Questing Sucks! Book II (36 page)

“Of course, fool! I could defeat twelve!”

Patrick released a dark chuckle. “I’ve tried so hard to be accommodating to you, Sehn. I let you go off to Magia despite how bad of an idea it was. But you’ve gone too far. I’m done being pushed around. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let the world end just to fill your whims.”

“I think everyone needs to calm down now,” Orellia said.

Sehn spat. “I refuse. Not until Patrick apologizes for his words.”

“I’m not going to apologize, Sehn. I meant what I said: you’re no friend of mine. You’re a sick, disgusting, vile little creature whom I wish I had never been forced to meet.”

Something changed in Sehn. Patrick wasn’t sure what, but after the elf blinked, his eyes no longer held any hint of hurt or outrage. There was an almost reflective quality to him. Patrick felt uncomfortable while Sehn stared at him. What was going on in that thick skull of his?

A smile crept its way onto Sehn’s lips. “Do it.”

“Do what?” Patrick asked.

“The thing you’ve threatened, fool. Go ahead: order your guards to cut off my limbs and ship me away to your capital.”

“Sehn!” both Cah’lia and Shina hissed.

Sehn appeared to ignore them. “Well? Go ahead.”

Patrick’s body shuddered. He didn’t expect to be put on the spot. “I'm not bluffing. I will really do it, if that’s what it takes to keep this world safe.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Sehn asked. “Go ahead and do it.”

“I will. I will, if that’s what I must do. I am not fooling around here, Sehn.”

“And yet you’re still talking. What are you waiting for, Patrick? Call your soldiers. You won’t do it. I know you won’t. Why? Because if you do, you’ll be back to zero.”

The words struck directly at Patrick’s heart. He said nothing, but on the inside, he had to stave off tears. What game was Sehn playing at? Didn’t he realize that Patrick was serious? Did he not understand what would happen if he continued to act this way?

Sehn stared directly into his eyes, and Patrick refused to blink. It only took Patrick a few seconds to understand the truth.

Nothing will happen
,
he realized.
Gods forgive me
,
but nothing will happen
,
and he knows this
.
Because then I’ll be back to zero
.

Defeated, Patrick allowed his knees to go limp, and he fell to the floor in a sitting position. Aside from Sehn, all others in the room appeared gravely confused. Orellia mouthed question at Cah’lia and Shina, who shrugged and returned the same blank look she gave.

“I knew it,” Sehn said. “You won’t do it.”

“What’s going on here?” Cah’lia asked. “Will someone tell me what’s happening?”

“Yes, please,” Shina added. “I think we all want to know what just happened between you two.”

Patrick neither needed nor wanted to explain anything to them. Fortunately, he didn’t have to. “What happened,” Sehn explained, “is that Patrick realized how much of a bitch he is and backed down. He fears for what the Great Sehn will do to his pathetic army.”

“Are you sure?” Shina asked. “That doesn’t seem right.”

“It is right! Now come on. We must continue our search for Nero and Rina.”

Cah’lia sighed. “I have no idea what just went on, but with the children missing, I don’t care. Let’s go while we still can.”

Cah’lia and the others hurried out of the room. Sehn was the last to leave. As he passed by Patrick, he laughed and whispered, “For a bit of gold, I might be willing to forgive your blasphemous words, Patrick.” Then he too exited the room.

When no one else was around, Patrick chuckled sadly to himself. Sehn remembered. Somehow, that idiot actually remembered. It shouldn’t have been possible.

Patrick’s mind flashed back to one of their first outings. He, Daniel, Rillith, and Sehn had been hunting Rezza Spiders along the road just one day’s ride from Koringrath. Their valuable silk was highly sought after, and Sehn had claimed he’d needed the money to build a super weapon.

“
Faster
,
fool
!”
Sehn demanded
.

Patrick panted
,
struggling to keep up
.
It was a hot day
,
and the sun seemed to have it out for him
.
Koringrath was scalding hot this time of the year
,
and Patrick had dressed far too warmly out of habit
.
Looking like a prince was engraved into his very being
,
which meant dressing for cold weather in hot places
.
Patrick promised himself that
,
next time
,
he’d dress a little more lightly
.

“
I said faster
!”

Patrick had already known this elf a few weeks
,
and yet he still couldn’t believe someone like this existed
.
Sehn was not like the elves his father or his tutors had told him about
.
There was no politeness to be found in his sharp tongue or his impatient ordering
.
Yet still
,
Patrick sensed there was more to him under the surface
.

“
What is taking you so long
,
Patrick
?”
Sehn asked
.
“
We’re here to hunt spiders
,
not fucking trot through the field like ponies
.
Move it or I will throw you into the sun
!”

Patrick laughed
.
“
Sorry
,
sorry
,
it’s just that I’m not used to this
.”

Sehn paused
.
He turned around
,
lowered the bow in his hands
,
and shot Patrick an inquisitive look
.
“
Do your human friends not complain when you go hunting with them
?”

Patrick wasn’t sure how to answer
.
“
Ah…human friends
?”

“
Yes
,
these other two: Daniel and Rillith
.”

“
Oh
,”
Patrick said
.
“
This is our first time hunting together
.”

“
Well
,
what about
your
other human friends back home
?”

“
Other human friends
?”

Sehn blinked
.
“
Don’t you have other friends back home
?”

Patrick thought on the question
.
He had acquaintances
,
certainly
,
and people whom he called
“
friend
”
for reasons of state
,
but none of them were friends in the sense that Sehn was speaking of
.

“
I suppose not
,”
he concluded
.

At this
,
Sehn tilted his head back and erupted with mocking laughter
.
“
Hah
!
You have zero friends
!
How lame
.”

Patrick surprised himself with his sudden feelings of hurt
.
“
It’s not my fault
!
My father doesn’t allow me to have friends
.
You see
,
when your father’s the king—ah
,
I mean
,
the kingdom’s finest cook
,
you’ll find that you’re too busy training to…cook than being allowed to make friends with others
.”

Sehn made a sour face
.
“
Your father isn’t here now
,
is he
?
You are my disciple
,
so you abide by my rules
.
From now on
,
you are my friend—so long as you pay the friend-tax and the weekly friend-maintenance fee
.
Now
,
let’s keep moving
,
and be careful you don’t step into a lava pit
,
because if you do
,
I’m not pulling you out
.
I will laugh and cheer as you burn to death
.
Understand
?”

“
Yes
,
Sehn
.”

Patrick hid his smile
,
as Sehn did not allow anyone to show happiness in his presence
.
He was doing this for the salvation of his kingdom
,
but he was surprised by how much he was growing to enjoy all of this: the fresh air
,
the feelings of camaraderie
,
the nights by a campfire spent gazing at the stars above
,
which Sehn claimed to have created
.

This wasn’t all bad
.

Patrick wiped his eyes as the memories returned in a flood. At times, Sehn could be one of the meanest, most miserable bastards to ever walk the planet. No one had ever made Patrick as upset as Sehn often did. He had a way of pushing all the right buttons at all the right times.

And yet, he was all Patrick had; he was Patrick’s only true friend, or at least the closest thing Patrick would ever be permitted to know.

Friend
, Patrick thought.

Until Sehn, Patrick didn’t know the meaning of the word.

The streets seemed to blur together as Cah’lia rampaged through the city alongside Sehn and the others in their search for Nero and Rina. The sun was in its noon position, and time was draining fast. Cah’lia knew that it wouldn’t be long before the guards ordered the city gates to reopen, and once that happened, any hope of rescuing the children would be lost; with each wasted second, the two slipped further and further out of her grasp. Things were beginning to seem futile, and the utter sense of hopelessness did little to stem her growing frustration.

Yet, even as desperate as she was in her quest to find her little brother and Rina, somehow, Sehn managed to be even
more
desperate—to the point that his actions were becoming more of a hindrance than a help.

For the fifth time in less than an hour, Sehn had resumed interrogating random people who had the misfortune of passing him by on the street. Currently, he had his wrist wrapped around the shirt of an old elven woman, who dropped a basket filled with fruit and bread as he accosted her. They weren’t far from one of the city’s higher-class shopping plazas; Cah’lia could tell by the sight of silk robes and elaborate jewelry that this was one of Hahl’s wealthier areas. It was nothing short of a miracle that the guards had not yet responded to all the commotion Sehn was stirring up.

“Sehn, stop this!” Cah’lia shouted, not surprised when her words were ignored.

Sehn’s eyes bulged madly, and the old elven woman squeaked as he pulled her face closer to his. “Where are the children? Tell me at once, and I shall only remove one of your limbs instead of all four.”

“Someone, help! Guards! Help me, someone,
anyone
!”

A dark laugh escaped Sehn’s lips. “No one is coming to help you, fool. If you value your life, you will tell me where you have hidden the children.”

“Th-th-the what?” she croaked. “Ch-children?”

Cah’lia rushed over before things spiraled out of control. She heard Shina mutter from behind her that “the idiot” was up to “it” again, while Kellar grinned as if he were being treated to a free show. Orellia remained eerily quiet, which disturbed Cah’lia. The Champion, thankfully, was refusing to assist Sehn in his lunacy. Cah’lia wasn’t sure why he disobeyed—or even how it was possible for him to do so—but rather than help Sehn harass innocent civilians, he attempted to diffuse the situation by whispering soft words of reason into Sehn’s ears.

If only Sehn was the type to listen to reason
,
Cah’lia thought.

She tried again to ask Sehn to stand down, but her voice failed to reach his ears. Either that, or he was intentionally ignoring her.

“Do not play me for a fool, old woman,” he said. “You looked at me suspiciously. This can only mean one thing: you know where the children are.”

The poor woman cried out in terror. “Please, unhand me, my kind fellow elf! If I looked at you strangely, ‘twas only because you were acting so. No offense was meant, truly. On the name of my father do I swear this as
truth!
”

“Foolish woman! How dare you accuse the Great Sehn of acting strangely, for he was acting casual and
nonchalant!
”

“But…”

“But what? How can you speak such lies? In what way was I acting strangely?”

“It’s j-just you were running down the street shouting at everyone, and then I saw you punch a horse. ‘Tis the only reason I looked your way. In the name of Helena I do swear it. ‘Tis a rarity to see such otherworldly behavior on these quiet streets.”

Cah’lia didn’t think Sehn would actually hurt the woman, but the way things were going, she feared he might scare her to death. Fortunately, she was a fast runner, and so she arrived at his side before he could make any more trouble. Without worrying how he’d react, Cah’lia shoved him aside, pushing him out of the old woman’s way.

“Stop this, Sehn,” she demanded. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous?” Sehn asked, speaking as if Cah’lia had just made an awful joke. “I am
not
being ridiculous. This woman knows something. I’m sure of it.”

Cah’lia, trying her best not to look suspicious, shifted her eyes to the left and then to the right. “People are beginning to stare. And yes, you
are
being ridiculous. Why would this woman know anything about the children?”

“What children?” the old, silver-haired elven woman asked, as if to further prove her innocence.

Before Sehn could respond and worsen what was already a bad situation, Cah’lia bent down, picked up the woman’s basket, handed it to her, and then gestured for her to be on her way. An instant later, Cah’lia stared in awe as the old woman ran as fast as a fourteen-year-old boy heading towards one of Elvar’s summertime feasts.

Once she was safely away, Cah’lia sighed. “This has got to stop, Sehn. If we’re going to find the children, we need to do things my way.”

“Your way? Your way! How
dare
you insist that we—”

Sehn slapped his hand over his mouth. His face reddened. Then he removed his hands and lowered his voice. “Sorry. Old habits.”

Cah’lia wanted to smile—and she would have, too, if not for the overwhelming fear she felt for Nero and Rina. It seemed that Sehn was taking his promise to treat her better seriously. It caused her to feel a bit of pride in him, which she knew was probably misplaced, but she felt it nonetheless.

I guess he meant what he said
.
He might spit in the face of a king
,
but at least he won’t spit at mine
.
I guess that’ll have to do—for now
.

“We can’t…afford to lose sight of what’s important,” the Champion whispered, his voice as ominous as always. “You must…realize this.”

Cah’lia could tell by the look on Sehn’s face that he was teetering on the edge of something frightening, something dangerous. His lips formed into a line, and he remained eerily quiet while the Champion lectured him.

“We must not…waste time.”

Sehn didn’t reply. Instead, he exhaled then continued on his way. Cah’lia hesitated a moment before following. After a short pause, she bowed at the Champion as a sign of thanks, then hurried after Sehn. Shina, Orellia, and Kellar kept close behind.

Cah’lia was sure of one thing and one thing alone: somewhere inside this city, Nero and Rina were being held captive. They were still here—they had to be. But they wouldn’t remain so for long. She
would
find them. At the cost of her own life, she would get them back.

Calen motioned with his hand. For the next several minutes, he waited while his forces slowed to a halt. He twisted in his saddle to look at Prince Saerith, who sat on his large chestnut-colored dray, the horse’s back rigid with confidence.

In just a few days, Calen had led Prince Saerith’s army across the valley of Hahl. Now, they would make their way through the low, rocky pass that wrapped around the Jinkar Forest; although the Jinkar forest was the quicker route back to the Harrow plains, it was unsuitable for travel by horse. Yet even taking the longer route, at this maddening pace they were but a few days’ ride from Koringrath, then another few to Elvar, where hopefully they would arrive well ahead of the hawk’s forces.

“Why have we stopped, Calen?” Saerith asked.

“My prince,” Calen began, “we need to water the horses, and our soldiers need rest. At the rate we’re pressing them, our warriors will be too exhausted to fight. We have been traveling for sixteen hours a day.”

Saerith hopped off his warhorse then retrieved a water skin from the pouch at his steed’s side. Taking a large gulp, he wiped his lips and then returned the water skin to the pouch.

“Believe me, Sword Calen, I would prefer nothing more than a slow relaxing ride to Elvar, but in case you have forgotten, there is a an army large enough to strike fear into the Gods on its way, and if we do not arrive ahead of time, our people will be struck dead without warning.”

Saerith’s insult stung Calen, but he would not show a temper to his prince. Still, he could not deny that he felt snubbed by the remark, because of
course
he was aware of the gravity of the situation; it was all that occupied his dreams—his nightmares. But what good would it do to arrive ahead of the assault if the army fell ill and could not fight due to sickness and exhaustion?

“You look upset,” Saerith said with a sigh. “I did not mean to use such a tone with you. I’m just…”

Calen held up his hand. “Please, you do not need to apologize to me. And I understand your frustration. I too feel betrayed.”

Saerith nodded. Calen watched as the prince disdainfully glanced over his shoulder towards the tail end of their formation, where just a thousand Kingdom soldiers, led by the human field officer, Rillith, traveled with them to Elvar.

“The nerve,” Saerith said, a searing heat in his voice. “When the Hawk laid siege to Hahl, I gathered every last elf I could and threw my men at the enemy to aid the humans. And how do they repay us? By sending us a single division of poorly trained recruits?”

Calen shared in the prince’s anger. Once again, the humans had shown their true colors. The attack on Hahl had turned out to be just a ploy to divert attention from their real target: the elven capital. Calen blamed himself for not figuring it out sooner. He prayed to Helena that they would make it in time to warn Chief Suhn of the impending attack.

At first, it had seemed so senseless that the enemy would send just a small portion of their forces into battle, which ultimately led to their defeat. But now, Calen understood why. In the beginning, the general consensus was that the attack on Hahl had been a test of sorts, and perhaps that was partly the truth, but only now was the true genius behind the Hawk’s plan revealed.

By attacking one of the Kingdom’s pillars, the humans were now diverting the overwhelming majority of their forces towards defense, leaving little to assist the elves. From a strategic standpoint, the Hawk’s plan was beautiful: use the fear and insecurity of the humans against themselves and, in doing so, isolate the elves from their would-be allies.

They are too frightened to aid us now
.
They think only of themselves
.

The Hawk was bringing everything it had to bear down on Elvar, and from there it would cut a path straight to the capital. Together, the humans and elves had a fighting chance, but thanks to the siege of Hahl, the humans were now focused entirely on protecting their own cities, and damned be to the elves. The fools! From the start, Calen doubted it ever truly mattered whether or not the attack on Hahl succeeded. The result had been decided even before the battle’s conclusion.

“How could Patrick do this?” Saerith asked. “After what we went through together, I’d have thought him a man of a bit more honor. Never have I felt so scorned.”

“With all due respect, my prince, I do not believe we can fault Patrick for this.”

Saerith eyed him warily. “And why’s that?”

“If it were up to Prince Patrick, I truly believe he would be with us right now, ready to fight at our side. But from what I understand of Kingdom politics, he is, at this point, no more powerful than a Lord of the Seven Pillars. The King is still in command, and he is powerless to intercede on our behalf.”

“Nonsense!” Saerith shouted. “He could have done more—he could have made a stronger case for our support.”

“And do you really think he didn’t?” asked a voice from behind them. It was cold, and it caused the hairs to stand on the back of Calen’s neck. He immediately dismounted from his mount and bowed.

“Princess Saerina,” Calen said, keeping his head lowered. “I did not know we were to be…expecting you. Shall I order someone to fetch you something cold to drink? Or how about some chilled wine?”

Calen raised a single eye and snuck a peek at Saerina, who walked gracefully towards her brother and then embraced him. She was as beautiful as ever; a bright red robe spun of the finest cloth personified her intensity as both a princess and a woman.

“Calen, be at ease,” she ordered. Calen obeyed immediately, straightening his back and daring to meet her gaze. “I am glad I was able to catch up with you two. I heard your conversation.”

Saerith dropped his voice to a whisper, though Calen could still hear him. “Sister, it’s good you have come,” he said. “We have a lot to discuss…things that we’ve been putting off since Hahl.”