Chapter 25 Curse

“What’s wrong?” Lenna questioned Isaac. They had left Ben’s End half an hour prior and had been walking towards Outpost Charles. The fact that Isaac hadn’t led them to sprint for the outpost was only the first hint that Lenna had to the fact that something was on Isaac’s mind. He had been unusually silent for almost their entire walk. His face had shifted through a few emotions over their walk as well. From quiet contemplation to uncertainty to dread and finally to malaise. The fact that he hadn’t spoken a word about whatever was on his mind was starting to worry Lenna. “Isaac?” Lenna continued when he didn’t seem to notice her question.

“Huh? What?” Isaac asked as he was pulled from his thoughts.

“What’s on your mind?” Lenna asked again.

Isaac frowned. “This is going to be… awkward.” He told her. “Also, I’m trying to figure out exactly how we are going to shadow Lisa without her noticing. Your armor isn’t exactly quiet and I can’t keep us both invisible forever.”

“What is going to be awkward?” Lenna questioned.

Isaac swallowed and averted his gaze. “Meeting the innkeeper.” He answered quietly.

Lenna frowned and narrowed her gaze at him. “Why Isaac? You said that you hadn’t had any relations with anyone before me.” She accused.

“And I wasn’t lying. In this world, I have not been with anyone other than you.” Isaac defended. “But there was definitely some tension and words exchanged with the woman who runs the only inn in Outpost Charles.”

“I’ll fight her.” Lenna replied evenly.

“No no no.” Isaac said abruptly and put his hands out in a placating gesture. “Your aura could kill her if you tried too hard.”

“Why does it matter if you have me?” Lenna retorted.

“Because even if there isn’t anyone else in my heart, which there isn’t, that doesn’t mean I want you killing any woman who has ever or will ever flirt with me.” Isaac argued.

Lenna’s eyes narrowed further at him. “Then what is going to be so awkward about this meeting?” She interrogated evenly.

Isaac unconsciously gulped under the pressure of her gaze. “When I had last seen her I may have said something about choosing to stay if I ever came back.” He got out quickly and quietly and maybe an octave higher than usual.

Lenna was silent for long enough that Isaac was forced to take a breath. He hadn’t even noticed that he was holding his breath until his chest started to feel tight. Her gaze never left him. “I trust you will let her down directly and promptly.” She eventually told him. “Unless you want me to.” Her final statement seemed to Isaac to be more of a threat than an offer.

Isaac swallowed dryly. “I’ll do it. It’ll be better that way.” He replied.

“I can do it.” Lenna offered a little less threatening than last time.

Isaac shook his head side to side rapidly. “No no. I can do it.” He assured her.

Lenna stared at him for another long moment. “Good.” Was all she said.

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The pair continued in silence for a long few minutes before Isaac decided to just hurry up to Outpost Charles and get it over with. He’d figure out how to shadow Lisa on the fly. Anything was better than the silent tension he had made for himself with Lenna. “Let’s step up the pace.” Isaac told Lenna as he started to speed up. “The sooner we get there the sooner we can get home.” Lenna eyed him for a moment before nodding and picking up the pace as well.

Luckily for Isaac, Lenna didn’t mind the silence, they had an interruption a short time later. “It’s Alexander.” Lenna said and slowed to a stop.

Isaac stopped as well and waited patiently for her to finish talking telepathically with the court mage. “Anything useful?” Isaac asked after a while.

Lenna frowned then seemed to turn her attention back to Isaac. “Yes and no.” Lenna replied. “They were aware of the fact that drow were involved at some point.” Lenna shook her head. “He never met them but the wizard did.”

“Do we have a description?” Isaac questioned.

Lenna shook her head. “No.” Lenna’s frown deepened. “We can’t even be sure that they are the only drow involved.”

“Oh?” Isaac prodded.

Lenna nodded. “They were given funding in exchange for helping smuggle in spies, once. The spies were caught and the drow never tried to work directly with them again.” She continued recounting the information Alexander had relayed to her. “They did sell things like guard patrol patterns and estimated military power. We don’t know who introduced the wizard to the drow. That is the main issue right now.”

“We need to figure out who her accomplice was.” Isaac reiterated. “Do you think it could be our little thief in Outpost Charles?”

Lenna shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never met her.” She replied.

“But?” Isaac asked. He had the feeling that Lenna had more to comment, knowing her it was likely to be more based on a hunch than anything else if she hadn’t just said it in the first place.

“Aria seemed to think that there was something going on with her.” Lenna began. “A wood elf’s intuition shouldn’t be ignored.”

“Especially when you are getting the same feeling?” Isaac prodded.

Lenna nodded. “Yes.”

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A dark elf a bit into his sixth century sat on his throne. His posture was perfect and he breathed power and authority. There was a sorceress, that he had paid good favors for, kneeling at his feet. She was one of his better investments over the centuries. His throne was solid gold the entire way through. The platinum engravings across the back rest and back of the throne showed a glorious battle of he himself battling a blue dragon to a standstill. He was a lot younger then but then again, so was the dragon. He wondered who would come out on top if they ever met again.

“She is moving very quickly, my Lord.” The sorceress told him, pulling him out of his nostalgic memories.

His gaze narrowed as it lowered from the stained glass window, that depicted the glorious Dri’El locked in deific combat with El’Gra, to the sorceress. “Where is she now?” He questioned.

“Half between the human outpost and their smaller settlement.” She answered directly. She knew that he hated it when his minions minced words. She also knew that that is exactly what she was, a minion, and nothing more.

“Give the order to Drider’s Sons. Catch them on their return from the small settlement to the larger one. I do not care how long they must wait.” He ordered and then felt the ripple of mana from her as she immediately carried out his order. “Keep tracking her.” He told the sorceress. “Make sure those assassins do not miss their mark. I do not accept failure.”

“As you say, my Lord.” She replied. Her eyes had never left the ground before his feet. She remained silent as she waited for her dismissal.

A long moment passed. Long enough for her to wonder if he had forgotten about her. “You may go.” He eventually told her. Her knee hurt and her back ached from kneeling so low on the marble floor for so long. She bowed lower before raising but kept her gaze low. She bowed and turned to leave. As soon as she was close to the door he watched her pace quicken and the corner of his mouth quirked upwards. He took a deep breath and relaxed slightly once she was out of sight. His gaze returned to the image of Dri’El that had been destroyed those handful of months ago. “Just what game are you playing?” He asked someone who couldn’t hear him. “If you were truly running from me then you would be much farther away.” His brows furrowed in deep contemplation. “Are you taunting me, girl? Me?” As he reached that conclusion he ground his teeth. “The only one who will mourn your loss will be me, only for all the resources that you wasted.” If he had the power to curse her then his words would have served as the incantation. Instead he just wished to his god that she would somehow hear them through the hundreds of miles distance between.

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“Achoo!” Lenna sneezed. It was loud. Even louder to her due to her equipped helmet.

“You feeling alright?” Isaac asked. He had never heard her sneeze before. She always had this air of unassailability to her, like illnesses just simply weren’t powerful enough to challenge her.

Lenna shook her head to clear it. “Yes. Someone must be talking shit about me.” She replied.

“It couldn’t be good things?” Isaac asked with a chuckle.

Lenna gave Isaac a flat look. “And who would that be?”

Isaac shook his head. “Maybe Sera and Jessica are sitting down for tea and you came up in conversation.” He offered.

Lenna rolled her eyes. “It’s more likely that my uncle is trying to curse me or something.” She replied.

Isaac’s amusement vanished. “He can do that?” He questioned.

Lenna shook her head with a chuckle. “No. But it never stopped him from trying before.”