Darkness and Hellfire

Chapter 34 Is It The Whole Older Woman Thing?

On the fifth day they finally reached the watering hole. “I’ll scout it out then come back and get you.” Isaac said over his shoulder and then disappeared. A few minutes later Isaac reappeared a dozen feet in front of Lenna. “It’s clear. I think. It looked clear anyway.”

Lenna nodded and met him so they could enter together. The watering hole was a cavern only about twenty feet deep plus a small bulge where the water gathered and forty feet wide. The ceiling was twenty feet high at the highest. The water collected in an ovular pond seven feet across and four feet deep. The pond was full of clear water that was only three feet at the deepest. Water trickled down the wall into the pond.

There were four entrances into this small cavern. Only two of them being at least ten feet wide to accommodate a wagon. The other two were both perfect circles and between one and two feet across. “We should move quickly.” Lenna said and dropped her backpack. Isaac helped her retrieve all their water skins and fill them. By the time they were done the water level had fallen noticeably. They both drank to their heart's content while they had the ability too.

“Thank you.” Isaac said while they were taking a short rest.

Lenna cocked her head in thought. “Why?”

“You stopped drinking six hours ago so the water would last longer.” Isaac replied.

Lenna shook her head. “The faster you recover the quicker we make it to Safeharbor. We shouldn’t run out of water this time.”

“Still. I appreciate it.” Isaac said. The cavern fell into silence for another minute and then Isaac remembered something. “Can I use your toothbrush?”

Lenna just stared at him. It was self cleaning so there wasn’t really any harm in sharing. “I’m using it first.” She replied and dug it out of her backpack along with the vial of liquid soap she had stashed between her spare clothes. The toothbrush took an hour to clean itself as the enchantment was more to keep it clean than anything.

After Lenna was done brushing her teeth she handed the toothbrush to Isaac. “Thank you so much.” Isaac said honestly. Lenna shook her head and put her helmet on.

“Hurry up. I’m surprised we haven’t been attacked yet.” Lenna urged him. She kept a lookout and was surprised when nothing came slithering out of the smaller tunnels. Isaac finished and handed the toothbrush and soap back to Lenna.

“What made all these tunnels anyway?” Isaac asked while looking around.

Lenna started walking down the path towards Safeharbor. She didn’t want to stay there any longer than they had to. “Tunnel horrors, dragons, various bugs, the dark dwarves gnomes and elves. Well, usually their slaves. Sometimes even drider if the stories are to be believed.” She answered without slowing.

Isaac rushed to catch up like a child left behind at the store. When he caught up he continued his questioning. “Dragons come down here? Like full sized ones? Aria told me some of them can be as big as an inn.”

Lenna nodded. “Blue dragons like the dark. Shadow dragons too but they are incredibly rare.” She explained.

“Shadow dragons?! I want one.” Isaac said like a child staring at a toy that cost too much gold.

Lenna almost tripped when he said that and after stabilizing herself she turned to make eye contact with him. “Whatever you are imagining is not correct. Shadow dragons are full size adult or sometimes ancient dragons. They go as deep as they can and find themselves a portal to the realm of shadows and death. They sleep there for a thousand years to gain its strength.” Lenna took a deep breath. Isaac’s face was still that of a child staring at a puppy in the pet store as he imagined having a shadow dragon as a pet. “You really are a child sometimes aren’t you?.”

Isaac burst out laughing. He didn’t stop for almost a full minute. “Took long enough.” He finally got out.

She narrowed her gaze. “What did?”

“You to finally crack.” He explained. “You’ve been super serious the entire time. Which is fine. The whole perfect, ancient warrior thing you got going on is pretty cool and I’d be lying if it wasn’t kinda hot sometimes but I knew there was something else under the mask.”

“Alright. Fine. Then tell me Isaac; what did you expect to find under my mask?” She asked him.

“I had no idea but I’m glad there was something under it.” Isaac said while flashing her a roguish grin.

“Are you trying to court me Lord Wexler?” She questioned. He was just too hard to pin down sometimes. She needed to know if he was just always flirty or if he was being serious. He was handsome enough and he wasn’t afraid of her being stronger than him which was rare. He had also shown that he cared for her well being even if that was only so she could protect him better. ‘He’s just so strange.’ She thought to herself.

Isaac just laughed and kept walking. “Maybe, maybe not. You are pretty hot though… Lady V’Nova.”

Lenna could only shake her head. Half in disbelief and half in annoyance that he didn’t just give her an answer one way or the other.

A few hours later they stopped for the night. The two of them had mostly moved past their previous conversation and were eating their dinner of nutrition rich unleavened bread and jerky. “Tomorrow we go through the area my people call the mushroom kingdom.” Lenna told him as she finished her food and leaned against the wall to take watch.

“The mushroom kingdom? What are we gonna get attacked by a bunch of mushrooms with shields and spears?” Isaac asked jokingly.

“Perhaps. It all depends on if they are hungry or not.” Lenna responded.

Isaac swallowed. “How big are these mushrooms exactly? Actually, better question, how smart are the mushrooms?” He asked with worry clear in his voice and on his face.

“Any mushrooms smaller than your waist are only poisonous. Those can’t move or think. Waist high to ten feet are dumb but move around. Those use weapons. Over ten feet are only there to make more mushrooms. Don’t breathe in the spores.” Lenna explained quickly and quietly.

“Okay… If it’s called a kingdom, is there a king?” Isaac asked even more tentatively.

“Yes. Hope we don’t see it.” Was Lenna’s only reply before she pulled the blanket over her lap and turned completely away from Isaac.

A few minutes later Isaac, who had been laying down trying to sleep, broke the silence. “We can take shifts. I’ve done it before.”

“Maybe…” She almost agreed which was enough for Isaac to not press it. “go to sleep.” She ordered quietly.

Isaac didn’t fall asleep for some time. There was a lot going through his head. ‘Should I really wait until we get to town to mess with the dragon head? What if we get chased out right away?’ He thought. “How do I feel about Lenna? She cares at least a little bit, I mean it’s her job I guess but it’s still nice. She’s attractive as hell too but I’m not that shallow. Is it the whole older woman thing? Jennie was old enough to have a son two years younger than me.’ Eventually he fell asleep to endless and ultimately fruitless introspective questions.