Chapter 9: Koringrath

“Sehn, Sehn, wake up!” Nero shouted.

Sehn grumbled as the first sight that filled his eyes was that of the little Elf jumping up and down. He looked around him. The stars were still out in full force, painting the sky with their wondrous celestial patterns while the smooth grass rustled from the light breeze. Off into the distance, night-predators stalked prey while small winged insects trailed close behind, hopeful for scraps.

“Nero, it’s not morning for another two hours. What in the Gods has you all riled up?” Nero was jumping and spinning, going through all of his childish routines and motions.

“I can’t wait any longer. I want to go to Koringrath now. We’re so close, Sehn. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

Damn children, Sehn thought bitterly.

“Nero, go away. The Great Sehn requires more slumber. Be gone this instant.”

Sehn knew that his words were falling on deaf ears. Once the little Elf got going, there were no words that would make him stop. Sehn could yell, scream, beg, and even cry—of course, Sehn would never do any of these things—but nothing he could do or say would stand any chance of quieting the noisy Elf.

“Please, Sehn. Pretty please with a Moon-crackers on top.”

Sehn growled under the covers of his sleeping pallet. To even attempt to return to his slumber would be futile. Nero wouldn’t quit until he got what he wanted, the thought of which caused Sehn to smile; Nero was a true disciple.

“And if I say no, Nero? What will you do then?”

Nero stood up straighter and sucked air into his puffy cheeks. He flexed his tiny arms. “Then I shall personally see to your execution, Sehn!”

Sehn wondered for a moment if Nero was learning too fast. After all, Nero was Cah’lia’s little brother, and the last thing Sehn wanted was to one day have to compete with Nero over who got to rule the world.

“Very well, I suppose we’ll start early today. I’ll go wake up Cah’lia.”

Sehn walked over to Cah’lia. She seemed to be in a deep sleep, her head tilted back and her breathing slow. He placed on arm on her shoulder. “Cah’lia, get up, we’re going to—”

In a quick motion, Cah’lia shot up, grabbing Sehn’s arm with both hands and throwing him over her side, to come landing on his face next to her with a thud.

“Gah! What in the realm of fuckery was that for, Cah’lia?”

Cah’lia blinked as if unsure of her surroundings. She wiped her eyes and looked around. “Sehn? Is that you? I was sleeping, sorry. What’s the matter? Why are you lying face down in the dirt?”

So, it was just her ridiculous sleep reflexes.

Sehn struggled back to his feet and laughed. “I am merely practicing belly flops, fool. It is said that they may be useful in battle. But anyway, I have decided that we will set out early today. Wake everyone up so that we can get a move on and finally be gone from this insect-ridden stretch of grassy-rot.”

Cah’lia shrugged and went around waking up the Humans while Nero beamed with excitement. Sehn looked on in confusion as the boy literally jumped forward and landed roughly on his face.

“The hell are you doing, Nero?”

“Practicing belly flops! It is said that they’re useful in battle. I remember hearing it somewhere.”

Sehn nodded. “Good, but you must lean in more with your face. We shall practice later, Nero. But in the meantime pack up and get ready to leave.”

Within fifteen minutes all six of them were mounted and riding. They carefully made their way through the darkness. The three Humans had agreed to the early start without issue. In fact, it seemed to Sehn that they were relieved to speed up their travels. There had been an air of rushed impatience surrounding Patrick and the other two Humans ever since they’d left Elvar. But Sehn could understand—after all, who wouldn’t want to race to fortune and glory?

As the morning sunrise brought color into the Harrow-Plains, the land lit up with a tremendous glamour. Each time their horses put one foot in front of the other, Nero’s face brightened with growing anticipation as they came ever closer to arriving at their first in a long series of destinations.

“Sehn,” Cah’lia said, riding up to him. “What’s going on with you?”

Sehn had no idea what the foolish woman was on about, so he ignored her—or tried to. Cah’lia was persistent. With a kick, she pulled up her horse in front of his, a sudden maneuver that caused Sehn’s animal to rear, almost making him again fall off his Elven high horse. He’d fallen off the thing more times on this journey than he cared to recall.

“By the Gods. What is it now, Cah’lia?”

Sehn had trouble looking at her. She was dressed in her tight fitting hide-pants, and this morning her long dark hair was tied into a ponytail, fading away behind her pert Elven ears. Sehn’s heart beat faster at the sight of her, but only because he was practicing his heart-beating exercises and not at all because he liked her or anything so ridiculous.

I am NOT attracted to her! I am not!

“Sehn, why haven’t you been eating anything? I thought it was because you were absorbed in that ridiculous book, but even since you’ve stopped writing it, nothing has changed. I’ve barely seen you eat a thing these last four days, except for when I have to shove it down your throat. What’s going on?”

Sehn’s temper flared at Cah’lia’s caring words. How dare someone show concern for the Great Sehn? His body did not require food. It was the other way around, actually. Food required his body. Sehn was beginning to lose his patience with the woman. She never obeyed him, never did anything he said, and she was constantly trying to undermine his decisions.

It was getting even worse as of late. Over the last few days, Sehn had noticed that the men were beginning to obey her orders over his. It was sacrament! Cah’lia would be burned in a lava-pit when this was all over. She was lucky Sehn did not summon lightning at this very moment for her criminal behavior.

Sehn crossed his arms. “I haven’t been hungry, and it’s none of your concern. I have been merciful to you these last few days, Cah’lia. Do not make me humiliate you in front everyone. Now, obey my orders and go ride somewhere else.”

Cah’lia didn’t respond. She even seemed to ignore the remark. No one ignores Sehn! What was worse was that the three Humans were watching his humiliation—things had gone too far.

Cah’lia reached into her travel bag and pulled out a few small pieces of fruit. Sehn turned his head away from her.

“Sehn, eat it or I make you eat it. Either way, you can’t simply eat nothing. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but at least eat this much.”

Sehn tried to swerve his horse around hers, but she was quick to once again intercept him. So, Cah’lia dared challenge the Great Sehn to a horse fight, did she? Sehn tried to go around her, but she maneuvered her horse with near perfect timing and cut him off. Daniel and Patrick rode to both sides of Sehn, their faces covered with concern, furthering Sehn’s anguish.

“He is not eating?” Patrick asked of Cah’lia.

Sehn forced himself not to throw a fireball at Patrick. “Do not address me as a third person!”

“Sehn,” Cah’lia began. She spoke slowly, putting great emphasis on each word. “Eat. The damned. Fruit.”

Sehn yanked the fruit out of her hands. He didn’t have time for this nonsense. “Whatever! I’ll eat the damn fruit if it will get you off my back.” He forced himself to devour it and almost started a fight when he spit the seeds in Daniel’s face, then demanded that Daniel thank him for the scraps.

“You’re paying for that later,” Daniel said, wiping the half-eaten fruit off his face. “I can promise you that.”

“Pay for my foot in your ass,” Sehn grumbled under his breath.

“I heard that, Pineapple-Sehn.” Daniel rode away, laughing. He would pay dearly later for those indiscretions.

Before the sun had reached its noon position, the first signs of Koringrath could just be made out in the distance. It was nowhere near the beauty and size of Elvar, though to someone like Nero, who had never ventured beyond Elvar, it must’ve been a world of adventure and excitement. Sehn watched as the boy’s ears wobbled in harmony with each nearing step.

Koringrath, above all else, was a trading hub. Though the largest percentage of its citizens were of Human descent, it was only by a slight majority. Many races and people from across the world owned homes in Koringrath and made their living buying and selling on what was one of the world’s largest markets. Sehn wasn’t sure, but he was reasonably certain that the city fell under the jurisdiction of Man-Dar, or whatever it was the Humans called their nation.

The city was light in color as nearly all homes were made of white-painted brick and owned by rich merchants. Water fountains and statues of most of the Gods and Goddesses served to add a decorative feel that was found in few other places. There were no dirt roads in Koringrath; all streets were paved and made the same grayish-white found in the other structures. From a distance, Koringrath had an almost angelic look, which caused Nero’s eyes to water.

Many homes were the size of small palaces, with large swimming areas and gardens filled with colorful plants out front. As Sehn’s party—not Cah’lia’s, damn it!—came closer to its massive gates, they could begin to make out the Southern end of city; this was where the trading was done. There was a sea of people so vast that it amazed Sehn they could breathe while standing so close to one another. The vast majority, Sehn knew, didn’t reside in Koringrath, for only the rich and powerful took up residence. On any given day, most of people in the city were there on either business or simply buying items for pleasure.

Sehn pulled up to the massive gates, Cah’lia and Nero following closely behind; Patrick and Rillith helped Daniel oversee the wagon. There were three Human men in loose-fitting armor standing guard. They held ceremonial swords and looked as if they had never seen a day of combat in their lives.

“Greetings, fellow travelers, welcome to Koringrath,” the leader said. “Kindly identify yourselves that I may register you and mark your passing.”

Sehn dismounted from his horse and walked toward the gates. A look of at first confusion, followed by alarm spread across the lead-guard’s face as Sehn strolled by without so much as a word.

“Halt! Forgive me if my words have confused you, my good Elf. It is law that all travelers identify themselves upon entering our city. This is done for your protection as it enables us to better track criminal activity and keep it to a minimum. May I have your name, please, my good Elf?”

Sehn looked at the man. “You don’t know who I am? Silly Human. I am your maker, lord of all that is and ever shall be. I am Sehn, the Almighty! For not knowing this, you shall select one of your men at complete random and have him hung.”

The guard blinked. “I’ve never heard an Elf speak this way. Is this some sort of joke or welcoming ritual?”

Before any other words could be spoken, Patrick quickly made his way over to the man and handed him a small document. From where Sehn stood, he couldn’t make out the words on the paper, but they appeared to have been written by a delicate, artful hand.

The guard held the paper up to his eyes then gasped. He looked as if he would pass out. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He whispered something to the guard behind him and then passed the document around to the two other men, who both had similar reactions.

“Please, enter right this way. You are welcome, all of you.”

What in the hell is this? Sehn thought.

Patrick only made it a single step towards entering the city. Sehn jumped in front of him and threw his arms out, barring Patrick’s passage.

“Sehn, what is the problem now?”

Sehn struggled to contain his anger. “So, you wish to have a Document-war, do you Patrick? Nero! Bring me the Sehn-Seal at once!” Sehn peered at the guard. The man scratched his head. Sehn waited for Nero to bring him over the Sehn-Seal before turning his full attention on the guard.

“I demand that you disregard whatever horseshit document this fool has just given you. You are to admit all of us into the city as you have planned, but only because this tells you to, not Patrick’s cheap knockoff.” Sehn snapped his fingers. Nero handed him a quill, which he used to sign the rightful paperwork before handing it to the guard.

The guard once again scratched his head and glanced at Patrick, who gave a curt nod. “Very well. As you have said, Great Sehn. You may enter.”

Sehn spat at the man. “I shall return later for your punishment.”

Nero was so filled with excitement as they made their first steps into the city that Cah’lia had to grab him and carry the boy over her shoulder to prevent him from running off. He kicked, screamed, and threatened to burn her home down with his eternal flames.

Foolish boy. Only the Great Sehn may call down the flames of judgment.

“I don’t wish to spend more than a day or two here,” Patrick said. “Sehn, I know you don’t want to hear that, but you’re the type to get caught up in one kind of nonsense or another, and then we’ll be stuck here for months.”

Sehn glared at Patrick. “And just what do you mean by that?”

They had come to Koringrath on a few occasions, because many things of value were to be hunted from the animals in the Harrow-Plains, and if you were lucky enough to find and capture a live Rezza-Spider, silk manufacturers in Koringrath would empty entire coin-purses to take it off your hands.

Patrick sighed. “Sehn, the last time we came to Koringrath, don’t you remember what happened?”

“Remind me.”

“We were only moments from exiting the city and returning home with our hunting profits, when on the way out, you spotted three children jumping rope. One said out loud to the other, ‘I’m the best in the world at jumping rope.’ Do you really not remember this, Sehn? You spent three damned weeks in complete solitude while you trained twenty hours a day, just so you could beat a few sniveling children at their game.”

Sehn nodded—it was all coming back to him now. “Yes, I do remember that, Patrick. Those stupid kids learned how great I was.”

Patrick shook his head in disgust. “Sehn, you even forced them to never jump rope again as their punishment for losing. But none of that matters now. Let’s just try and keep our stay here brief and head out within a day or two.”

Sehn shrugged. He had to admit he wanted to be done with this business as soon as possible.

“All right, boys,” Cah’lia said. “Here’s what we’ll do. I know everyone is anxious from the trip here, and Nero is going to lose it if we don’t have some free time. But first we need to find an inn and get settled in. Let’s try and keep things organized.”

The three Humans and Nero nodded, and then began to follow Cah’lia’s lead. It took close to a minute for Sehn to get over his initial shock. He was standing perfectly still with his mouth hanging open in surprise.

“What the fuck!”

Sehn didn’t begin to know how to respond to such an outrageous insult. Never before in his life had someone made such an affront against him.

Cah’lia stopped and turned around, the others mimicking her motion as they all turned and looked at him.

“You dare follow someone else’s orders? Cah’lia, you are to report to the termination-chamber at once!”

Cah’lia laughed and told him to kiss her hide-covered butt. Sehn screeched in anger as he reluctantly followed her to the inn. He didn’t have the energy to start another fight only moments after arriving in Koringrath, but she was so going to pay for all of this later.

They were able to stay in one of the nicer inns located on the northern end of town. Nero kept trying to rush everyone so they could wash up and explore the city. Of the six of them, Nero was the only one who had never before been to Koringrath, and he hadn’t sat still or stopped moving since the moment the city had entered his sights.

The room was much nicer than Sehn was used to: there was a bed for each of the five of them, with Cah’lia wasting their traveling funds to pay for a room of her own. Sehn relaxed on a large, fluffy mattress while he waited for Patrick to finish using the bath.

He lay back and propped his feet on the cushions. Nero, that little brat, had woke him too early, and Sehn supposed that now would be as good a time as any to catch a little extra rest.

*****

Patrick entered the bathing room and felt his heart skip a beat as a hand covered his mouth and pushed him into the wall, sending a sharp pain into his forehead.

“Shh. Make a sound and you die.”

Patrick closed his eyes, nodding, and the hand was slowly removed from his mouth. He turned carefully around and then looked at the woman who’d assailed him as if she were mad.

“Cah’lia, what in the Gods?”

Patrick watched in fear as Cah’lia unsheathed her dagger and held it up to his throat. “You aren’t going to be the one asking questions, Patrick—I am. Sehn might not notice your odd behaviors, but I assure you they haven’t been missed by me. What game are you playing at here?”

Patrick forced humor into his voice and laughed. “Cah’lia, don’t be ridiculous. We are going after a treasure. We’re all going to be rich!”

Patrick felt an explosion of pain as Cah’lia jabbed with her free hand, hard, in his gut. “You’re going to answer me right now, Patrick, or the next time I’ll be using my blade instead of my fist.”

Desperation, fear, panic, and even a little sadness—these were the emotions that crept into Patrick as he thought of what to say, and none of it was because of Cah’lia’s actions. Patrick didn’t know how much he could tell her; how much she would understand. But the Elven woman was too smart for her own good, and she could easily tell a lie from truth.

“Cah’lia, there are things in this world that some people would be happier not knowing. Some, I cannot say, not even under the threat of death, and others I can promise you are things you don’t wish to hear.”

She eased up a little, removing her fist from his stomach and easing the press of her dagger against his neck, but her voice remained firm. “I’ll be the judge of that. Start talking.”

Patrick kept his eyes on Cah’lia while he gently pressed down on the dagger and lowered Cah’lia’s arm, until he was no longer in danger.

“You have come to know me as Patrick, for it is truly my name. But others know me by another name. To them, I am Patrick Vasilis, prince-heir to the Kingdom of the Seven Pillars.

With a gasp, Cah’lia dropped the dagger; it landed with a clink on the bathroom floor. There was an expression of both fear and doubt in her enchanting eyes.

“Impossible. No, you lie!”

“You seem to pride yourself on separating truth from deceit. Tell me, do I lie?”

Cah’lia shook her head. She backed away. Patrick did not blame her. She couldn’t possibly know of the importance, the significance of his cause.

“But that doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “What are you doing here? With a single command you could have thousands…no, hundreds of thousands of men and women with sword in hand willing to do your bidding. For what reason could you possibly require us to retrieve this treasure for you? Why would one of the most important men in the entire world be wasting away his time with a foolish Elf who thinks he’s an immortal God!”

Patrick sighed. “Because Sehn has a gift, and for reasons I cannot reveal, only he can claim this item. I have spent years and numerous fortunes to discover the truth about Sehn. He was born with an ability that almost none possess. There is but one other who can retrieve this item, and this man is the very reason we have such a great need to recover it in the first place.”

“I don’t understand,” Cah’lia said.

Patrick felt a sudden pang of guilt. The Elven woman was becoming frantic. There was still much Patrick could not say, but he would at the very least try to make her understand.

“My nation and your nation, we are very different. It is true that Human and Elven-folk have many similarities—this cannot be denied—but at the end of the day we have our own traditions, our own hopes and dreams, and our own values. Yet there is one thing we have in common above all else. There is one thing that, no matter how different we may be, we share it just the same.

“Cah’lia, regardless of our differences the following is the truth: when our cities are burned to the ground, our children slain, and everything we have ever loved in life taken away from us, our pain is identical. Elven or Human, in this we are all the same.”

Cah’lia whispered, “What are you trying to say, Patrick?”

“For reasons that I cannot disclose, if we do not retrieve this item, I promise you that your home, my home…everyone’s home—it will all burn to the ground in an ever-consuming fire. I can’t afford to draw any more suspicion to my cause, and it is for this reason that I have befriended Sehn and travel now with such a small group. There are those out there, many we may have already unknowingly encountered, that serve as eyes and ears of those who would see our world burn. You must believe me, Cah’lia. Everything I have done has been out of great need.”

“So what, then? You were just going to snatch this treasure from us and send us home? Perhaps even kill us?”

“Not at all, Cah’lia. From the start I have always intended to reward you for your services. The High-Chief Suhn had assured me that through Nero, you would be certain to accompany me, and that you would be invaluable in assisting with our journey. He also told me you’re not the selfish sort, and as such, you have already been paid for your services in advance. As we speak, wagon after wagon filled with food, water, and building materials are being brought by the score into Elvar to hold you over while you make it through this terrible drought. Of all the cities of the Elven people, I have heard it said that Elvar is the only one to have food shortages due to your treacherous forests. This, at great expense to my own people, should see your kin through these troubled times.”

Cah’lia studied his eyes, and Patrick knew that she finally saw the truth in them. She probably still struggled to accept his words, but she was a smart woman, and she would fight past her confusion.

“But what about Sehn? I’m sure that, while there’s some part of him that will appreciate your generosity to our people, he will still be expecting some form of personal reward.”

Patrick struggled with the question; this was the one thing he wished not to discuss. It would not harm their journey, so it wouldn’t be catastrophic to tell the woman, but he wished he could spare her from what he had to say next.

“Sehn will not need a reward, Cah’lia, because in all likelihood, with our timing as it stands, he will never return home.”

Cah’lia’s eyes widened; she visibly trembled. “What do you mean? What are you saying, Patrick?”

“I promised his father that I would try to bring him home, but I also told him, and now I am telling you, that it won’t be easy. Sehn will never live to see his twenty-first naming day. On the eve of that night he will die; because of what he is, because of what he was born with. In six months, Sehn will be no more.”

Tears came unbidden into Cah’lia’s eyes. Her hands began to shake, and her knees went weak. She fell to the floor. Patrick kneeled down to assist her, wiping her face with the sleeve of his expensive silk shirt. She sobbed uncontrollably.

“Is this…Is—is this some kind of joke?” she asked. “How is this possible?”

“It has already begun. Have you noticed he has started to lose his appetite? Sehn is dying, Cah’lia. He will remain strong until the day of his death, but soon he will begin to feel pain. It will not cripple him, but it will cause him agony. I don’t know the specifics, because I don’t know of anyone like Sehn, but if I have to drag him to our destination, I will. And I need you to be strong and help him. I wish I could tell you why we’re doing this, what evil it is we fight. But even mentioning it could spell out the end for us all.”

Cah’lia squirmed under Patrick’s hand, refusing to meet his eyes. She struggled to speak as rivers of tears navigated down her small face. “But…you don’t understand, Patrick. Sehn is going to rule the world someday. He has all these plans. I’ve never met anyone who wanted as much as he does. He has more dreams than anyone does, and he has more hopes than anyone does. Are you saying he will live to see none of them?”

Patrick kept his voice steady. “Yes, Cah’lia, you may as well come to accept it now. Sehn will die, and there’s nothing we can do. But he can, at the very least, play a role in saving this world, and you can help him. I’m sorry that he won’t get to chase his dreams, but you must not let him know any of this. Keep him focused. Keep him moving. He can’t die until we’ve used him up.”

A tremendous fury entered Cah’lia’s eyes. They hardened and turned to steel. “Used him up? How can you speak that way of him?”

“Not easily, I assure you, but if you care about your family, your loved ones, or even your home, then you must remember that Sehn is nothing more than a tool. Save your tears for later, because I promise you that, if we fail at this, what is to come will be worse than any pain you have ever felt and they will surely be needed.”

Patrick grimaced as Cah’lia pushed him away and ran out of the room.

He was not an evil man. He did not delight or take comfort in the suffering of others. But seeing what he had seen, knowing what he had come to know, he had been forced to make himself numb. Sehn would die in six months with or without his interference, and that was a fact. None of this was Patrick’s fault, nor would he take the blame.

How many Elves, Patrick wondered, had ever seen the brazen Suhn, chief of Elvar, weep into open palms after learning of his child’s cursed fate? Patrick had made the man a promise, one he intended to keep.

He would try harder than he’d ever tried at anything to bring Sehn back to the place of his birth, so that his father may say his goodbyes. But regardless of all other factors, Patrick would not sit idly by and let the world burn to preserve the happiness of one woman.