Chapter 34

Those three forms began to lose their flare, the eagle resting on Henry's left shoulder while the armoured being stood by his side, arms folded.

Watching Henry rise to his feet, Judith and James noticed his changed appearance. He was now wearing a dark armour and his dark hair fell gracefully from his scalp. And when he turned around, they saw that boy who's left half of his face was covered by that falling mass of hair, while his right and exposed eye glistened in its cosmic darkness.

"Henry !" James called, "Are you all right ?"

"Stay back !" Judith pulled James shoulder, stopping him from running, "That person doesn't look like Henry."

"Of course he does", James defended, "but he looks a bit different though."

Judith was taken aback by that dark grin which stole the lips of their supposed Henry. What had happened to him ? And who was that eagle and armoured being standing next to him ? She was having a bad premonition about what was going to happen next on seeing "Henry's" burning eye fall on her. She wanted to disappear and hoped that this was just a dream she was going to wake up from. But Henry didn't say a word, instead, he kept grinning at James and her.

"Cut it out Henry !" She yelled nervously, "This isn't a joke."

"You aren't talking to Henry", the being said, "this is someone else, Hypernox gore !"

The eagle screeched high to the air and charged at James and Judith who instantly took to their heels. The eagle abandoned James and focused his attention on Judith, chasing after her like a flash of lightning, its wings smashing boulders, sending the broken rocks flying into the air with Judith screaming as they landed on her. She stumbled, falling to the ground but rose in the blink of an eye, avoiding the eagle's claws which missed her digging into the earth. It kept smashing boulders at her, making her stumble and soon, not able to withstand the pressure, Judith fell.

Screaming as the eagle brought its claws at her, she heard a crash which kept echoing in her head. Peeping through the opening in her palms covering her face, she saw the eagle smashing its claws on a forcefield surrounding her, with Henry grinning in his new form standing a few feet away from her. What was wrong with him ? Why was he treating them this way ? And who was that being always standing beside him ?

"Hypernox" Henry called, "that's enough."

The bord screeched then flew back to its master, taking its place once again on Henry's left shoulder. The forcefield dropped and Judith watched fear stricken as Henry kept grinning at her, finally turning around, he walked away, the armoured being following him behind.

"You and James", Henry said, "Should come with me."

"I'm not !" Judith screamed.

"If you insist", Henry replied, "James", he called, "do come along."

James shrugged at her then ran to meet Henry, following him behind silently. She stood watching their forms slowly diminish, where had Henry taken and where was he taking them to ? Staring around here seeing the Vast wilderness and threatening sky, Judith swallowed, Judith swallowed, realizing that staying behind was worse than moving forward. She decided to trust the monster she knew than the one which lurked in the darkness. Taking off, her voice rang as she called to the others.

"Wait for me !" She yelled after them.

*** *** ***

They had been walking for over thirty minutes and Henry not even saying a word to them with Judith and James exhausted by the climbing and turns, Judith wasn't sure that they could make it. Staring at James, Judith knew he was scared even though he didn't show it, besides, Henry was his friend and he trusted him.

"I'm tired." Judith complained bending, her hands holding her knees.

No one answered her as they walked on leaving her behind, not even James bothered to look back.

"I'm tired !" She moaned again, but no one answered.

Squatting, her head buried in between her knees, she began sobbing. She stopped, hearing the sound of metal boots crushing the pebbles and when she lifted her head, sh saw Henry staring down at her, his eyes burning darkly and his hair covering half his face with that eagle resting on his left shoulder, giving him that ghostly look, his wicked grin making it even worse.

"Get up" He said, "we'll soon get there", walking away to lead the others ahead.

Judith stood, her stomach grumbled making her wish that she had eaten Mrs Edna's slice of cake.

A few more minutes went by, after which, they took the bend down a slope which led into a cave. James, following Henry's lead, also went into the cave. The eerie echoes which rose as a result of the dripping lime made Judith hesitate and the incessant squeaking reminded her of bats, where was he taking them to ? The question prodded her mind for the thousand time. Judith ran after them not wanting to get lost in this scary place.

The turns they took weren't that much, just three and when they came to the end of the cave, they found a clearing - a cliff, which gave them a magnificent view of this abyss. Was this what Henry wanted to show them ? Take them out for a picnic ! But on looking closer Judith realized that they had company. Two other beings resting on separate boulders, one wearing a hood with his armour while the other's face was exposed. They weren't humans, that was sure, but the armour they wore an the strange v animals sitting next to them made Judith curious to know who they were.

"So the rumours were true", the one with the hood said, "so Kied is back."

"When I heard that he had given Novic a trashing", the second added, "I didn't doubt it one bit because anything that is said about Kied is no rumour."

"Kied, Henry !" Judith's mind juggled, was Henry, Kied ? Who was Kied and what was he capable of doing anyway ? She only had to asked to find out.

"His name is Henry", Judith corrected, "not Kied."

Both beings gave her a quizzical look and suddenly, began quaking with laughter, their voices echoing. Judith also noticed something unusual about their pets, they were laughing as well ? The antelope and the panther - she could see their jaws moving as their heads jerked backwards in amusement.

"Henry ?!" the one with the hood exclaimed, "Do you really know who is standing before you ?"

"Or who they're standing before." the antelope corrected.

It could speak ! Judith held herself from screaming and so could the panther who interjected the antelope.

"Allow Thorace speak, Trident." the panther said.

The one with a hood rose from the bolder, giving Judith and James a bold stare and staring back at Kied who didn't seem concerned at all. He never seemed to care about anything, Judith raved.