Dragon's Hoard

Lies have short legs

Arthit ran through the forest trails at breakneck speed, glad he'd rested a bit that night. The only thing he could think of was Kong. His familiar should have been home by now, right?

The witch rushed into the house, quickly climbing the stairs to the top floor, where he found his whole room trashed.

"Kong?" He called his name cautiously.

His familiar was sitting on the edge of his bed, his elbows propped on his legs, his chin resting on the heels of his hands as he stared absentmindedly at one of Arthit's paintings hung on the wall across from him. It was a drawing of the two of them he did when he was little.

Kong finally met his eyes and Arthit felt a cold shiver run down his spine. What...?

The witch gulped involuntarily then steeled himself. From what the twins had told him, he didn't have much time left. Ignoring the chaos, Arthit made his way to him.

"Kong! We really need to talk, I-"

"Where is it?"

"What?" He asked, taken aback by the sudden interruption. Kong didn't even acknowledge that he was talking.

In two strides Kong'd crossed the room, reached in front of him and grabbed his backpack from his shoulder. Before Arthit could stop him, the other hastily had overturned his backpack and dumped the contents onto the ground. Arthit stood motionless, frozen in shock, eyes wide, mouths open.

What...?

Kongpob picked up the dagger. Dagger that he had hidden himself. Not well enough, apparently. He should have destroyed it, but he couldn't, not with his magic alone.

"It's not what you think! It's- ok, wait, let me explain. No, first I have to tell you about-" He panicked; his mind felt like a shaken box of oracular bones, unable to form coherent words, make coherent sense.

"Why did you go to the BrokenDragon forest?" Kongpob interrupted him once again.

"W-what? For the amulet, you know it." He answered confused by the abruptly change of subject.

"No, why did you go there the first time? Why did you go there when you were little?"

"Uh?" Arthit was feeling more confused than ever. "That's...really not important now. I have to talk to-"

"It is!" He finally snapped. "Tell me why." He added, his voice returning to a cold monotone.

What got into him? Why precisely now, as he was coming from the troublesome conversation with the twins, should he chance upon a conversation about this with Kong?

"I..." Grimacing, he concentrated for a moment before answering. "I was worried. You disappeared for days at a time. You've never been gone so long before; I was so afraid something might have happened to you. And, well, that patch of forest is full of traps. I guess, in my child mind, that seemed like the only place dangerous enough to keep you from coming back home."

Arthit's already uncertain smile dropped away when he saw his face.

"Kong? What...?"

"You know what I am right?" His tone was so flat it didn't even sound like a question.

"Kong..." Arthit's shoulders slumped even more as he realised things were going down.

"I asked you a question."

He'd never heard his voice so dead sounding.

The witch sighed, tired. "Yes... I know."

"Since when?"