Page 32 of Henry & the Dragon
He drew in a breath. “Then you must allow me to remain here. I won’t leave Henry. I can’t.”
She cocked her head. “What? Leave Henry? Why would you—? Oh, I see.” She smiled at Henry. “My apologies, Henry. I seem to have forgotten my manners for a moment. Henry, as Kaithyn said, our people are explorers. We have a way to travel to many worlds, to seek out life and knowledge. When we discover something that is of singular beauty, we return home with it, and keep it for others to see, to learn from, and to grow. If there are many, then we may bring back several pairs to mate and populate.”
“You keep them in cages?” Henry asked, and Kai could feel his discomfort.
“What? No, not at all, child,” Mother said. “We have the ability to create environs that suit them perfectly. There are no boundaries to hold them, no people to hunt them. Each has a vast range they can travel, and if they do happen to reach the edge of it, they simply come back in on the other side to start the journey anew. They are cared for, allowed to live out their lives in peace, and when their natural time comes, they are immortalized in their zone with a statue of light that our people may visit and learn about, even thousands of years later.”
There was so much confusion, and it was easy to read on Henry’s face. “Ours is a world of the future, Henry. Things that would seem as magic to you, are called science by us. Your people tell the stories of a dragon’s hoard. We do have our collections that we love, it’s true. They aren’t gold or jewels that we sleep upon, though. It’s knowledge that we pass down from generation to generation, so that even if people on other worlds or in other times have forgotten, we never will.”
And that, at least as far as Kai believed, was worth fighting for.
Kai’s words made sense to Henry. How many creatures had disappeared, and never thought of again? The very idea that the Virbolg could simply cease to exist saddened Henry.
“We have as many as we could collect,” the Queen said. “Millions of years ago, creatures that will be called dinosaurs roamed your lands. A great cataclysm wiped them out, but we rescued some. On our world, they live in comfort, doing what comes naturally. Some are predators, others prey, but they also don’t have to worry about going extinct. Our people watch them very carefully, ensuring that none of them die out. Yes, we could go and collect others, but our people love the ones we have, and we want to keep them as long as they are alive.”
“I know it doesn’t sound like anything you’ve heard before,” Kai said, reaching for Henry and Dmitra’s hands. “It’s a very overly simplified way to explain it.”
“And you would return home?” Henry asked, his stomach fluttering at the thought.
Kai turned to face the Queen, his sadness evident. “Mother, I cannot leave Henry here.”
“And you should not, Kaithyn. He’s obviously someone of great import to you, so you should bring him home.”
Henry stumbled back. “I’m to be part of your collection?” he asked, horrified.
“No, no, not at all,” the Queen said quickly, obviously trying to soothe Henry. “You would be Kaithyn’s mate. He who my son loves.” She gave a sad smile. “When he lay there, feverish and near death, he spoke of you. He said you were gentle, kind, and sweet. He told me how much he loves you, and how he couldn’t bear the thought of the two of you being separated. I will not allow my child to suffer. If you make him happy, then he must be with you. I would prefer it not to be here, but if that’s what he wishes, then—“
“No,” Henry blurted out. “Kai has already said he’s not fond of the people, and I wouldn’t want him to suffer them… us. The problem is that I can’t leave my family. We’ve only just discovered each other again, and I can’t lose them. Dmitra needs to be around them, to learn and grow, to live among those who will love her.”
“Then your family should come with us as well,” the Queen said. “We will create an area that is to your liking. You can stay there as you learn about our people. In time, we hope that you will integrate into our society, but if that isn’t the case, we will respect your choice and allow you to live and grow your own.”
“Do you really want to remain here, Henry? With odious people like Neron? And now that you say you’ve killed him, what will happen if you are found out?”
Henry hadn’t given that much thought. His only concern was for Kai and ensuring he continued to live. “I would be put to death, if I’m lucky. Otherwise, I would be thrown into the dungeon, and left there to rot.”
But to leave Innernook? To venture to another land? The thought excited Henry, but he wasn’t sure if Mother and Merry would agree. And how would he explain to them that dragons are real? “Dmitra? What say you?”
Her eyes alight, she nodded. “Yes! This is the dream I’ve held in my heart for years. A grand adventure away from this place. Please, Henry, say we can.”
Kai stroked a hand over Henry’s shoulder. It was warm, comforting. “Your family will understand, I promise you. And though it might take years, they will come to love our home, our people. Your family will flourish in a way they could not here.”
“Henry,” Dmitra whispered. “My mother said this would come to pass! She told me I would experience wonders no one had ever known.”
“Your mother possessed a gift?” Kai asked, his eyes kind and his smile luminous.
“Her mother, Constance, had the gift of sight,” Henry explained. “She knew I would rescue Dmitra, and that together we would find you. ’Twas she who told me where to begin looking, and Dmitra helped when we were closer.”
“Then we are forever in her debt as well,” the Queen said. “We shall build a monument in her name so that all of our people will know of Constance, who helped to save their beloved prince.” She reached for Henry’s hand, and took it in both of hers. “Henry, we must away from this place soon. Kaithyn needs to heal at home, where people will tend to him.”
“Why did you have my salve, Kai?”
He flushed. “Where I come from, we have nothing like this. I took it in hopes that our people—the doctors—would be able to duplicate it. You have made something ingenious, Henry, and it should be shared.”
And therein lay the problem. “If I leave here, I am abandoning the people who need my help. And now with Neron dead, they have no one who will care for them.”
The Queen sighed. “Henry, please don’t think me callous, but this time in which you live? It is coming quickly to an end. Soon there will be a plague that sweeps through your lands, andtens of millions of people will die. If you remain, you and your family may number among them.”
The thought of all those who would perish, perhaps even people Henry knew, sobered him. “But I might be able to stop it from happening!”
