enter and speak with her. “Ye–Yes! Please, come in.” Nimyra realized her nakedness and apologized before rushing to her room. She returned wearing an oversized shirt that reached her knees to cover her ample bosom.  

But her bare breasts were still partly visible through the fabric. 

Srassa and Momo sat beside each other on the couch, their breaths stuck in their lungs.  

Jony said Srassa’s name. She quietly and adorably yelped before hastily speaking, stuttering until she found her voice. Nimyra listened intently and seriously, yet she allowed an unprofessional sigh to flutter past those pursed lips when Srassa's recollection didn't help solve the mystery of why Servi disappeared.   

“Ever since the dens were destroyed, the slums have been dangerous. Even more than usual. Monotonia withdrawal is dangerous. It's the cause of no less than sixty deaths in the past three days alone. It was common to find a group of rats fighting for the right to devour a corpse, but they don't need to squabble anymore.”  

“Mono…tonia?” asked Momo, whose tail was curled around her waist. She held her bag in her lap.   

“It's a nasty little pill,” explained Nimyra. “Do not, under any circumstances, get involved with it. Nothing good can come of it.” Since Srassa explained how they met Servi, they wanted to know the history behind her and Nimyra's relationship.   

And not a second later than when that was asked, a Goatkin with apricot-colored hair walked into the room. “Visitors? Ni-Ni, who are they?”  

“Umm… Did you know Servi?” Srassa asked the Goatkin. She tried to look at a place that wasn't exposed, which was hard because the sleepwear she wore was made of thin silk. 

“Servi?” Lucy scoffed and pretended to spit at hearing her name. “I'm glad she's gone.”  

“Lucy! Don't talk like that!” barked Nimyra.   

“Why not? Everything was fine before she got here. If she never showed up, I have gotten all the money I needed. But no. She fucked it up and made me fall behind schedule. I'm glad she didn't return. She's probably dead in a ditch somewhere. Maybe she slit her throat because she couldn't stand the guilt clouding her heart.”  

“Guilt?” Momo's quiet confusion went unnoticed when Nimyra stood and shouted Lucy’s name.   

But the Goatkin continued. She bashed Servi and cursed her with vile insults, going so far as to call her a freak of nature with that thing between her legs.   

Slap! 

Nimyra furrowed her brow, raised her hand, and slapped Lucy across the face, shutting her up as she trailed into another tirade against a girl who never wanted her to get injured from her actions. Lucy fell to her ass and shockingly gasped at her attacker with eyes full of fear and remembrance of the life she used to live. “That is enough! There is no reason why you should continue to have this ugly attitude towards her! And I will not stand for it any longer!” Nimyra exploded, her words turning venomous against the denigrated Lucy while three onlookers watched the argument.   

“And you would choose to care more for her over me?! Is she more important?! She's just some fucking stray you took in! Why did you do it? You know it was her fault! It was always her fault!!! She cost me my one chance to get all the money I needed, and now I– Gggaaahhhhh!” Lucy gripped her horns and screamed before rushing to her room. Nimyra collapsed in her chair and reached for a cigarette on the nearby table. Her hands were shaky and unsteady, causing Jony to pull a matchbox from his coat pocket.   

Nimyra took a long puff and exhaled the foggy smoke through her nose. The corners of her eyes were red and raw, and she was shedding tears while still looking beautiful. In a quiet voice, she apologized for what occurred and further expanded on how she and Servi met.   

“And that's why Lucy has such hatred of her,” the Drow Elf said, leaving out important details to remove any reference to the illusive patron, of which the entire slums seemed to fear. She only said Lucy did horrible things to her body for money that would eventually kill her.   

“But if Servi didn't act, then… But it isn't her fault! How was she supposed to know there was an agreement? She's a nice girl at heart. She really is!” Momo declared.   

“Lucy doesn't understand that. And I'm unable to change her viewpoint. We've been arguing for days...ever since she was well enough to walk, which you can thank Servi for.”  

Srassa and Momo were curious about ‘that thing between her legs,’ but it wasn't the right moment to ask. If it was vital to solving Servi’s disappearance, they believed Nimyra would've said something.   

“There’s something else. There's been murmurs and rumors of some ‘underground slave market’ that popped up a few days ago. Supposedly, it connects to the noble district, but I know nothing of it,” Nimyra said, taking another puff. She went on to say that Servi stated she was staying with an apothecary named Cassidy, yet when she tried to send a message, the apothecary said Servi didn't remain past the first night.   

Cassidy never explained anything further than that. The tears leaking from her eyes dropped to her lap when she looked down, extinguishing her cigarette as it loosely slipped from those experienced lips.   

“A question for you, Lady Nimyra, and I hope this won't upset you. Your renown as the Queen of Night is not unknown to someone like me, who makes it a task to become well-informed on things relating to the world of nobles to further serve the family I have sworn my loyalty to. With that said, and this may be obvious, why not send the inn’s guards into the slums to search for my lady’s missing companion?” asked Jony.   

“The Crimson Grotto’s warriors are not mine to order as freely as one may think. I sent a request to the manager and Duke Biggins, yet it was declined. I've already sent offers to the esteemed mercenaries I've dealt with in the past and some trusted clients, and I should hear from them within the week.”  

“I see. Then, and I hope this doesn't displease you, but have you thought that maybe Servi is no longer within Canary? Is it possible she would've left? From what I understand, she is without memory.”  

Nimyra sadly answered that she couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was just a forlorn hope that she was still alive. “I’m no stranger to seeing confident women meet their end after brazenly feeling like they could take on the world. Reality slaps that brashness in the face and cripples... It reminds you of how unfair and unjust this world can be. But hope can't be taken away. Until I know of her fate, I'll continue to hope for her safety. As for you two.” Nimyra spoke directly to Srassa and Momo. “I trust you won't venture into the slums and attempt to look for her. That place is not fit for those such as yourselves. It'll chew you up and spit you out as a former shell of who you used to be. And that's not a threat. It's a real proclamation of what's going to happen to you. Just leave the search to the mercenaries I hire. If I have to, I'll turn the slums upside down and investigate every nook and cranny.”   

Momo swiftly mentioned the missing person's report she filed at the central headquarters, but Nimyra scoffed, citing the guards never cared about this place. As far as they were concerned, it was like living near a different country. If a guard visited the slums, she said, then it wasn't for a good reason. There was never a good reason for them to come here because justice, as most people knew it, had died long ago.   

Jony soon looked at his pocket watch and announced it was time to depart.   

Nimyra stood and put her cigarette out in the nearby ashtray.   

“Okay. Ms. Nimyra, thank you for speaking with us,” Srassa said, bowing slightly after standing. Momo wasn't one for noble-esque behavior like this, but she copied her student. 

“It was nice meeting you two. I only wished it was under better circumstances. When… When Servi is found, let’s have supper together– the four of us. It'll be my treat.” Nimyra smiled. She had a century to practice a warm, blissful curl of her lips to send a bolt of electricity through anyone's heart, and these two girls were no different. A faint heat warmed their cheeks when they left.   

As the prostitute watched them descend the stairs at the end of the hallway, she leaned against the door frame and thought awfully long about her life. She thought of her relationship with Lucy and how it had never been this rocky. A part of her wondered if she should have told Servi the name of the one behind Lucy's vile injuries. She was just…so insistent. And Servi's power wasn't something to scoff at. Simoine and his gang weren't the strongest, but Servi killed them without breaking a sweat.   

With a sigh escaping her lips, she wondered if that rumored underground slave market was a factual location. But thinking about it only made her recall her own past, where she wasn't a stranger to these dens of disgust, where women and young girls were sold like cattle to the highest bidder.