Henry and the Dragon: Chapter Six

Kai liked this time of night the best. The moon was mostly hidden behind thick, dark clouds, so there were shadows that danced among the trees every time a shaft of light was able to escape. He always felt as though there were fae among the branches, laughing in their lilting voices, at the foolish beings who couldn’t see them.

Then there were creatures like the Kupati, that roamed the immense area, looking for food. It was they who bandits—or foolish people from the town—often had the misfortune of meeting. At least they’d served a purpose in death, rather than simply taking from those who had never done them harm.

He lay back and stared up at the sky, the drifting clouds lulling him into a relaxed state. He wished Henry was with him, holding his hand, as they peered into forever together. It would be several more hours until he could see Henry, and that knowledge plagued Kai. What was it about the man that affected him so deeply? Why had he given Henry his most prized possession? The cloak his mother had spun from ebonweave and true gold thread would be highly prized most anywhere, but he’d given it to Henry without a second thought.

He smiled to himself. He quite liked the idea of Henry having something of Kai’s protecting him. Plus, he had to admit, he enjoyed seeing Henry in something that was more than an itchy sack made wearable. What would Henry think if Kai showed him the wonders of the world? To know that Innernook wasn’t the ending. If truth be told, it wasn’t even a beginning. A tiny settlement in a larger kingdom, which was a blight on the country. Nothing more. There was only one singular exceptional thing: Henry.

The very thought of him made Kai’s heart race. The scent of his body. The taste that he’d committed to memory. Everything about Henry made Kai weak, but also incredibly strong. It was a paradox that Kai couldn’t understand, but it didn’t matter. He’d finally admitted the truth to himself. He was in love with Henry.

The whinny of a horse, followed by the snap of a branch caught Kai’s attention. He turned, peering into the darkness. “Henry?”

Four men dismounted, then stepped into view. Three of them were large, but one was short and rotund. He puffed up his chest as he neared Kai. “Are you the one called Kai?”

“I am,” Kai said, rising to his feet.

“Henry sent us,” the oldest man said.

It was a lie. Henry would never betray Kai like that.

“A falsehood, no matter how many times spoken, will never be truth,” he said.

“No, truly,” the man said, stepping closer to Kai. “You gave him a gift, and he said you had more.” When he got only a few steps from Kai, the man reached beneath his ratty cloak and withdrew a dagger. “Give it to us.”

Kai held out his arms. “As you can see, I have nothing of value. I am a wanderer, and possessing things would slow me. I travel light, unburdened by material goods.”

“The cloak you gave him?”

“A gift from my mother when I left on my journey. It was the only precious thing I owned.”

The man lifted a hand, and before Kai could move, the arrow whistled through the air, striking him in the chest. He stumbled back, clutching at the thing that had pierced through his body. The man reached out and grabbed the pendant, tearing it from Kai’s neck.

“Take his money,” the man ordered.

The others stepped forward, matching grins on their faces. Another man, the one with the bow, came from over the horizon, and made his way toward them. Kai braced himself, but he knew he was no match for these people. He’d already lost a significant amount of blood, with more oozing between his fingers. He turned and made for the woods, certain he could lose the men there. He’d just entered the woods when another arrow found its way into his back, driving him to the loamy soil.

“Henry….” Kai whispered. “I love you.”

Then he collapsed to the ground.

 

Henry stopped as a pain jolted him. He grabbed his chest, but found no wound. Then a few moments later, more agony in his back. He wasn’t sure what was wrong, but fear surged through him. He had to get to Kai. He’d help.

Henry quickened his pace, doing his best to get to Kai. The pain grew more intense, but still drove Henry on. When he could make out the shadowed trees, another much larger mass loomed above them, flying on the largest wings Henry had ever seen. He was uncertain what kind of bird would be so large that it could blot out the forest, until it roared.

“Dragon,” Henry whispered.

Then came the blast of fire, followed by unholy screams. Henry rushed forward, his only thought that Kai needed him. When he arrived, carnage was everywhere. Three bodies lay in flames. Another man ran, but the dragon caught him in an enormous talon, then flew up before dropping him. The scream was cut short when the man slammed into the ground, but the shattering of bones was louder than the cry had been. The body lay there, twisted and mangled.

Another figure, larger than the other men, rushed forward. When it came into view, Henry’s blood froze.

“Neron?”

“Henry? Henry, you must save me!” he cried, clutching at Henry.

“Why are you here?”

“The…the dragon. We heard it, and came to look. It…”

A glint in the moonlight caught Henry’s attention. It was Kai’s necklace! There could be no other that looked like it.

“What did you do with Kai?” Henry demanded.

“Nothing, I swear. The dragon carried him off, then returned as we were trying to get to town.”

“You’re lying.”

At his side, the sword glowed with an eerie blue light. Henry withdrew it from the scabbard, while the dragon screamed overhead.

“Where’s Kai?”

“I say true, the dragon—“

Henry had never used a sword in his life, but when his arm slashed out, catching Neron across the chest, it was as if it had a will of its own.

“Where is Kai?” he shouted.

“Balgra killed him!” Neron cried, hand on his chest. “I didn’t want anyone to hurt him, but they refused to listen. We only wanted his money.”

The sword pulsed. “That’s another lie!” Henry bellowed.

“I don’t know where he is,” Neron whined. “He went into the woods, and hasn’t been seen since.”

The sword was quiet, so Henry believed Neron’s words to be true. “Tell me now, Neron. Why did you not speak to me of my father’s death?”

“I didn’t know!”

The sword glowed brighter. “Your whole life has been nothing more than a lie,” Henry said, calmer than he thought he would be. “You told me my sister needed medicine for the rest of her life, but she says you have given her nothing for many years. You forced me to toil in your shop, to do the things you were too lazy to do yourself. You were disrespectful, violent. That was all bad enough, but the lies? You kept me from my family for years, you bastard. Years!”

Henry noticed things had gone deathly quiet. The ground around the forest still smoldered, but fortunately the trees had not caught fire. Henry hoped Kai was unhurt.

“I cared for you!” Neron screamed. “I took you in, gave your family medicine at no charge. I taught you well.”

Henry sighed. “You showed me nothing. When I asked, you dismissed me as being too stupid to learn.” The sword slashed out again, catching Neron across the stomach. His cloak ripped, and he cried out. Henry saw the blood oozing from the wound, and found himself unwilling to care. This man—this monster—had stolen Henry’s life. Thoughts of his father. His mother. Merry. Kai. All of them whirled in Henry’s mind. All the things he’d lost, because of the man before him.

“You took my family. My life. You shamed me, struck me.”

“Henry, I am sorry! Please, I can make this right, if you give me a chance.”

Henry shook his head. “You had so many chances to make things right. For far too long, I trusted in you. Believed. Excused the things you’ve done. Even if I was willing to forgive you for taking me from my family, I will not ever forget Kai.”

“It wasn’t me!” Neron cried out. The sword hummed.

“Another lie.”

Neron’s eyes went round. “No, I swear, it wasn’t me.”

The glow on the blade became blinding, illuminating the entire area.

“My mother tells me my father’s spirit is within this blade.” He stalked toward Neron. “I can feel his anger and pain. It mirrors my own. You told me that there would be another to take my place, but who will take yours?”

“What…what do you mean?” Neron said, staggering back.

“It means my father demands justice,” Henry shouted as he brought the blade down, slashing Neron from face to stomach. The spurt of blood, and the cry of agony did nothing to assuage the rage that coursed through Henry.

Neron lay on the ground, hands held aloft. “Please, Henry, I beg you—“

Henry bent an grabbed Kai’s medallion from Neron. “I ask you one last time. What happened to Kai, and I demand the truth.”

Tears streamed from Neron’s beady eyes. “I saw your cloak. I recognized the gold, and knew the person who owned it must have wealth beyond reckoning. I went to the tavern, and spoke with some men. They were bandits, and the lure of riches had them frothing at the mouth. We came here, where you said Kai was, and demanded he give us a share. He refused. I—I told one of them to loose an arrow, and he struck Kai in the chest. When he tried to run, another arrow took him down. His body is in the woods, I swear it.”

That was what Henry needed to hear. “At last, you speak true.” He lifted the blade in both hands. “May God have mercy on your soul.”

He slammed the blade into Neron’s chest, wincing when an unholy shriek escaped as bone and flesh parted under the sword’s force. It lasted but a moment, and when it was done, Neron lay dead at Henry’s feet.

He should feel guilty. Something. But no, he was relieved, because now his mother wouldn’t have to suffer Neron any longer. He sat by the body for a time, his mind racing. He’d intended on asking Kai to take him away from Innernook, but he wasn’t sure what happened to his love.

He snorted. His love. Could one truly be in love with a person after only a few days? The ache in Henry’s heart at the thought Kai could be dead told him it was indeed possible. He rose to his feet, then gave thought to burying the bodies, but knew the creatures of the wood would be attracted and take them for their own use.

Instead, Henry stumbled toward the trees, praying to a merciful God that he find Kai. The first thing he found was blood. So much of it. Even more than Neron had spilled when Henry cleaved his chest. He continued deeper amongst the trees, and froze when he found clothes that had been stained red.

“No,” he whimpered as he clutched the bloodied garments to his chest. “Please, God. Not Kai.”

After much searching, Henry didn’t found a body, but that meant nothing. Kai could have been taken by the creatures of the woods, or by the dragon itself. Then he had a thought. Could Kai still live? Would the dragon carry him off to his lair? It was foolish, but it gave Henry a glimmer of hope to think it might be true.

“I will find you, Kai. This do I vow.”

He made his way back to where he started and turned his eyes toward the sky. The sun would rise in a few hours. He needed to be elsewhere by that time. He would go west. Kai had said that was where he’d come from. If he was unable to find Kai, perhaps he might find his family, so that he could tell them…. So he could tell them Kai might be dead.

A soft nicker drew Henry’s attention, and he found a group of horses huddled not far from the woods. Unwilling to let them be eaten, he approached them, and took their ropes in his hand. He climbed on the biggest one, then headed west. If he came upon a town, he could sell three of the horses to give him money which he could use on the journey.

His heart ached, but Henry refused to give in to grief. Unless he found Kai’s body, he would hold out hope that Kai yet lived, and the two of them would be reunited. That had to be his true focus. His mother had been right. He did love Kai. It made little sense, but Henry was certain that Kai was to be his future. All he had to do was find him.

With a soft whistle, and a nudge to the sides of the beast he rode, Henry began the journey to find his love and to bring him home.