Dawn's Farewell (10)
Just as I reached out to grab Isisde by the collar, a barrier sprang up and smacked my hand away hard. Some of the tattoos etched across her body glowed faintly.
"Leonar. Never thought I'd see you here."
Isisde spoke in that sticky, cloying voice from behind the barrier.
"When I first heard the name of the guy who wanted to meet me, I wondered if it could really be you. How the hell are you still alive?"
Isisde. An elf mage specializing in rune magic. She casts spells without incantations, using the rune tattoos inscribed all over her body. It's a fringe method among mages since you have to keep getting new tattoos carved in, but if your casting time is short and your understanding of magic is deep, the tattoos interact to unleash thousands of spells at will… No, screw that—this bitch!
"Well, there aren't many demon hunters named Leonar…"
"My quest fee, you bitch!"
"Quest fee?"
Isisde tilted her head exaggeratedly like she had no idea what I was talking about.
"Cough up the quest fee you stiffed me on. Before I kill you."
"Did I ever even hire you for a quest?"
A sleazy smile crept across Isisde's lips. I'd met this elf right after possessing this body, when I was blindly clearing every quest that came my way. She had the same shady look back then, and desperate for EXP, I'd bitten. She'd asked me to fetch some demon byproducts and a few rare items for "research," then bolted with them. I wasn't as strong back then, so I couldn't take on a mage directly and had to swallow my rage.
Today was my lucky day, you tattooed elf slut!
"Quest fee!"
"I have no idea what quest you're talking about. I don't remember hiring you."
A playful smile flitted across Isisde's face.
"Guess I've lived too long and my memories are all jumbled up."
"Don't spout bullshit, you young punk with no blood dried on your head—hand it over now!"
"By the way, what's with the girl behind you? She feels like a mage from the mana flow."
Ignoring my anger, Isisde's eyes shifted to Ornette standing behind me.
"Beautiful."
A creepy gleam lit up in Isisde's eyes as she stared at Ornette.
"I like beautiful things. Just like ones like you."
Her sticky gaze felt like a tongue thick with saliva licking me over.
"Quest fee. One hundred thirty gold coins."
"I told you, I don't remember that."
"Then I'll make you remember."
I flung open my cloak, drew Nightrend, and slashed down at the barrier. The blade reacted with her mana, sparking violently.
Isisde, who had been oozing leisure, flinched at the sudden appearance of Nightrend and pulled her upper body back. But she quickly regained her smile and drawled slowly.
"Looks like a sword enchanted with some decent magic. You won't break my barrier like that."
"Maybe back when you stiffed me on the fee. Ornette, can you dispel the barrier?"
I turned, but Ornette shook her head.
"Can't do it, or won't?"
Silence.
"Too bad."
Isisde smirked, drunk on her victory. If Ornette wouldn't help, no choice. I pulled out special oil and slathered it on Nightrend's blade. Then I chugged a potion, and a burning pain like fire scorching my body spread through me.
"Grrgh…!"
That's why I'd asked Ornette to drop the barrier.
"Ahh, the junkie's popping pills again."
I grinned back at Isisde's smile and unleashed Nightrend's scream.
That wretched shriek turned Isisde's face pale, and the barrier wavered momentarily. I jammed my hand beside Nightrend's blade, which was grinding into the barrier's surface, and tore it open with all my strength.
"You think I can't handle a mid-tier mage like you?"
I reached through the rip and seized Isisde's throat.
"Gack!"
Caught in my grip, Isisde hurriedly tried to teleport. But the potion-enhanced strength in my hand denied her. I shredded the remaining barrier with Nightrend, hoisted her up, and slammed her down onto the floor.
She hit back-first, let out a gurgling gasp, and passed out.
"Whew, what a pain in the ass."
Ornette glided over silently and peered down at Isisde. Her face was pale, sweat beading on her forehead—she must have been badly shaken by Nightrend's scream. Without a demon hunter's mental defense skill like Last Bastion, staying sane after hearing it is tough. Even a high mage like Orlean had his magic disrupted.
"You okay?"
"Fine. Is this elf dead?"
"Nah, just knocked out."
"Why are you treating this elf so harshly?"
"Didn't you hear? She stiffed me on my quest fee. One hundred thirty gold coins?"
Ornette nodded slowly and squatted down. She examined the tattoos on Isisde's exposed body.
"Rune magic. An ancient method that was mainstream before magic systematized."
"I know that much."
"How old is this elf?"
"She claims two hundred fifty."
"A young elf using outdated magic."
"Probably just addicted to tattoos. Hey, with you—couldn't dispel the barrier, or wouldn't?"
Ornette looked up at me with her sea-blue eyes.
"Curious."
"About what."
"Your demon hunter abilities. If you could break a mage's barrier alone."
I let out a disbelieving chuckle.
"Then can you bind her mana?"
"Are you a mage?"
"Huh?"
Ornette shot back.
"Mage? You seem pretty versed in magic."
"Picked it up here and there. So, can you or not?"
"Bind this elf's mana?"
"Yeah. That's beyond my abilities."
"Binding her mana would end her career as a mage."
"Not my problem. She stiffed me and now she's mouthing off."
Ornette stared down at Isisde wordlessly.
"Can you do it?"
"I can prevent her from leaving the city."
She said it casually, but that was advanced high-tier magic no ordinary mage could dream of. Orlean's legacy, as expected.
"I'd appreciate that. And can you wake her up? Isn't there a spell to jolt someone awake?"
But Ornette stayed silent. Her slender fingers were tracing the tattoos on Isisde's body.
"Testing my abilities again?"
"Yes."
"Ha, seriously."
I bent down, grabbed Isisde by the hair, and slapped her cheeks.
"Wake up!"
After a few slaps, she grimaced and opened her eyes.
"Ow!!"
"Stay still."
I pressed Nightrend's blade to her throat, and she clamped her mouth shut. Fear flickered in her green eyes as she stared at the sword.
"What is this blade…?"
"None of your business. Knowing won't do you any good."
Once she quieted down, I straddled her stomach and demanded.
"Heavy…!"
"Money?"
"Don't have it."
"Why?"
"Would I come work in a rural dump like this if I did?"
"A mage with no money? That make sense?"
"It does."
Ornette, who'd been quiet, spoke up.
"Rune tattoos cost a fortune."
What? She acts clueless but knows all these random facts?
Isisde smiled at Ornette with her eyes.
"Hoh, the kid's spot on. If you knew how much I've sunk into this body, you'd faint."
"So you used my quest fee to get more tattoos?"
Isisde's sleazy smile answered for her.
"Where'd you get 'em?"
"Here."
She pointed to her shoulder, and I brought Nightrend over.
"Then let's carve that out and start."
If the me from our first meeting had said that, she'd have laughed. But after I'd shredded her barrier with Nightrend and my bare hand, she went white as a sheet and screamed.
"No! That's two hundred gold coins' worth!!"
"Then pay up quick. One hundred thirty gold. With interest, one hundred fifty."
"Ugh, fine. Fine. Just get off so I can get the money."
Isisde muttered curses as she got up.
"Fucking hell, what shit luck running into that bastard here…."
She headed behind the sofa—then her body suddenly glitched with static. Teleportation magic.
"Ha, you dumb fuck! I told you! No money! Get lost, shithead! Can't pay a dime!"
Her beaming face hardened. Her body kept glitching like noisy TV static but didn't vanish.
"Wha…? What's going on…?"
"Can't leave the city."
Ornette said flatly, watching her.
"What…?"
"Coordinate recognition restricted."
The moment she heard that, Isisde vaulted the sofa and charged us. She skidded to her knees before me.
"Leonar. My bad. That stuff earlier was just a joke. I'm really sorry."
"Money."
"I'll pay. But I don't have it now. For real. Believe me. Spent it all on tattoos. Please."
I glanced back; Ornette gave a short nod. Not lying about the money, then.
"I'll work here steady and pay you back bit by bit from my salary. Please, please. But you gotta leave me in one piece for that, right?"
Isisde clasped her hands in supplication. Hmm, can't run now, and no cash, so maybe take installments? Lucky I kept the original quest contract in the guild master's safe. I'd held onto it dreaming of this day. Time to hit up a lawyer and garnish her wages.
As I mulled it over, Isisde suddenly pointed at me.
"Oh, right! You, you!"
"What."
"Now that I think about it! You gotta knock off a few dozen gold for that time!"
"What the hell?"
"We did it, right? You didn't think that was free?!"
No way that's coming up now?
"You crazy bitch! You drugged my canteen with sleeping pills and forced it on me!!"
"Think I didn't know your potion resistance made it useless? Still happened, so cough up a hundred gold discount! You have no idea how rare a virgin elf is!"
"Virgin my ass, you're a whore. And what? A hundred coins? What brothel charges a hundred gold entry?!"
"What?! Brothel?! You fucking psycho?!"
"Refund the hymen, you slut! Ornette! Can you magic a hymen back?"
Ornette stared at us both. Looked like she was sighing with her eyes.