Chapter 54 Infuriating
Isaac made sure to remember to return in four weeks, one month’s time, for another tea party at the same time and place. Lenna was going to remind him anyway just in case. The pair decided to stop by the desert parlor that they had the previous time as well. They decided that they would continue the tradition at least until they had tried everything on the menu at least once. There truly were few other things better than chilled desserts. Thankfully this time they were not ambushed on their return by assassins. Instead they were ambushed by someone else and Isaac received a bit of a reality check.
“You!” An elderly woman pointed at Isaac with barely contained emotions, all of them negative, while shaking with fury.
Isaac and Lenna stopped walking. The smile that had found its way across both of their faces dropped. They had been enjoying themselves. Isaac raised an eyebrow in question. “Yes?” He asked amiably.
His attitude seemed to push her over the edge. “You killed my boy!” She screamed.
Isaac had to run through the list of humans he had killed in his mind to try and place one that bore any resemblance to the woman in front of them and was coming up short. On one hand he knew better than to escalate the situation but on the other he really couldn’t help himself. Most people, normal people with a working conscience, would have felt some amount of guilt no matter how bad the person they killed was when confronting that person’s grieving mother. For most people, even if they tried to logic the guilt away, there would still be a vague sadness for causing another person so much emotional pain and grief. Unfortunately, Isaac wasn’t most people.
“You are going to have to be more specific.” Isaac told her coldly. Lenna had to hold back a wince and a few bystanders visibly recoiled. Isaac knew that everyone he killed either had it coming or it was simply business. To him that meant that it ended there. He didn’t even care to remember most of their faces and definitely didn’t remember any of their names. He knew them all by the reason they died, however, and that was something he wasn’t likely to ever forget. Isaac didn’t kill as lightly as it seemed to outsiders. Every kill had a real reason behind it and killing the person was the best course of action when it came to furthering his goals in one way or another. If asked he could explain each one, individually, at length. Reasons within reasons and justifications within excuses.
The woman looked like she was going to change races her face had gotten so red. Tears pooled at the edges of her eyes. It took her a long moment to regain any amount of composure. Another older woman placed a hand on her back for comfort. “The day before yesterday.” The second woman spat. “Unless you need it narrowed down any further you, you, murderer.”
Isaac’s face betrayed no expression. If a person didn’t want their families to grieve for them then they had plenty of options around such a fate. Not being an asshole was at the top of that list. “He could have kept his mouth shut.” Isaac replied, his tone still cold and unrepentant. The mother of the man who died looked like she was about to say something and take a step towards Isaac but he cut her off. He took half a step towards her causing her to pause and continued with some of his own anger starting to build at the memory of the person he had killed. “He also could have taken back what he said.”
Lenna almost reached for one of the throwing spikes, keeping her hair up, when several of the bystanders looked like they were going to try to go to the old women’s rescue. A wave of shadows rolled out from Isaac with enough force to ruffle clothes but little else. It was clear to Lenna that he had directed it downwards instead of out because it only existed to scare the rest of the civilians enough to keep them at bay. ‘He has to escalate everything doesn’t he?’ She thought to herself with a barely contained sigh. She felt for the woman. Losing a loved one was never pleasant and as much as Lenna would have liked to stop Isaac from executing the man there wasn’t anything she could have done. There wasn’t anything she could do now either. She was just along for the ride as usual. That was one of the reasons she liked to turn the tables on Isaac whenever they were alone. Not that she would tell anyone that of course.
“But he didn’t.” Isaac spat and took another half a step towards the woman who was starting to crumble into a breakdown. “I gave him more chances than he deserved. If someone wants to fight then they will and when they come across someone stronger than them they will lose.” His voice was turning from ice cold to fiery hot as he went. The woman’s legs finally gave out and she collapsed onto the ground in sobs and tears. Isaac bent at the hip to both get closer to her and exert even more pressure. “Your son would still be alive if he hadn’t gone out of his way to be an asshole.” He told her in a voice only a little louder than a whisper. By the end his jaw was set and his eyes were hard. He stood up straight and offered his arm to Lenna who took it with a raised eyebrow.
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He led them along at a measured pace away from where the commotion had started. Once they were out of ear shot Lenna decided to just ask her question. “Still mad about that?” She asked him.
Isaac took a deep breath finally and let it out slowly. Most of the tension drifted away with his breath. “Yes and no.” He replied. A moment later he continued. “I’m just generally irritated at all of it.” He told her. “Like I said, he didn’t have to die, he just needed to not be an asshole. It’s not that hard.” Lenna raised an eyebrow with slight amusement at the final statement. “Even I can avoid being an asshole to people who are stronger than me, and know it, or who simply don’t deserve it.” Lenna ceded him the point with a nod. “Also, it’s a lot simpler when the person doesn’t have any family, or, at the very least, I don’t have to deal with said family.”
“Ah.” Lenna said. There it was. He just didn’t like dealing with people he couldn’t get onto his side.
Isaac caught the odd undertones of Lenna’s word. “What?” He asked.
“You finally got to the real problem.” She replied easily.
“Oh.” Isaac said but stayed silent for only a short moment afterwards. “Still,” He began again. “none of that needed to happen.”
Lenna nodded in agreement. “No, it did not.” She took a moment to sort out her words. “But it did. There may be more in the future if you aren’t careful.” She warned him. “Not every insult deserves a reprisal.”
Isaac shook his head in the negative. “No, but ones done with nothing but malicious feelings and intent need to be curbed. I tried being polite, I tried threats, then I tried violence. If others don’t learn from this then that is their own fault and their own urns.” Isaac explained. He had no delusions about any of his ‘victims’ having enough left of them for a coffin.
Lenna sighed. “Very well.” She understood his argument and thought process. She even acknowledged that it was probably the right course of action but that didn’t mean she liked it any more. “Let’s change focus.” She offered.
Isaac nodded. “Yes.” He agreed. “What do you want to do after we change out of these formal clothes?”
Lenna shrugged. “Spar?” She offered and Isaac chuckled. It was her favorite pastime. She was a warrior through and through after all.
“Spar it is.” He replied with a nod and then his mind wandered to something adjacent. “We need a bigger tub.” He commented.
Lenna tilted her head slightly in question and looked at him. “Why?” She asked.
“We always get a bath afterwards.” He replied, expecting her to understand where he was going with it. After a moment of her not saying anything or responding in any way he continued. “We could take it together.”
Lenna’s eyebrows rose and her face colored a bit. “Isaac!” She chastised in a loud whisper. “We are in public.”
Isaac’s smirk was impish. He knew exactly how to get back at her for messing with him. He had been struggling to find a way and coming up short for a few weeks but now he had an avenue of attack. One that he would save because most things were better the first time.
The two eventually found themselves back inside the Guild Hall around an hour before dinner. “Here for a job?” Alice asked when she saw them. Isaac had decided to wait to startle her again for at least a few days to give her a false sense of security.
Isaac shook his head. “No.” He told her but let Lenna explain.
Lenna walked up to the receptionist with a smile. “I need a platinum one.” She said and placed her adventurer’s badge on the desk in front of Alice.
Alice’s eyes went wide. “Already?!” She couldn’t believe the rate that Lenna was leveling up. Usually leveling up was a long and slow process. Adventurers tended to level faster because live combat with life and limb on the line was always more productive than sparring but Lenna’s leveling rate was beyond anything that Alice had seen. “How?” She asked in awe as she took the badge so she could copy it onto a platinum one.
Lenna motioned Alice closer and they both leaned in towards each other so Lenna could whisper something to Alice. “Acting like Isaac.” She whispered conspiratorially.
Alice just looked at her in confusion. “What?” She asked, only more dumbfounded.
Lenna nodded sagely. “It’s all about infuriating the right people.” She offered the younger woman like it was some ancient wisdom of the gods.
Isaac snorted a laugh. He had heard everything and was just glad that Lenna was opening up. The longer they were together the more of a mischievous streak Isaac found buried under all the ancient, righteous, knight she usually showed. He smiled at her fondly though she couldn’t see as he was standing a little behind her while she messed with Alice. He caught a glimpse of her smile and could almost feel the real joy and amusement radiating off of her. ‘Good.’ Isaac thought. ‘I hope I can keep her at least this happy.’ His smile took on a hint of sadness. ‘At least for as long as I’m alive.’