Chapter 34 The Only One Who Works
It took Lenna the better part of the rest of the night to finish healing Lisa to a point where they didn’t need to be careful transporting her back to Outpost Charles. Lenna also took off all of her borrowed clothes and put her armor back on. “That’s better.” She said as she strapped on Isaac’s scabbard with the spare longsword. “I’m still mad about losing my sword.”
“At least-” Isaac was cut off by Lenna’s aura flaring. “Never mind.”
Lenna picked up Lisa and threw her over her shoulder like a sack of flour. “Ow!” Lisa yelled indignantly. “I can walk myself you brute!”
“Keep it down before I gag you.” Isaac replied coldly. “It was that or I drug you behind me by your ankles.” Lisa bit back her reply and instead just tried to kill Isaac via the sheer intensity of her scowl.
The return trip was much longer than the trip out. The pair decided to swing by most of the locations Chris had told them about to check and see if there were actually monsters there. Around half of them were real reports but the rest had remnants of a campsite. It appeared that Brennen had been around for a while and had been moving campsites to stay undiscovered. Lisa had stayed quiet for the first two hours before she said that she was going to be sick.
“Fine.” Isaac said. “Let her down.” He told Lenna. Lenna reached up and grabbed Lisa by the back of her shirt and just picked her up and set her on the ground.
“What are you made of, monster?” Lisa grumbled at being manhandled.
“I’m not above smacking you around.” Isaac told her. “Don’t talk to Lenna unless you have something nice to say. Put your hands behind your back.”
Lisa’s eyes burned with hatred at Isaac. She also had no doubt that he would definitely smack her around if she kept being impolite to the death machine that had been manhandling her. “Fine.” Lisa spat. “At least let me walk on my own.”
“Then, put, your, hands, behind, your, back.” Isaac spoke each word as clearly as he could. Lisa continued scowling at him but did as she was told. Lenna took out the other rope and tied Lisa’s arms together. The rope wrapped around her wrists and between each finger to keep them from moving at all. It was fifty feet of rope and Lenna was intent on using all of it. She then untied Lisa’s legs and used that rope to make a tether. One end was tied to Lisa’s bindings and Lenna held the rest of it in a few loops. She gave Lisa half a dozen feet of slack so she wouldn’t be getting tossed around but she also couldn’t do anything funny with the extra slack.
“I hope you die and freeze in the hells for all of time.” Lisa cursed Isaac.
“Uh-huh.” Isaac replied just like he had the last few times she had tried to curse him to death and an eternity of pain and torment.
“Even if it’s not today, one day, I’ll find a way to kill you.” Lisa continued.
“Sure.” Isaac replied again while looking at the map. “This way right?” He asked Lenna.
“Hey! Pay attention to me you bastard!” Lisa swore at him.
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“Yes.” Lenna replied. “I believe so.”
“Damned demon.” Lisa swore under her breath.
Lenna closed the gap between them in two steps before picking up the smaller woman by her bound hands. The scout’s own weight threatened to pop her shoulders out of their sockets. Lisa whimpered in pain as her muscles flexed to try and keep her arms in place. “I’m not above smacking you around either.” Lenna said coldly. “And my hands are wrapped in steel.” She let go of Lisa and the scout fell the three feet to the ground face and knees first.
Lisa whimpered and groaned before deciding to just lay there and cry. “I hate you.” She sobbed. “I hate you so much.”
“I know.” Lenna said and grabbed both of Lisa’s shoulders to haul her to her feet. “And it’s perfectly fine to hate us.” She consoled her. “But we are also the ones with all the power. Remember that.” She nudged Lisa forwards and the smaller woman started walking again. She was silent for the rest of the trip back.
—
“Ahoy!” Isaac called out as they reached the gate to Outpost Charles once more.
The slit in the gate opened up. “Names and badges?” Gregory asked.
“Isaac Wexler.” Isaac replied simply.
“Oh!” Gregory exclaimed and hurried to open the gate.
“Thanks kid.” Isaac said as the gate opened up to reveal Gregory. “Are you the only one who works the gate during the day?”
Gregory shrugged. He gestured towards the guard shack a dozen feet from the gate. “The old timers are in there playing poker with copper coins or dozing the whole time. Something about their old backs not being able to handle standing all day or something. It’s a load of shit if you ask me.” He explained.
Isaac chuckled. “I’m inclined to agree.” He replied. “It’s a good thing for us though because explaining this would be more of a hassle than it’s worth.” He gestured back to a tied up Lisa.
“Oh!” Gregory exclaimed with wide eyes. “What happened? Was she really the culprit? How did you find out? Where did all the gold go? What happened to her?”
“Hold your horses there kiddo.” Isaac replied. “Get one of the old timers to do their job and come with us to get your sergeant.”
Gregory nodded quickly and ran into the guard shack. Isaac, Lenna, and Lisa entered the outpost and Isaac closed the gate behind them. He was about to replace the bar when Gregory ran back out of the guard shack and grabbed the other end to help him put it back in place. “What in Halya’s name?!” An older gentleman exclaimed upon seeing Lisa all tied up.
“Just take over, gramps.” Gregory told the older guard. He looked to be in his fifties, maybe a little older. Isaac doubted if he was really still qualified to be a guard with his slight limp and obviously aging body.
“Wait just a moment youngun!” He looked between everyone present. “Who are they and what’s goin’ on?”
“Ask your sergeant later.” Isaac told him before turning to Gregory. “I changed my mind. Tell the sergeant that two platinum level adventurers are requesting his presence at the Guild Hall. Immediately.”
“You sure?” Gregory asked.
Isaac nodded. “Yes. It’ll be best if we get this all out of the way at the same time.” He explained and nodded down the street. “Lisa, walk.”
Lisa by this point looked completely exhausted. She looked defeated and worn down beyond anything anyone had ever seen in her before. There were still tear stains on her face as her tears had washed away some of the dirt that had been caked on. She started walking before she stumbled and dropped to her knees. She just sat there pitifully. Lenna picked her up and laid her on her shoulder a bit more gently than the first time. “I’m starting to feel bad.” Lenna whispered to Isaac while they walked towards the Adventurers’ Guild. Gregory had done as requested and headed off towards the guard barracks in a jog.
“I feel like I kicked a puppy that bit me.” Isaac said with a frown. “She deserved it but I’m not happy about it.” He explained. “I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say I feel bad about it though.”
“Monster.” Lisa whispered. Both Isaac and Lenna pretended not to hear her.
A small crowd was starting to form as people filled in behind them as they made their way to the Adventurers’ Guild. “Hey! Make way!” They heard Chris yell from behind them. The pair stopped to wait for Chris to catch up. Chris soon caught up but stopped before he could say anything once he saw the pitiful state that Lisa was in. “Oh.” He said quietly.
“Just come with us.” Isaac told him. “A lot happened and it’s best to tell everyone at once.”
A minute later Isaac tossed the Adventurers’ Guild Hall door open and held it for Lenna to enter with Lisa. Chris followed behind and then Isaac let go of the door. The rest of the crowd could handle it themselves. As soon as they entered a middle aged man took off in a sprint towards the back and then up the stairs to get the Guild Master. A moment later a guard in plate armor, the only one properly armored in the entire outpost as the rest of the guards were in half plate at best, with gray hair walked in. Before he could say anything the door to the stairwell flew open so hard it slammed against the wall and the door latch almost broke off of the door. ‘One way or another this ends here.’ Isaac thought to himself and mentally prepared for the battle that was about to begin.