Chapter 101 Our Humble Home.
A few glances were thrown back and forth between the gang members. “I’ve never met a demigod. You aren’t exactly what I was picturing.” The swordswoman told Isaac casually. Apparently not worried about possibly offending one.
“Looks can be deceiving, expectations are delusions, reality is rarely what it seems.” Isaac replied and let his shadows fade. He tossed his hood back again.
“I shot him in the chest.” The crossbowman who had done so told the swordswoman.
Isaac had completely forgotten at that point and looked down at his armor to find the hole. “Yeah.” He said with a frown. “This armor was already falling apart.” He continued while running his finger over the small round hole that still had a little blood on it. Isaac’s frown deepened “The shirt is ruined now too.” He complained.
Lenna just shook her head. “I forgot you were immortal for a moment.” She told him, reinforcing his previous statement about demigodhood.
The swordswoman leaned in and poked the hole. Some blood came off on her finger, barely dried. “Huh.” She rubbed it between her fingers
Lenna had taken half a step towards Isaac when the other woman had moved. “Immortal or not, he is still my charge.” Lenna warned the woman and raised her hand in between them.
The swordswoman looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Don’t like me getting close to your demigod boyfriend?” The swordswoman asked.
Lenna didn’t respond. Isaac looked between them with a smirk. “I believe some introductions are in order.” He told them both. “As you know I am the Lord of Darkness itself, my name is Lord Isaac Wexler of …” His voice trailed off as a headache assaulted him and he shook his head. The swordswoman looked concerned at him.
Lenna set her hand on his shoulder. “You know better.” She told him.
Isaac sighed. “Yeah. Memories taken shouldn’t be remembered…” He whispered. “Anyway, introduce yourself to our new friends.”
Lenna turned and set her hand on her hilt, just in case. “I am Lady Lenna V’Nova, formerly of Contantis, ower of a life debt to the Lord of Darkness.”
The mixed reaction from hearing her name was expected. Some cared and were angry but too afraid to do anything about it, some didn’t care. Those that were angry probably had lost someone to the drow military presence in the region. This was normal even if it was unfortunate.
The swordswoman put her hand on her chest and gave a low exaggerated bow. “I am Eleonora Espina, sword master in training, sword for hire.” She rose from her bow with an easy smile on her face.
“What about you big man?” Isaac asked the goliath who was still hanging out. Some of the others looked like they didn’t want to stick around but felt like they shouldn’t leave for one reason or another. One of those reasons being that their boss was still on the ground. The healer had gotten around to him but didn’t look sure enough to approach the man. Isaac’s presence carried some weight now that people had heard the screams of his most recent victim.
“Brick, son of Oak.” He replied and nodded in finality. Isaac waited for any exposition but got none so he looked around at the others.
Only the wizard felt like answering. “Bartholomew Erikson, Altesia Academy graduate. Caster for coin as it goes.” He looked up at Lenna and rubbed his chin. “I might have to rethink my line of work.”
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When none of the others felt inclined to introduce themselves Isaac shooed them away. “The rest of you may go. But,” He raised a finger in emphasis. “You better not touch my gold.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” One of the crossbowmen said after swallowing hard. The screams of pain and terror were still fresh in his mind.
Most of the group broke up but the goliath, Brick, the swordswoman, Eleonora, and the wizard, Bartholomew, decided to stick around. Isaac gave the healer some space to look over the downed kingpin. “I would offer you three jobs but I don’t have anything for you to do to make it worth my while. I would recommend getting out of this business while you can though.”
“You know somethin’ we don’t mister god man?” Eleonora asked.
Isaac chuckled at her designation of him. “Just a feeling.” Isaac told her. “Things are going to get real interesting at the Adventurers’ Guild real soon and a small change in leadership in the Duke’s cabinet is likely as well.”
“You certainly know what’s up with the powerful folks huh?” Eleonora asked rhetorically.
Isaac gave her a smirk. “I could tell you my own schedule and that would still count.”
She gave him a teasing smile. “Well, if you ever have time, you could add me to your… schedule.” She offered with a wink.
Isaac shook his head. “Sorry, I’m really busy.” He shot her down. “You’re cute though.”
She shrugged. “Today is my day for losses I guess.” She turned and looked at the wizard and goliath. “What do you think boys? We would make an alright adventuring team.”
Brick shrugged. “If there are good fights.”
Isaac nodded. “There can be. You just need to find the right jobs.” He assured the goliath.
Bartholomew sighed. “It’s gotta be better than getting yelled at by that prick right?” He answered and gestured towards the crumpled dwarf.
“Probably.” Isaac replied.
“Great, then it’s settled. Com’on boys.” She directed her companions.
“Right now?” The wizard asked.
“Yeah. Why not?” The woman asked with her head cocked in question.
The wizard and swordswoman continued bickering as they left in the direction of Safeharbor’s Adventurers’ Guild. Isaac turned to Lenna. “They were fun.”
Lenna met his eyes. “You mean she.” She accused.
Isaac put his hands up. “My heart remains yours Lady V’Nova. The interaction may have been fun but it was still just some idle banter.” He defended.
Lenna rolled her eyes and put her helmet back on. “I’m tired.”
“I bet.” He agreed. “Let’s get the gold and get out of here.” He told her and started walking down the street towards where the dwarf and his party had come from.
Lenna followed behind him quietly the entire way to the brothel. “Ever been in one before?” Isaac asked her. The entrance was covered in pink paint and had a very detailed painting of a scantily dressed woman on the front.
Lenna shook her head. “No.” Was her only reply.
Isaac walked in like he owned the place. He tossed the double batwing doors open and strode in. The music stopped for a moment before picking up where it had left off as if nothing had happened. An older woman in a corset and frilly skirt but presumably nothing else on sauntered over to him as Lenna walked up and stopped behind him.
“What can I do for you fine…” She eyed Lenna for a moment. “Folks.”
“The dwarf owes me money.” Isaac told her. “He’s still unconscious so I came to get it myself.”
Her eyes widened momentarily. “Well, mayhaps, if you would allow it, I could host you in a back room for a short while? On the house of course.”
“No.” Isaac replied with total confidence. “Either you help me get the twelve hundred gold he owes me, plus the three hundred for the offense of shooting me, or I turn this building upside down and pick it out of the wreckage.”
“My Lord, if I may?” Lenna asked, getting a look of horror from the woman. Downtown people could just go missing, even decently well known merchants, maybe in a rare case even an adventurer, and no one of any importance would come looking for them. Lenna dropping the Lord title proved that Isaac belonged to the one group of people that absolutely, under no circumstances ever, could go missing downtown. A lord going missing was basically sending the guard, garrison, magistrate, and the duke himself a personal letter asking to be searched, tried, and hanged for any and all offence.
“Yes Lenna?” Isaac replied but didn’t take his eyes off the Madam of the brothel.
“I could burn it down instead.” Lenna offered. “There would be less to sift through.”
Isaac smiled. “I like that idea.” He thought about it for a moment while the Madam tried to gain her bearings and find something to say to save her brothel and hopefully her position as well. “Izen might not though.” He continued with a frown. “Breaking things is fine but I don’t want to start a block fire by accident. Izen has been very courteous to us and I wouldn’t want to pay back his hospitality with wanton destruction.”
Lenna gave him a short bow befitting a knight to her Lord and replied: “It is as you say my Lord.”
Isaac referencing the duke by his first name not once but twice just kept hammering home the fact that this woman, the Madam, was not only entirely out classed, both literally and figuratively, but if she misspoke, losing her job could be the least of her worries.
“My Lord, my Lord, please. I will take you to it, there is no reason to resort to destruction or violence. I had only wished to give you the best experience since you came to our humble home.” The Madam went on with a deep curtsy and as radiant of a smile as she could muster given the circumstance.
Isaac looked down at her with a bored expression. He knew he was a good actor but the more he played the ‘above the law’, ‘holier than thou’, nobleman with enough power to get away with it role, the more he liked it. It was fun. He looked down his nose at her, bringing his chin up slightly. “Well go on then, lead the way.”