Satyr Play 04 Pt. 02

The woman nodded and grinned at Roy as she backed out of the room.

Roy walked over to the bed and looked down at Henry. He reached out a hand and pushed back some stray hairs from his forehead. He knew the ladies would be downstairs momentarily, so he'd only have a moment to be alone with the boy.

"Son, why must you always give too much," he said as his throat closed up.

"Because the boy's heart is too big," a voice said from the doorway.

The hair stood up on Roy's back from head to butt. Even without looking, he knew who it was. The voice was different, but it was Baba.

"I suppose I can't say I'm surprised you've come back from the dead. Henry did it, and he said he learned the trick from you. What do you want from him now? Hasn't he given enough?"

Roy was surprised by the anger that surged in him. Baba Yaga scared the piss out of him, but this was for Henry!

The old woman in the hospital gown who came to stand beside him didn't look like Baba either. Again, Roy knew instinctively it was her.

"You love the boy?" she asked.

He managed to hold her eye. "Yes."

"He did what I couldn't. He sent the dark energy back to their dimension, but he's gone. I'm sorry," she said awkwardly.

The lights went out.

He heard a shout from the hallway, and Sigrid's weapons and armor suddenly lit up the darkness as she came running into the room with Camila and Marisa behind her.

The lights came back on, and Roy looked at the bed, but Henry was gone.

"Where is he?" Sigrid shouted as she searched the room with her eyes.

Roy was stunned. Baba said Henry was gone, and she apologized... to him! What did that mean?

Sigrid put her weapons and armor away and grabbed Roy's arms to look into his eyes.

He saw the fear and desperation in hers. "Baba...."

"She took him? What did she say?" Sigrid asked.

Roy saw Camila and Marisa waiting for his answer too. It wasn't one he wanted to deliver, but they deserved the truth.

"She said he got the dark energy back to where it belonged, but he's gone. Then she apologized."

Hearing Sigrid, Camila, and Marisa's grief wasn't a sound Roy ever wanted to hear again.

His grief remained in a tight knot in his chest, a heavy weight making it hard to breathe.

His mind tormented him as something wasn't right.

Baba set up Henry to take her Magic so she could die on Skyfall. Her spirit remained and didn't cross over or whatever people did when they died. Instead, she hung around Henry, who suggested it was because the deal hadn't been completed due to Gordon Crane being Human.

Henry found a way to transform Crane so the deal was truly over and Baba could move on... but she didn't.

Why did Baba come back?

Chapter 27

Summer returned as life moved forward, irrespective of the wishes of those left behind.

The six infants stolen by the Demons were returned to their parents the following day when the Glass People on Eden opened a tear for the Silver Soldiers to return to Manhattan. It was a big public relation boost for the soldiers though they insisted it was mostly Henry's doing.

The Valkyrie hunted down every Demon they could find. The larger Enforcer Demons seemed to be extinct, except for Severiano, who was still in the wind. Revna vowed to never stop hunting for him.

Mick and Feinberg reported seeing the large Demon flying away from the cave with something cylindrical in its arms.

Hilda was livid that the Demon escaped with what might have been a reliquary. She was highly critical of the team who attempted to save Henry. This didn't make her any friends.

Sigrid finally sent her mother packing as she'd also said careless things about Henry when she found out what had happened to him. Talia stepped forward to be Sigrid's live-in nanny, assisting with training the young Valkyrie.

Camila and Marisa were mourning, but they had each other's support and the day-to-day work at VRL to occupy their minds.

Meixiu and Roy made sure everyone visited the mansion as often as possible to get together and talk. The magic doors, the security dome over the property, and the charging station continued to function, but access to the doors to Eden was locked away.

Tish let everyone know during their first visit that the Succubus twins were missing. Camila suspected they were hunting for Henry. She worried about them as she felt they would weaken quickly without him.

Having the outlet of this large and compassionate extended family helped everyone's mental health.

On the International front, shortly after the explosion in Northeastern Russia, General Gordon Crane was discovered lying in a marsh by the Russian Army when they arrived to investigate. He was unconscious with bruises and abrasions but otherwise unharmed. He was checked out in a hospital and then placed in a top security military prison as the two governments began rattling their sabers at each other. Gordon remained a silent but model prisoner until he was sufficiently healed and rested. On his daily exercise in the yard, he switched into his Dragon form, accelerated straight up at Mach five, then exited Russian airspace as expeditiously as possible. He finally landed outside the front gate of Ramstein Airbase in Germany and turned himself over to the base commander. It wasn't long before he was back in Washington. The debriefing there took weeks, but his new Silver Soldiers were allowed to visit him so he could get to know them.

His girlfriend also got to visit. Gordon was happy about that too.

The investigation of the Russian explosion site determined normal background radiation levels, proving the explosive wasn't nuclear in nature though the resulting damage pattern was similar.

They made a startling find on the seventh day of poking through the rubble. A slim feminine hand made of multi-colored glass was poking up between two refrigerator-sized boulders. One of the soldiers on the site touched the hand, and it spasmed and clutched his fingers.

The team reacted badly, and explosive ordinance was used. When the smoke cleared, the boulders had been turned to rubble, and they discovered the glass hand was part of a beautifully sculpted svelte woman made of glass. The shape of her long hair blended into her back, and her facial features were truly lovely.

Her expression, however, was not happy.

It was later reported that after she finished destroying their weapons and vehicles, she stepped through a tear in space into red grassland.

Lorelei showed up at the mansion two months after her disappearance. With her ability to sway people, she'd had no problems getting home, but she'd visited many rivers to purify them on her journey back. She was devastated to hear of Henry's loss.

-=-

Late summer in the Caucasus Mountains, two weary and skinny red Succubi discovered a small, abandoned village. It was mostly hidden amongst the trees but comprised roughly of a dozen small and damaged buildings. They landed and took the scent of the place. Their eyes lit up, and they smiled as they began to chase each other from home to home, following a scent.

On the southern edge of the settlement, they spotted a small plume of smoke rising from the chimney of a cottage which looked more intact than the others. They spotted Henry in his Human glamor chopping wood in front of the cabin.

Under the sweat and smudges of dirt, his body was leaner and harder, but his eyes held a thousand-yard stare.

As they rushed closer, he spotted them, dropped his axe, and stumbled back from them and the cottage. They stopped as they saw the fear and uncertainty in his eyes. He didn't recognize them!

The door to the cottage opened behind them, and the twins spun to see an old babushka step out. They hissed at her, sensing the danger.

The old woman cursed quietly, which turned into a weary sigh. The woman's features and body seemed to melt until Baba's appearance returned. She scowled at the Succubi, which were terrified but doing their best to stay between her and Henry.

"The boy is almost healed, as best as can be done, and you'll have him tomorrow," she said grumpily.

The twins stopped hissing as they heard her tone and saw the witch was presenting no threat.

They turned back to Henry and saw he was holding himself stiffly. They moved closer, slowly, to not scare him until they were close enough to sniff and lick his chin. Satisfied it was Henry, they rubbed their faces against his chin and crooned happily.

Henry's eyes were blinking rapidly as his arms slowly lifted to wrap around them until he was hugging them. Their purrs increased.

That night, Baba helped Henry go to sleep in the straw bed in the old cottage. Aadiya and Mahali eased themselves onto the bed and cuddled next to him.

-=-

Henry surfaced from a dreamless slumber and felt warmth and softness pressed against his left side. That seemed familiar, so it didn't frighten him. It was good. The bed under him was softer than the straw he'd been waking up on recently. That was good too.

Turning his head to the left, he saw the crimson beauties who arrived... yesterday? He felt he knew them. They were cuddled against each other, and both had stretched a hand out to rest them on his chest.

Aadiya... and Ma—Mahali. Pulling their names from his mind was almost painful, but he felt a rush of relief for achieving it.

He watched them sleep for a moment, and remembering them felt wonderful.

There was a sound from behind him, and he froze. His mind screamed at him to run, but the sound hadn't triggered that response. Cautiously, he turned his head to the right and saw... a faun, a female one, resting next to him, but her eyes were wide open, staring at him in fright. He... knew her. Her being here was natural and right. More pain as images connected in his brain.

Her name. "Tish?"

Immediately, she was in his arms, kissing him, saying his name, crying, and he began to cry too. He felt the twins touching his back to comfort him, and his tears almost got control of him, but he pulled his emotions back and forced them into submission.

Something important was pulling at him. It involved Tish—"CELESTE!" he blurted and awkwardly pushed himself out of bed. He took a second to orient himself as the layout of his apartment returned. He walked down the hall and into the baby's room, with Tish and the twins following.

Henry stopped next to the crib and gazed at the perfect little faun, sleeping innocently.

"I kept her safe," he whispered.

Tish moved beside him, looked into his eyes, and touched his hand, reassuring herself that he was there. "What did keep her safe from?" she asked.

Henry looked at her, and his expression slowly stretched into a silent scream of terror, then cleared.

"I don't know."

-=-

Camila was having another dream of Henry.

She always felt so good when he knocked on her office door and sat across from her with a cheeky grin.

There was a second knock which surprised her. She looked to the door, and Marisa was there, looking surprised as well.

"Mom?"

Camila frowned. "Marisa?"

"Are you in my dream, or am I in yours?" Marisa asked.

Camila looked at Henry, but Baba Yaga was sitting in that chair, and Marisa was now in the chair next to her. Baba was frowning in annoyance.

"This is the simplest way to speak to you both at once, so listen. Those annoying twins found us, so I brought Henry back to his home. You two are not to tamper with his mind! I've done what I could to repair the damage, but Henry is not what he was." She was silent for a moment. "Be gentle with him for the next few days."

Camila shared a look with her daughter, then looked to the witch. "Baba, do you love Henry?"

The crone looked sharply into Camila's eyes, but the anger they'd seen before wasn't there.

"Take care of my boy."

Camila woke with a start, then immediately dialed Marisa but got a busy signal. They tried again, and on the third attempt, Camila got through.

"Sorry, mother," Marisa said immediately.

"It's fine. Please call Mahati to let her know and ask if we can meet at her place as a base for our visiting Henry. Send me a text to confirm her answer. I'll call Tish," Camila directed.

"Yes, mother," Marisa said and hung up.

Camila took a deep breath as her nerves were tingling. She called Tish.

"Hello?" Tish answered.

"Hi, it's Camila. Baba showed up in my dream and linked in Marisa to tell us she brought Henry back and we shouldn't tamper with his mind. She said she did what she could to repair the damage, but he isn't what he was. How is he?"

Tish sucked in a breath as her emotions took another hit. She calmed herself with another slow breath. "She's right. Henry isn't himself. He seems lost, and something's missing. It's painful to watch him struggling to remember things." Tish paused again. "We'll have to be gentle and not overwhelm him. One visitor at a time."

"That sounds good. We'll orchestrate our visits from Mahati's place after lunch if that's okay."

"Yes, that would be best. See you soon," Tish said, then hung up.

Camila saw a text from Marisa saying Mahati was on board. Maria had also contacted Siobhan and Lorelei, so she called Roy.

"Camila? What's up? It's early."

She quickly brought Roy up to speed. "We'll be visiting him from Mahati's this afternoon."

"I'll call Sigrid to pick her, the twins, and Talia up to bring them over," he said.

Camila rushed off to the shower. She had to get ready!

-=-

After speaking to Camila, Tish called Sandy.

"Henry's back, but he's not himself. Come visit but take it slow as he struggles with his memory. One visitor at a time," she said. She heard a click and walked to her front door.

Sandy ran down the hall, and Tish let her inside. "Take. It. Slow," Tish warned firmly, and Sandy nodded, but her friend could see she was trembling. She decided to follow to ensure Henry was okay. At the end of the hall, she stopped to see how he'd react to Sandy and her amorous mass of blonde hair.

Henry was standing by the window in the living room, looking out over the Hudson River. He turned when he heard Sandy suck in a surprised breath. Tish knew Sandy was seeing Henry's weight loss and how hard his muscles now appeared. Like something had beaten all the softness from him.

Henry's eyes lit up when he saw Sandy, but confusion flashed across his face when he took in Kesini.

The blonde moved into his arms, and Henry released a little gust of breath as tension eased.

"S-sandy."

She pressed her face to his chest. Kesini gently wrapped herself around them, and Tish saw Henry pick up the sensation of love. Tish saw recognition in his eyes as he pulled some to his lips as he used to do.

Tish slipped back into the hall the step into the master bedroom to have a little cry.

-=-

Sandy left Henry at the window, and his eyes returned to the river. She saw Tish was no longer waiting, so she let herself out into the hall and sucked in a deep breath to settle herself. Kesini was hugging her as she also felt a little lost.

She spotted Dayshia and Michelle standing beside their door, wringing their hands nervously. Sandy moved to them and put her hands over theirs to calm them.

"Henry's back?" Dayshia squeaked through a tight throat.

"Some of him," Sandy replied as that was the best she could explain what she'd felt when she'd held him in her arms.

Mahati opened her door and looked out into the hall. "Don't talk in the hall. Come inside."

Sandy nodded and guided her bestie and Michelle down the hall to Mahati's and inside.

Once they were all inside and the door was closed, Mahati gave Sandy a nervous look. "How does he look?"

Sandy's brow creased as she was still stunned by her impression of him. "It's like... parts of him have been carved away." She winced as that felt too accurate. "He didn't recognize Kesini at first. He seems lost. His rift seems to be closed."

There was a knock, and Siobhan was let inside. Sandy shared her impression again and looked at Dayshia. "Do you want to go next?" Her bestie shook her head with tears in her eyes, and Sandy hugged her.

"May I?" Siobhan asked, and the others nodded, so she slipped out into the hall.

As Sandy consoled her friend's fragile heart, she wondered if Henry would ever get back the parts he lost.

-=-

Siobhan knocked gently, and Tish answered the door with a gentle smile on her lips. Her eyes were still a little red.

"Sandy mentioned Henry's rift may be closed. Would it be okay for me to take a look?" she asked Tish.

"Yes, go ahead. Do you want to say hello?" Tish asked.

Siobhan smiled gently. "There will be many people who will need to do that today. I'll just take a look so Henry won't need to be disturbed. Today is going to be hard enough for him."

Tish pulled Siobhan into a hug for her consideration of Henry's peace of mind.

Siobhan nodded to her with tears in her eyes. She wiped them dry then they slipped down the hall to peek around the corner.

Henry was standing before the large windows, and Siobhan saw how accurate Sandy's description had been. She also saw the rift was a pinprick in comparison to what it had been before. Just enough to keep him healthy. It didn't look natural like this. More work from Baba Yaga?

She pulled back and nodded to Tish. They went back to the door, and she saw the curiosity on Tish's face.

"His rift has been closed except for a trickle to feed his body," Siobhan said.

Tish scowled. "Baba."

Siobhan nodded. "Likely."

They shared a troubled look as neither of them could face off against someone with that level of power.

Even if they thought her help wasn't really serving Henry's best interests.

Epilogue

Henry had a mentally draining day, so his sleep had been deep and, thankfully, dreamless.

Which made what he was experiencing now feel so odd. He was dreaming, but he wasn't truly asleep. He thought he recognized the white expanse. He'd... visited it before with... Marisa. He knew better than to focus on it and felt a deep sense of satisfaction radiating toward him from all around. Someone was very happy with him, and that felt really good.

He realized he'd risen just above unconsciousness to converse with someone or many people who looked like him.

He faced multiple copies of himself, but none of them were complete. The missing bits were filled in with a haze containing a fuzzy representation of what should be there. Those fuzzy bits were made from the white energy sourced from this... realm.

It was... unsettling.

"Hi, Henry," said a copy with a complete face standing at the front of the group.

"Hi... who are you?" he asked.

"I'm you. Actually, we're all you. Split off copies you created to help you with magic." It gestured down at its missing torso. "Baba did a real number on us with her bloody scissors. I mean, I get she was trying to cut out the bad bits that were keeping you crazy, but she might have gone a little overboard with her editing." It looked around like it might expect her to pop out of the shadows, but in the vast white expanse, there were no shadows at all.

Henry scanned his eyes over the large group of Henry pieces. "I-I don't have magic anymore," he said sadly. "I can't help you. I can't heal you."

The fragment smiled. "Not to worry, Henry. We're not here for you to help us."

Henry watched them cautiously. "What are you here for?"

The Henry-Bit smiled at him and gestured to the fluffy realm they stood in. "Your friends here collected us and patched us up as you can see. They did it because you've forgotten something critically important. We don't know what it is, but collectively, we know you need it."

Henry looked at all the many silent yet expectant expressions aimed at him, from the fragments with faces, that is.

"How can you help me?"