Henry

Morning could not have come quickly enough. As I stumbled out of unconsciousness, a wave of pain ran over my body. Groggily, I tried to push myself up and rest on whatever lay behind me, my vision began to clear, and for a moment I did not recognise where I was. Quickly enough, I remembered the features of my new house, looking across the room I saw the hearth and another sofa. I didn’t remember getting back home but I was thankful to not have been left to spend a night on the street.

There was a warm feeling on my chest and, as I looked down, I saw Sara’s hand placed against me with a soft glow emanating from it. There was hardly any pain left where she was healing me, the worst of it concentrated around my face. I thought about it for a moment and realised that I didn’t have a hangover either, I supposed there was at least a silver lining to being so badly beaten that I needed healing.

“What happened?” I muttered, my mouth feeling dry as I croaked the words out. Sara’s head jerked upwards at the sound of my voice, by the look of the bags under her eyes she had received little sleep. Had she been up with me all night?

“He’s awake” she called out loudly and turned back to me, “Are you okay Aucus? How do you feel?” she asked, her voice dripping with concern.

“I feel like shit, my face is killing me and everything’s sore, but I don’t think I’m too badly hurt” I said as I heard footsteps pounding down from the stairs. “What happened? I remember getting jumped and then… I think I got knocked out”

“Hey, you’re awake” a voice came from the other side of the sofa that I was lying on. I turned my body with effort and saw the familiar face of Henry. “I was worried when I saw how badly you were hurt, your friend here works miracles” he said, giving Sara one of his friendly smiles.

He looked just how I remembered him; he might have lost a bit of weight, but he was still larger than most and had kept his cheerful attitude. His brown hair was unkempt after a night of rest and his clothes looked a little ruffled. “Henry?” I asked, “what are you doing here?”

“I saw someone getting beat up when I was on my way home from work last night, you’re lucky I was there, I think they might’ve killed you otherwise” he said as he came round the sofa and sat on the low table. “You were passed out and I was going to bring you back to my home, and then a dwarf found me with you. He seemed angry, I thought he was going to try and kill me, but I explained everything to him. I helped bring you back here and Sara has been healing you all night” he said, giving me a quick explanation of the nights events. “It’s a nice place you’ve got here, looks like you’re moving up in the world” he added with a grin.

I sat upright despite the protestations from Sara, I received a pang of pain in my hip as I reached my new position. “Thank you” I said, my voice still dry. “Can I get some water?” I asked

Boots came from the kitchen and Korin came in, sitting himself on the arm of the sofa as he gave me a mug of fresh water. “Here ya go lad” he said and shook his head, “I leave ya alone for five minutes and look what happens” he tutted

I slurped the water with as much vigour as I had devoted to the **** last night, quickly emptying the mug, “Thank you” I repeated as I laid the empty cup down. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t helped me. All of you” I said looking around at my friends.

“Ah, it’s nothing, I just had to carry ya. You’re better company when you’re ****.” Korin said with a grin, “It’s Henry and Sara ya should be thanking. I nearly killed the lad; thought he was the one that had done ya in. Course if it wasn’t so dark, I would’ve seen that he couldn’t lay someone like ya out” he added, giving Henry’s arm a friendly squeeze with a chuckle. Henry squirmed a little at the touch but didn’t try to break the dwarf’s grasp. “As for Sara, well I think she was gonna have a much more fun night before we got back” he said, giving Sara a smirk. She grinned in response.

“it’s okay, you can make it up to me and Cleo another time” she said as she moved her hand to another spot on my body and I could feel the pain in that area subside.

I nodded my head slowly, feeling a bit faint with the movement. “What are you doing here Henry?” I asked my childhood friend, “In Alynthir, I mean”

Henry went quiet for a moment, “Aucus” he started and quietened again, struggling to say something. “Blue-Rock, its…” he trailed off.

For a blissful moment I had forgotten what had happened to my home, to the place that I had grown up in, but it all came back to me far too quickly. The Motten’s, the ogres, the deaths. I shook my head, “I know Henry” I said before he could continue. “Kira told me what happened” we all sat in silence for a few moments. The shadow of **** draped the room in its cold embrace.

“What are you doing in Alynthir though, why not one of the other villages?” I asked him, trying to move on from that wound that would not heal no matter how much of her energy Sara gave me.

“My father…” he started until tears welled in his eyes. “He… he died in the attack and my mother wanted to get away. We weren’t going to live anywhere where Lord Motten ruled so we came to Alynthir instead, there’s always work in the city” he explained.

I nodded my head and let him continue, starting to think that I could have done with another cup of water. “She got a job as a cook in a restaurant, it pays well enough and we’re starting to get used to everything in the city. It’s so different to Blue-Rock, everything is so… busy.” He said, frowning as he gave it some thought. “I’m working at a bakery as well, it’s not too different from home. I do miss helping out at the farms though, I think most of the farmers stayed where they were. I hope they’ll be okay” he said as I listened, smiling at hearing about the life of my friend

“I’m glad that you’re doing okay. Kira didn’t tell me who had died in the village, I don’t think she wanted to think about it” I said.

He shook his head, “Me neither” he muttered quietly as he turned down to his feet. He looked back up to me, “How’s Elsie?” he asked with more excitement, “I heard that she had gone to become an adventurer as well. Did you see her?”

It was my turn to go quiet then. I shook me head. “Not Elsie” I said. “it’s not her, she’s changed a lot” I said, receiving a frown from Henry. “Zarin” I explained, “he has his claws in her”

Henry nodded at that; his face crestfallen. “I saw her the night of the attack. She still seemed like herself then, I think. She was working at the manor, she was… close with Zarin then. I don’t know why; we both know what he did to you at the rocks” he said. Something about the way that he had said close disturbed me, but a part of me knew that I didn’t want to know more.

“A ****” I clarified, “She wasn’t working. She’s his ****” I spat the word. The idea of people possessing others, the theft of the freedom that was their right as individuals and making them things upset me by no small measure. It was a disgusting practice, and she was its victim.

He nodded his head solemnly, “Do you know anything about my mother?” I asked as another thought rose in my mind, “Did she come to Alynthir as well?”

The pale tone to Henry’s face sent an icy hand creeping up my spine. “No… she… she was arrested” he said at last.

“What!” I demanded, quickly jerking up but being **** back by the pain.

Henry continued, “After the attack, Lord Motten arrested her. He said that it was her fault that the monsters had been allowed to get so close to the village. He said that it was because of her that so many people had died” he said, looking down at his feet before he spoke some more. “No one believed him, everyone knew how much she had done to protect us, and there were rumours that he wasn’t paying her anymore. But what could we do? Most of the village was killed and he had guards with armour and weapons. He just took her, and we couldn’t do anything. I’m sorry Aucus”

I didn’t know what to say. The thought of my mother in the clutches of that man made me want to retch, except I had emptied the contents of my stomach last night. “I’ll get her” I whispered sternly, then spoke louder. “I’ll go to the manor, I’ll kill that bastard, and I’ll free my mother” I vowed, “as soon as I’m recovered, I’ll go straight there”

“You’ll die Aucus” he protested, “he’s got a powerful spirit, he was an adventurer for the goddesses sake. He has a manor of guards to defend himself, you probably won’t even reach him before you die”

I just shook my head, “I don’t care” I said firmly, “I have to do everything I can to help her. She’s my mother, Henry” I knew that I sounded ****, but I couldn’t help it.

“Then get better!” he snapped at me. I was shocked at the strength in his voice, “get better so that you can kill him, don’t just throw away your life. When he kills you, what do you think he’ll do to your mother. You’re the one that he wants” he warned me, “I don’t want to lose anyone else” he whispered more gently.

I nodded my head, there was sense in his words. The thought of my mother in danger still stoked the flames of my heart but I knew he was right. “You’re right” I said more calmly, “We’ll all get better, and then I will burn that manor down with him inside of it”

I saw him grimace briefly, but he nodded his head, “Okay Aucus” he said, wiping a tear from his eye. He glanced at the time on a clock that stood against the wall in the living room. “I have to get to work, I’ll try to visit you again tomorrow”

I shook my head at that, “No, we’re going to get a contract today and we’ll probably be leaving for it early tomorrow” I said, as I pushed myself to my feet in an effort to show the others that I was okay. Pain rushed up from my chest, but Sara’s healing had done a good job, it was mostly the sensation of pressing against a bruise rather than real pain. “I’ll find you when we get back” I said.

He looked at me a little unsure but accepted. “Okay” he said and wrapped me in a hug. I returned it with a smile. He reminded me of better times. “Good luck” he muttered as he pulled himself back and Korin escorted him out.

“Are you sure you’re well enough to go out?” Sara asked me

I flashed her a smile, “It’s just a little sore” I lied, “What? You think a simple beating can keep me down?” we both smiled as she backed down, though I could see her concern plainly on her face.

Cleo rose shortly after and took over my healing from Sara whilst she was allowed to get some rest, having been with me all night. I got dressed into a fresh pair of clothes and I departed for the temple of Soras with Cleo and Korin.

They had insisted on helping me walk, no matter how many times I had told them that I was more than fine by myself. I was grateful for the aid. It took longer than I would have liked to get there, and I found myself wondering if we should look at purchasing a carriage. It would certainly make journeys far more comfortable.

We stepped through the great doors of the temple and into its opulence. It seemed far busier than it had been when I was there last, new adventurers bustled in the crowds, having made similar plans to our own and were eager to begin a contract. “Maybe ya can get Opal and Bella to find us a good one” Korin suggested.

He made a good point, they were well liked in the temple, and it did not look like we would have ease finding a contract as things stood. I scoured the great expanse of the room for signs of my mother’s friends and eventually caught sights of the dark-haired and tanned beauty that was Bella. “Over there” I said, nodding in her direction as I led us through the crowds.

She was talking with Cothin, the adventurer who had briefly trained Korin and I, she excused herself from his company when she caught sight of us approaching her and met us. “Aucus!” she exclaimed with a smile, ”You’re an adventurer now, how was the Citadel?” she asked.

We talked briefly, she wanted to know everything I had been up to. I told her about the training, telling her that I had received a raven spirit, and left out the darker parts of my time in the Citadel, not wanting to worry her more than I had to.

After I had told her all that I could think to tell her about the time in the citadel, we moved on to the matter of our visit. “Where’s Opal?” I asked first, as I glanced around for the attractive blonde woman who, I had to admit, I had become quite enamoured with during our brief tryst.

Bella rolled her eyes, “I expect she’s still in bed. I could hear her all night; she was training a couple of the new boys. She does like them young” she said, making me blush a little as I realise what she meant by training.

“Oh” I said as I heard a chuckle come from Korin, “Well, do you think you can help us find a contract. It seems like everyone is after one today” I said as I glanced at the throngs of adventurers

She smiled and nodded her head, “Yeah, I can probably help you with that. I’ll have a word with Charlie” she said, quickly disappearing towards one of the offices.

“Ah, ya think she missed me?” Korin asked when she had left.

I looked down at him doubtfully, “Sure Korin, why not” I said, rolling my eyes as he cracked a grin.

She returned quickly with a sheet of parchment. “This one sounded good” she said as she offered it out to us, Cleo took it and began to read. “There’s plenty of opportunity to get experience with killing monsters if you want, it’s not too far either, maybe a week’s travel” she explained.

I nodded my head, “that sounds good” I said, “What is it?”

“A rogue adventurer” she said, sounding more cheerful than the subject warranted. “It happens every now and then, they think they can have a better life with banditry. This one seems to have an ability that lets him communicate with monsters, he’s built up a small army of them. Mostly goblins and weaker creatures but he’s holed himself up in a cave near a village, so there’s no telling what else is in there with him. They haven’t attacked anyone yet, but monsters can’t be controlled for long, that village is in some serious danger. The contract is to apprehend or kill the adventurer and also to deal with the monsters, if possible. You can bring back his temple ring as proof. It pays five hundred silvers, that’s pretty good” she said. As we listened to her, Cleo folded up the parchment and nodded along.

“Alright, I think we should take it” I said and looked at the others. They nodded their agreement, and it was decided.

“Thanks for the help Bella, I appreciate it” I said, getting a smile from her. “Tell Opal that I said hi, and I’ll try to see you when we get back” I added

Before I could move to leave, she pulled me in for a hug, “You’re not leaving without a hug” she said as I felt her large breasts press against my body. “You be safe when you’re there. The first contract is the one that most new adventurers die on”

“I’ll be fine, I’ve got some good friends” I said as I returned the embrace. She reminded me of my mother a bit. The thought of telling her about what Henry had told me came to me, but I squashed it down. I would ask them for help when I was ready, but I didn’t want them to put themselves in danger in the meantime.

“We really should get going” I said when the hug seemed to drag on.

She let me go with a smile, “Yes, of course. I’ll tell Charlie that you’re taking the contract, and I’ll tell Opal you said hello. If I can pry her away from her new boy toys that is” she said. We waved goodbye to her as we made our way back towards the doors of the temple, ready to make our preparations.