Chapter 89 Irah Albert Egon.

  “You seem to have a good idea about the kind of information I am looking for, good.” Isaac told the old cleric sitting across from him. The aged man cracked a smirk and took another sip of his tea.

  “Yes.” The cleric said with a nod. “Now, say your true name.”

  “What?” Isaac looked at him with a mixture of confusion and suspicion. Something about the old man had just set Isaac’s instincts on edge. Just that one order had made the hair on the back of Isaac’s neck stand up and his shoulders tighten. The old man was dangerous.

  “Speak your true name.” The old man repeated. “I would hate to have to ask your corpse."

  “Say yours first.” Isaac’s eyes narrowed and he was ready to punch his hand through the old man’s chest at the speed of thought.

  “Irah Albert Egon.” The old cleric said in a whisper that rattled Isaac’s core.

  “Well, gramps, if you aren’t careful, I’ll think you were trying to pick a fight.” Isaac told him. “I don’t know what my middle name is, or if I even have one.”

  “Most on Primatia don’t.” Irah explained. “Those that do tempt dragons, are descended from dragons, slay dragons, or are dragons.”

  “So what does that mean for me? Where is my middle name then?” Isaac questioned the old cleric.

  “You get to pick.” Irah informed him. “Just the simple fact that our conversation has gotten this far proves to me that you are not a shapeshifting black dragon.” He gave Isaac a smile that was almost warm, but not quite.

  “Does it matter if I don’t? What is the significance of a middle name for a human whose first and last names already have their own meanings?” Isaac asked the old man. Isaac’s shoulders were still tense but he had relaxed ever so slightly as to stop whiteknuckling his chair’s armrest.

  “It sets us above dragons. That is why they hate it so.” Irah answered with a nod. “And a dragon would never take a third name.”

  “Because Gil’Gam’Esh is just two names and a gender designation?” Isaac wondered to which the old man just nodded his head slowly in affirmation. “Can I think about it?” Isaac wondered.

  “Light illuminates the truth even in things that are not seen.” The old man spoke and a wave of power suddenly impacted and washed through Isaac. Isaac hadn’t felt the power move until it hit him and to say he was uneasy would have been the understatement of the year. The pulse even hit him faster than he could react and it was over before he could launch into action. The old man’s ability to mix a spellchant into his old person proverb-like speech made Isaac want to remove him simply for being a threat. Something deep inside Isaac wanted, needed, to obliterate the man in front of him.

  Lenna arrived right as Isaac was about to say something and her eyes locked onto the old man. She was already blazing and looked like she was ready to tear him into pieces with just her raw strength. Her silver eyes were glowing a brilliant orange and her black sclera looked like there were black flames dancing across it.

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  “Cleric of Sol.” Lenna properly stated which sun deity he was a cleric to. “I am not usually quick to violence, but you are testing my paper walls.”

  Irah barely spared her a glance before he continued his conversation with Isaac. “Your name is interesting.” He told the dark mage sitting across from him. “Do you know what it means?”

  Isaac slowly shook his head. “No. Why would I?”

  “The Laughing Money-Exchanger.” Irah informed him. “Mine means The Watching Brilliant Blade. Names have power, Isaac.”

  Isaac felt his own name resonate with his core and narrowed his eyes on the old man once more. “I would appreciate it if you stopped doing that.”

  Irah smiled and motioned towards the chair next to him. “Please, Lady V’Nova, join us.”

  Lenna slowly simmered down and practically stalked across the room to take the offered seat. “Very well.” She told him.

  “Your name,” Irah began again while looking directly at Isaac. “Brings omens of skulls and the exchanging of currency, morbid currency.”

  “I rarely laugh while sending people to the Reaper.” Isaac replied flatly.

  “Oh but you take joy in the process, do you not?” Irah asked with a raised eyebrow. His bushy eyebrow finally made enough room for his eye to open completely and Isaac was able to see the dull grey of cataracts over the sharp eye that locked onto his soul.

  “I enjoy fighting.” Isaac corrected him. “The actual act of killing is rarely a point of pleasure for me.”

  “Be sure to keep it that way lest you join with the Reaper.” Irah warned him as if he had just spoken a prophecy. Irah nodded in satisfaction. “That is better than I feared.” He said more to himself than to Isaac and Lenna. “Now, you wish to know how to kill yourself.” He nodded to himself before Isaac could even reply. “Flat open spaces, mana sealing spells, continuous dispelling and copious amounts of weapons through the heart, strong enough dark affinity poisons, freeze them solid, squish them between two indestructible surfaces, or send them to the Plane of Eternal Darkness.” Irah explained. “Now, if that is all, I will be one my way.” He sat his teacup down and got ready to attempt to stand up.

  “It isn’t.” Isaac halted him with a raised hand. “Though, thank you for that. I wasn’t sure if the Plane of Eternal Darkness would kill me or not.”

  “It will, and if you ever become a demigod and ascend, you will either join the Reaper or the Queen of Shadows. Either one will devour you completely.” Irah explained and looked at Isaac like he was waiting for more questions.

  “I would like you to stay with Lenna while I go do something.” Isaac told the old cleric. “Though it will not be for quite some time.”

  “It is after this poor old man’s bedtime.” Irah told him and looked like he really wanted to get up.

  “What would convince you to stay until half an hour after midnight?” Isaac wondered.

  “Sleeping on the master bed.” Irah said with absolutely no shame. There was still another bedroom with a bed that was almost the same size but in a smaller room so Isaac waved him off.

  “That’s fine.” Isaac agreed.

  “A concubine.” The old man followed up with the most ridiculous thing in the most deadpan voice.

  Isaac just stared at him flatly. “I’ll make you one out of shadows under the condition that when I return it turns your entire body to ash to remove one more old pervert from the world.” Isaac replied in his most deadpan voice.

  “Hehehe.” Irah chuckled. “I joke, I joke.” He waved Isaac off. “I’ll stay, just in case something interesting happens.”

  Isaac nodded his thanks. “Thank you.”

  “You spoke of the definition of Isaac’s name earlier,” Lenna decided to take part in the conversation. “What does mine mean?”

  “Many things, young Matriarch.” Irah told Lenna without even having to use his spell on her. “V’Nova originally meant ‘Creation of New Beginnings’ in the ancient days. As for your given name, it means a few things.” He did not immediately elaborate but took another sip of his tea, and then a second and drained the cup. He sat the cup on the silver tea tray and Isaac told the shadows to pour him another cup as he continued: "Strength of the Lion and Brilliant Torch are the origins.” He began again with a nod of his head. “Magnificent Beacon of New Beginnings is the meaning of your full name.” He told Lenna and then took his refilled teacup with a slight nod towards Isaac. “Names are a topic few dedicate their lives to.”

  “Could you find someone with their name?” Isaac wondered. “Like a dragon?”

  “No.” Irah shot him down. “Especially not one with a blessing.” He then buried Isaac’s idea in a pre-dug hole.

  “Would it be alright if I quizzed you on the names of my friends and family?” Lenna asked the old man, now a bit less on edge. When she had first arrived she was feeling Isaac’s feelings through their link and had felt a spell activate. That had put her on edge like few other interactions in her life had.

  Irah thought for a moment and then nodded. “Only if this one” He nodded towards Isaac. “picks a middle name.”

  Isaac shrugged. “I’ll promise to give it some good thought while we wait but I cannot promise to pick one at this time.” He told the old man. “I feel like this is actually important and I just don’t know exactly how.”

  Irah nodded and then turned back to Lenna. “That is agreeable. Ask away.”

  Irah, probably