Questing Sucks (Book 1) (43 page)

It’s probably why he picked me,
Ghell thought.
I do love the sound of screams.

“Yah!” Ghell kicked the horse in the stirrups and led his army forward. Steadrow-Pillar was but a mere outpost compared to Hahl. The city was going to be a major victory.

Chapter 41:
Friendship Lasts Forever

 

 
“Sehn, I’m only going to tell you one more time. Get out of the cell.”

“Fuck your demands! I have just decided that I will turn this dungeon into my own personal lair. Now, be gone!”

Cah’lia didn’t want to use force against Sehn, not with all the pain he was already in, but if he kept being stubborn she’d drag him out of the dark cell by his hair. He was still sitting defiantly with his back to the wall. Even his new “friend” Alan Marshall tried to encourage him to move.

“Come on, Great Sehn,” Alan said. “If you leave now I’ll buy you a drink.”

“Really?” Sehn stood up, his face carrying a look of great interest.

“No!” Cah’lia and Rebecca shouted in unison.

Rebecca stepped forward, and walked halfway between the cell door and Sehn. “Listen up, punk,” she said. “I’m not as nice as Cah’lia. You’re looking at a first lieutenant of the kingdom’s armies. Now, you can either come out this instant, or I’ll drag you out unconscious. The choice is yours.”

Sehn bared his teeth. “You dare make threats to the Great Sehn! I don’t know who you think you are,
Rebecca,
” he spat, “but I will squeeze you into the shape of a cannonball and fire you into the fucking moon!”

A dark rage entered the Human woman’s eyes, and Cah’lia leapt forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Somehow she had the feeling the red-haired woman might actually kill Sehn. Cah’lia wasn’t sure why he was being so stubborn. Even for Sehn he was being incredibly hard to deal with.

“Can you two wait outside? I’d like a word alone.”

Rebecca begrudgingly nodded. “Alan, let’s go.”

Cah’lia took a seat on the cold floor next to Sehn and kicked out her feet. Sehn didn’t make eye contact, or even show any indication he was bothered by her presence. His eyes were downcast, and he stared at the rocky floor, unfocused.

“What’s going on this time? Talk to me.”

Sehn didn’t respond. He picked up small loose pebbles and threw them in random directions, all the while keeping his eyes averted and his nose curled in disgust.

“You know I won’t leave until you speak to me, don’t you?” Cah’lia sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. “I’ll wait here until you do.”

Cah’lia said nothing while she waited. Sehn continued to throw pebbles, ranting indiscernibly under his breath. It was quiet in the dungeon. The occasional dripping of water from a nearby cell provided the only audible sound.

“I don’t like this ‘Rebecca,’” Sehn whispered. “Who did she think she was, telling me what to do?”

Cah’lia rubbed the back of his neck. She knew it relaxed an Elven male. “There’s a lot going on you don’t understand, Sehn. And whenever anyone tries to explain it to you, well, you ignore them. Alan Marshall is a commander of the Kingdom’s armies, and he’ll be one of the people going up against the army we’re trying to stop. Remember? The reason we’re here in the first place?”

Sehn finally met her eyes. There was a caution hidden behind them, mixing in with the usual arrogance. “I haven’t forgotten.”

Cah’lia knew Sehn was troubled by the deaths of Patrick, Saerith, Saerina, and the other Humans. What Sehn didn’t know, what he couldn’t be allowed to know, was they were very much alive. Shina explained to Cah’lia everything she’d seen after literally crashing on top of them. Thankfully, the young Elven girl was smart, and willing to hold her tongue. It hurt Cah’lia to have to lie to Sehn the way she’d been, but they needed to keep moving. It was Cah’lia’s responsibility now. She needed to keep Sehn on the right track.

“It’s just that sometimes I wonder…Gah! Never mind.”

Sehn tried to look away again, but Cah’lia held a gentle hand under his chin and turned him to face her. “Wonder what, Sehn? Tell me. Please.”

He sighed. “This is going to sound ridiculous, but even a Great God-king such as I have doubts. There are times, when…can you promise you’ll never tell another soul?”

“I promise.”

“I’m not fooling around here, woman. If you tell anyone what I am about to say, then I shall personally shape shift you into a small insect and shove you up a rhino’s ass!”

Cah’lia punched him in the arm, satisfied when he flinched. “I said I won’t!”

Sehn inhaled and shook his head while he spoke. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m going to live through this. I know it’s a foolish thought, being that I am immortal and all, but still…I have this—I don’t know, not fear, since I am not capable of feeling fear, but something similar. Some discomforting sense that when this is all over, I will be too.”

Cah’lia reached deep. She searched the very depths of her being, and forced the willpower and resolve into her heart. Her shaking palm was the only sign she was troubled, and thankfully Sehn was not the observant type.

“Now why would you think that?”

Sehn surprised her by leaping to his feet, and slapping himself across the cheek. “I have no idea. It must be your cowardliness seeping into my skin by touch. Why would the Great Sehn think something so pitiful? Hah! I was merely fooling around, Cah’lia. Come, let us be gone from this place.”

And just like that Sehn marched out of the cell, rejoining Alan and Rebecca in the dark halls of the dungeon. Cah’lia’s lips trembled, but she forced them to lie still.

Not one tear,
she remembered.
Not yet. Not until this is done.

Chapter 42: Impossible to Deal with

 

 

One single step: that was how far Sehn managed to travel after exiting the dungeons before nearly being hauled right back inside again. A gruff-looking guard led Cah’lia’s group through a series of narrowly winding stairways leading to the surface. Cah’lia took notice of the way Sehn grunted in pain each time he climbed another step, his lips peeling back in a hideous snarl. It worried her. The haughty Elf shouldn’t have been tiring, not from just climbing a few stairs.

They arrived at a reinforced steel-door. The guard bent over, spinning the attached valve and then pushing the door open. Sunlight and fresh air brightened the dark dungeon, and Cah’lia shoved Sehn into the open. One step later, and the guard saluted. “You two are free to go,” he said, addressing Sehn and Allen. “Keep out of trouble, and I won’t have to lock you up again.”

Sehn had always been unpredictable, and it was that very same unpredictability that made him predictable, such was the paradoxical nature of Sehn. It was for this reason, Cah’lia wasn’t overly surprised when he spat in the guard’s face. Angry, yes, but surprised? No.

The guard’s eyes bulged. He ripped off his helmet and threw it to the floor, stomping on it. “Do we have a problem, prisoner?” He wiped the spittle from his face and examined the saliva in his gloved hand, rage forming wrinkled lines across his forehead. “I’m a guard-captain of Hahl’s guardian forces. Apologize right now, or I’ll drag you back inside and leave you to rot.”

Something was off about Sehn, something more than usual. He looked bitter. “Try it, then,” he said. “I am in a vicious mood, guard-captain.” A trickle of sweat fell from Sehn’s hair. His face lacked a bit of color. Cah’lia hadn’t spotted it through the darkness of the dungeon, but out in the daylight Sehn’s paleness was unmistakable

Is he sick?
Cah’lia wondered.
Or is he…is this just part of him dying?

Cah’lia was at once both proud and revolted when she realized the thoughts brought her no sadness. Her emotions were strong, but her resolve stronger.

“Sehn!” she hissed. “Now is not the time.”

Rebecca remained quiet, keeping an eye on her fool. It was almost comical to Cah’lia—each of them had their own personal fool to deal with. Cah’lia still couldn’t believe her luck at running into the woman. She told her everything, and thankfully, Rebecca was more than willing to play along with the lie about Patrick’s death.

When Shina first arrived, Cah’lia felt relieved over the news of Patrick’s survival, although it was hardly surprising, especially since he traveled with the Elven princess. Thinking back to the few times Saerina displayed her power, it was no wonder Patrick and the rest managed to make it out alive. Shina didn’t know how, of course, or even that there’d been any danger in the first place. The girl said when she showed up there were no scouting parties or enemy soldiers in sight, and that Patrick and the rest were very much unharmed.

Despite her relief, Cah’lia felt guilty every time she saw Sehn agonize over the assumed death of his companions, but she knew she couldn’t tell him. Although Saerina was an odd woman, her reasoning always made sense. Without a doubt, she could’ve stopped Cah’lia and Sehn from separating from the rest of them, and yet for some reason she allowed it. That was a clear enough sign to Cah’lia. Sehn mustn’t learn the truth. Not that she’d have told him, anyway—Cah’lia wanted to be as far from the princes as possible. Even though she saw them as friends, she still didn’t trust either of them, not with everything at stake.

Sehn snapped his head towards Cah’lia, making guttural sounds and sweating profusely. Could the walk up the dungeon’s steps really have exhausted him this much?

“Do not tell me ‘now is not the time,’ Cah’lia. I created time, and thus I would know. And as for you,” he said turning to face the guard. “I am in a particularly miserable mood right now. On your knees, at once! You shall beg for your life, or have it taken from you.”

The guard drew his weapon, and Cah’lia moaned. “Here we go again.”

Before Sehn could reach for his own Elven blade, returned to him only moments earlier, Alan jumped in front of the guard and decked him in the face, sending him sprawling backward into the dungeon. The guard cried in pain as he rolled down the dungeon steps, disappearing into the darkness.

So, Alan’s not a complete idiot after all,
Cah’lia thought.
Sehn is in no condition to fight.

Cah’lia assumed Rebecca told everything to Alan, filling him in on the situation, probably during the time she separated to chat with Sehn.

“Excellent work, disciple!” Sehn cheered. “Normally, I’d have you hung for stealing the Great Sehn’s victory, but as my disciple you are entitled to have a few glorious moments of your own. Be warned though, mortal, the next ten fights belong to me.”

Alan wore a toothy grin and saluted. “You got it, Great Sehn!” It was obviously a fake grin, but Sehn wouldn’t notice. Even a passing look into the commander’s eyes showed a forming sternness. Until recently Alan’s expression had been lazy and filled with mirth, but it appeared his sense of duty brought out the rigidness in him.

Cah’lia grabbed Sehn by the arm and dragged him away from the dungeons. He was breathing heavier than he should’ve been for a brisk walk, and even Rebecca and Alan—people who didn’t know him well—gave confused looks at his heaving chest. She needed to get him to an inn where he could rest.

Luckily, the mayor had still given Cah’lia the aid she required, along with a few coins to spare. It was nowhere near what it would’ve been if they pulled off their charade, but at the very least Cah’lia would be able to depart Hahl with horses, food, and the money for future provisions secured.

Cah’lia turned the corner on a wide street into a wider one, two-way traffic of horse-drawn carriages forced them to walk carefully, and wait their turn to cross the street. They were in central Hahl, a place filled with lavish courtyards, gardens, and inns. Tourists spent the majority of their time here, taking in the sights of the city and providing commerce for the citizens. There were at least four inns on each street. Cah’lia picked one at random.

“Here’s what we’ll do,” she began. “We’ll rest here for one night, and then tomorrow we’ll…H-hey! Sehn, listen to me when I’m speaking to you! W-what do you think you’re doing. Gods, Sehn, that’s so disgusting!”

Rebecca clenched her fist and caressed it against her temple. “Alan. What are you two doing? You’re embarrassing us. Get back here.”

Cah’lia bit her lip, almost hard enough to draw blood. Sehn and Alan were ten feet away, standing in front of a statue of Raurum, God of perseverance. The statue centered in a circular marble-floored section, surrounded by a ring of shrubs on a bed of grass. Much like all Gods and Goddesses, male or female, the statue depicted the God naked, a testament to innocence. Sehn and Alan took turns pointing at its lower region, laughing like fools. Their giggling voices sounded oddly like a child’s.

“L-look at it!” Sehn laughed. “It curves!”

Alan bent backward at the waist, pointing along with him. “Haha! So, this is a God-Penis?”

Sehn shook his head. “No,” he said. “It doesn’t look anything at all like mine. At least I don’t think it does. Let me see.”

Cah’lia jumped over the nearest shrub and slapped at Sehn’s hands, which were fumbling around the waist of his pants. “Don’t. Even. Think about it. I take my eyes off you idiots for one second, and you’re off staring at God-Penises!”

“Silence, Cah’lia! We are merely having a laugh at its expense. Be gone, or I shall break it off and hit you with it. Hah! I bet—”

She grabbed him by the throat. Sehn croaked, interrupting whatever he was going to say, and Cah’lia was glad for it, too. While choking him she noticed he was no longer pale, his face returned to its normal tan color. She felt relieved. Exhaling, she allowed him to break free.

So, maybe he was just sick after all,
she thought.
Or maybe it was just being in that dungeon all night. I’m sure that’s all it was.

“Let’s go, Sehn. I won’t ask you again.”

Sehn spat on the ground, following Cah’lia out of the shrine and back into the street, Alan tailing them from behind. Across the street, Cah’lia spotted a stretch of four inns, each looking decent enough. The third one, a blue and red brick building called “Traveler’s delight,” would be as good a place as any to spend the night.

“Okay, here’s the plan,” Cah’lia said. “It’s still very early. We’ll enjoy the day in Hahl, do a bit of shopping, and then tomorrow morning we’ll leave.”

Rebecca approached Cah’lia and pulled her in for a friendly embrace. “I take it you have things under control here, Cah’lia? I can handle my moron alone from here on out.”

“And I can handle mine. I hope we will meet again, and I hope the best for you both. Somehow I have a feeling it’s best to keep Alan and Sehn away from each other.”

Rebecca laughed. “You don’t say.” She put an arm around her superior’s shoulders, the very man whose orders she was supposed to be following. “Come on, you old idiot. How would you like it if I bought you a drink?”

Alan’s eyebrows rose. He stood on his toes and clapped. “Wow, you’re going to buy me two drinks? Ah, thanks, Rebecca!”

“I said one drink,” she growled. Cah’lia overheard them bicker until Rebecca pulled Alan out of sight.

Sehn tried to wander off within seconds, following in their direction. “Sehn!” Cah’lia shouted. “If I have to put a collar on you I will. Get back here.” The idiot actually seemed to think he could follow his new friend, and that Cah’lia would allow it.

He turned around obediently and stood next to her. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll help you check in at the inn, but then I shall roam the city and find my own fun.”

“No. If you want to go exploring that’s fine, but we’re staying together.”

“How dare you command me! The Great Sehn explores wherever his heart desires!”

“Not anymore, you don’t. Gods, I’m in no mood for this. You know you can’t be trusted alone.”

“Oh, and why’s that, Foo’lia?”

“Because if I let you go off alone, you’ll probably end up blowing something up, or starting a fight with a water fountain—don’t interrupt me! I saw you do that once, Sehn.”

He reluctantly agreed to follow, but Cah’lia wasn’t taking any chances. She grabbed his hand and held it firmly. At once, she realized what a mistake it was. The moment their fingers interlocked, Cah’lia felt the warmth surround her palm, and she struggled not to look Sehn in the eyes. Oddly, he didn’t say anything in protest, content to walk quietly beside her, all the while holding her as tightly as she held him. Cah’lia experimented by loosening the grip, to see if he’d try and escape. His only response was to grip her hand tighter.

The inn was beautiful, and right away Cah’lia knew it would cost more than she wanted to spend. The main entrance had colorful carpets, with artistic designs of various sea creatures. The walls were covered with paintings of kings past and present, and furniture and seating areas were in abundance. Before Cah’lia could approach the innkeeper, she paused, hearing a familiar voice from behind her.