Adventure of the Little Ones: Finding a New Henchman – Pt. 2
When the man asked his question, both boys instantly wore identical expressions of confusion.
"Eh?" they said, tilting their small heads to the side.
"Well, our mom is Sally. Why?" asked Percy, while Harry watched the man warily.
"Sally? Is that… a woman?" The man, whose face was cold and distant, frowned slightly. His expression turned from suspicion to puzzlement as his eyes locked onto the necklaces the boys wore, as if he were analyzing the energy they emitted. Then, his gaze shifted to Harry's hat and the dagger hanging from Percy's belt.
"I see… you're not part of that thing," he muttered under his breath. The tense aura surrounding him immediately calmed. Yet there was clear disgust in his eyes — aimed at something, or someone, he refused even to name, as if the mere thought of it wasn't worthy of words.
After a moment, he lifted his head to look directly at the two children. They frowned back at him, their faces a mix of confusion, distrust, and a faint spark of curiosity.
The man released his sword, letting it drop to the ground with a dull thud that instantly drew the boys' attention.
"It's been a long time since I've seen people… or rather, human children," he said, and without warning, stepped forward swiftly. Before either could react, he grabbed Harry under the arms and lifted him up effortlessly.
Harry's eyes widened in surprise.
Percy, seeing his brother caught, instantly drew his sword.
"Let him go!" he shouted, charging without hesitation to protect him.
The man shifted slightly to the side, dodging with ease the small sword aimed at one of his legs — the size difference made it effortless.
Percy didn't stop. He took a step forward and thrust again, but the man, with a simple movement, raised Harry a little higher and stepped back smoothly.
Percy swung twice more in quick succession, his strikes full of determination but still clumsy. The stranger evaded each one effortlessly, even while holding the child in his arms.
Harry, now wearing a serious expression, lifted his small hand and aimed directly at the man's face.
"Sparks!" he shouted.
From his palm burst tiny flashes of colorful light that flew toward the man's face. The man smiled slightly, intrigued, and closed his eyes to shield them from the glare.
Percy seized the moment and brought his sword down hard on the man's arm to make him drop his brother.
But the stranger, even with his eyes closed, stepped on the ground where his sword had fallen. With a quick motion of his foot, the sheathed blade flipped into the air and struck precisely against the hilt of Percy's sword. The boy's weapon flew from his hands and landed several meters away, sticking upright in the dirt. Percy stared at his empty hands, stunned.
While Harry prepared another spell, the man gently set him down on the ground with a smile.
"Sorry, sorry. I'm not used to having visitors. I thought kids liked being tossed in the air," he said playfully, giving the fallen sword a light kick so it slid back into his hand.
Harry and Percy glared at him suspiciously, eyes narrowed.
"Hey, don't look at me like that. Technically, you're the ones who entered my home," the man said calmly.
Both boys exchanged startled looks and huddled together.
"He's right, Percy. Mom said it's illegal to go into someone else's house — you could even go to prison! That's why we can't go into the neighbor's yard to get our ball without permission," Harry said seriously, his voice trembling slightly.
"But we're not inside a house. We're on a big island — that shouldn't count," Percy replied quickly.
"Oh, it counts," the man replied from nearby. "Because this island, technically, is my home."
Both of them stared at him for a moment, then took a few cautious steps back and whispered to each other, realizing he could hear them anyway.
"So… what we did was illegal?" Harry asked in a low voice.
"…Aunt Mor said it's only illegal if you get caught," Percy answered quickly, almost proudly.
"But… we did get caught," Harry said, slowly turning his head toward the man. He still stood there, leaning on his sword, and when their eyes met, he smiled calmly.
Percy looked at him, then at his brother.
"Don't worry. I'll visit you when you're in prison," he said with a sad but determined tone.
"Idiot, you're going to prison too!" Harry snapped angrily.
"Nope, I just have to be faster than you," Percy said before turning around and running off.
Harry stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief at his brother's betrayal.
However, before Percy could get very far, the man grabbed him by the back of his small leather armor and lifted him into the air. Percy's legs kicked for a few seconds before giving up and dangling helplessly.
"Hahaha… you two are funny. Don't worry, I'm not going to get you in trouble. It's just nice to have someone to talk to after so long," said the man, laughing with genuine amusement.
Percy let out a sigh of relief, while Harry glared at him, still feeling the sting of betrayal.
…
A few minutes later, the man sat on the ground, leaning his back against his sword, which was planted in the earth.
Percy and Harry sat across from him, pulling out their sweets as a sort of peace offering — or more accurately, a bribe so he wouldn't "call the police."
Percy wondered why he hadn't thought of that sooner.
"As I said, I don't even know what this 'police' thing is. Don't worry about it," the man said, though he still picked up a small tart. He examined it with delight before taking a bite; his face lit up as if it were the best thing he had tasted in centuries.
The boys watched him, puzzled by the adult's exaggerated happiness over something so simple.
"So… why are you here, and how did you get here?" he finally asked, grabbing another sweet out of curiosity and tossing it into his mouth. Small crackling explosions echoed with every bite.
"Oh… friends always show off with silly things," he commented with a smile.
"We left home for an adventure," replied Percy, taking the same kind of candy and throwing it into his mouth. Within seconds, the little explosions made him laugh, completely delighted by the sensation.
"No. It wasn't an adventure… it was a henchman," Harry corrected seriously.
He also began to pick out some sweets, since they hadn't had time to see what each one did. They had simply grabbed whatever they could before running out of the shop. Although Harry remembered that they were supposed to pay, he had seen Lia leaving the money on the counter, so they continued without worry.
Harry popped a candy into his mouth and soon began to feel his body grow lighter… until he started floating gently in the air.
"Hahaha! Harry, you're a balloon!" Percy laughed, standing up and gently pushing his brother as he floated around.
"Hahaha!" Harry laughed too, enjoying the moment, until the effect wore off and he fell straight onto Percy.
Both of them ended up on the ground, laughing happily — completely forgetting that only a few minutes earlier, Percy had betrayed his brother.
The man watched them silently. Seeing the two boys have so much fun with something so simple, sharing such a natural bond, stirred something unfamiliar inside him. He had also noticed something else: when Percy had pretended to run away earlier, he hadn't actually gone toward the exit, but toward where his sword had fallen — in the opposite direction.
For someone so small, he thought fast and acted cleverly. The boy had only faked his escape to confuse him and probably retrieve the weapon, ready to protect his brother if needed.
"So, a henchman, huh?" the man said with a grin as he observed them.
Then he looked up at a small floating device — strange to him, though he could feel a familiar kind of magic in it. The artifact hovered silently, recording everything.
The man's expression grew thoughtful for a moment, but then he smiled warmly.
"So, she's outside… and seems to have a connection with them," he murmured.
His eyes returned to the children still laughing on the floor. "All the more reason to know they're not related to that thing," he said, fully relaxing his posture. He picked another candy and tossed it into his mouth.
"Well then… I'll be your henchman!" he suddenly declared.
The boys froze and looked at him, confused.
"Eh? Our henchman?" asked Percy. "But you're way too old for that."
"That's right," Harry nodded solemnly.
"Oh, really? But nowhere does it say that henchmen have to be the same age as you," the man replied calmly.
The brothers looked at each other and leaned in close, pressing their foreheads together for a new "strategic meeting."
"Is that true, Harry?" Percy whispered.
"Well… it seems so," Harry admitted after thinking for a moment. They both turned to the man, who watched them with quiet amusement.
"Hmm… alright, you can be my henchman. Besides, your outfit fits the part," Percy said, crossing his arms with an important air.
"But don't mix up the words like Percy does," added Harry, pulling a book from his magical bag to show him what he was supposed to say.
"Ah, I see," the man said with a faint smile. "So this is a play."
"I thought you wanted to conquer a kingdom or declare war on someone."
"Eh? Why would we do that?" Percy asked, looking at him as if he had said something ridiculous.
Harry gave him the exact same look, full of disbelief.
The man burst into genuine laughter. "Hahaha! My mistake. Alright, show me my lines," he said, walking closer.
…
"If you want to pass, you'll have to do it over my dead body," the man said, drawing his sheathed sword and pointing it toward Harry.
Even without any real intent to fight, simply holding the weapon released an aura so intense that Harry grew nervous, realizing the overwhelming difference in size and power.
Meanwhile, Percy stood behind the man with a smug grin.
"Ehm…" Harry stared at him for a moment, trying to remember his lines, but the nerves had wiped them from his mind. Then an idea struck him. He reached into his magic bag and pulled something out.
"I'll give you this cream puff I saved from this morning if you join me!" he said confidently, raising the small pastry that Sally had prepared for them before leaving — something to keep the boys happy and stop them from missing her during her mission.
The man froze, staring at the cream puff with a completely serious expression… until suddenly, he turned and pointed his sheathed sword straight at Percy.
"Evil villain! You'll pay for your wickedness!" he shouted theatrically.
Percy blinked in confusion.
"Hey! That's not fair! You can't bribe my henchman!" he shouted, indignant.
Harry, however, smiled smugly.
"In war, everything's fair," he said in an overly dramatic tone.
…
After finishing their little improvised play, Harry and Percy were exhausted but happy to have recorded everything. Still, the sky was beginning to darken — time to go home.
"We have to go back. If Aunt Mor wakes up and doesn't see us, she'll worry," said Harry, suddenly realizing the hour.
"Oh, great," muttered Percy, paling. He was usually the one who ended up on the receiving end of Aunt Mor's scolding… though, most of the time, he deserved it.
"Do you want to come with us? We'll introduce you to our Aunt Mor. She looks evil, but she's actually really kind," Percy offered cheerfully.
The man, sitting with his sword resting on his shoulder, shook his head calmly.
"No, I'll pass. I can't leave this place."
The man, sitting with his sword resting on his shoulder, calmly shook his head.
"No, I'll pass. I can't leave this place."
"Eh? Why can't you?" asked Harry.
"I'm being punished. Someone got angry because I defeated his son and confined me here," he explained in a quiet voice, though his face reflected emotions far too complex for the children to understand.
"Mmm… well, Mom would also get mad if someone defeated us," said Percy, nodding as if it made perfect sense.
"Yes, but that person punished me only because I wounded his pride… not because he actually cared about his son," the man said with a mocking smile.
"I see," both boys said at the same time, watching him with childlike understanding.
"Then we'll come visit you and bring you more sweets, so your punishment won't be so boring," promised Harry, while Percy nodded enthusiastically.
"And some games and toys too!" added Percy.
The man looked at them for a moment, then smiled with genuine tenderness.
"Alright. I'll welcome you whenever you want. It's not like I have anything else to do," he said, walking closer to them and affectionately ruffling their hair.
He then accompanied them to the broken fireplace. A green flash filled the room as he watched them disappear within the magical flames.
For a moment, silence returned to the place. The man stood there, gazing at the fireplace with a lonely look.
"The children of Hecate and Poseidon… who would have thought I'd find young demigods here? I doubt they'll return — especially the son of Poseidon. His father will make sure he doesn't get close to someone cursed by that person," he murmured with a trace of melancholy before turning away and walking among the ruins.
His silhouette faded slowly into the distance, carrying the solitude of someone who had nothing left but silence.
…
Meanwhile, Harry and Percy emerged from the fireplace covered in dust, their heads spinning from the strange trip.
Once they managed to steady themselves, they looked up.
In front of them stood their Aunt Mor, arms crossed and wearing a stern expression. In the painting on the wall, Euphemia watched them with concern, while Grandpa Fleamont lay on the floor of the same portrait, having written something with his own blood — some kind of apology. In one corner, Lia also looked on with visible worry and nervousness.
"Uh-oh," both boys said in unison, staring at the furious faces of their aunt and grandmother.
And to make matters worse… Sally had just walked through the front door of the house.