Chapter 97 Kee Kee Kee
“Ready to buy some elicit goods?” Lenny asked Isaac as he donned his Phantom mask. Lenny handed Isaac a black masquerade mask that hid his eyes behind a thin white mesh.
“This is a bit on the nose don’t you think?” Isaac asked as he put it on.
Lenny laughed. “It would be but… you’ll just have to see it.”
“Oh?” Isaac asked with a raised eyebrow. “What about Lenna?”
Lenny looked up at Lenna. “With all due respect, lady boss, there is no way in all the hells that I can get you in there without everyone knowing who you are. If you two wanna crash the blackmarket auction that’s on you but I would really like it if you didn’t.” He told her.
“Isaac?” Lenna asked.
Isaac smirked from under his mask. “If you insist, my Lady, then I will indeed need an escort.”
“I don’t know whether I should say that you two are way cuter than the Walking Nightmares should be, or tell you to stop being gross so we aren’t late.” Lenny, Phantom, told them.
“Walking Nightmares?” Isaac asked.
“Everyone knows you and I are working together at this point, well, you and Phantom are anyway. That also means that all the chaos I’ve been stirring up was just added to your exploits. Everyone with anything to hide has been checking under their bed for one of us and everyone knows that the two of you are entirely untouchable. The stories are spread around of your fights and the terror you’ve put into Duncan’s men. Basically, everyone thinks you are fucking scary and no one knows when or where you’ll show up.” Phantom explained. “Now, let’s get going, we need to be there early if we want good seats.”
“Give us a moment.” Isaac said and pushed Lenna into one of James and Lenny’s back rooms.
“Oh don’t do that here.” Phantom groaned.
“Shut up!” Lenna yelled back. “That’s not- hey watch your hands.”
A few minutes later, Isaac and Lenna walked out in their well known and distinctive tea-day garb. Lenna’s silver and form fitting but modest one shouldered dress, and Isaac’s plain black long sleeved button shirt and pants, were well known from their many trips to see Sera for tea. Isaac wore his mask and then looked to Phantom for one for Lenna.
“Ugh.” Phantom groaned. “I knew this would happen.” He said and handed Lenna a silver mask with black mesh over the eyes. Both masks were simply painted wood but the paints were incredibly expensive. Pure black paint required actual alchemical reagents in order to have a glossy finish and the silver paint literally had silver dust in it so it would color properly and sparkle in the light.
“That’s what I like about you.” Darkness told Phantom. “You are always prepared. Now, lead the way.” He told the sword dancer and then offered his arm for his mate. Hellfire took it after donning her own mask. It was finally time for the blackmarket. Unfortunately, it was only the Safeharbor blackmarket, but it was something.
Darkness shrouded Hellfire and himself in shadows until they reached a back alley with a sewer access point. “The sewers?” Darkness questioned.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“I will never be able to get that smell out of this dress.” Hellfire complained. “I can keep it at bay though, if you are willing to bear a fair amount of heat and a spectacle.”
“I am always up for a spectacle.” Darkness replied.
“Have you seen the three of us?” Phantom joked. “Our existence is a spectacle, but no, this is not actually a sewer entrance. Just do exactly what I do.” He told them and stood on the iron slab covering what looked to be a sewer access point. “Rob Shaefar.” He whispered and then fell straight through the iron slab. Darkness and Hellfire felt a faint change in the mana around them but a second later everything was back to normal. It all happened so fast that they hadn’t even had enough time to figure out what kind of magic was at play.
“I can’t feel the shadows under the grate.” Darkness expressed.
“Then I’ll go first.” Hellfire spoke and stepped onto the iron slab. “Rob Shaefar.” With those two words she fell through the slab. Darkness followed immediately after and was met with a tight, dark, and dusty stone passageway.
“This runs parallel with the sewers in some places but the walls should keep the smell out.” Phantom explained. “There aren’t that many access points like this. The actual sewers need to be accessed and we can’t have the duke’s men tearing up an alleyway because they can’t get the door open.” He explained. “Follow me and watch out for the spiders, most of them are deadly.”
“How does that door work?” Darkness asked. “Does it become incorporeal or is there a reality shield that is perfectly hidden with illusion magic and the activation phrase just turns it off for a second?”
“No idea, boss.” Phantom replied while he led the duo down the dark tunnel. He had become almost addicted to darkvision potions as of late and once again it was proving its worth. Darkness kept the dust from the tunnel off of himself and Hellfire via shadows that seemed to devour the tunnel only to spit it back out after they passed.
“Phantom.” Darkness spoke. His voice had dropped an octave as he readied himself for the coming spectacle. “We are getting close.” Darkness had felt ahead and noticed that the shadows met a flickering wall two more bends and two hundred yards away.
A chill went up Phantom’s spine upon hearing the voice so close behind him. The lack of echo caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. The shadows on the walls had muted any echo to a point where his human ears could no longer notice it. “I know.” He said with a bit of forced mischievous cheer in his voice. “I hope they are ready for a show, though, if not, it might get even more fun.”
“If you were any less powerful, then everyone would think you were just deranged maniacs.” Hellfire told her companions. “Though,” Her voice softened ever so slightly as a whisper of warmth bled through. “I must admit, you are rubbing off on me.”
“Every night.” Darkness replied with obvious humor in his deep and gravelly voice. Phantom pretended not to notice Darkness’s comment.
“Isaac Wexler,” Hellfire spoke in a whisper that he could barely hear. “I’ll find a way to pay you back for that later.” She promised him. Darkness only smirked as they continued on.
Once they rounded the second corner they were met with an oak door with a viewing slit at around eye level. “Vanish.” Phantom spoke just loud enough for Darkness and Hellfire to hear. The pair were gone in a blink and Phantom sauntered up to the closed door. The torch that hung on the wall a foot in front of it cast him in flickers of orange and yellow. He knocked twice, then twice again, and then twice again. It sounded like a heartbeat reverberating through the oak door as it rattled on its cast iron hinges. “A lone fox has found a den claimed by a dusty skulk.” He spoke towards the door. The slit opened up to a pair of large eyes that peered through before it slammed closed again.
The door opened inwards after a short moment and the click of a lock or trap being undone. What met Phantom was another tight hallway with a large half human, half either goliath or orc, man that stood at seven and a half feet tall. The massive man glared down at Phantom. “A fox you say?” His rumbling baritone reverberated. “Then what does he say?”
“It depends if he is welcomed or not.” Phantom replied. “If he is not then he says nothing, but if he is, then he says kee kee kee.”
The giant man nodded and stepped aside. It was only then that a small alcove with a chair could be seen just out of the way. “He is welcomed.” The man spoke and waved him in.
No sooner had Phantom walked in had the giant man attempted to close the door. The door barely budged. It took him a moment to realize that something was wrong. Before he could do anything a pair of figures appeared. One was blazing in orange flames and held the door open with one hand. She was dressed in a fine silver silk dress that was far too high quality to be seen in the underground of Safeharbor. The other was a man clad in black who darkened the very space around them with his presence. “Kee.” Phantom spoke with a chuckle behind his mask as he continued on.
“Kee.” Darkness purred and smirked at the large doorman.
“Kee.” Hellfire added as she finished walking past the door and let it go so he could close it.
It took the massive man a moment to collect himself before he closed the door behind them. He wasn’t sure if he should sound the alarm or just let them go. It was far too late for anyone to escape if they were there for an unfortunate reason. The large man had not survived as long as he had by being stupid however, he knew in his bones that the woman that stopped the door with one hand could fold him like a piece of parchment. He knew that the masked man with a pair of jewel encrusted curved swords could filet him and leave nothing but a boneless sack of flesh and innards behind. But perhaps even scarier, he had heard the screams that one fateful day, the day that Darkness had fed a man to his pet monster immediately after Hellfire had absolutely bodied the crimson coins. The last thing he wanted was to end up on the wrong end of those three. So he did what he was sure would give him the best chance at surviving; he locked the door, took his seat, and kept his mouth shut.