Darkness and Hellfire

Chapter 14 Repercussions

Isaac and Lenna stopped right outside of the cell at the very end of the corridor. An anti-magic field sealed it off from the rest of the world just as much as a solid iron wall would. The door to the cell was solid, only up to waist level, with the top half being just a set of bars. The doorframe was encapsulated by a grid of diagonal three inch bars that attached it to the wall and ceiling. This allowed the guards to still see into the cell clearly but limited the sightlines of the person inside while maintaining a high structural integrity. “It is this one, sir, ma’am.” The aid said with a deep nod. “Would you like to enter the cell with him? I am afraid that I must insist on the anti-magic field being active the entire time.”

“From here is fine.” Isaac replied.

“How much is he free to move in there?” Lenna asked and peered into the cell to see for herself. Much to her surprise, Macken's only bindings were a set of stocks that locked his ankles together. Granted, the stocks were solid iron and probably weighed well over two dozen pounds so moving quickly in them was impossible but his free hands were still surprising.

“The more he has cooperated the more Sir Michael has been lightening his restraints.” The aid explained. “When he arrived he was locked up so tight that I could hardly see his face… my Lady.”

Lenna hummed in acknowledgement of his words. “Macken, it’s me.” She said and the prisoner opened his eyes.

“I know.” He replied simply.

“I brought my mate to visit you.” She continued.

This time Macken sat up from his wool blanket that he had to use as a cot. “The one who killed His Grace?” Macken asked.

“Yes.” Lenna replied.

“Why don’t you both come in for a chat?” Macken asked.

Lenna opened her mouth to speak but Isaac was there next to her in an instant. He looked down his nose at the captive. “No.” Isaac replied simply.

Macken startled. He stared at Isaac for a long moment. “He does have a pretty face, for a human.” He commented to Lenna who looked mortified. “What?” Macken asked.

“That is not why I am with him.” Lenna snapped.

“I figured not, you passed up on all of the handsome suitors your mother picked out for you.” Macken continued. “That is why they tried to stick you with my brother.”

Lenna took a deep calming breath. “Macken, stop being an ass. We are here to make sure they weren’t torturing the information out of you.” She chastised him.

“How long have you two known each other?” Isaac interrogated.

“Two hundred and fifty years, give or take a decade.” Macken replied with the same tone and cadence that Isaac had used.

“Friends?” Isaac continued.

“Apparently.” Macken replied. “First time I’d ever heard her say it was while we were trying to kill each other.”

Isaac nodded. “Ever feel anything more?” Isaac continued his interrogation.

“Isaac!” It was Isaac’s turn to make Lenna look mortified. The poor aid behind them just looked away and up towards the ceiling like it would help him fade more into the background.

“Once, a century or so ago.” Macken replied. “Walked into the wrong showers. She hit me so hard I woke up the next morning. Broke my skull.”

“Deserved.” Lenna shot back under her breath.

Isaac scowled down at him. It was clear that he didn't like what he had heard. Macken put his hands up in surrender. “It was an accident, I was drunk.” He said in his defense. “She beat the hells out of me for the rest of the year at every opportunity. Anything untoward I felt was bled out of me in the sparring ring.” Macken assured them, mostly Isaac, as he felt like the mage was plotting how to kill him and make it look like an accident.

“Lenna?” Isaac said with a raised eyebrow in her direction.

“What?” She jolted. “Oh, no, never like that.” She replied directly. “He is abrasive at the best of times.”

“Hey!” Macken called out with a tone and look on his face that showed that he had taken exception to her words. “What was wrong with me?”

“You’re an ass.” Lenna replied simply.

“Why? Because I teased you?” Macken demanded.

“Enough.” Isaac said and they both stopped bickering. “That’s enough.” He sighed.

“Are you ready to return then?” The aid asked hopefully.

A look of pure horror took over Lenna’s entire face at the realization that everything that had just happened had been observed by the magistrate’s aid. Macken burst out laughing so hard that tears soon started to come to his eyes. “Not, one, word.” Lenna threatened through her teeth at Macken who only started to laugh even harder.

Isaac tried to keep a straight face but he was failing. He cleared his throat. “Yes, we can leave.” Isaac told the aid. “We’ll be back at some point. Hopefully by then he won’t be inside an anti-magic field.”

The aid nodded. “As you say, my Lord.” He replied to Isaac with a slight bow.

“Anti-magic cuffs are fine, like what Fen L’Vore has.” Isaac explained.

“Uh, my Lord, isn’t this prisoner much more dangerous, physically speaking, than Archmagus L’Vore?” The aid questioned.

Isaac nodded. “He is.” He replied simply. “But he’ll be fine. If he isn’t, let me know. I’ll hit the planet with him until he starts cooperating again.”

The aid nodded quickly. “As you say.” He replied just as quickly and started to lead the duo out of the underground cells.

“Bye, Lenna!” Macken called out through barely suppressed laughter. Lenna just scowled and followed after the aid.

“Macken.” Isaac said with a nod as a farewell.

“I never got your name, mate of my old unit leader.” Macken commented. “I think I heard Lenna call you ‘Isaac’, is that right?”

“I have a lot of them.” Isaac replied. “Lenna calls me ‘Isaac’, the soldiers call me ‘my Lord’, people in charge call me ‘Lord Wexler’, and recently, everyone except Lenna, has been calling me ‘Darkness’ or some variant of it.”

“And what should I call you?” Macken questioned with some humor in his voice and on his face. It was hard for Isaac to tell if it was just lingering from the interactions with Lenna or if Macken was trying to pick a fight.

“I am the Lord of Darkness itself.” Isaac replied. “You can call me Darkness. If I decide I like you, I’ll let you call me Isaac.” He finished and then vanished into nothing without even leaving a fading silhouette. Macken couldn’t have known but the reason there hadn’t even been a trace left of Isaac was because he was still there, only invisible. Isaac watched Macken for another moment before he decided to catch up with Lenna and the aid who had stopped just inside the door. Unlike most people, Macken seemed to have the presence of mind to keep his comments to himself once Isaac was out of sight.

—

Isaac knocked on Michael’s door before he opened it and walked in. The knock was purely to show that he was capable of being polite and just chose not to be. Michael looked up from the letter he was writing. “You are back.” Michael said emotionlessly.

“Yes.” Isaac replied and sat in one of the chairs across from him. Isaac casually crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair. “Macken is fine, you can release the breath you are holding.”

Michael did just that before he caught himself. His eyes widened slightly. Isaac was managing to pick apart his mask of stone and impartialness with seeming ease. “That is good.” Michael replied evenly. “I take it there is something else on your mind?”

Isaac nodded. “I want one of Fen L’Vore’s wrist cuffs removed. He is an arrogant bastard but he won’t cause too much trouble. If you have any problems, just put it back on.” Isaac explained.

“You want me to release, and I quote, ‘the second most dangerous mage in the region’’s cuffs so he can, what, lightning bolt one of the guards who look at him wrong?” Michael questioned. “Darkness, with all due respect, are you insane?”

Instead of being annoyed or insulted Isaac was actually amused. Michael’s clear attempts at being polite, and as reasonable as possible, were losing to the man’s better rationality and shock, Isaac couldn’t blame him. On paper it did sound like an awful idea. “I see where you are coming from, Michael, but he will be fine. His wife is here and he won’t do anything to jeopardize her if he can help it. It’s not like I am telling you to take off his collar. That should never leave his neck as far as I am concerned. Words of Power are too dangerous.” Isaac explained understandingly.

Michael sighed deeply and started rubbing his temples. “You… we can do a test run.” Michael conceded. “Just one cuff.”

“Just one cuff.” Isaac agreed with a smirk. “Any more and I feel like his head would get so big it wouldn’t fit through the door.”

Michael, despite himself, chuckled at Isaac’s joke and then sighed again. He looked back up at the mage across from him. “I will go over to take it off myself, sometime within the next day or so, I hope that is acceptable.” He offered Isaac.

Isaac nodded. “Yes, that’ll be fine. I’m not in a rush.” He replied. “Don’t get me wrong, Michael, Fen deserves everything he gets. I am fully aware that the reason he hasn’t gotten punched in the teeth by one of the guards is because they are afraid of the repercussions from those around him.”