Questing Sucks! Book II (9 page)

“Rina has missed Sehn,” she said. “Rina knows that Sehn was busy doing politics-things today, but Rina still wanted to see you. Rina has not seen her Sehn for two days.”

Sehn shifted his eyes towards Cah’lia, who quickly averted her own gaze. Oddly, when Sehn looked over to Nero, he too seemed to be staring into nothingness, looking anywhere but at Sehn. Even the Champion was too preoccupied evaluating his own blade to bother paying any attention.

Sehn took one final glance around him. Good. No one was watching, and he was safe from prying eyes. He ruffled Rina’s hair, which was longer now that she’d been freed. As a slave, her owner had forced it to be kept short, but at Cah’lia’s insistence, Rina was growing it out.

Sehn returned the hug and kissed the top of Rina’s head, all while keeping alert for even the slightest hint of observers. If the Great Sehn were ever caught in such a hideously disgusting display of affection, he’d have no choice but to murder everyone in sight and then kill himself. Of course, he’d also have to burn down the city. There was no sense in taking chances, right?

Things were changing for Sehn. The world was changing, becoming a more dangerous place. These days, each time Sehn looked at Nero or Rina, he felt a protective instinct, which for some reason was stronger than his own desire to live. He knew that it was only because they were his disciples, and that it was definitely not some sort of ridiculous ‘love’ for the brats. He merely hoped that one day they would attempt to overthrow him, as a way of giving Sehn a challenge in the future or something like that. He had to think about it awhile for it to make sense—but it did make sense!

After just a few seconds, which was far too risky to begin with, Sehn gently pulled away and cleared his throat. An instant later, Cah’lia, Nero, and the Champion seemed to remember he existed, because they once again regarded him and made eye contact.

Sehn lowered his hand to the satchel of coins in his pocket. He didn’t understand why, but the thought of leaving Rina alone made him feel…guilty, of all things. He decided he’d buy her something nice before he left, maybe some clothes and new toys. With a resigned sigh, he realized that Nero would have a fit, despite having selfishly devoured the last of Sehn’s money only a few days prior. Suddenly, the weight of the gold felt a great deal lighter. Children sucked.

Cah’lia approached the Champion. Her eyes darkened and her hands stiffened. She drew her concealed dagger and raised it to his throat. “Listen up. There’s no trust between us two. I don’t trust you now, and I won’t trust you ever. But I’m out of options here. I want you to watch after the kids while Sehn and I are gone. Can you handle that?”

Rather than look to Sehn for permission, the Champion replied, “I can.”

“Good,” Cah’lia said. “Because if something happens to them—either of them—I’ll open your throat and drink from your blood.” She narrowed her eyes on the Champion. She flicked the dagger, spinning it gracefully and then with a quick wave of her wrist, she re-sheathed the weapon, making it seem as though it had vanished—a performance clearly meant to intimidate.

Sehn shivered. He always felt a bit queasy whenever Cah’lia showed off her more brutal side. But thankfully, she was all smiles a moment later. She knelt before both of the children and then put a hand on each of them.

“Sehn and I have something really important we have to do now, so you two be good, okay?”

Sehn didn’t manage to close his ears in time. Nero’s wails started before Sehn could blink, let alone raise his hands to the side of his face; he was forced to hear every moment of the boy’s high-pitched tantrum.

“No!” he cried. “What do you mean? Where are you going?” Already tears were sliding down his face. His cheeks puffed up like a balloon. “Tell me! Where are you two going?”

Sehn knew he needed to act before things worsened. He walked over to Nero and knelt down, swatting away Cahlia’s hand and replacing it with his own on the boy’s shoulders. The idea of consoling someone disgusted Sehn, but he needed some way of hushing the weeping child.

“All right, listen, Nero,” Sehn began, “I need to tell you a secret.” Nero’s whimpers quieted and he wiped a tear from his eye. Good, it was working.

“Your sister and I won’t be gone for long.”

Again, Nero wiped his eyes, and Cah’lia looked genuinely impressed.

“In fact, we won’t be doing anything that special at all.”

Nero’s tears came to an abrupt halt, and his moaning ceased entirely. “Where are you gonna go, Sehn?”

As the boy calmed down, Sehn struggled not to grin victoriously. He was better at this than he thought he’d be. The Great Sehn had things under control, much better than Cah’lia would’ve done. Now, all Sehn had to do was finish things off gently.

“We’re just going on a little sky-adventure.”

Nero’s eyes widened. “A…sky-adventure?”

Oddly, Cah’lia waved her arms back and forth, signaling for Sehn to stop. What was her problem, anyway? Sehn knew what he was doing.

“Yes, we’re going to a magical island in the sky to find treasure in a city that’s probably made of gold or diamond. Don’t worry, though, because if you’re well behaved, I shall tell you—for a small fee, of course—all about it when we return home. Not everything, though, because there may be so much adventure that you cannot handle it all in just one story. So, as my disciple, I command you to stay out of trouble and study or something while your sister and I go on a sky-adventure and search for magical treasure.”

Rina, who at the time was only a few feet from the two, hopped several steps backwards and covered her ears. Cah’lia moaned and shook her head in disbelief. What was wrong with the two girls? Sehn had clearly solved the problem, hadn’t he?

Nero’s lips quivered and his body trembled. That was Sehn realized he was about to go off like cannon fire.

Fuck
!

“
THAT’S NOT FAIR, SEHN! I WANNA GO ON A SKY-ADVENTURE TOO. HOW COME CAH’LIA GETS TO GO AND I DON’T? WAHHHHHH! Y-YOU PROMISED THAT I COULD GO!”

Sehn gritted his teeth at Nero’s lie. He never promised Nero he could go on a sky-adventure. Cah’lia shot Sehn a look of disgust and then rushed to her brother’s side, doing whatever it was she always did to quiet Nero when he got this way. Sehn looked over to Rina, who raised her chin in disapproval. What was Nero’s problem, anyway? The little brat was acting like a seven-year-old!

Oh yeah
,
Sehn realized.
He is
.

Sehn crossed the street and sat on a bench in front of a baker’s shop, wondering how he managed to once again fuck up such a simple, trivial thing.

Ghell licked his lips as he walked down the line of five men covered from head to toe in black garb. Shinsarian assassins, the best money could buy, loyal to none and servant to any who possessed enough coin to pay their hefty fee. The old floorboards creaked under Ghell’s foot as he paced back and forth, examining the men. A sign labeled “Rezza’s Nest” hung on the door behind him.

He’d chosen this rundown inn for its isolation and quiet atmosphere. Located not a mile from the City of Hahl, and serving less than ten patrons on any given day, Ghell couldn’t think of a better staging area than Rezza’s Nest. He needed this plan to succeed. He needed this, or else—

Ghell cut off the thought as if his life depended on it, which it likely did. The only thing that kept him functioning, kept him relatively sane, was his refusal to dwell on that horrible place. Yet try as he might, Ghell was unavoidably drawn back to the memory of fire, of the anguished cries of a million, no, tens of millions of tortured souls—the memory of hell.

He ordered the men to take a seat at one of the four square serving tables. He waved away the barmaid who offered drinks—these men needed to be sober.

“Gentlemen,” Ghell began, “I trust you have everything you need for the job?”

“We do,” one of them whispered back. Ghell wasn’t certain who spoke, as each of the five men were shrouded in their robes and their voices carried like a vague scent on the air.

“You can consider them as good as ours,” the man said. He reached into his robe and removed a dagger no bigger than the length of a finger, along with the two pieces of paper, which contained illustrations of two young children. The man placed the drawings down flat on the table and then stabbed the dagger into the leftmost sheet, which depicted a small elven boy. “We are good at what we do.”

Ghell felt blood rush to his groin, and his heart raced. He didn’t know why the Hawk wanted to capture a pair of kids. There didn’t seem to be any significance to their lives. What good were an elven brat and a former slave girl?

Still, the one who’d literally sent him to hell, the elven woman, Cah’lia—she loved these two. And in addition to capturing the children, he’d also been instructed, as a secondary goal if possible, to take her life.
That
would be worth it.

“What about my request, gentlemen?”

“An odd one, but it will be fulfilled,” said a man. Ghell didn’t know if it was the same speaker or one of the other four. They all sounded the same to him. “We will bring you the severed heads of the one you call ‘Champion’ and the prince.”

Lust seeped deeper into Ghell’s body. He would take the elven woman, Cah’lia. Oh, yes, he would take her against her will while he forced her to stare into the eyes of the frightened children. The thought alone was enough to make Ghell forget the consequences of failure.

I want this
,
he thought.
I need this
.

“Hey, barmaid, come here,” Ghell called. On second thought, he decided a round of drinks would be a fine idea after all. He swished his tongue in his mouth—he still wasn’t used to it. It was now forked, and he’d discovered that the tip dripped an acid that burned through most surfaces. He wasn’t the same man he’d been. Thing was, he could no longer be sure that was even a bad thing.

Cah’lia refused to give in. Otherwise, Sehn wouldn’t learn anything. No amount of yelling or hassling would ever make Sehn realize the error of his ways, but as Cah’lia was slowly coming to learn, silence worked wonders in dealing with the not-so-incorrigible elf. So, as she led Sehn through a bustling street in the workmen’s quarter of Hahl, she refused to speak, look, or have any contact with him. The cold shoulder worked better than any other form of punishment.

Heat from the forges turned the already warm air into an uncomfortable, humid mess, and she constantly had to swerve to avoid craftsmen rushing from business to business on some errand or another. Sparks flew as grindstone sharpened swords. Many weapons had been lost or destroyed in the battle, and from what a few of the locals had explained to Cah’lia, this was the busiest the place had been since the border skirmishes between the elves and humans hundreds of years before. The townsfolk had claimed that similar sights could be seen across all major cities. The Kingdom was gearing up for war.

The people of Hahl were hardworking, decent, and admirable humans—this was precisely the reason Cah’lia’s temper had flared when Sehn disrespected her in front of them. They’d looked at her as if she were mad for putting up with such a ridiculous person. Her dignity had been stripped for all to bear witness to.

Sehn walked closely behind, foolishly pretending he didn’t care that Cah’lia was ignoring him. She knew he was full of it, because whenever she risked a peek, she could see guilt in his defeated frown and a slump in his shoulders. Cah’lia knew Sehn better than anyone else did, and she knew that, at any moment, he’d break. The only thing left was to wait.

Oh
,
he’s feeling guilty all right
,
Cah’lia thought.
And if I know Sehn
,
he’ll open his mouth in five
,
four
,
three
,
two
—

Sehn grumbled under his breath and then spoke up. “This is foolish, Cah’lia. Only children play the silent game.”

Cah’lia was tempted to respond, “Good, because I feel like I’m dealing with a child,” but her lips remained sealed. Unlike Sehn, Cah’lia had no difficulty controlling her emotions. She kept her face and eyes forward, hearing Sehn’s words but refusing to let him know she was listening to them.

Next up comes the second attempt
,
but it won’t be good enough
.

The sound of Sehn walking along the rocky street came to a halt. Cah’lia stopped as well, but she didn’t turn around or look in his direction. With her back facing Sehn, she waited for what she knew would be his second pathetic try.

“Cah’lia! I demand you speak to me at once! For each second you do not respond, I shall inflict ten days of suffering on your bowels with a magical curse.”

Cah’lia yawned and took a single step forward. She heard Sehn shift hastily on his feet as he took a step of his own to match hers.

Here comes number three
.

“Wait! Very well, very well. The Great Sehn knows what is going on here. I shall offer you no more than two gold coins to resume speaking with me, and that’s being generous. Of course, it will have to be subtracted from the eight-hundred quadrillion that you already owe me, but at least you’ll be closer to a positive balance.”

Again Cah’lia didn’t respond, though this time she made no guise of walking away. Sure enough, less than ten seconds later, she could hear Sehn’s breathing increase, and though she couldn’t see him, she knew his ears would be twitching with frustration.

Here we go
,
Cah’lia thought with a grin.

She heard Sehn nervously wetting his lips. He sighed. “Cah’lia, I’m…I’m sorry.”

This, she would respond to. She spun around to face him, placing her thumb under her chin and putting on her most puzzled expression. “Sorry? Sorry for what, Sehn?”

He looked at the ground like a guilty puppy. “I’m…I’m sorry that I grabbed you.”

Now we’re getting somewhere
.

Cah’lia remained firm. “Is that all?” She could tell Sehn was reluctant. He wrinkled his nose and kicked a few loose pebbles.

“I’m sorry that I grabbed your neck and lowered your face to my ass, and then…and then told you to kiss it. And I’m sorry I tried to charge you for it, too.”

Cah’lia crossed her arms. She wanted to forgive him, but only after she’d made her point. When it came to Sehn, there were some things she could forgive and others she refused to overlook. Grown men and women had stared at her in awe, likely wondering what kind of woman would allow herself to be degraded in public.

“You’re not a boy, Sehn. You’re a man. And I’m a woman—one who expects to be treated with respect. I’m not asking you to put me on a pedestal or treat me like a delicate flower. All I’m asking is to be treated as an equal and an individual.”

As Cah’lia expected, Sehn made a noncommittal nod and tried to continue on his merry way to Wolly’s workshop as though all had been settled. She held out her palm, signaling for a stop.

“Not so fast.”

This conversation was long overdue, and she wasn’t willing to let Sehn slip away so easily. She’d enabled this outrageous behavior for far too long, a mistake that she now intended to correct.

“What do you want, Cah’lia?”

“I know why you pick on me, Sehn, and it’s silly and childish.”

“Why I…pick on you?” Sehn asked.

Cah’lia nodded. “Even before we started this whole journey, you’ve always tried to get under my skin.” Cah’lia paused for a moment. She needed to phrase this delicately. No matter what she said next, Sehn was likely to explode, but it was damage that she could perhaps lessen somewhat if she used caution in how she proceeded with this.

“Since the day you met my brother, you’ve gotten on my case every time I see you. But I’m not stupid, Sehn. I know what’s going on here. It’s obvious that you like me.”

Sehn’s eyes looked as if they’d pop from their sockets. His mouth was agape, and he stared at her in outrage. “Th-that’s preposterous! How dare you accuse the Great Sehn of—
”

“I’m not done!” Cah’lia snapped. As silly as it was, she couldn’t help but soften as Sehn blushed, and a look of terror crossed his eyes. Why did he have to be so damned cute in those few moments he wasn’t being such a damnable jerk?

“I don’t know why you act the way you do,” she continued, “but we’re not little elven children playing together in a sandpit. The time when you could get away with punching a girl in the arm because you had a secret crush on her is over with.”

Sehn furiously shook his head. “I do
not
have a crush on you. Silly woman. The Great Sehn does not
have
crushes—he merely
crushes
.”

“Oh? Then how about all those times we’ve kissed that you always refuse to talk about? Or how about just earlier? I heard what you whispered into my ear, you know?”

“I have explained this to you a million times,” Sehn said. “I have never once wanted to kiss you. All those times, I was merely trying to—”

“Not this again,” Cah’lia interrupted. “Yes, yes, I know, Sehn. You were ‘merely trying to suck the life-force out of my lips and use it to increase your own lifespan.’ Do you think I was born yesterday? I know that you like me, maybe even love me, and I know you know it’s true, even if you won’t admit it to me, or yourself, for that matter.”

At once, a sickly, grim look took over Sehn’s features. His blush faded and he froze. His chest compressed, and Cah’lia wondered for a panicked moment if he was still breathing. When he spoke, his voice came out in a croaking whisper.

“Do you…do you like me too?”

With that, Cah’lia knew she had complete power over him now. It was the way his face drained of color while waiting for her answer. It was a power she didn’t dare use with the intent of abusing or harming him, but one that could someday save both their lives. In response, she brushed up against him, placing her hands on his cheeks, which were coarse with a hint of forming stubble. She fought against the urge to kiss him, to feel his lips over hers. Sehn could be fierce when he grew passionate, and it was a ferocity that Cah’lia desired. But no, she would not reward him until he’d earned it. If she didn’t fight the temptation, this would all be a waste.

“That depends,” she whispered. “I don’t like people who treat me badly. Especially not when it’s you, Sehn. Why do you ask? Do you
want
me to like you?”

In that moment, Cah’lia knew that, had she chosen to do so, she could make Sehn kneel before her like a loyal subject. But that wasn’t remotely what she wanted. She only wished for Sehn to recognize her as an equal, someone he could trust and put his faith in. Not to mention that the thought of Sehn groveling sickened her.

“Yes,” he whispered back. Cah’lia could tell he strained to force the words out. “I want you to like me.”

“Will you treat me and the others with respect?”

“That’s asking for too much.”

Cah’lia sighed. “Fine, will you at least treat
me
with respect?”

Sehn’s fear seemed to rise to new heights, because Cah’lia could feel his cheeks shiver. “Only if you let me kiss you.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

Cah’lia wasn’t prepared for his aggressive outburst. Sehn grabbed her by the hips and hoisted her into the air. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, allowing Sehn to take control. When he kissed her, it wasn’t at all like the other times. There was a need, a desire that was so unlike him. In all the time that Cah’lia had known Sehn, his public image had mattered to him as much as life or death. But now, out in the open and the only two elves to be found for miles, Sehn kissed her for all to see, without the slightest hesitation or shame. Cah’lia felt tingles race through her body as his warm lips closed over her own. Who was this Sehn and where had he come from? And most importantly, where could Cah’lia find more of him?

She felt Sehn’s arms wrap around her, pulling her against his rocky chest. With all Sehn’s stupidity, it was easy to forget that underneath the layers of moron was the gorgeous, powerful son to the elven chief. In some ways, he actually
was
royalty. This was something she didn’t dare remind him of.

Cah’lia made the moment last, waiting until the last possible second to catch her breath. This was a side of Sehn she rarely had the chance to see, and she savored each moment.

She pulled away after some time, the two breathing heavy. Sehn looked up at her, eyeing her though the air had been sealed off from his lungs the moment she’d stopped kissing him.

“We need to go, Sehn. We’ve got work to do. Put me down.”

He growled and went in for a second kiss, but his lips met her palm. “I’m serious. Down, boy.”

He growled a second time but obliged. He lowered her to the ground and slowly put his hands back to his sides. An amused thought entered Cah’lia’s mind.

The master of the most powerful minion in the world now answers to me
.
Does that make me the most powerful
?

Cah’lia tried to turn around and continue walking, but Sehn grabbed her hand. “There’s something I need to tell you, and I have to say it now.”

“What is it?”

“If you ever tell anyone I said this, I’ll destroy you, Cah’lia.”

Sehn’s words made her anxious, but she hid it from him. “Okay, I’ll keep it a secret. Tell me.”

“I…the thing is that I…you see, when I try to.” Sehn cleared his throat. “Okay, how do I say this? Cah’lia, I really do…no, not that. It’s just that whenever I think about…Gah, fuck it! Let’s just go see that stupid dwarf.” Sehn let go of her hand and marched past her, muttering to himself like a madman. “I can’t believe I allowed Cah’lia to use her mystic woman-magic to force me into respecting her,” she heard him say as his voice faded into the distance.

She chuckled and followed after him. She didn’t mind whatever rationalization Sehn needed to tell himself. To make such a promise must’ve taken a lot from him, so the fool could play it off in any way that he wanted. Now, for the first time she had let him know the stakes—if he wanted her, he needed to respect her. Let him chew on that!

But
what was he about to say
?