Page 19 of Henry & the Dragon
“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 continued to scream 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 would need your 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. You treated me as no more than an animal.”
“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 cried, 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 and 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 thread. I didn’t know the other material, but it was lavish and undoubtedly expensive, 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 your friend 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 the gods have mercy on your soul.”
