Chapter 26: Make it Rain

The prince refused to look at Sehn for most of the next day, which was just fine. Why should Sehn care? Okay, so maybe he did set the royal prince to every living Elf on fire, but he had it coming. After all, there was a hierarchy and Sehn was far above him.

Sehn agreed that Prince Saerith did deserve some form of respect, being a prince and all, but not nearly as much as he did. Sehn had spent most of the night figuring out the precise order of things, and he was pleased with what he’d come up with. On the lowest level there were peasants, followed by nobles. Then there were princes, and higher up kings. After that came Gods and Goddesses, followed by Greater Gods and Goddesses. Then there was a hypothetical rank that Sehn decided to include just in case it ever happened. He called it Super God, the result of all Gods and Goddesses merging together to create one massively powerful being. Finally, there was Sehn. His title was—”the supreme ruler, dictator, and arbitrator, of everything that has ever, or will ever exist, and even things that don’t,” or “tsrdaaoetheorweeaettd.” It was a difficult acronym to pronounce, but everyone would be forced to learn it by the age of two.

That wasn’t all he’d thought about, there was more, though it wasn’t something he thought of willingly. There was a deep worry in Sehn, one that he was afraid to admit even to himself, yet it kept returning. The hatred he’d felt toward Prince Saerith, it just wasn’t like him. He was ready to kill the man, to end his life and dance on his corpse. Never had Sehn felt like that, and he knew it was for more reasons than just Cah’lia. Something was changing about him, something wrong, and vile.

Sehn’s right shoulder was no longer a dull pain, but now a full-on nuisance. It wasn’t agonizing, but it hurt. His left shoulder had the dull pain now, and even one of his hips. He figured it was just more tests from his body, forcing him to prove his worth. He rolled his arms while riding his horse, trying to loosen them up.

“Yo! Sehn, what’re you doing? It looks like you’re trying to jog in place while riding. It’s funny!”

Sehn looked over to Nero, pulling up to ride beside him. It had just turned morning, and shimmering light was reflecting down into the forest, bouncing off of the tall trees.

“Hush, Nero. I am merely trying to develop a new form of exercise called the sit and jog.”

“Whoa, really!” Sehn looked on in disbelief, Nero joining him in pumping his arms. Sometimes Sehn worried for the boy—not that he cared about him or anything, but his disciple needed to be smart—but then again, he was only seven.

Cah’lia and Rina pulled up next to the two. “Rina thinks Sehn and Nero look silly,” the girl said. She was dressed in a pink blouse that Cah’lia had made for her. Since joining them, Cah’lia had gotten her a plethora of new outfits to wear, making her look like a normal Human girl. If not for her abnormal speech, she’d otherwise seem no different than any other child.

Nero grunted at her. “We’re exercising, Rina. What do you even know about the Great Sehn’s sit and jog routine?”

Rina hummed, and looked at the two with wonder. “Rina needs to be strong for Mistress Cah’lia. Rina will exercise too.”

Sehn looked on with a bewildered fascination as the two children joined him in rolling their arms around.

Can they really be this stupid? Sehn wondered.

Cah’lia looked worried, and Sehn hoped she didn’t know what was really going on. Sehn’s patience was growing thin for all of her mushy feelings of “concern” and “caring.” How dare someone feel concern for the Great Sehn!

“Sehn, it’s time for breakfast. Patrick wants us to eat while we ride.” She handed him a piece of buttered bread, and a small goblet filled with milk. Sehn munched it down, and drained his goblet in one large gulp. These days he never felt hunger anymore, but if he forced himself to eat quickly it wasn’t too bad.

Sehn reached over to hand Cah’lia back the goblet, but she remained frozen. Her eyes were growing moist, and Sehn wondered what it was this time.

“You’re not putting up a fight?” Cah’lia asked. “About eating, or about Patrick making an order without your permission?” Sehn didn’t understand the woman. She was getting what she wanted, and now she looked sad for it.

“I’ll get you back for it next time,” Sehn grumbled. “It’s too early in the morning.”

Cah’lia’s lips quivered, in the single most alarming expression of concern Sehn had seen from her. “I see,” she whispered, riding away.

What was that about? Sehn wondered.

They rode for the next few hours in silence, eager to cross the last stretch of land and be out of the Jinkar forest. By noon, they could see the clearing up ahead. Sehn was certain that every last one of them wanted to finally be free of the biting insects, the muddy ground, and the constant darkness of the wretched forest. Sleeping at night was almost impossible, because the animals were so loud come night that it almost seemed they were intentionally trying to be annoying. Cah’lia had ran after Sehn almost three nights in a row, when he’d wanted to run off and kill whatever was making such Gods-awful howling sounds.

Nero’s ears wobbled and his face lit up with delight, ready to see a new place. It was always the same with him, Sehn noticed. Every time there was a new change of scenery, the boy did the same two gestures. Sehn had heard stories about the valley they’d arrive at in just a few more moments, and he was worried Nero might suffer a heart attack after he saw it.

Sehn intentionally rode as far away from Patrick and Saerith as possible. It was nauseating, the way the two exchanged pleasantries since the incident the night before. Patrick and Saerith had said fowl words to each other, words they both regretted. So now, they spent the entire day being extra formal, and saying things like—”Good morning, my most esteemed, wonderful, and handsome Prince Saerith, future-king and light of the Elven people.” Then, Saerith would say something similar back. Just about every one of their sentences started that way, and Sehn couldn’t bear to hear another word of it.

If nothing else, it convinced Sehn of one thing. When he conquered the world, all politicians would be required to use vulgarity and informal dialogue at all times. When court was in session, Sehn would settle every dispute in favor of the person who yelled the loudest, and showed the greatest amount of disrespect and cruelty toward his peers.

It took a few minutes longer to exit the forest than expected, the wagon getting stuck behind another soft patch of land. When they were able to navigate the last stretch of forest and exit into the Valley of Hahl, Sehn thought it might be him to suffer the heart attack.

It was like a place out of a dream. For miles there was stretch of grassy-land, covered with colorful and bright plants from the deepest corners of imagination. Stretching beyond sight into the distance, were a multitude of snow-topped mountains reaching into the sky. Cows and other cattle roamed the area freely, while wolves and other animals of prey awaited pristine opportunities to snatch their dinner.

There were birds of colors Sehn had never seen on winged creatures. Large, red, hawk-like animals flew in the sky, some as big as an Elf or Human, with wing spans that stretched almost ten feet. The most astonishing sight though, was the mountain only a few miles into the distance. A massive waterfall from what seemed to begin in the sky, rushed down the side of its slope, emptying out into a sparkling river.

“Wow,” Nero whispered, trying to look in every direction at once. Even Cah’lia, Rina, and the Humans, halted to take in the sights.

“It never gets old,” Patrick said riding up alongside them. “On any journey, the Valley of Hahl is always the most enjoyable to cross. The rivers all around the mountains give the area a comforting breeze, so it’s never too hot. And on colder months there’s hot springs around. This truly is one of the most beautiful lands controlled by my Kingdom.”

“It is quite lovely, my good and noble Prince Vasilis, champion of the Human race, and lord of the Seven Pillars.”

Sehn tuned out the rest, refusing to hear more of their flowery bullshit speech. Something was going to have to be done about those two, because the way things were going Sehn was on track to murder them both.

He spat on the ground just thinking about it. “It’s so lovely,” Sehn mimicked. “Don’t you think so, Lord Nero? Champion of Dwarven Throw and Catch, mighty disciple of the Great Sehn, bringer of bravery and stability.”

Nero laughed and clapped. “Haha! That’s funny, Great Sehn, king of the world.”

Sehn glared at him, filled with outrage. “Nero! How dare you make mine less…good than I made yours! Do it over.”

“Umm, I can’t think of anything else, Sehn. I’m not good at this.”

Sehn ripped a parchment from the bag tied around his horse, and hastily scribbled on it. He wasn’t about to be disrespected. He passed it to Nero. “Here,” he said.

“Ah, okay. What I meant to say, was—‘Haha! That’s funny, Great Sehn, ruler of the world, God-king to all living beings, and Dragon-master with unlimited power and skill. Slayer of green things, fire-sword handler, and defeater of stupid Prince Saerith’s who were only doing okay until I took out my fire-sword thing.’ Sehn, this goes on for a long time, do I really have to say all of this?”

“Peh! I don’t care, finish it later. Just make sure you remember it in case we need it again.”

Nero nodded and held onto the paper, while Sehn dismounted and stretched his legs. He wanted to keep moving, but already he could see the Princess Saerina riding over to them. Every time she approached them, it usually meant they were taking a break. Cah’lia rode with her.

“Nero,” she said with a smile. Today she was wearing a purple gown, adorned with rose petals on the sleeves. “Today I’m going to teach you the rain spell I promised.”

Sehn was almost knocked over as Nero jumped off of his horse, and charged the woman in a maddening dash. “Hey, watch it!” Sehn called.

“Hurray!” he cheered. “I’m going to learn a magic thing. Magic is so cool!”

Princess Saerina gave his wobbly ears a pinch, a gesture reserved for children. All the races seemed to have one of their own, Sehn recalled. On more than a few occasions he’d seen Humans pinch the cheeks of their little ones, and sometimes ruffled their hair.

Cah’lia walked toward Sehn, with a sly grin forming. “You agreed, remember? You have to learn, too.”

Sehn stomped on the ground, and crossed his arms. “No! That’s bullshit. The fire-sword thing should count as me learning something.”

“Yes,” Cah’lia answered. “But we agreed that you would specifically learn this one with Nero. You learned the other thing because you were stupid.”

“How dare you call the Great Sehn stupid! Just for that, I will in fact learn to make it rain, Cah’lia. Then, I shall follow you around all day with a fucking storm cloud and ruin all of your fine clothing. You’ll never be dry again.”

Cah’lia didn’t seem to worry about his threat, causing Sehn to hiss with anger. He walked over to Nero, the soft grass flattening under his feet. Being just past noon, the sun was in its high position, and the combination of the cool breeze off of the mountains, and the natural heat, mixed to create a wonderful feeling of fresh air.

Saerina placed her hands behind her back, and strutted back and forth, giving both of them cursory glances before she spoke. “I’d usually like to start by saying, ‘as I’m sure you know’ but with you two that wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Cah’lia chuckled, but Sehn ignored it. “So, as I’m sure you don’t know, spellcasting is broken down based upon its elements. You already know Remmos, or flame, and from what I’ve seen, Sehn, you’ve tinkered with Ralos, or earth. Yesterday, you witnessed my brother use Mallos, one of the three variants of lightning. Today, you will learn—”

“Whoa, it’s really that simple!” Nero exclaimed. “Mallos REHL” he shouted.

Cah’lia gasped, and Sehn jumped out of the way, before the fool killed them all. Saerina didn’t move. She merely smiled at the small Elf. Sehn landed on his back, and looked around to see if anything happened.

“Nero! You idiot, don’t just go around trying to use magic. Hey, how come nothing happened?”

Saerina was more than happy to answer. “One cannot cast a spell simply because they know the words. No, that would be impossible.”

“Then how did my brother cast the fire one?” Cah’lia asked.

“Because of Sehn,” Saerina grinned. “Nero has been around him for a very long time, and whether he realized it or not, he’s been learning it every day. Each time Sehn casted it, Nero’s mind picked up on it. He’s probably had the ability to use Remmos for months.”

Nero looked disappointed. “So…so I can’t just use anything?”

Saerina leaned in and kissed him on the forehead, causing him to blush. “Not until you’ve spent time practicing, little Nero.” She clapped her hands together. “Now, let’s begin. This is a very easy spell, and I think you’ll pick it up rather quickly. Kallas, is the first variant of rain. Kallas MAHR, is the conjugation for this form.”

“Wait a minute,” Cah’lia said. “Isn’t that the word Sehn uses when he makes the ground collapse or shake?”

“It is indeed,” Saerina answered. “None among you is ready to understand requests just yet. So, for the time being accept my words as truth. Give it a go, Nero.”

Nero looked to the sky. “But there are no clouds out today.”

Saerina made a shooing gesture, and Nero shrugged. “Okay! I’ll try.” Nero extended both of his hands to the sky, raising them above his head. “Kallas MAHR!” he shouted.

For a moment nothing happened, and Nero looked disappointed. Then, after a few more seconds, only several feet above his head, a tiny little cloud began to form. It was a small thing, but it was still a cloud. Even Sehn was amazed, it was the first time he’d seen a cloud anywhere but in the sky.

Small drops of water poured from it, and Nero laughed in delight, his face soon after becoming drenched. For nearly ten full seconds it poured rainwater on him, before disappearing.

“Is it possible to never go thirsty again?” Nero asked, cheer in his voice.

“That’s one of its uses, yes,” Saerina answered. Sehn could tell she was happy that Nero was taking such an interest in magic. She seemed to enjoy teaching it. “You try now, Sehn.” Patrick, Daniel, and Rillith, had all come over to watch the lesson.

Sehn looked to the sky, and laughed. “Get ready sky! Sehn’s coming.” He raised his hands above his head, and turned to look at Nero. “Let the master show you how it’s done.” Nero’s face beamed, and he cheered Sehn on.

“Kallas MAHR!” Sehn roared, in his most dramatic spellcasting voice. There were “oohs” and “ahs” all around, everyone waiting to see what the Mighty Sehn would conjure.

Hah! Sehn thought. I just hope I don’t accidentally drown us all.

There was a silence as they all waited, nothing seeming to happen. After a few minutes Sehn began to sweat, wondering what was happening, and why his great storm clouds had not yet shown. “Just give it time,” Sehn murmured with worry in his voice. “I’m sure it’ll be here any minute now.”

“Actually,” Saerina said. “It’s already happened. Look, up in the sky.”

Sehn looked up, praying to see a massive storm cloud with the potential of flooding a nation. Instead, what he saw horrified him. “It’s beautiful!” Cah’lia said clapping, Rina along with her. Sehn’s face turned red, then blue, wondering if he’d die from the embarrassment and shame. Even Nero didn’t know what to say. Daniel began laughing hysterically.

“Oh, wow,” Daniel managed in-between maniacal bursts of laughter. “Did the Great Sehn just make a rainbow?”

Sehn felt his heart stop. Running across the sky, was the last thing in the world Sehn would ever want to make, a bright and vivid rainbow, reaching from mountain to mountain. Sehn gulped. He needed to find some excuse, and needed to find it now. “Y-yes,” Sehn replied. “The Great Sehn has made a rainbow! A…a rainbow of death! All birds that fly into it shall be destroyed, their feathers burnt to a crisp.”

As if nature was mocking him, a flock of eagles soared through it. They didn’t just stop, either, they doubled back, and flew through it a second time, before exiting it a third.

“E-except for that time,” Sehn improvised. “The death effect only happens after it has solidified…which takes about thirty more seconds.”

Thirty seconds later, another flock of birds flew through, and this time they all gave Sehn a questioning glance, even Nero.

“W-well you see I, umm, well. Fuck you all!” Sehn marched away, humiliated and angry.