Chapter 86: Back Into The Lion's Den

Today really seemed to be the day of hindsight.

I can think of multiple instances in the last three hours where some things could have gone better than they had, a couple of places where sound judgment would have been greatly appreciated.

Now that's the problem there, you see. I mean, sound judgment? Me? You trying to be funny? Have you seen my decision-making skills so far? You couldn't even trust me to pick out my own clothes for the day, I needed two girls to do such a simple task for me.

So if I did have sound judgment, then clearly it's also in desperate need of some hearing aids or something.

But… in all fairness, the unexpected is unexpected for a reason. Many of those situations just reared their head ups all spontaneous-like….and most of the time I could have never seen them coming.

I should have seen this coming…

I should have seen him coming.

Clad in black, and emanating an air of absolute authority. Every feature, every subtle aspect of him, his slicken-black hair, the after-shadow of a recently shaved face, made to only further emphasize the ice-cold demeanor that at this point had become always second nature.

Aloof and frigid were the blacken irises that stared back at my own. Slowly, I watched them drift away, hovering and lingering, to the scowl forming within emerald eyes.

A tense reunion of three. Introductions weren't necessary.

Lightning flashed the skies.

"Good evening."

Tumultuous and commanding, like the thunder rumbling shortly after. It was nice to know that he could still sway the atmosphere like no other. I had hoped that my first meeting with him would have been my last. But clearly, that was just too much to ask.

Seems our date has just been put on hold indefinitely. And it was going so well too…

Fingers folding into her palms, Ash pursed her lips. "What business do you have doing here?"

It has been so long since I've seen anger manifesting in her eyes, heard unbridled contempt in her voice that I forget that she too was completely capable of being just as domineering.

But just as it was in the past, the man standing before us did not waver once in the face of Ash's ire. He simply parted open his lips and quietly answered her inquiry.

"Someone wished to see the manager," His gaze shifted back to me as he continued. "I was informed by my staff that a patron disapproved of my… generosity."

I hated staring into those eyes.

"You don't look like the restaurant-managing type," I said. "Extortion seemed to be more your calling, actually."

He smiled at me in return. "It seems that looks can be deceiving after all."

Again, the man turned a glance back at Ash.

"Speaking of which… I never had the chance to properly observe the face under the hood back then," He nodded his head. "Looking at you now… your master is quite the lucky fellow, isn't he Ash?"

I've never seen a more crossed expression on Ash's face before, muttering back to him with words almost like poison, "Leave us be. Now."

So much strength and exuberance contained within a single person. Ash could so easily overpower him and everyone that stood with him. Strength and exuberance that the man was keenly aware she possesses, yet in spite of it, he decided not to relent.

"By the way, your ears, Ash," He said, pushing further. "Were they always that way?"

"Enough!"

There was a resounding screech as a chair soundly scraped against the wooden floorboards. I did not remember moving a single inch at all from my seat, nevertheless, at a moment's notice, there I was all of the sudden, standing rigidly, heaving heavily, and staring defiantly.

"What the hell do you want?" I demanded. "Why are you even here?"

Didn't know what reaction I'd get from him following my sudden outburst, but at that point, I found that I didn't really much care. Before, just the thought of confrontation was already a paralyzing prospect. In the times since, I've experienced many, many things that were truly worth being terrified over. In the times since, confrontations became a dime in the dozen.

He was just another dime in that dozen. A walking, limping inconvenience, and right then, I felt very much inconvenienced.

My eyes no longer had the apprehension, nor the dread I felt for him in our last encounter, and evidently enough, through a single glance my way, he too had taken notice of the fact.

The thud of his cane, a single strike to the ground, moved him a step closer towards me, bringing with it, an expression drastically sterner than the last.

"I wish you wouldn't look so dismayed by my arrival. It makes me feel a little… underappreciated," He said, a somber tone to his words. "Especially after all the things I've done for you two."

That look he gave would have worked before. Certainly not right then. "You expect a thank you?"

"I expect just a little respect," He sniped back, his eyes narrowed. "And it'd do you well to show me some, boy."

"Threats…" Ash flared her nostrils. "You really dare?"

"I have no need for dares, Ash," The man stated calmly. "I assure you."

"Stop uttering my name!" Ash hissed, plummeting a fist against the table, violently clattering the utensils atop of it. "I'll say it once more and never again, you'd do best to leave us be."

Whether the crooked individual before us simply knew no fear at all or was just plain ol' deranged up in the head was all up in the air, for he only seemed to be even more intrigued and did not cower in the slightest despite Ash's patience reaching to its highest limit.

"You have a beautiful face," He said lightly. "You're gonna wrinkle it looking so angry all the time… and that'd be a true shame, wouldn't it?"

"And whose fault is that I wonder?" I rebutted, attracting his attention once again. "We really don't need this, not from you. I'd leave now really if I were you… or you know what? Perhaps we should do the honors instead, actually - come on Ash, let's get out here."

Ash had barely risen from her seat, I only treaded a single step forward, before his voice sounded out again firmer than ever.

"Wait."

A single word as a sonorous echo bouncing across the walls. Before we knew it, the both of us had already refrained from moving any further.

The man took a breath, a single gloved hand gliding across the crimson-red cloth that draped over the table. His head lowered, he formed a warm smile.

"I've upset you both it seems," He stated. "Forgive me, that was never my intention."

Unsurprisingly, neither of us were really in a forgiving mood at the moment, I especially didn't take too kindly to him disrupting this date.

"I don't really care what you intended," I said, spurring into movement once again. "If you're here, then we'll just go elsewhere."

The man shook his head. "Now that just simply won't do, unfortunately."

"You're going to stop us from leaving now, aren't you?"

A single fleeting smile my way told all I needed to know. He paced about the room, speaking as he did.

"For all my time working here, I've never once had a day where a customer has left dissatisfied. I don't mean to boast, but I pride myself on always being able to accommodate every single one of my patrons' needs."

It was hard to stop myself from rolling my eyes at that moment. "So what?"

"I don't intend to break that streak today," He said. "So yes, you won't be leaving. Not until your needs have been met."

"Preposterous," scoffed Ash. "To be so bold… have you forgotten already exactly what I am capable of? Or need I give you a reminder, another demonstration perhaps?"

The chuckling funneled out of that man's lips answered that question quite profoundly. He really was deranged, wasn't he?

"No, I'm perfectly aware of your… peculiar sets of skills," He said, nodding his head at her. "But you won't need to use them here, because I won't be forcing you to stay. You'll stay, you'll seat, you'll let me accommodate you, and you'll do it all voluntarily."

I rose to his proclamation.

"You really think we'll do all that for absolutely no reason at all?" I said, meeting the contention in his eyes. "You got another thing coming if you really believe that."

Why was he still smiling?

Briefly, I stopped and wondered, realizing how uneasy it actually all seemed. There was no reason at all for any of this, no motive that I could think that could have led to this.

Confidence, he brimmed it. But why was that?

The simple answer was simply provocation for provocation's sake. No rhyme or reason for any of it. Just as before. That's what I had believed up to that point.

Then he had doubled down, he refused to concede, and threats only made to amuse him further. Hindsight was 20/20, but sound judgment… tone-deaf as it was, led me down another answer.

Mob Boss had an ace up his sleeves, and it seems he was finally rolling them back.

The snide curl on his lips grew wider.

"I believe in a lot of far-fetched things. Every day always brings itself another peculiar sight to behold, another bizarre thing to believe in. Had a list you see, and I never could decide which unbelievable fact stood out among the rest..."

Vague, very vague, intentionally vague, I thought was his intent. Metaphors, allegory, speaking in riddles - that's what these kinds of people relish doing. But it wasn't a metaphor, there was no allegory, and he spoke again as brazen as the simplest riddle.

"But an Elf-Knight from another world… I admit, is a very strong contender for that position."

Disbelief. Like a rippling wave coursing past both of our faces. He knows… to what I extent, or by what means, I didn't know… I'd ask him, but - I couldn't even find the words.

Shock had paralyzed us both into silence.

And he knew it.

"So…" He spoke again, clasping his hands together. "To the both of you, may I presume that you'll be staying with us for just a bit longer? Ash - sorry - Eshwlyn, what say you? I mean, after all, dinner has yet to be served."

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