Page 11 of Henry & the Dragon

“Perhaps we should go,” Kai said, his voice soft and still radiating with pain.

“We’ll go nowhere until I say so,” the Queen insisted, her voice letting all assembled know not to argue. “You almost died, Kaithyn, and I will not move from this spot until I am certain you won’t fall down the mountain, plummet from the sky, or that some other ailment should lay you low.”

Kai smiled, and Henry could see her words, though frustrating, pleased him. As they sat, she stepped out of the cave and flew down to where Henry had left the horses. She retrieved pelts to warm them and enough food to feed them. It was all quite vexing, having her serve them. She was a queen, after all. Still, when Henry had offered to climb down to retrieve everything, she gave him an indulgent smile.

“You risked your life to save Kaithyn,” she said, her voice breaking. “You killed the odious being who harmed him.”

“Was the dragon we saw soaring in the sky you, your majesty?”

She winced. “Yes, it was. Please, don’t be frightened of me. I was a mother deep in her grief, unable to find the son she holds most dear.” She averted her gaze. “I was in my home when I heard Kaithyn’s call. The fear that engulfed him had me rushing to get here in order to save him.As I arrived I heard them bragging about killing Kaithyn, and everything went dark. My anger exploded, laying waste to all around me. I must admit, I felt nothing but rage when I killed those men. I had not wanted Kaithyn to come to this violent time, but he insisted we needed to seed an area on our world with Virbolg, who would become extinct without our aid. I will admit, as enraged as I was, I would have burned the entire area to cinders and ash. No one would have been left alive, not even the Virbolg Kaithyn wished to rescue. It was only seeing him propped against a tree, hand over his bloody shoulder, that allowed me to think clearly enough to get him to safety. I apologize if I frightened you.”

“We do not fear you, ma’am,” Henry said. “I wanted to thank the person who saved Kai, who kept him safe until we could find him. Anything you want, I will do my best to give you.”

“Anything?” she asked with a sly smile. “What if I ask you to tell me the story of Henry and his family? I would be honored to hear it.”

“Are you certain?” he asked. “I wouldn’t want to bore you.”

Her eyes twinkled, lit as though by a fire all their own. “I doubt I could ever be bored with one such a you, my dearest Henry.”

The conversation started slowly. Kai leaned against Henry, who felt as though his weight kept Henry from flying off and shattering into shards. Dmitra lay on some furs, her head in Henry’s lap as he stroked her raven tresses. The queen sat, obviously enraptured by the story of Henry’s life as he told them of his mother and Merry. Of his father, now gone from his life. Of Neron, whose very name caused the queen to growl. Everything he could think of, he shared. He knew it was nerves making him eager to speak.

Finally he closed his eyes and let all the energy seep from his body, which felt as though it weighed as much as a Virbolg.

“Are you ill, Henry?” Queen Arissa asked, concern in her voice as she reached for him.

“No, milady. Simply very tired. T’was a long journey, and I find I am unable to keep my eyes open.”

“Then you should rest. All of you. I will stand guard, ensure that nothing disturbs you.”

There were a few half-hearted complaints, but they stretched out on the cave floor, huddling together. Arissa shifted once more, becoming the enormous dragon. She enfolded the group in her wings, then placed her head on the hard stone floor beside them. Henry stuffed his now nearly empty satchel beneath to cushion her so she too could rest. Then he slumped down and fell fast to sleep.

“Murderer!” came a voice from his dreams, accusing him of a crime most vile.

“I am not!” Henry snarled.

Then Neron appeared, a gaping hole in his stomach from where Henry had run him through. His face was sunken, almost hollow now.

“Then think on what you’ve done to me, Henry. Know that I lie in the cold ground, food for worms.”

“You deserved it! You lied to me. You kept me prisoner for years, scheming to keep me from my family, never telling me that Merry was well. Not informing me of my father’s death. Then you compound your crimes by trying to steal the life of my love. My Kai.”

Neron sneered, appearing even more terrible than ever. “I alway knew you were a disgrace.”

Whereas he would have been afraid, he was no longer. The people he met on his journey opened his eyes to a wider world. One where love held sway. Henry stood, his chest puffed out. “Once I would have agreed with you. I would have accepted that I was tainted and doomed to the fires of the pit. Then I found love, and I know that if a god exists, they would not be cruel as we have always made them out to be. People like you, those who don’t help others, those who steal what little our neighbors have in order to enrich themselves, you are the truest evil. And I no longer fear you!”

Neron’s eyes widened, then he dissipated like dust, leaving Henry feeling oddly… clean.

Startling awake, Henry realized they were still in the cave, under the protection of Lady Arissa. He was about to stand when an arm snaked around his waist and pulled him against a warm body.

“Sleep, beloved,” Kai whispered. “I will let no ill befall you.”

Kai snuggled against Henry, who closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep once more.

Henry, used to being awake to start his day by preparing breakfast for Neron, woke first. It was still dark in the cave, so he sat quietly, enjoying the warmth the queen provided, but also the silence that he never seemed to have when he toiled under Neron’s yoke.

The dawn finally broke, heralded by a bright sun, calm winds, and the smell of heather on the breeze. The queen opened her eyes, blinked at Henry, who turned away as she transformed into her human form, then swaddled herself in Kai’s garment.

“Good morning. I hope you all slept well.”

Dmitra stretched. “I had the nicest dream,” she informed everyone. “Of a place whose sun glittered as gold, whose skies were vast, and where people smiled when they saw you.”

“You’ve seen our world,” Kai informed her. It’s a beautiful place, with kind and loving people. Mostly.”

“Kaithyn, how do you fare?” the queen asked.

He stood and stretched his arms to the sky. He blew out a breath, then inhaled deeply. “My lungs no longer ache, my mind is clear, and….” He moved closer to Henry. “What ails you, beloved?”

“I must return home to speak with my family,” he said at last. Then he turned to the Queen. “And you are certain we would be welcome?”

“Of course. I give you my word, even without the fact you saved Kaithyn, your family would be adored by our people.”

He sighed. “But what will they do? My mother and sister farm, and Merry’s husband is a smith. From what you say, your people will have no need of us.”

Kai slid a hand through Henry’s hair. “My love, our people need to eat, so farms are plentiful. Also, smiths still exist hundreds of years into the future on your world, and they still practice their craft on ours. He might need to learn new ways of doing things, but isn’t that part of growth?”

And it was. Henry hated to admit he was excited by this possibility. He was also worried, because it would only come to pass if his family would listen with an open mind and heart.

“It will be a long ride. Could Dmitra stay with you while I’m gone?”

The Queen laughed, and it was the warmest sound Henry had ever heard. “We shall take you there in an instant,” she promised. “Kaithyn, are you certain you are well enough to travel?”

Kai drew in a breath, then exhaled slowly. The color had returned to his cheeks, and Henry couldn’t have been more pleased. “I am, Mother. As I said, Henry’s salve is truly a work of magic.”

“I am pleased, my son.” Then she turned her gaze to Henry. “Focus on your home, if you would be so kind.”

She placed a hand on his head, the touch light, warm, and filled Henry with bliss. Then she chuckled. “Henry, I meant your family’s home. I cannot transport us to Kaithyn, as he is already here.”

“You thought of me when she said to think of home?” Kai asked. Then he leaned in and gave Henry a peck on the lips. “I think the same of you.”

A strange thrill slid slowly through Henry at the realization Kai thought of him as home too. And that he was willing to kiss him in front of his mother. How enlightened the world they hail from must be. For now, though? He pushed such thoughts to the back of his mind, and pictured the farm, seeing his family standing at the door to their house. Of how much he loved them, of the years he’d missed out on, of seeing them again.

“Ah, there it is. I think you should close your eyes for a moment. Traveling this way is… not always easy the first time.”

Henry looked down at Dmitra, who reached for his hand and held fast as she squeezed her eyes shut. He did the same. One moment they were in the cave, and the next his stomach was somewhere else. Henry wasn’t sure where, but it certainly wasn’t where it should be.

“Are you well, Henry?” Kai asked, an arm over his shoulder.

“That’s how you travel?” Henry asked, feeling a tad green.

“It gets easier, believe me. My first time I threw up everywhere.”

“Threw up?”

Kai chuckled. “I expelled.”

That Henry understood. “What is threw up?”

“Like many things on your world, language has evolved in the centuries. You’ll catch up in no time, I promise.”

The door opened, and Mother flew out of the house and into Henry’s arms. “Henry! I was so afraid. They… They found Neron’s body, and several others. They believed a dragon attacked and slew them all.”

“A dragon was there, Mother, but it was I who slew Neron for his attempt on Kai’s life, and for stealing so much of mine from me.” He stepped aside and with a sweeping gesture indicated his companions. “Mother, this is my daughter, Dmitra. Her mother left her in my care when she grew too ill to do it herself. And this is Prince Kaithyn, and his mother, Queen Arissa Dellamar.”

Mother paled as she slowly dropped to one knee. “Your Majesties,” she whispered. She took the lady’s hand, and kissed it reverently.

“Your mother is a true delight, Henry.” She turned to Mother. “Milady, please, rise.”

When she did so, Mother was shaking. “You’ve not come to take Henry, have you?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Henry replied. “May we go inside? Has Euric moved to the farm?”

“He has,” Mother answered, her voice cracking. “Henry, why are you traveling with a Queen?”

“Please gather everyone, so that we may talk. I will explain it all then.”

Mother went to ring the great iron bell that Father had installed for her to summon them to dinner, and a few moments later, Merry and those who Henry could only assume were her family, came running.

“Mother? Who are these people?” Merry asked, suspicion lacing her tone.

“They’re here for Henry,” Mother said, her voice all but broken.

A burly man, thick with muscles, dark eyes, and a heavy beard stepped forward. “You’ll not have my kin,” he snarled, clamping a hand on Henry’s shoulder and squeezing tight.

“Stop, please. Everyone must hear my story. Mother, have you food? Though the poisons are out of his body, Kai should eat something.”

“Poisons?” Mother gasped.

“’Tis a long story, one that speaks of things we must know.”

“There is no need to bother with food, milady. I’m fine, Henry.”

Henry narrowed his eyes, and Kai grinned.

“I could eat, if it isn’t inconvenient,” he said.

Mother ushered them all into the house. She bade the queen to sit at the head of the table, but she declined, saying that was mother’s seat as was her due befitting her station as the dowager of the home. Merry served a bowl of thick, rich smelling vegetable stew with fresh hearth bread to Kai and his mother, then placed piping hot bowls in front of Henry and Dmitra, and finally her own family.

“I’m sorry we haven’t anything more to offer, Your Majesties. Meat is a precious commodity and we haven’t any animals we can use,” Mother said, her gaze never leaving Henry.

Arissa’s eyes widened. “What? Don’t be daft. We don’t eat meat, but still, we appreciate your kindness. You have invited us to your home. Given us succor in dire times. We are beyond grateful for the bountiful repast you’ve provided.” She took a spoonful of the stew and smiled after she sipped it. “This is most delicious,” she said, then continued eating while Kai ravenously attacked his own food. So much for him not being hungry.

“Someone must explain to me what is happening,” Merry snapped. “My brother already gave himself to a monster, and I won’t allow him to leave us again.”

Euric stood behind Merry, his hand on her shoulder. “Nor will I. Merry has oft told tale of the brother who gave himself away when he was naught but a wee lad. One who put his family before his own life. Henry has earned his freedom.”

Henry couldn’t explain the warmth that flooded through him that someone who didn’t really know him was still willing to stand and defend him.

Kai put his spoon down and touched the corners of his mouth with a napkin. “Please, we are not here to haul Henry to a dungeon. Far from it. I wish Henry to be my consort. I love him, and have no desire to see him in chains or dangling from the hangman’s rope. The truth of it is, Henry is not willing to leave his family, and I am more than happy to stay. My mother, however, has offered another alternative. She would like for all of you to come with us.”

Mother’s eyes narrowed. “Where is this kingdom of yours?”

“’Tis very far away, Mother.”

She shook her head. “No. I am too old and frail to partake of such a journey. And I said I would not leave the farm my husband and I tended to our entire lives.”

Henry wouldn’t comment on the frail part. She was a very sturdy woman, stout and proud. She could work anyone in the family into the ground. Or… she had been able to. Once upon a time. Now that he looked, she wasn’t the same as she had been. Her back was a bit more stooped, her hands shook when she lifted the spoon to her mouth, her eyes were rheumier. In short, his mother had aged a lifetime in the years he’d been gone.

“Getting to our realm would take naught but a few moments,” the Queen said. “You could stay here, of course, but then Henry’s life would be in danger.”

Mother bit her lip. “No. No land is worth losing my son yet again.”

“Please, don’t concern yourself with the loss of your beloved property. We would take everything with us.”

Mother’s eyes narrowed. “How so? And how would we get to this place?”

“It would take some time to prepare, but when we are ready you would close your eyes, and the next moment you and your entire lands would be in our kingdom. Have no fear, milady. As I’ve explained to Henry, your family would be welcome amongst our people. Henry is a skilled healer, and he has said that Euric is a smith of great renown. There is a sister who Henry has always loved and looked to for strength. And then the mother who raised them to be noble, true friends. We could think of no better people to have living with us.”

The suspicion didn’t leave Mother’s eyes. “From whence do you hail?”

“Mother, there are things you need to know before you make any decisions. They will be unbelievable, akin to fantasy tales, but I guarantee you they are truth set in stone.”

So Henry started telling his story from the beginning. He told of Merry’s illness, of Neron’s cruelty, of learning to craft salves that he gave to people, of Neron’s jealousy, of meeting Kai, of Neron’s attack on Kai, of the dragon, of his journey to find Kai, of meeting and becoming Dmitra’s father, the joy of finding Kai, and finally of the truth about Kai’s mother.

“Balderdash!” Euric snapped.

Kai stood. “I can prove it,” he said.

“’Tis a lie, and you have bewitched Henry!” Merry cried.

Mother, oddly enough, sat quietly and viewed the proceedings.

“He is a dragon!” Dmitra said. “I have seen it.”

Euric’s gaze darkened. “You toy with the mind of a child? Are you truly so despicable?”

Kai ignored the outburst. “Please, follow me outside.”

Without waiting, he turned and strode out the door. Henry couldn’t help but notice the regal bearing Kai now seemed to have. When they were all gathered outdoors, Kai stepped behind the house, Henry standing guard, and stripped off the cloths he wore. They weren’t much, but it was far better than him being nude in front of Henry’s mother.

The transformation came quickly. Henry stood in awe, seeing the sinewy body he’d witnessed stretch, hearing the bones crack, and watching Kai’s eyes widen. It seemed as though it should be painful beyond belief, but Kai exulted in the change. When he was done, Kai ducked his head near Henry, who, feeling bold, planted a kiss on the lovely hued scales.

“For luck,” he said.

When Henry called for the family to gather, they trooped toward the spot. When they found Kai in his dragon state, Merry and Euric screamed and grabbed their children. Mother, still, was oddly quiet.

“He won’t harm them,” the Queen said. “We would never harm a child.”

“B-B-But he’s a dragon!” Euric shouted.

“Not all dragons are bad,” Mother finally said.

“What? How can you say that?” Merry demanded. “Dragons are evil.”

“No!” Mother shouted, her face contorted in anger. “’Tis not true, and I will not have you speak such of our guests.”

Her reaction surprised Henry. “Mother? What are you saying?”

She turned away, as if unable to look Henry in the eye. “When your father came home from the war, you know how he was. We’d all feared he’d lost his mind on the battlefield. Only… late into the evenings, he and I would sit by the hearth and he would tell me tales of the one who saved his life. His comrades had been all but wiped out, and those who yet lived were dying far too fast to be helped. Father feared he would die there as well. He said he lay on the battlefield, blood spilling out from what he was certain were mortal wounds, when an immense shadow fell over the area. He believed it to be Anaya, the Goddess of Death, come to spirit them away to the afterlife. He cried out, pleading for her to take him, but protect his family. Only instead of shepherding him to the afterlife, it lifted him up and carried him off, taking him several leagues away from where the battle had been fought. He told me the great beast then transformed into a man, who tended to his wounds. He said the person was good and kind, and that he treated your father well, cooking, cleaning, and otherwise caring for him. They had many conversations, and he spoke fondly of his home. Of missing his people. For nearly an entire moon, he stayed with your father, tending to his physical wounds. After he had ensured your father was well enough to travel, they hugged and he bade your father farewell, then sprouted wings and flew off into the night as a dragon.”

“Why did I never hear of that?” Merry wanted to know.

Mother’s cheeks pinked. “I thought… I believed it to be a figment of his imagination, but now?”

At his side, Henry’s sword glowed once more. He lifted it from the scabbard and held it aloft.

“That’s why you wouldn’t attack Kai’s mother,” Henry whispered.

The sword pulsed rapidly. Mother came closer. “I’m sorry that I didn’t believe you,” she said sadly.

In his mind, Henry heard his father’s booming laugh, then a soft, faint ‘don’t fret, my love. I would not have believed it either.’ “Father says it’s fine,” he told Mother. “He wouldn’t have believed it either, if it hadn’t happened to him.”

After that revelation, questions came rapid-fire. Kai and Arissa answered them all with great patience. Finally, with exhaustion over the day’s events weighing on everyone, things calmed quickly. Kai returned to human form, dressed, and then joined with the family to discuss their future until late in the night when they finally went to bed.

Henry lay, unable to sleep. He reached for his scabbard and withdrew the sword, which pulsed with the familiar blue light.

“Father? I… I am sorry that I was such a disappointment as a child.”

The sword was quiet for a few moments. Henry, my beloved son, why would you say such a thing?

“We never got along,” Henry replied, his chest aching. “I know Merry was closer to you than I.”

No, Henry. You’re wrong. So very wrong. Merry only appeared closer because she wanted to farm, while you? Your head was filled with so much knowledge, not only from your mother, but the things you learned on your own. I knew to my very heart, that you were on a path to greatness. You were never meant to till the soil, and in order to help make your dreams come true, I put in the labor to help you. Was I wrong? Looking back, yes. I should have done more to encourage you, but also to make time for you. That is one of my deepest regrets. You were a son that any man would be proud to call his own.

“So you aren’t ashamed that my love is a man?”

That booming laugh again. Gods, how Henry missed it so. They’d be having their supper one night, and Father would tell a story that had him laughing so hard, he’d cry and say he might wet himself. He never did, of course, but his laughter had been infectious, making everyone gathered around laugh too.

Your mother told you, we knew a wife was never meant for you. And let me tell you something, We could not have chosen someone better. Kai is perfect for you. I could not be prouder that you have found love and I cannot wait for you to leave Innernook. It was killing you to be here, amongst the people who looked down on us. Neron was the worst of them. I wanted so badly to get retribution for what he did to our family, but I had no one I could speak with. Until you took the sword in your hand. That, my son, should show you how close we are and how much we loved each other. Merry held the pommel many times, but the connection I needed wasn’t there. I love you both with everything I am. Merry is the jewel of my eye but you, Henry, are the one who I share a special bond with. You’re a part of my soul.

All these years thinking that he wasn’t special to his father, and with just one conversation Henry understood he was wrong. He was loved.

“I love you, father.”

“And I you, my son. I cannot wait to join you on this great adventure.”

“I must know. How did you come to inhabit the sword?”

A chuckle. “You’re still the same as you were when you but a child. Asking endless questions to avoid sleep. Even when your mother told you a story, you still wanted more time.”

“Please, father. I… I need to know how things work.”

“Very well, but after this you must promise to sleep.”

That was a constant request Henry remembered from when he was a child. “I promise.”

When I returned home, I was… different. I’m aware you all knew it, but still, you cared for me. The reason wasn’t what your mother thought, though. It wasn’t the battle that had fractured my mind. I told her that my savior and I parted ways when he believed I was well enough to travel. That wasn’t true. The wounds I’d sustained were too grievous, and he informed me that despite his best efforts, I wasn’t going to be part of this world for much longer. I lamented not being able to protect you all. Especially you. If I hadn’t been about to pass to the next world, I would have come for you and wrested you away from that monster. Never would I have allowed Neron to take you.

“Then I never would have made many of the unguents I did. Neron was a horrible person, but I did learn things while working there.”

Perhaps. As an answer to your question, I let my regrets out, thinking I would never see any of you again. The man or whatever he was, told me there was a way, but it came with a terrible price. He said there was a way to move part of what he called my consciousness to the sword. He told me it would lay dormant until picked up by the one meant to wield it. The rub of it was the part of me he infused into the blade would be gone from my body, and I would be addled. I was going to die anyway, so I agreed, even if I didn’t believe.

Was father’s savior a Hodac? One of Kai’s people? Based on what Henry knew, it seemed to be the likeliest of answers, but could it truly be a coincidence?

He bade me lie back and close my eyes. Something warm and sticky, akin to tar, was placed on the sides of my head, and then a cool metal was added as well. He told me I could look again, and what I saw was… amazing doesn’t even begin to cover it. A… stream of blue light flowed from the things attached to my head and traveled into the sword. My mind grew muddled, but the sword grew brighter. Eventually my savior took the things from my head and told me it was done. He had me hold the sword, and I felt like I was in two places at the same time. Which, I was. Then he embraced me, apologizing for not being able to do more. I told him if this was helping to protect my family, he’d given me a gift I could never repay. Then he flew me to the nearest town, where he gave someone coins with instructions to find my way back home so I could live out the remainder of my days.

And Henry was humbled beyond words. With the knowledge that he would soon die, his father had done what he could to protect his family. To ensure Henry could protect them.

Thank you for trusting me, father.

Never doubt that I did, my son. Now fulfill your promise and sleep. Tomorrow will come soon enough for all of you. And tell your mother that all of our years together were never going to be enough. Good night, Henry, my most beloved son.

The sword became dull once again. Henry replaced the blade in the scabbard, then Kai rolled over and wrapped an arm around Henry’s waist, relaxing him enough that he was finally able to tire his mind. They lay in warmth and comfort, Kai snuggled around Henry, his breathing even and deep. Henry would miss this life, it was true. He had a few people he considered friends, but until Kai entered his life, he had no one other than Merry and their mother he considered as part of his family.

Now? With Merry, Euric, their children, and mother? He had both, and was determined to grab hold and hang on for the ride of his life.