Boelik (11 page)

“
I see,” Ryan mumbled,
glancing to the ground himself. “I still don’t really know much
about you,” he ventured.

“
It’s better that way,” Bo
said.

“
Why?” Ryan’s gaze lifted
to watch Bo again. His mouth was half frowning, half
grimacing.

“
My story is long and dull.
I’d put you to sleep before I got halfway to Ireland.”

“
Oh,” Ryan said. The topic
switched after that, and they talked until they went to sleep. Then
they woke and spoke some more, finally putting their clothes back
on, as they were dry at last. Bo sighed in contentment as his cloak
was once more around his shoulders.

That night, after Ryan had fallen asleep, Bo
was looking through the trees at the starry sky above, watching the
lights glittering in the sky. He couldn’t seem to fall asleep,
despite the warm, peaceful night, when even the crickets were
muted.

All at once, Bo’s head felt stuffy and a
voice came from everywhere. “How is the pupil?”

“
Hello, Dayo,” Boelik
greeted softly.

“
You don’t have to speak
out loud, you realize,” the dragon said, sounding mildly
amused.

“
No?”

“
I thought you would have
figured it out by now. How is your head?”

“
It feels rather
stuffy.”

“
So, you can detect me now.
Good. Just think your words to me; I’ll hear them.”

All right,
Bo
tried.

“
Good.”

This feels how I imagine
insanity.

“
It could possibly be
deemed as such by an outsider. But you would seem more insane
talking to yourself.”

I did wonder how you could
always hear me. Now I know it was due to you being inside my
head.

“
Indeed. Anyway, the
half-demon? How are you two faring?”

We’re well, minus the fact
that we’ve no house. His name is Ryan, by the way.

“
It sounds like you are
becoming attached to him.”

I suppose so.
Somewhat.

“
Well, that’s good. Also,
what is this about no house? I thought that cottage was where he
was living?”

He was. Until someone found
it, I broke the door, a demon nearly killed us, and we burned it
down with the body inside. In that order, not at the same
time.

“
I see. So, what will you
do now?

Build a new house. Start in
a fresh place.

“
Where will you get the
materials?”

There’s a town not too far
off. Unless you want to make a special delivery? Boelik
thought hopefully.

“
I will see what I can do.
If I give you the materials, I would also request that you not use
them as a demon’s funeral pyre as well.”

I think we can manage
that.

“
And how is his
training?”

…
Uh…

“
Stop. Go no further. I can
see you have not started.”

We’ve been getting to know
each other first. It doesn’t seem like he’s really tested out his
abilities very much, so I figured that training could wait and a
little personal contact could come first.

“
Fine, however you feel it
will work the best.”

I appreciate the
leeway.
Then, Bo added, teasing,
So are
you going to be more sociable now?

Dayo didn’t answer for a long while, and if
his head hadn’t still been stuffy Bo may have thought that the
dragon had left.

“
Maybe,” Dayo finally said.
Bo laughed a little. “You seem much happier,” Dayo noted. Bo
sighed, content.

I suppose that’s because I
am.

“
Because you are not
alone?”

Maybe. I’m not exactly
sure. But Ryan is a decent companion.

“
So this is good for you
both.”

Guess so. Ah, and
Dayo?

“
Yes?”

Exactly why did you stay
quiet for four hundred years? For a short time, I’d almost thought
you’d died.

“
Ha. No,” Dayo said. “No, I
was just waiting for a half-demon to be born that wasn’t determined
to take after their demon blood right away. Also, they are not born
that often, if you hadn’t noticed. But for some reason, more have
started to pop up lately.”

Really?

“
Yes. Though most of them
are killed in such a short time after their birth that it is
meaningless to contact you.”

That makes sense. Neither
half of our parentage typically wants us, and to each species we’re
abhorred and typically noted as abominations.

“
All the more reason for
you to help as many as you can.”

I suppose so.
Bo
turned onto his side, looking at Ryan who slept peacefully beside
him. Other than his permanent snarl, his face appeared as innocent
and normal as anyone else’s.
Some of them don’t
even know what they are.

“
No. How would they? Their
parents often abandon them.”

I know. But it makes the
thought of it so much worse. I mean, when I told Ryan what he
was…I’m not sure. It was like even he thought that he was a
monster, just like the man who tracked him down and tried to kill
him.

“
I know,” Dayo rumbled
gently. “It is hard on all half-breeds. Myself included, though for
different reasons.”

Because a unicorn-dragon
sounds preposterous and the title alone is utterly ridiculous? Bo
teased.

“
That is one reason,” Dayo
growled. Bo laughed again.

Ah. That aside, were you
simply checking in to check in, or…?

“
Just to check in. One
reason to be glad half-demons aren’t so plentiful, I suppose, is
that I don’t have to have you stumbling around to herd them all up
like lost lambs.”

I would try
anyway.

“
I know you would. It’s why
I’m glad I do not have to ask you to.”

Glad you’re thinking of
me,
Bo thought with a smirk.

“
Don’t be cheeky, now. I
could still swallow you in one bite, you know.”

You’d have to catch me
first.

Dayo was quiet for a minute. “I think you are
very tired.”

I think you’re right. In
fact, I know you’re right. I’m going to sleep now.

“
That is a good idea. I
will drop off your resources within a matter of days.”

All right. We’ll just tell
stories until then.

“
Don’t give him
nightmares,” Dayo teased before breaking the connection and
allowing Bo’s head to clear.

Why would I do that? I have
my own,
Bo thought before sleep stole him.

***

In the morning, Bo and Ryan awakened and
spent another day talking. And another after that.

“
What are we waiting for?”
Ryan finally asked in the afternoon of the third day. Bo was
sitting and staring at nothing in particular, and Ryan paced
aimlessly around the fire.

“
A delivery,” was all Bo
said.

“
Well
that’s
specific,” Ryan replied, looking to Bo
expectantly.\

“
And it’s as specific as
you’ll get until it arrives,” Bo replied, unwrapping his now-healed
hand and throwing the cloth strip into the fire. Ryan sighed and
returned to pacing.

The following morning, just before dawn, the
two were awakened by a distant racket. Moving out to inspect the
area, they found a few pallets of wood. More than enough for the
house Bo had had in mind, in fact.
You outdid
yourself,
Bo thought to Dayo as he felt a stuffiness return
to his head, crossing his arms. He stared at the pile of wood and
Ryan’s inquisitive inspection of it.

“
Why, thank you. I thought
you would appreciate the amount I’d supplied. There are tools on
top of the southernmost stack, by the way,” Dayo replied, a strange
lilt in his voice. “I also took the liberty of getting you a
door.”

Are you…pleased with
yourself?
Bo thought, amused with the dragon.

“
Yes I am,” Dayo stated
plainly. “I don’t see why not: it was hard work to supply all of
that wood.”

Glad you’ve nothing better
to do.

“
I have many better things
to do,” the dragon replied haughtily. Then, more calm, “But, allies
take priority. Tentative friends, even higher. Besides, I could not
have you two finding some abandoned house and taking it over like a
fox finding an open den.”

Thanks.

“
Oh, my apologies,” Dayo
said, a flash of heat running through Bo as the dragon shared his
embarrassment. “I forgot about your mother.”

Maybe you should stop
talking.

“
Right. I will speak with
you again soon, Boelik,” Dayo said, and Bo’s head cleared out. He
shook his head and sighed, uncrossing his arms.

“
Come on, Ryan,” he said,
sidling over to the southernmost stack of wood. “I’m going to teach
you some carpentry.”

Ryan stood from a crouch where he’d been
examining a moth on one of the stacks of wood. “Carpentry?” he
asked, tilting his head a little, and Bo gave a good-natured
sigh.

“
Grab some wood and the
tools on top there,” Bo said with a gesture to the pile. “We have a
house to build.”

In a matter of several weeks, the two managed
to finish their new home. At first, Ryan was absolutely useless
with tools. Bo couldn’t even count how many times he had to yell at
the boy to be careful, or how many times Ryan hit his own fingers
with the tools or the wood, or how many times Ryan cursed like a
sailor. Or even how many times he swung a board around and
accidentally hit Bo with it. And Bo often had to have Ryan do his
part in a day over again…or just do it over again himself.

Now, the two stood back from their cabin.
Sweat plastered their hair to their heads in the cool, late-autumn
evening, and leaves scuttled along the ground in the slight breeze.
Bo put his hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “Slower than I would have
liked,” he admitted. “But it still looks fairly decent.”

“
What do you think?” Ryan
asked, turning his head just enough that Bo could see the human
side of his face, his blue eye glinting. “Would you hire
me?”

“
No.” After a moment he
added, “But, you did improve.”

Ryan stared at his hands, covered in healing
wounds. “It was very painful.”

“
Well, that’s what happens
when you try to rush with tools. They bite back. Time for supper?”
Ryan nodded.

“
I’m starving,” he
gushed.

They sat by a fire and cooked a rabbit that
they caught in a snare. As they ate, Bo decided it was high time he
talked with Ryan about their next goal. “Ryan,” he said after
swallowing a mouthful of meat.

“
Hrm?” Ryan blinked blankly
at Bo, his voice muffled by his own food.

“
You haven’t really used
your abilities much, have you?”

“
Abilities?” Ryan asked,
gulping down his rabbit. Juice dribbled down his chin, and he wiped
it away with his sleeve. That reminded Bo—they’d soon need new
clothes.

“
The ones your demon blood
gives you. Your speed, your sight, whatever extra power you may
have gained.”

“
Oh,” Ryan said. “Well, not
really.”

“
I think it’s time I taught
you to use them.”

Ryan cast his eyes to the ground. Quietly, Bo
heard him say, “But I don’t even want them. Do I have to use
them?”

“
Yes. They are yours, and
you control them. You can’t let them control you out of fear, or
any other reason. That’s why I want—need—to teach you how to use
them,” Bo explained.

“
Now?” Ryan peeked up at
him from where he had his head lowered, like a guilt-ridden
pup.

“
No, not now. But we start
tomorrow.”

“
All right,” he
sighed.

That night, Bo stared up at the dark ceiling,
the scent of new wood swirling around him and Ryan’s breathing
filling the otherwise silent air as his warm presence slept beside
him. The only thing that reminded Bo that he wasn’t alone
anymore.

As he reminisced on his past, Bo felt his
head get full of cotton. Now a familiar sensation.
Dayo?
he thought.

“
Hello, Boelik.”

Checking in
again?

“
Are you training
yet?”

Oddly convenient that you
asked that tonight, because I just told Ryan we’d begin playing
with his abilities tomorrow.

“
I thought as much. I have
ears in many places, you know.”

What, do you commune with
crows?

“
No. I just happen to be
friends with a few ravens.”

All right then.

“
Besides that, I bear some
dark news.” Dayo’s tone was low now, and Bo’s blood ran
cold.

What is it?

“
I have been monitoring
demon levels for a long time now. They’ve been steadily on the
rise, and recently they’ve seemed to simply
be…appearing.”