Chapter 21: Cah’lia vs. Sehn

Sehn shook his head as Nero presented yet another ridiculous idea. For an entire day they had plotted, trying to figure out the perfect plan of revenge against Cah’lia and Rina. Sehn examined the sketched-drawing one more time, before crumbling it and discarding the idea.

“This will never work, Nero. For one, even if we could afford it, I don’t think such a thing exists. And if it did, we would never be able to convince Cah’lia to go inside of it. I know you’ve spent a great deal of time on this one, but I just don’t think we’re going to be able to find a catapult powerful enough to launch them into the sun.”

Nero frowned. “What about my other idea? What was wrong with that one?”

Sehn shrugged. “The other idea wasn’t bad, but it won’t work either. Your other idea requires us to first tame a Dragon, which is easy enough. After all, the Great Sehn only needs to look at a Dragon, to make it his servant. The problem is finding one, and feeding it enough food so that when it craps all over the two of them, they drown in it. No, we need to think of a different plan.”

They had ridden side-by-side for most of the day, plotting their revenge against the treacherous Cah’lia and Rina. In the distance, they could make out the outline of the Jinkar forests. Nero seemed to be quite excited to see them, but Sehn only wanted to be done with the journey. Already he was getting weary of it all. Since early that morning, he had developed a dull ache in his shoulder, that didn’t seem to be going away. It wasn’t very painful, but it was annoying.

Twenty minutes later, they came to a halt at the beginning of the path leading into the forest. Cah’lia and Patrick were hungry, and wanted to eat before they entered the forest, and enjoy one last lunch on the Harrow-Plains. Sehn had allowed it.

“Sehn,” Cah’lia said, approaching where he and Nero were sitting on a wooden stump. It was the first sign of trees they’d seen since leaving Elvar. She had a variety of cheeses and bread, and placed it in front of him.

“Get this rot away from me, I’m not hungry today. Give it to Nero.”

Sehn braced himself. Lately she had been adamant about his nutrition. The Great Sehn’s body did not require something as trivial as “nutrition.”

“Do we have to go through this every meal?” she asked. “I’m really getting tired of this. Sehn, will you just eat it?”

“Nope,” he responded without a moment’s hesitation. “Not hungry. Be gone, Cah’lia.”

Cah’lia did not leave. Instead, she got in his face, causing Sehn to grumble. “Did you not hear me, Cah’lia? I demand you leave me be at once! I am not hungry.”

“Sehn, don’t make me angry. Here,” she said shoving it at him. “Eat it, now.”

Sehn was getting close to his boiling point. Since she’d tagged along on their journey, she’d been pushy and disrespectful. Sehn had purposefully lost his last fight with her, but it was starting to seem like she needed to learn her lesson.

“That’s it. I’ve had it up to here with you, Cah’lia. You have gone too far. Pushing food in the face of your God-King? Hah! I shall feed you to a pack of wolves.”

Sehn stood from the tree-stump, and tried to grab her by the shoulder and throw her to the ground. Sehn realized at once this was a mistake. Cah’lia was far too agile to engage in a hand-to-hand fight. She side-stepped him easily, and with an extended foot tripped him to the ground. Sehn landed on his stomach with a thud, and growled. Cah’lia was going to be punished.

Before he could fully stand up, she had already jumped on top of him, pushing him to the ground and sitting on top of his chest. Sehn tried to struggle, but she distributed her weight and used her powerful arms to hold his in place. It was humiliating.

She released an arm on him, and grabbed the food. Sehn’s face lit up in horror as he realized what she was going to do.

No! Sehn screamed on the inside. Not that, it’s too much! I shall be shamed for life!

He could not get her off of him, and so there he was, struggling as Cah’lia sat on him and forced him to eat, shoving food down his mouth and treating him like a baby.

“This is going to happen every time you don’t eat,” she teased. Sehn’s eyes went dark with rage, but he struggled to no avail, as he was forced to either eat or choke. When she finally got off of him, Sehn leaped to his feet and pointed at her, drawing his Elven blade. There was a threshold to how much humiliation a single God could take, and it had just been reached. Judgment day was coming early.

“Cah’lia!” he shouted at her. “I demand a life or death battle, and I demand it this instant!”

To Sehn’s surprise, Cah’lia drew her dagger, and nodded. “All right, then, is that what you really want? A fight to the death?” she licked the tip of her dagger and wore a menacing grin. “Let’s go, then.”

Sehn would not be intimidated by the Elven woman. He would beat her to a pulp and make her apologize. He wouldn’t kill her—not because he liked her or anything—but she needed to live with her defeat. The punishment of humiliation would far outweigh death.

Sehn advanced on her, but allowed her to make the first move. With a grace that was unique to Cah’lia, she spun and twirled, attacking with her dagger and causing sparks to fly as her dagger pushed back Sehn’s Elven steel. Sehn was surprised to see the dagger actually push his blade back. It was like being hit by another sword, she was able to put such an incredible force behind it.

Each time she twirled her dagger Sehn was able to parry, and each time he was surprised by how much force she was able to put into the tiny dagger.

“What’s the matter, Sehn? Fight back. Why aren’t you fighting back?”

She forced Sehn to back up, until his back hit a tree near the entrance to the forest. “What’s the matter?” she asked again. “Why aren’t you fighting back? I know why. It’s because you love me, don’t you Sehn?”

Sehn’s eyes widened with outrage, burning with the agony of her horrific insult. “How dare you make such a claim, Cah’lia! The Great Sehn loves only money and power! No mortal can be—”

Sehn was silenced as her lips pressed against his, shutting him up with a passionate kiss. Sehn wanted to pull away, he wanted to shout at her, but his arms weren’t moving properly.

Not again! His mind roared. Why am I doing this? No, stop! What the fuck are my arms doing? Stop moving, arms! I know what’s going on here. It all makes sense now. I must be possessed by a demon, and it’s controlling my body.

Sehn grabbed Cah’lia’s smooth shoulders, and pulled her closer, and for the second time in his life, emotions he had never before felt came rushing to the front of his brain. Sehn never realized how wonderful Cah’lia smelled, the Koringrathian perfumes combining with her natural scent to create an almost intoxicating draw. She melted into his arms, and for the briefest moment, and for the first time in Sehn’s life, he let down his guard, and allowed himself to be defenseless. He was confused—he didn’t understand what was happening to him.

Nero, followed closely by the rest of the group, came rushing to watch the fight. Rillith and Daniel were grinning, while Saerith and Saerina held looks of interest. All at once Cah’lia pulled away from him and winked. “Now, fight me for real. Because if you lose,” she said pointing behind her. “I am going to swear my love to the Elven prince.”

Sehn listened to her words, and felt nothing. It was true! He was in no way trembling from her words. He was in no way shaking with anger, fear, and terror from the mere idea of Cah’lia and the prince as lovers. He was in no way breathless, wondering what he would do if such a nightmare came to pass. The words had no noticeable effect on him whatsoever. The only reason he was gripping his Elven blade so tight that his fingers were becoming red, was because he wanted to win the fight. It was!

“You think I care about something like that, Cah’lia? Hah! The Great Sehn cares not who fat-Ass’lia falls in love with.”

Sehn snarled as she returned a playful grin. “You know, I hear that the Elven prince is a,” she leaned in close and whispered seductively in his ear, “wonderful kisser.”

Sehn had heard enough. He pushed her off of him, and raised his blade, preparing for an overhead swing. He gripped his blade, prepared for his attack, and…and...did nothing. Cah’lia once again spun, twirling her blade, and slashed at Sehn, which he blocked with ease, causing another small spark to shoot from the Elven blade.

“You still won’t fight me seriously, Sehn?”

“I am fighting you seriously, you just got lucky. I was just about to attack you, but I didn’t have a good opening.”

Cah’lia sheathed her dagger, and turned around. “This fight is over. I can’t wait to see what the prince’s tongue tastes like.”

In a rage, Sehn slammed his foot on the ground, and bellowed at Cah’lia. “This fight is not over!” He howled at her, his voice booming in a fiery rage. In the same loud, eardrum shattering scream, he also shouted. “And not because I care about what you just said, or anything. Only because I want to win, and for no other reason than—fuck I’m losing my voice!”

Cah’lia once again turned to him, wearing her wicked smirk. She unsheathed her dagger. “Then fight me like you fought the Drashian Overseer, or I will make the prince a very lucky man.”

Sehn couldn’t handle it anymore. He tried not to imagine it, yet the picture kept returning to his mind. In his mind he saw Cah’lia and Prince Saerith, kissing, and laughing about how pathetic he was. He tried to speak, but his desperation had reached such a level that he could no longer form words. Well, conversational words. There was still one thing he could say.

He dropped his left hand from the sword, holding it with only his right, and with his left he extended his palm toward Cah’lia.

“Oh, my,” Saerina exclaimed to her brother. “He’s collecting quite a bit of magical energy.”

“Remmos Salas!” Sehn cried. It was not his usual cry. It was one filled with hope, desperation, and an unshakeable resolve.

“Remmos Salas!”

“Remmos Salas!”

“Remmos Salas!”

“Fuck you Prince Saerith!”

“Remmos Salas!”

Sehn watched in fear as his fireballs soared at Cah’lia, wondering if perhaps he had overdone it. Cah’lia grinned, and ducked under the first, jumped over the second, side-stepped the third, and in one of the most impressive things Sehn had ever seen, she spun and sliced at the fourth with her dagger, the flame dissipating as it made contact.

“It’s my turn,” she laughed.

Sehn barely had time to raise his blade as Cah’lia charged at him, thrusting her dagger at a ferocious speed, each strike aimed to kill. At close range, fighting against a dagger with a sword was almost impossible, as the larger weapon was too slow to block most of the attacks. However, Sehn was confident in his speed with a sword—he was confident in his everything!

Sehn twirled his Elven blade with a speed that far transcended the ordinary, managing to block Cah’lia’s dagger each and every time. Nero and Patrick clapped as sparks flew off of the steel, and the two began their brawl.

Sehn leaped to the side as Cah’lia thrust forward, ending up on the side of her. He swung at her head. Cah’lia raised her blade to block.

Is she nuts? Sehn wondered. You can’t block a horizontal swing from a sword with a dagger!

Yet Cah’lia did just that as Sehn’s larger sword connected with Cah’lia’s dagger, she allowed herself to be pushed by the sword, jumping backward with the force, flipping, and landing on her feet. Even Saerina clapped, at the incredible display of alacrity.

The moment she landed back on her feet, she charged at Sehn yet again, giving him no opportunity to recover. Again she assaulted him with an array of thrusts and slashes, spinning and twirling. She attacked high, low, mid, even sometimes as low as Sehn’s ankle. It was becoming more and more difficult for him to defend against. Each time she spun, there was no way to predict whether she’d slash, or thrust, or what region she’d attack. Sehn had to exert his full effort just to continue blocking.

She threw a kick, her foot only a hair’s breadth from connecting as Sehn tilted his head back and saw her boot glide up in front of his face. She spun, and for a moment Sehn could see her arm movement. It was slight, and almost obscured, but he was sure he saw her raise her arm. She would be attacking high. Sehn raised his blade to counter, ready to turn the tide. If he knew where she would attack, then victory would be a cinch.

Cah’lia completed her spin, and as expected, attacked high. Sehn grinned, his blade already raised in defense. There was a mischievous glint in Cah’lia’s eyes as she dropped into a crouch, and lowered her blade to Sehn’s midsection.

It was a feint! How did I fall for such a cheap trick?

Sehn leaped back, avoiding what would have been a very serious injury, instead receiving a painful but shallow gash across his stomach. Cah’lia did not acknowledge the attack, and gave Sehn no opportunity to collect himself. Again she closed on him, the same flurry of attacks as before.

Sehn began to feel the touch of fear, realizing that he might actually lose the fight. He was really trying to win, and he was taking it far more seriously than he had at the start. Yet, for reasons out of his control, he just couldn’t bring himself to attack Cah’lia with the same murderous intensity as he had the overseer. It was painful to admit, but it was the truth. The thought of cutting Cah’lia’s stomach the way he had that man, the picture of her bleeding and crawling on the floor. It was almost as bad as that cursed vision he’d had of Nero.

He still had to win, though, because the alternative was even worse. It was even harder to bear the thought of Cah’lia planting kisses on that idiot prince. AND NOT BECAUSE HE LOVED HER OR ANYTHING, HE JUST DIDN’T LIKE THE IDEA OF THE PRINCE BEING HAPPY!

Sehn had one way of winning without harming her, but it would be risky. Cah’lia continued her flurry of slash and thrust attacks as she wore Sehn down. She aimed for his throat, and he twisted his blade, blocking with the width of his sword.

He risked a glance behind him, and almost lost his throat for it, just missing a slash across the neck. Sehn needed for her to keep pushing him back, he needed her to keep pressing the attack. Luckily, she intended to do just that. They were almost inside the forest, trees now to the sides of them. They were no longer in sight of the group, their battle had become private.

Just a little more, Sehn thought.

As Sehn was backed up yet again, into massive oak tree, he knew that it would be his only chance at winning. He waited for Cah’lia’s next attack. She spun, and aimed a thrust at his midsection. Sehn kicked hard off of his foot, side stepping, and gaining as much distance as he was able. Cah’lia spun to him, unwilling to let him gain even an inch of distance.

The time it took her to cross the distance to where Sehn had leapt, was enough time for Sehn to enact his plan.

“Ralos MAHR” Sehn yelled.

She had watched his fight with the overseer, and Sehn knew she was a very cautious, careful fighter. She would be expecting him to break the ground in front of her feet. As if she had been preparing to dodge the attack all along, she leapt to the side, and looked around in confusion when the ground didn’t erupt where she had just been standing.

Sehn let out a mighty laugh. “Look up, Cah’lia.”

Cah’lia glanced up as branches and twigs began to fall from the tall tree. “You shook the tree!” she gasped.

“Remmos Salas!”

“Remmos Salas!”

Sehn’s fire mixed with the falling branches, and it rained fire on Cah’lia. Sehn knew that none of the flaming debris would hit her, he was counting on it. Nimbly, as expected, she rolled away as burning branches and leaves showered the area she had just been, but for the first time in the fight, Sehn knew what she was going to do. He knew her movement, and where she’d end up.

As she stood from her roll, Sehn was already waiting for her. Before she could cry out in surprise, he grabbed her wrist, forcing it open. The dagger fell from her hand, and landed into Sehn’s other hand, his open palm waiting patiently just below.

“I win,” he grinned.

Cah’lia smiled. “You did.”

Sehn didn’t care about pride at the moment. He was practically overflowing with emotion. Again he pulled her in, and kissed her for everything he was worth. Cah’lia grabbed him, and pulled him close as the two shared in each other’s passions amidst the fiery rain of burning leaves and branches.

Sehn pulled away, when he saw her tears. “Did I hurt you?”

Cah’lia was whimpering. She dropped to her knees, and her whimpering turned into bawling. She cried out, her voice a torrent of misery and longing. “It’s not fair!” she screamed, looking at the sky. “It’s not fair!”

Sehn didn’t know what to do. In the arsenal of knowledge that was Sehn’s brain, this kind of situation was entirely absent.

“Ca...Cah’lia. Why are you crying?”

She looked at him, and when she met his eyes, her misery increased. She covered her chin in an expression of shock. She shook her head in denial. And then again she cried, her voice pained and tormented. “No!” She yelled at him.

She leaped at Sehn, almost tackling him to the ground in a hug. Sehn was confused, too confused to protest her embarrassing display of affection.

“You can’t, Sehn. You can’t! There has to be a way. Tell me there’s a way!”

“Cah’lia, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sehn grunted as she began to beat his chest with her fists. It was not painful. She wasn’t hitting him to hurt, but to protest something Sehn had no understanding of.

“Sehn,” she sobbed into his chest. “Promise me you won’t die. That no matter what happens, you won’t let anything kill you. That we’ll go home to Elvar someday.”

Sehn tilted his head to the sky, and let out a roaring, deep laughter. He grabbed Cah’lia’s shoulders, and forced her to meet his eyes, laughing through it all. “Is that what you’re worried about, Cah’lia? The Great Sehn…dying! Hah! Nothing can kill me, Foo’lia. If death tries to take me, I shall make him my slave. Not even the Gods can kill the Great Sehn.”

She looked at him one last time, before shaking her head at him and running away. It was a few moments before Sehn left his emotional state, returning to his normal self. Replaying the situation in his mind, he moaned at the memory.

“Aww man,” Sehn moaned. “I was all romanticky and shit. Blah! I just hugged and kissed and did all that stuff like a little bitch. If anyone saw that I’ll kill them. She must have used magic on me or something. Yeah, that was what happened!”