Chapter 31: The fourth Mountain

“This fucking sucks!” Sehn growled as the hill became even steeper. “This mountain was purposely designed like this just to FUCK with me.”

Most of the day had been an unrelenting climb. It started out as nothing more than a hill, a relatively easy upward climb through a trail that ran over the top of the mountain. They’d need to climb over, and down the other side, something that given the mountain’s size shouldn’t have been too bad. The only problem, however, was that rather than a steady climb to the top, the hill veered toward the middle, increasing in slope. Within a few moments they’d be crawling up it, no longer able to walk.

The climb wouldn’t normally bother Sehn, but the pains he’d been having in his arms were becoming agonizing, and what only a few days earlier accounted for a dull pain in his legs, was now taking on the same crippling pain as his arms. Sehn’s body hurt from each limb, and he didn’t understand why. At first he thought his body was just testing him, but now he wondered if it might be something more serious.

No, Sehn thought. The Great Sehn is immune to illness! I’m worrying myself over nothing.

“Well,” Cah’lia said in between massive breaths for air, Rina and Nero clinging to her. “You picked this,” she breathed.

“Shutup. Did not.”

Sehn was amazed that trees and plants were able to grow along the treacherous path, some seeming to hang sideways. Animals lived in the area as well, an abundance of them. Squirrels and other critters had no problem navigating the upward slope. Having been born on the mountain it was all they knew, and they were adept at surviving these conditions.

Looking behind him, Sehn was surprised by just how high they’d climbed in only half a day. Peering over the horizontally hanging trees, it almost made the hellish mountain worth the visit. He could see the valley of Hahl from a position overlooking the land, in all its splendor and beauty. Flocks of birds soared through the skies, while nocturnal animals relaxed around the hot springs, awaiting the night’s hunt. The sky was mostly free of clouds, and the sunshine over the grassy valley was mesmerizing.

Sehn realized that the rest of them had paused when he did, and now they too were taking in the sights. “It’s beautiful,” Cah’lia said. “Seeing the valley from this high, it really puts things into perspective.”

“Rina loves it!” the girl cheered. “Rina wants to fly over it like a bird.”

“That doesn’t work,” Sehn grumbled. “I tried that back in Koringrath.”

They took a few moments of rest, before returning to their climb. They’d reached the point where standing upright was no longer possible, and now they crept along on all fours.

“Umm, Cah’lia?”

“What’s the matter, Nero?”

“What happens if it gets any steeper than this? Won’t we fall?”

Cah’lia leaned over Rina to give her brother a tug on his wobbly ears. “Don’t worry about it, Nero. It’s not going to get any higher. Actually, we’re lucky we’ve taken such a difficult path. The way we’re going now is faster than the easier mountain path. It’s risky, and it’s exhausting, but we probably saved two days by going with this mountain.”

“Hah!” Sehn exclaimed. Victory and conquest filled his voice. “I told you we should take this path, didn’t I? The Great Sehn has saved us two days. Cah’lia, when we arrive in Hahl, you are to spend the two days I saved writing poetry about how smart I am. I shall provide you with the full written assignment, including structures and themes, by the end of the day.”

“Pfft, whatever,” Cah’lia murmured. “Add it to my tab, which I know you’re dumb enough to be keeping track of.”

“Of course I’m keeping track of it, Fool’lia. Nero, my greatest disciple, and now greatest accountant. Tell me, what does your sister owe?”

Nero paused for a moment, halting his climb and tilting his head in thought. “Umm, I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I think I remember.” Nero rubbed his chin as he thought. “Oh! I got it. She owes about two hundred trillion Elvens in unpaid taxes, the souls of her first six children to be born, eighty-seven poems, two vital organs and one lesser organ, and a new pair of socks for the one she ruined when she beat you up on the way to Koringrath.”

“She didn’t beat me up! The fight ended right as I was about to unleash my ultimate move.”

Cah’lia wore a cocky grin. “Whatever you say, Sehn. Tell ya what, I’ll buy you a new pair of socks and we’ll call it even. Sound good?”

Rina chuckled and Nero gave her a dirty look. “I wouldn’t laugh if I was you, Rina. You owe a few million Elvens yourself, not to mention you’ve fallen behind on your breathing-tax. I don’t think you even made one payment, actually.”

Rina held her head high with confidence, something she’d been doing more and more since spending time with Cah’lia. Her eyes no longer held the look of death, and since traveling with them she was reverting more and more into the little girl nature had intended her to be, had it not been for the slave-traders. “Rina and Cah’lia will not give any money to stupid boys, right Mistress Cah’lia?”

The girl smiled as Cah’lia affectionately tugged on her cheek. “That’s right. Besides, Nero, even if we did have that much money—which is more than every kingdom in the world put together would have—you do realize you wouldn’t get any, right?”

Nero’s cheeks puffed and he crossed his arms. “Not true,” he said. “Sehn gives me a five percent cut on all taxes paid.”

Cah’lia sighed. “Yes—and don’t ask me how I actually remembered this—but isn’t there also a tax on receiving taxes? Even if there was enough money in the world—which there isn’t—to pay you boys, you’d actually end up owing Sehn more money than you’d make in the first place. Don’t ask me how that’s possible, because even for Sehn it’s a stupid system.”

“What! Is that true, Sehn?” Nero asked, his cheeks reddening with disappointment.

Sehn averted his eyes, thinking of some way to deny the accusation. Cah’lia was going to blow his cover. “N-no, that’s not true at all, Nero. Cah’lia forgot to carry the one, that’s all.”

“Yeah, sure,” she said. “Come on boys—and Rina. Let’s get back to it.”

“One more thing,” Nero said. “How come we left Patrick behind? Rina and I wanna know how come. Cause you said that we were just checking the land, and then you dragged us all the way over here. And now we’re going to the city without them. Patrick said he’d teach me how to do sword-fighting, and I wanna learn! I also miss Princess Saerina, she was gonna show me more magic stuff.”

Sehn winced at Nero’s questions. He knew they’d come up sooner or later, but he’d been hoping they’d make it to Hahl first. Sehn had never been forced to break this kind of news. Nero had started taking a liking to everyone, and as they’d journeyed together he’d become more and more comfortable with them, until he seemed to view them all as one big inseparable group. Now Sehn had to let him know that they were dead, all of them. There’d be no more lessons in magic from Princess Saerina, and he’d never again be able to ask Patrick about the Human civilization, or how to fight with a blade.

“Nero, the thing is,” Sehn began. “Okay, it’s like this. Sometimes, well…” Sehn continued his rambling for a few moments, getting no closer to forming a coherent thought.

“They’ll be meeting us in Hahl,” Cah’lia said. She was looking at the two children, but Sehn could see her looking at him from the corner of her left eye.

So, she wants to lie to them? Sehn wondered. Perhaps that’s for the best.

“Ohh,” Rina said. “How come?”

“Well, because they had to fix the wagon, sweetie, and they wanted us to go on ahead and book them inn rooms in Hahl.”

The two children shrugged at each other, and continued to climb, Sehn and Cah’lia crawling behind them in case they fell. The ground was moist, and Sehn disliked the dirty mud covering his forearms and knees. Still, at the rate they were going they’d reach the peak of the mountain by sunset, and from there on it would be smooth sailing.

Arm over arm they climbed, Sehn’s limbs protesting the movement, sending electric bursts of pain throughout his body. He ignored it, figuring it to be the result of all the hard travel they’d been doing. Despite Cah’lia’s claims, the path did in fact grow a bit steeper towards the end, to the point where had it been even an inch higher, they’d begin to slide down it. As it was, it required great effort to continue upward.

Finally, after an agonizing half-hour of steep climbing, they pushed themselves the last few feet to the top of the mountain. Nighttime had arrived, covering the area in darkness.

“Remmos Salas!” Sehn lit a nearby wooden stick aflame, using it as a makeshift torch. They erected a small camp and fire, giving them enough light to sleep comfortably. Sehn didn’t think there were many predators up this high, or, at the very least not dangerous ones that could threaten them. Well, by “them” he was obviously referring to Cah’lia, Nero, and Rina. All predators feared the Great Sehn, their instinct telling them that he will kill and eat them.

Nero and Rina looked exhausted, mud covering their small faces, and their hair a mess. Nero fell on his back and was asleep in an instant, Rina following soon after, falling asleep with her head on his stomach.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight,” Cah’lia said. “This, all of it, it’s only first starting to sink in now.”

Sehn tried to ignore her. He didn’t want to think about Patrick and the Humans, or that all-knowing Elven princess. He wanted to forget them, less he remember the way he’d abandoned them, leaving them to certain death.

“Anything you want to talk about?”

“Nothing comes to mind.”

“Why, Sehn?” Cah’lia asked. “Why do you continue to act like all of this doesn’t bother you?”

Sehn curled his lip, grabbing a nearby stick and poking at the fire with it. “Because it doesn’t,” he growled.

Cah’lia reached into the one bag she’d managed to bring along, removing a small cotton blanket. She covered the children, and came over to sit by Sehn. “Do you think that bottling this all inside is going to change anything? That if you ignore it, you’ll forgive yourself for leaving them?”

“Hah! I have nothing to be sorry for, Cah’lia. Stop showing me all these gross emotions like concern, or pity. The Great Sehn feels no emotion! For your treacherous act of showing me kindness, I sentence you to twenty years of hard labor. You shall begin on Tuesday.”

Cah’lia muttered something under her breath, but Sehn couldn’t make it out. “Fine,” she said. “Be that way. Now here, eat.” She handed him a few pieces of dried fruit. Sehn yanked it out her hands and devoured it before he could taste it. It sickened him. Food was becoming more and more disgusting to Sehn. Regardless of what he ate, the taste was always horrid.

Cah’lia rolled out two sleeping pallets. “Well, I guess we should at least try and sleep. Tomorrow won’t be as hard as today, but it won’t be easy.”

Sehn was noticing that everything she did, whether it was riding a horse, talking with Saerina, or even simply laying out sleeping pallets, she was beautiful while she did it. Her smooth black hair was undone, flowing over a face that looked to be hand-sculpted by the Gods themselves. The moon was full, and it casted a light on her, lighting up her eyes and adding to their fierce intensity. “Well, goodnight, Sehn,” she said settling herself on top of the pallet and rolling over. “Please try and get some sleep.”

“C-Cah’lia,” he whispered.

She rolled back around, facing him. “Hmm?”

“Do…do you think they died in pain? Do you think that they called for us, or to the Gods, or to anyone, begging for their lives?”

She sat up, and a serious look crossed her face. “Shake that thought from your mind,” she said. “And never let it return. What happened to our friends was for the sake of the world. Sehn, look at me. I said look at me! Promise me you’ll never think that way again.”

Sehn promised, and it was the first lie he’d ever told someone that he felt guilty about. He could no more control his thoughts than anyone else could. Thoughts came to you, you didn’t go to them, and they never asked for your permission to appear.

Sehn rolled on his back and closed his eyes, wondering how he, the Great Sehn, had allowed himself to flee from danger while his disciples were dealt death.