Page 4 of Henry & the Dragon
Kai had seen Henry enter the forest, and knew it wasn’t somewhere he belonged. He seemed too… soft and pure. However, when Henry knelt beside the Virbolg, Kai’s first thought was he’d given Henry too much credit. As he riffled through his bag, it seemed as though Henry was going to kill the Virbolg, just as the others from his town had done. He was about to step in, when Henry did the most amazing thing. He helped a creature that, to him, probably seemed like a monster. And he did it without any prompting.
Who did that? What kind of person went against their very nature, and helped another that was in trouble? Well Henry, obviously. And while he was afraid, he didn’t let that innate terror stop him. Kai could understand. The Virbolg were rather frightening, but they were, for the most part, gentle creatures who only fought to defend themselves. Henry had no way of knowing that, and still he helped.
Because Henry had surprised him, Kai took him deeper into the woods, and to a spot where the ghost moss was easily located. He helped Henry to fill the basket he’d brought, and it was obvious Henry appreciated the assistance.
“Let me walk you to the edge of the forest,” Kai said, not wanting to separate from Henry just yet.
“But what about you? Where do you live? If you need lodging, I could find a room for you in town.”
“No, I—”
“And if you can’t afford it, the innkeeper will allow you to work off the room. You could chop wood for him, or offer to do the dishes.” Henry shuddered dramatically. “Personally, I wouldgo with the wood, because the people aren’t exactly known for cleanliness, and you never know what you’ll find on—“
Kai reached for Henry, taking his hand. It was warm and pleasant, with the callused skin of someone who worked hard, which irked Kai. Nothing about Henry spoke of someone who should be doing manual labor. He seemed more like a healer from back home. What really bothered Kai is Henry called the man master, and no man should be the owner of another.
“Henry?”
“Yes, Kai?”
His name, spoken on a soft exhale of Henry’s lips was sweet, and said with a bit of reverence. No one else had ever said Kai’s name in that manner.
“It wouldn’t be a good idea for me to stay in the town. I’m not comfortable around people, and if truth be told, I find the majority of them to be smelly, ill mannered, and generally unpleasant.” That was only a partial truth. They were also prone to violence, as Kai discovered when he saw a man tearing apart one of the Virbolg adolescents before Kai could intervene. The act revulsed Kai, and he swore to stay as far away from the people as he could. Except… “You, my friend, are the first person I’ve met that I haven’t thought that about.”
Henry’s lips parted slightly, and his tongue darted out to moisten them. The flush of his skin let Kai know his words had an effect on Henry. The man was stunning, and Kai enjoyed looking at him. His hair, the color of wheat, and those eyes, which reminded Kai of the sky just before the sun rose high. A blue, but also nearly black. And he had freckles, which grew more pronounced when Henry’s skin darkened. And for all the beauty before him, it paled in comparison to holding Henry’s hand.
It surprised Kai when Henry didn’t pull away, so he decided to be bold, and laced their fingers together as he ledHenry to the edge of the woods. His heart ached at the thought Henry would be leaving, and that the two of them would never again see each other.
“Kai?”
He grinned. “Yes, Henry?”
“If you stayed in town, we could see each other. Maybe become… friends.”
The words released the shackles around Kai’s heart, and it soared skyward until it touched the sun. It was a mistake, and Kai knew that, but this was Henry who Kai knew could be trusted beyond all reason.
“I would like to see you again, but I cannot be in the town.” The risk was far too great. Kai was likely to say something about the horrid way Kai’s master treated him, and about the loutish behavior of the others.
“No, I understand. What if…. Well, what if I snuck out and we met together alone?”
Alone? Was it possible that Henry shared Kai’s faith in him? “You… trust me not to harm you?”
Henry turned, a solemn expression on his face. “I’ve never known anyone I could believe in the way I do you.”
There was hope in Henry’s eyes, but also a need that Kai had seen, but wasn’t sure if it was truly there, or he was seeing what he wanted. He reached up and put a hand on Henry’s cheek, delighted when Henry closed his eyes and pressed into the touch.
“Know you now my secret, Kai,” Henry said, his voice broken. “I am entrusting you with my life.”
“With your… I don’t understand.”
Henry straightened. “You know that to be with another, to touch a man in a carnal way, is to invite death and eternal damnation.”
Kai’s head spun with the sheer insanity of what Henry was telling him. “Please explain this to me. Are you saying they would kill you if they saw me touching you?”
Henry nodded. “’Tis a sin, an evil lusting that leads a man’s soul to hell, where he will languish for his appetites.”
“What cockery!” Kai spat. “I have been to many places in this world, and the ignorance of men never ceases to confound me.” He gripped Henry’s hand. “There is no greater joy than love. No power higher than to find one you wish to be with. Though this may speak ill of your beliefs, your people are ignorant, and they use these fabrications to control others, nothing more.”
Henry’s face fell. “Oh. Have you… No, never mind.”
