King Henry Short Pack One (The King Henry Tapes) Read online

  King Henry Short Pack One

  By Richard Raley

  Copyright © 2015 by Richard Raley

  http://richardraley.blogspot.com

  www.twitter.com/richardraley

  [email protected]

  Edition: 2015

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and events are fictitious and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, places or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

  NOVELS BY RICHARD RALEY

  THE KING HENRY TAPES

  The Foul Mouth and the Fanged Lady

  The Foul Mouth and the Cat Killing Coyotes

  The Foul Mouth and the Troubled Boomworm

  The Foul Mouth and the Headless Hunny

  The Foul Mouth and the Mancy Martial Artist

  King Henry and the Three Little Trips (FM5.5)

  The Foul Mouth and the Artificial Court (forthcoming)

  STANDALONE NOVELS

  Gush (forthcoming)

  Sky-Island 1827-E

  The Betrothal: Or How I Saved Alan Edwards from 40 Years of Hell

  NOVELLAS AND SHORTS

  Prime Pickings: An Eater Short

  Little King Henry: A KH Short*

  Conquering Hero: A KH Short*

  Friendship is Madness: A KH Short*

  Second Take: A KH Short*

  Griefing: A KH Short*

  Meet the Bonnies: A KH Short*

  King Henry Short Pack One (*included in)

  As always, a toast to Jeff, Josh, Matt, and Brandon

  Who taught me so many wonderful new words in high school.

  Table of Contents

  List of Mancy Types

  King Henry’s Class

  Staff of the Institution of Elements

  Author’s Note

  Little King Henry

  Conquering Hero

  Friendship is Madness

  Second Take

  Griefing

  Meet the Bonnies

  About the Author

  List of Mancy Types

  Mancy Type – Element (Ultra Title)

  Necromancy – Death (Bonegrinder)

  Pyromancy – Fire (Firestarter)

  Geomancy – Earth (Artificer)

  Aeromancy – Air (Winddancer)

  Hydromancy – Water (Riftwalker)

  Electromancy – Lightning (Stormcaller)

  Cryomancy – Ice (Winterwarden)

  Sciomancy – Shadow (Shadeshifter)

  Spectromancy – Light (Beaconkeeper)

  Floromancy – Plant (Forestplanter)

  Faunamancy – Animal (Beasttalker)

  Mentimancy – Mind (Mindmaster)

  Corpusmancy – Body (Facechanger)

  King Henry’s Class

  Student’s Name (Mancy Type)

  King Henry Price (Geomancer)

  Heinrich Welf (Necromancer)

  Valentine “Boomworm” Ward (Pyromancer)

  Asa Kayode (Hydromancer)

  Miranda Daniels (Aeromancer)

  Estefan Ramirez (Electromancer)

  Debra Diaz (Electromancer)

  Curt Chambers (Spectromancer)

  Malaya Mabanaagan (Spectromancer)

  Quinn Walden (Spectromancer)

  Ronaldo Silva (Cryomancer)

  Raj Malik (Cryomancer)

  Hope Hunting (Cryomancer)

  Miles Hun Pak (Sciomancer)

  Eva Reti (Sciomancer)

  Naomi Gullick (Floromancer)

  Preston “Pocket” Landry (Floromancer)

  Tamiko Lewis (Floromancer)

  Nicholas Hanson (Floromancer)

  Sandra Kemp (Floromancer)

  Patrick “Rick” Brown (Faunamancer)

  Jesus Valencia (Faunamancer)

  Jessica Edwards (Faunamancer)

  Robin White (Faunamancer)

  Athir Al-Qasimi (Mentimancer)

  Isabel Soto (Corpusmancer)

  Samuel Bird (Corpusmancer)

  Yvette Reynolds (Corpusmancer)

  Jason Jackson (Corpusmancer)

  Nizhoni Sherman (Corpusmancer)

  Staff of the Institution of Elements

  Name – Institution Position (Mancy Type, Level)

  THE LEARNING COUNCIL

  Maudette “The Lady of the Lake” Lynch – Dean (Hydromancer, Ultra)

  Delores Dingle – Head of Mathematics, King Henry’s Math Teacher (Faunamancer, Intra)

  Christopher Erikson – Head of Languages (Cryomancer, Ultra)

  Phineas Farraday – Head of Sciences (Mentimancer, Ultra)

  Benedict Massey – Head of History (Geomancer, Intra)

  Morgana Lancaster – Head of Physical Education, Facechanger Teacher (Corpusmancer, Ultra)

  Keith Gullick – Head of Elementalism, King Henry’s Elementalism Teacher (Floromancer, Ultra)

  Mordecai Root – Head of Physical Theories, Bonegrinder Teacher (Necromancer, Ultra)

  Antigone Hyde – Head of Mental Theories, Winddancer Teacher (Aeromancer, Ultra)

  Rudolph Meyer – Head of Electives (Faunamancer, Ultra)

  Ceinwyn Dale – Head of Recruiting (Aeromancer, Ultra)

  Russell Quilt – Head of Testing/Non-Voting (Mentimancer, Intra)

  Nigel Rowland – Firestarter Teacher (Pyromancer, Ultra)

  Paul “Plutarch” Nixon – Artificer Teacher (Geomancer, Ultra)

  Leander Marlow – Riftwalker Teacher (Hydromancer, Ultra)

  Noelle Clarke – Stormcaller Teacher (Electromancer, Ultra)

  Alberto Cervantes – Beaconkeeper Teacher (Spectromancer, Ultra)

  Rin Yukimura – Winterwarden Teacher (Cryomancer, Ultra)

  Tristan McBee – Shadeshifter Teacher (Sciomancer, Ultra)

  Earlene Van Houten – Forestplanter Teacher (Flormancer, Ultra)

  Wolfgang Von Welf – Beasttalker Teacher (Faunamancer, Ultra)

  Yuri Jakovic – Mindmaster Teacher (Mentimancer, Ultra)

  OTHER STAFF

  Evelyn Strange – School Doctor, Head of the Infirmary (Hydromancer, Ultra)

  Kumiko Ambrose – King Henry’s History and History of Elementalism Teacher (Geomancer, Intra)

  Jethro “Jet” Smith – King Henry’s Languages Teacher (Necromancer, Intra)

  Nevada Slaton – King Henry’s Science Teacher (Cryomancer, Intra)

  Harvey Pride – King Henry’s P.E. Teacher (Corpusmancer, Ultra)

  Fines Samson – King Henry’s Survival and Defense Teacher, King Henry’s Elementalism as a Weapon Teacher, Partially Retired (Sciomancer, Ultra)

  Audrey Foster – King Henry’s Theory of Anima Teacher (Aeromancer, Intra)

  Rainbow Greenbrier – King Henry’s Elementalism as Art Teacher (Spectromancer, Intra)

  Wilbur Fisk – King Henry’s Theory of Elemental Prophecy Teacher (Faunamancer, Ultra)

  Author’s Note

  This Short Pack was put together because some of my fans asked for all the King Henry Shorts to be in one, easily readable place. Please understand that it contains no ‘new’ material, but instead combines the already published works of “Little King Henry”, “Conquering Hero”, “Friendship is Madness”, “Second Take”, “Griefing”, and “Meet the Bonnies.” The only reason you should purchase King Henry Short Pack One is because you want this ease-of-use formatting or because you’re a horrible, horrible, no-good fan and have yet to purchase the shorts separately, in which case lucky you! King Henry Short Pack One is 50% off the price of buying the s
horts separately! Now, this note will be enough to forestall any reviews claiming the author is a horrible, double-dipping fucktard, right?

  Little King Henry

  “Little King Henry,” also known as FM0.5 was released just after “The Foul Mouth and the Fanged Lady” and originally served as a free prologue preview for the series, answering the important question: How did Ceinwyn Dale find King Henry Price?

  The five of them hit the shop door, a whirlwind of youth and noise and too much energy for their own good. Not a single one was over fifteen, not a single one had a car or a job or had entered even a footstep into the adult world, to say nothing of the real world. They were too big to be boys, not big enough to be men. Just the right size to be a whole lot of trouble.

  Truman stood behind the counter; his hands placed on it so he could vault over and be on the other side at the first sign the boys would try something. They almost always tried something, especially when he was the one manning the ShopsMart it seemed. Or maybe it was just about the time: 4PM, just after detention let out. Their teachers got in a punishment and a satisfaction and then unleashed the troublemakers on the rest of the city. How was that fair?

  World’s not fair, Tru, or you’d have your leg still.

  “Gimpy! Look, guys, it’s Gimpy!” one of the five called, the biggest one, the one that went by Jake.

  Jake, E-man, Dynamite Donny, Spence, and King Henry.

  Truman had heard them yelling the names enough to know each one on sight. They didn’t have a leader, too wild for structure. Not followers, just outcasts—more than fine with anarchy in their little group, the status quo decided by acclaim as they argued it out right in public. No leader, but Jake was always the first to put himself out there and talk.

  “Don’t give me trouble today, guys,” Truman told them with a level gaze, “I’m not in the mood.”

  Truman wasn’t in top shape, but being the type of mancer he was, he didn’t need top shape to be intimidating. Six foot, even one-eighty—minus the leg weight—he still looked like a soldier, could still act like it and remember what it had been like over a year out of uniform.

  “Hear that, guys?” Jake called, too stupid to shut up. “Gimpy is going to kick some ass today!”

  E-man, Dynamite Donny, and Spence gathered around Jake, laughing it up and flipping birds and showing fists at Truman, all of them working so hard to look tough and grown-up. The fifth one, the runt of the litter, little King Henry who was fighting for five feet tall, he never bullied like the other boys.

  But he’s the worst one, Truman thought.

  The other four talked a big game, ran through the store, messing up merchandise rummaging for what they wanted, but at the end . . . they paid. King Henry though . . . he stayed nice and silent, watching Truman wait on the other guys until his moment came and then . . .

  This time it’s going to be different, Truman decided. This time I have a person watching us, they want to see what you can do, little boy. And if you do what they want . . . they’re going to change your whole world around.

  Change the world . . . Truman remembered when his world had changed. Different time, different century back before 9/11 messed up everything in the normal world and in the mancer world too really. Different person watching, Harold ‘just call my Harry, son’ Koch. Obvious dirty nickname or not, he was an old-school recruiter from before the new regime. Harold Koch would take ‘no’ as an answer . . . the woman watching Truman and little King Henry never would . . .

  Dynamite Donny went right for the energy drinks, E-man and Jake cursed at each other over which were the best candy bars, while Spence was thumbing through the porn magazines where he thought no one could see him. King Henry though . . . thought he was being tricky, standing by the counter and studying the scratch-off tickets. He thought Truman wasn’t on to his little game.

  But Truman was on to his little game.

  Truman had been on to his game from the start.

  He just hadn’t done anything about it because it wasn’t his call.

  The four other boys made their way to the cash register with whatever they were buying, mostly drinks and snacks—Jake put down a packet of condoms and his three best chums whistled and congratulated accordingly. Wonder if he has a girl or if he just buys them to pretend and show off?

  Sure enough, the second Truman swiped the first item it started. Truman’s skin itched and tingled. He felt it. A mancer nearby was drawing a pool of anima, getting ready for a conjuration. Little King Henry had his mouth tight, his arms at his side, and his dirty brown eyes were watching every move Truman made, but there was no sign he knew what his body was naturally doing.

  Truman gritted his teeth in a humorless smile. Kid had talent. Kid had strength and power too, to be using the Mancy instinctually like he was. Truman had been waiting, unsure at first, but now was dead certain about what King Henry was.

  A mancer like Truman.

  Not the same type, but all using the same ability in the end.

  The condoms were swiped last. “Need instructions for them?” he asked Jake.

  “Oh, Gimpy burned you, man!” Dynamite Donny laughed, voice so high it was almost a giggle.

  “Fuck you, Gimp!” Jake yelled, stuffing away his condoms, a soda, and a bag of chips in his backpack. “Just cause you’re crooked in the sack—all leaning to the side like—and can’t get a lady, don’t take it out on me!”

  E-man was laughing too as he asked, “Yo, King, don’t want nothing?”

  Little King Henry just shook his head. “Maybe tomorrow.”

  “Maybe tomorrow,” Dynamite Donny repeated with another giggle, “But you don’t never buy nothing, so why you even say it? Why you even ask, E-man? He’s too poor, we all know it. Why waste our time?”

  Pushing with a shoulder, Jake knocked Donny back a few steps. “Cuz we ain’t stupid like you and don’t want King popping us one like he does all the other guys that fight him, do we?”

  Little King Henry and they were scared to death they would piss him off. Wonder why that is? Truman asked himself sarcastically.

  Handing back change, he kept watching the smallest of the boys, kept on feeling his skin itch as the anima pool grew. Wouldn’t be long now . . .

  King Henry hung back, waiting, and the moment the other four got by the door a crash sounded from the other side of the ShopsMart. First time, Truman had gone to look at what happened, and found a shelf on the ground. Second time and every time since, he’d played dumb while he made sure that this kid really was a mancer. Truman had looked towards the sound, stepped out a few steps, gave King Henry all the time he needed to steal whatever he wanted to steal that day.

  Not this day.

  This day they had an audience.

  *

  A gust of wind led the way before her, tired summer air trying to sneak into the mechanically conditioned confines of the ShopsMart. Truman wiped at his countertop, just waiting on about anyone, but especially waiting on Ceinwyn Dale.

  He hadn’t seen her in over five years, not since he’d left the Asylum. And she hasn’t changed one bit. Had to be in her thirties by now, considering Truman himself was coming up on them fast.

  Ceinwyn didn’t show it. She never looked her age that one, a face that was always young and eyes that were always ageless. Same blond hair too, Ceinwyn not being one to waste time on dye jobs.

  Same smile, never letting those lips get a rest.

  “Truman,” she greeted him, tossing a briefcase up on the counter, right down on his rag.

  “Miss Dale,” he greeted back, eyes off to the side, not wanting to look her in the face. “Been awhile.”

  Leaving the briefcase, she took a stroll about the ShopsMart. Her slim fingers reached out to touch magazines, slide along handles, pause over packaged food and candies. Truman wasn’t too shocked when she stopped in front of the slushie machine and poured herself a big cup full of blue raspberry.

  Aeromancers . . . so predictably going for the
air-filled vaporous choice.

  The corpusmancer in Truman shuddered over the useless calories, but he rang her up without comment. His boss didn’t like it when he beat healthy living over the heads of the customers—the ShopsMart not being a place with much healthy living in it—and Truman never would have dared to offer a critique of Ceinwyn Dale. It would be like talking bad about your parents or bad mouthing your CO to his face.

  Ceinwyn took a sip, smiling around her straw. “Your store?” she asked, turning around to get another view of the grubby displays and pushed together aisles.

  “No, I just work here.”

  “Indeed?”

  “Two to ten. Six days a week.”

  “I seem to recall you joining the Army when you graduated. You took a great deal of pride in it.”

  “I did,” he said. Sure he did. Best four years of his life. Better than even his time at the Asylum.

  “But?” Ceinwyn asked, her old eyes drilling on into him like time itself. “You were in Afghanistan, yes?”

  He glanced away again, taking the time to pull his rag from under her briefcase and put it in its spot under the counter. He liked it when everything was in its spot even if the boss and the other cashiers didn’t care.

  The truth was hard to say, but it’s what Ceinwyn deserved, so he gave it to her. “The Mancy won’t stop IEDs or bullets.”

  She took her briefcase back, it in one hand and the slushie in the other. “Not your type of Mancy at least.”

  Ceinwyn Dale, Head of Recruiting for the Asylum, standing in his store drinking blue raspberry slushie. What a sight. Going to have to tell the guys about this one next time we have ourselves a reunion. If he could man up and force himself to go at least . . . man up to deal with those looks . . . from other types of mancers it wasn’t bad, but from other corpusmancers . . .

  Ceinwyn Dale didn’t give him a look. No pity there. Just her usual timeless self. She never outright pushed you into the path she wanted for you, just nudged you along like some old time god that knew the way events were going to unfold.