Chapter 81 The Hells.

“You’re going to tell me about that plan.” Lenna told Isaac playfully once they were back in their room.

“Oh?” He questioned with a smirk. “Am I?”

Lenna rolled her eyes and pushed him onto the bed. “It’s my birthday, remember.” She teased.

Isaac laughed and shook his head at her. “You didn’t remember it was your birthday until I reminded you.” He countered.

Lenna huffed. “Fine then, keep your secrets.” She told him.

“Come on, don’t be like that.” Isaac pleaded. “I need Sera’s maid’s help for it so I’ll explain it all tomorrow.”

Lenna froze. “Sera’s maid?”

—

“Hello Sera, it’s always a pleasure.” Isaac greeted the duchess as he and Lenna entered her garden arm in arm.

Lenna smiled and nodded deeply to Sera. “I hope the rest of your birthday was well.” She told the younger woman.

“Yours as well.” Sera replied to Lenna first with a nod in greeting. “And hello Isaac, I heard you have been having fun.”

Isaac and Lenna joined Sera in her gazebo around her tea table. “A bit. I finally don’t feel weak anymore.” Isaac confessed. “I’m nowhere near full power but… it’s hard to describe properly…” Isaac’s face took on a contemplative look and the duchess gave him the time to find his words. “It’s like the feeling of putting on armor, the safety you feel with something between you and the world, but also the lightness of taking it off. I didn’t expect it to feel this freeing.”

Sera looked deeply curious. “What happened?” She asked and leaned in.

“When I first arrived I could only use my own death flames on a small area around my heart and my hands.” He began. “A few days ago I finally finished converting all of my body’s mana pathways to match my element.”

“Darkness.” Sera added.

Isaac nodded. “Yes. Now, I can heal my entire body with my death flames, I can reinforce it as well. I can lose an arm and a leg and be whole again in a matter of moments.” He smiled. “I finally feel like a demigod.”

“Beyond mortal reach?” Sera asked and leaned back to the more noble posture she usually adopted.

Isaac frowned and thought long and hard about her question. “Is anything truly outside of mortal reach?” He asked.

“What?” Lenna questioned. “You’ve met at least four proper deities. You think mortals can reach that?”

Isaac shrugged. “I don’t know.” He replied honestly. “I think that if enough dedicated wizards got together they could figure out a way to destroy the moon or prevent souls from leaving a corpse.” His eyes met Lenna and Sera’s. “Then what? The deities would weaken, maybe enough to be susceptible to a hundred simultaneous ninth level spells.”

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Lenna shook her head and Sera looked at him with wide eyes. “I feel like this topic is heresy.” Lenna told him.

“Probably.” Isaac agreed. “To be fair, Sera asked.”

“Let’s change the topic then.” Sera replied. “I heard you will be taking part in a duel later today?” She asked Lenna.

Lenna nodded. “It was a ‘heat of the moment’ thing. He challenged Isaac, but the way he did it…” Her voice trailed off as she tried to find the right way to put it.

“Pissed you off.” Isaac finished her sentence for her.

Lenna nodded again. “Speaking of,” Lenna continued. “I distinctly remember you saying you had a plan.” She looked pointedly at Isaac. “And that you would explain it today.”

“A plan?” Sera questioned with a twinkle in her sapphire eyes and a smile on her face.

Isaac nodded. “I figured we could catch up more before getting down to business but I suppose this is fine.” He conceded. “I require the services of your maid.” He explained. The maid had curly orange hair that looked unruly but was pulled back into a ponytail so it wouldn’t get in the way. Her eyes were a dull olive green and she had freckles across the bridge of her nose. Her cheekbones looked higher than they did the last time Isaac had seen her.

Sera seemed genuinely surprised. “Which one?” She asked.

Isaac narrowed his eyes on her. “Your bodyguard.” He told her pointedly and his eyes flicked to the ginger haired girl who barely looked a day over sixteen.

Sera’s eyes widened slightly before she smiled. Her smile was an experienced mask that she used to hide her emotions when in court. The maid looked confused but otherwise kept quiet, befitting a maid’s station. A bodyguard to a noble was given much more freedom to interact in social situations than the girl relegated to refilling the tea. “And why would you need her?” Sera questioned.

Lenna’s eyes were locked onto the maid as Isaac talked with Sera. She watched as the maid went from innocent and patient to surprised and confused. Now though, with Sera’s words, the maid’s posture changed to that of a coiled snake. Lenna could suddenly feel danger radiating from her even though her body had only shifted a few fractions of an inch. Her confused look turned into a blank expression that looked like it was simply taking in everything in her field of vision at once, calculating what was a threat and what could be used as a weapon.

Isaac leaned forwards and interlocked his fingers while setting his elbows on the table. “I need her to be me while Lenna is dueling.”

“Pardon?” Sera asked.

Lenna’s eyes left the maid and went to Isaac in surprise. “What?”

Isaac grinned. “From here, your ‘maid’, is to follow us to our room while invisible. When Lenna and I go to the arena she will go in my place. I will be invisible and with Lenna the entire time.” He explained.

“Why?” Sera questioned. “Are you going to cheat in the duel?” She questioned. “Do you doubt Lenna’s victory?”

Isaac shook his head before Lenna could interject. “No, I know that Lenna will tear him apart.” He corrected what they were thinking. “What I want is to instill fear into everyone watching in a way that Lenna, herself, cannot do.”

“How so?” Sera asked. Lenna had forgotten about the maid entirely and was completely focused on Isaac and his plan. It was a rare thing to see inside the mind of the dark mage.

Isaac held up his hand and created a small amount of death flames in his palm. “Lenna, release your aura a little.” He directed her. Lenna did as she was told and Sera paled. The maid crouched down and a pair of daggers seemed to materialize in her hand. The tray that she had been holding clanged to the ground. Isaac grinned at Sera and watched a shiver run down her spine. “Now tell me, duchess, what do you feel?”

Sera’s mouth was dry from the combined feelings assaulting her. She was able to keep herself schooled and in control even when in the presence of Isaac’s death flames but she had never felt both them and Lenna’s aura at the same time. The reminder of her own mortality combined with the feeling of having angered a predator, the feeling of looking down the maw of an angry dragon. It was too much. “Stop, please.” She squeaked out and the feeling vanished. Isaac simply closed his hand around the death flames and they were gone while Lenna took a deep breath. Sera’s mind was blanking after the experience.

“Sera?” Isaac asked a little concerned and Lenna reached out and took her hand. “Have some tea.” He told her and she mindlessly did so.

The hot, sweet, liquid brought her most of the way back to her senses. “That was… intense.” She thought aloud.

Isaac nodded. “That is the reaction I am going for.” He explained. “When Lenna is about to engage with what’s-his-name, I will coat her sword in death flames while she coats it in her normal fire. The combination will look strange to everyone watching, that’s the point. This evening we will be birthing another legend of Safeharbor. The black and orange flames that bring forth a feeling of having stared into the depths of the hells. The true power of the Lady of Hellfire.”

“You want me to play you in the stands while you enact this deception.” The maid finally spoke. She had relaxed a bit once Lenna’s aura and Isaac’s flames were gone.

“Yes.” Isaac replied. “No matter how hard I try I can’t be both in the stands and next to her to light her sword at the same time. I also can’t do it ahead of time or else everyone will feel the death flames way before her aura. The timing has to be perfect. Orange flames, death flames, and aura all need to be activated at the same time or else it won’t work.”

“I see.” Sera said. She was silent for a while as she contemplated many things. On the outside she simply looked contemplative. None watching could see the war going on inside her. Isaac’s plan had a high chance of success. If she agreed to help then he was more likely to keep her in the loop in the future. She would also be boosting both his and Lenna’s standing in the city. Standing that was already rising at a rate that could prove dangerous when her son eventually took over the duchy. After the ‘event’ at her birthday ball there were many more eyes on Isaac than usual. Many more powerful eyes. Isaac had put her in a bad spot. She had no doubt that he had a back up plan that didn’t involve her so even if she decided not to go along with them the plan would happen anyway. ‘If you can’t stop them, join them.’ Sera thought with an internal sigh. “Alright. I have a few conditions.”