SWORD OF EMOTIONS (Part 2)

“Something has to be done about this. What will people say? Our enemies will seize the opportunity to conquer us for real this time. This cannot be so.” Said the king and stormed off.

“That didn’t look good,” Hina said. “I thought everyone looked forward to this day.” She sighed, “What if they’re right, and I’m unfit for the task, Granny?”

“No, don’t say that. You are fit for this; I’ve seen it in you. When you were born, a bright blue beam of light shone into the sky from the sword, just as it did now. I have always known since then that you are indeed a special one. This is your destiny—you just have to believe in yourself to achieve it. Do you believe in yourself?”

Hina looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, “Yes, yes, I believe in myself.”

“Very well then. Training starts tomorrow.”

“What?”

Granny was already leaving, laughing as she walked. “Wait for me!” Said Hina as she ran up to Granny, dragging the sword, which was longer than her body. Unknown to them, someone was hiding in the bushes and had overheard and seen everything.

*********

That evening, the king and the elders decided not to disclose the discovery to the public to prevent disputes about the girl being competent enough to handle the responsibility and to prevent their enemies from seizing the opportunity to capture the sword. Only members of the royal family and the elders knew about this, and Sora wasn’t particularly fascinated by the discovery. Yuki, on the other hand, was surprised yet supportive.

Hina decided to take a walk around the kingdom that evening. Knowing that no one would let her, she snuck out through her bedroom window and planned to leave through the garden fence but flinched when she heard an unfamiliar male voice behind her.

“Hello there.” He said.

She turned around and found a boy who looked about fourteen years old standing behind her.

“Hello,” she replied. “Do I know you?”

“Oh, pardon me, Your Majesty,” he bowed. “I am Ren, the gardener’s son.”

“I see. I’m Hina, the princess.” She extended her hand.

He shook it and said, “You don’t have to introduce yourself—I already know.”

“Of course. I haven’t seen you before.”

“My dad just got the job recently.”

“I see.”

“You looked like you wanted to jump over the fence.”

“Oh.” She looked slightly embarrassed. “That was nothing. Forget it.”

“But—”

“Look at that pretty flower,” Hina said to distract him. She pulled him towards the hedges and pointed at a flower. The two chatted for a while before finally saying goodnight and parting ways. She found out that he was from the Chō kingdom—the Butterfly Kingdom—and that he knew a lot about flowers because of this. He and his father had moved to Doragon recently, and luckily, his father got a job as the palace gardener not too long after. She got back to her room and lay down on her bed, exhausted. She fell asleep like a baby; it had been a long day.

The next day, she woke up to Granny’s voice calling her early in the morning. Granny made her run laps around the palace compound. She ran until she was exhausted. When they finished, she took a bath and dressed up. Granny took her to the palace library, a place where she had spent some of her childhood. She came there when she was bored and passed the time by reading fairy tales to herself.

Granny led her deeper into the library until they got to the last shelf, which was directly against a wall. She pulled a book forward, and the sound of a clicking door was heard. The shelf shifted with a rumbling sound, revealing an open doorway leading to a staircase that descended into darkness.

“Whoa! A secret passage!” Hina exclaimed in surprise.

They walked down the staircase, and the shelf shut behind them. They reached a room filled with more books and ancient artifacts. Granny explained that all the books and artifacts related to the sword and other secret weapons, known only to the Kingdom of Doragon, were kept there. She explained that only the elders and members of the royal family knew about this place.

“How come I didn’t know about it until now?” Hina asked.

“There wasn’t any need for you to then.”

Granny showed her some books written by previous possessors of the sword and scrolls that depicted different sword fighting techniques.

“With these, you will master Kanjō no ken in no time,” Granny said, and Hina nodded. “Now,” Granny continued, “you have been entrusted with a very important responsibility. The future and peace of the world now lie in your hands. Use this power for good. Never repay evil for evil; rather, repay good for evil to maintain peace. Because if you don’t, the cycle of revenge continues and this can result in terrible consequences.”

Granny’s words weren’t making complete sense to Hina, but she took those words to heart because of the serious look on Granny’s face. “You must be ready to face the worst. Leaders will go through a lot of pain, but don’t let it stop you. Instead, it should make you stronger, okay?”

“Okay,” Hina replied.

Granny handed her a scroll and said, “This is your journey to self-discovery even without me you must keep learning and keep being kind to others. To guide others, you must first learn to guide yourself. Discover who you are and lead a life worthy of it. I believe in you.”

Hina nodded once more and took the scroll from her. She opened it and inside were various illustrated steps for sword stances and sword swings.

“Let’s start with this,” Granny said.

As they practiced, Hina was clumsy, especially with the sword swings. Granny told her that with time and constant practice she would get better at it. She also said that she would hire a personal trainer for her. Hina was more than determined to learn. She wanted to help restore peace, to understand her purpose more, and also wanted to prove herself worthy to her father and the people.

That evening, after training, Granny took Hina for a walk around the kingdom with two guards escorting them.

“First time I’ve been out in a while,” Hina said.

“Well, you will have to start coming out more often now, to know the kingdom and the people you are to rule even better. I’ll talk to your parents about this, alright?”

“Alright,” Hina responded with a smile.

Granny took her around the kingdom. They walked around the town square, from the marketplace where they bought some treats to the fountain that children usually tossed coins into while making a wish, and finally to the calm part of the square, filled with grass and cool air. They sat on a bench there. Most people took short walks in this part of the town square, while some kids played around.

“This kingdom and its people are now your responsibility,” said Granny, “it is your job to take care of them. Even the least valuable life matters and must be preserved.” Just then, Hina’s eyes caught a sad boy looking around the bushes for something. He was with his parents, who were comforting him, saying he would find it soon. She wanted to go and help him, but she stopped when a smile grew on his face. The boy picked something beside a tree; it was a snail, and he looked so happy to see it, maybe his pet.

“Mummy, Daddy, I’ve found him,” the boy said excitedly.

A snail, seriously? Hina thought, but the smile on his face made her happy. She recalled Granny’s words. Even the least valuable life matters. Huh? She thought with a smirk.

They got back home, and Granny left for her room. Hina went to the secret library and took a book titled “Kanjō no Ken” to her room. The book was a general overview of the sword and its powers. After she had read it for some time, she found out that whenever the sword was taken up by a new bearer, it would shine a bright light following the person’s sentiment and would also bond with the person’s emotions then. She also found out that whenever the possessor had a surge of different emotions, it took a great deal of concentration to focus on one feeling to power the sword. Allowing anger instead of love to take over could lead to terrible consequences, as the book said because you might not think the situation through. So she had to learn to concentrate the right emotion into the sword.

“Okay, let’s try that out,” she said to herself.

She picked up the sword from a chest that she had locked it in and stood in one of the fighting stances she had learned that day.

“Okay. Hina, you can do this,” she took a deep breath. “Concentrate… Concentrate…” She closed her eyes. “Concentrate the feeling of… of… the feeling of… What exactly?” She opened her eyes. “There is nothing to concentrate on.” She looked thoughtful for a moment and then remembered the little boy she had seen in the park. “If I find a pet that I’ll get attached to over time, maybe I can generate a strong feeling of protection for him. So even when I get mad at him, I’ll still want to protect him and that will help me practice. A small idea but it’ll do for practice,” she looked happy about her idea. “Which pet though?” she thought.

She looked outside her window and found some of the guards heading out on horses. “Of course! A horse,” she figured. Hina had taken horse-riding lessons before. She used to like them, so this shouldn’t be too difficult. She went to the royal stable where Takumi, the manager of the stable, was with one of the horses, tending to it.

“Hello, Mr. Takumi,” Hina said with a smile.

“Oh, Hina, long time no see,” he said with a big smile. “How have you been?”

“I’m good. How have you been?”

“Oh, just living the life. What brings you here this late?”

“I just want a horse of my own. Like my pet.”

“Your own horse! I thought you gave up horse riding?”

“Well, I changed my mind, and I want to give it another try. But I’d like a calm horse this time; I don’t want one kicking me again.”

“I see. Did your parents say it was okay?”

“I didn’t ask them, but I’m sure they would be positive.”

“Alright then,” he said.

He led her away not far from where they had previously stood. He showed her a fine chestnut horse that was only four years old. He said that his name was Riku and that he wasn’t very ready for battle training yet, so he would be just fine for her as a pet.

“You can ride him around the fields tomorrow if you like,” he said.

“Great, he’ll do just fine.”

The next day, Hina asked her mother for permission to have a pet horse. She made sure Granny was around so that she would help her convince her mother to let her, and her plan worked. Hina rode Riku around the fields and was having a great time. She had forgotten how fun horse riding was. They sped up and jumped over a small fence.

“That was so fun. Great job! You’re going to be my best friend,” Hina said as she rubbed Riku’s neck. They came to a halt near Mr. Takumi, and he applauded her.

“Well done,” he said. “You still got it.”

Over the weeks, Hina grew closer to Riku, and everyone knew the horse as hers; they didn’t dare take him out without her permission. She practiced her sword stances, swings, and attacks and studied more about Kanjō no ken. She got better with the sword, was learning quickly, and understood its powers better. The trainer whom Granny had hired was also very impressed by this.

She also got closer to Ren, the gardener’s son. Hina didn’t tell him about the sword though because it was a secret and Ren didn’t push it when he questioned her about it and she’d give him an odd answer. They became best friends and sometimes Riku, Ren, and Hina would go on fun trips around the kingdom.

Hina enjoyed spending time alone at times. She would travel around the kingdom, assisting people and resolving minor conflicts. The people knew her as the kind princess and were always delighted to see her. She found happiness in their smiles, and she would go to great lengths to ensure their peace and joy. Their smiles gave purpose to her life. Over time, she came to realize that she wanted to maintain this peace and happiness. She discovered that this was who she was and who she wanted to be. This understanding became her driving force in her journey to become queen, so she could reach and help more people while protecting them.

Watching the sunrise and sunset gave her joy too. Sometimes, alone and sometimes with Riku and Ren by her side.

Eight years later...

Hina had grown very skilled with the sword. Although she hadn’t yet mastered the concentration of the right emotion well, she had mastered a lot about its powers. She was heading down a pathway in the forest with Riku, her horse, at full speed.

“Ready, buddy?” she said, rubbing his neck. Riku neighed gracefully, and she responded with a smirk. Gently, she began to stand on his back as they approached a bent tree branch. Then, she leaped off his back and onto the branch.

"Okay, buddy, see you on the other side." The horse headed straight ahead, reaching a right turn further down the pathway. After following the path for a while, he would take another right turn to meet Hina. Meanwhile, Hina veered right into the forest, taking a shortcut through the trees. She used her sword to slash through obstacles and dodge low branches. When she reached the end, she met Riku coming toward her.

“Good, very good,” she said. When he reached her, she leaped off the tree she was standing on and landed smoothly on Riku’s back.

“Good boy, you did great this time. Very good.”

They continued and arrived at a training field for soldiers and swordsmen. “Ready, Riku?” she asked, and he neighed. “Let’s go.” Hina drew out her sword and began slashing the protruding hands of the rotating wooden dummies while Riku made his way through the obstacle course.

After their intense training session, they lay on the grass and stared at the blue sky.

“We did a great job today, but it’s getting too easy, right, buddy?” He neighed in agreement. “I’m eighteen now. I think I’m ready, but I wonder what’s taking them so long.”

“Hina!” A voice called out in the distance. Hina turned to see Ren running toward her.

“Ren, what is it? Is everything okay?” she asked. He caught up to her, panting. “The king and the elders… They have summoned you now.”

“Right now?”

“Right now.”

“Come on, Riku.” She got on the horse, with Ren behind her, and they headed for the palace. Inside the palace, she met her parents, Sora, Yuki, Granny, and the elders waiting for her.

“I have to go help my dad with something,” Ren whispered.

“Go, no problem,” Hina replied, and he left.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” said the king.

“Is something wrong? What’s so urgent?” Hina asked, noticing their serious expressions.

“We have decided that if you can prove yourself worthy and strong enough to carry on the task of the destined one, we will allow you to become the queen,” said one of the elders.

“Really?” Hina responded, surprised.

“But you will have to pass a little challenge I’ve set up for you… Now!” said the king. All eyes turned to him.

“I thought you said later this evening,” the queen asked.

“A leader has to be ready for anything,” the king replied.

“No problem. Bring it on,” Hina said confidently.

“Arrange for the battle!” the king ordered with a smirk.

Everyone was led to a fierce battle arena. Hina looked stunned; she had never seen this place before. Everyone except Hina sat in the metal chairs surrounding the arena to watch the battle. Hina stood in the center of the battleground in a stance, ready for combat as the king introduced eight of his best warriors. They were dressed like ninjas, with weapons in hand, circling her.

They threw ninja stars at Hina, but she blocked them with her sword and dodged the ones she couldn’t. They ran in circles around her, but she kept her focus. Soon, they were throwing kunai blades along with more ninja stars, but she didn’t let any hit her. Then, they began landing punches and kicks in any opening they could find, but Hina fought back well.

“Isn’t this too much for her?” asked the queen.

“I hoped it was,” replied the king, “but it seems that she’s holding on quite well.”

“This is nothing,” Granny said, which angered Sora. They had done this to him before during his training, and he couldn’t even take on five of those men.

“She is very skilled,” said one of the elders. “To think she could take on all eight at once, and she’s not even using any of the sword’s special powers.”

At one point, Hina had taken out five of the men. “This will end soon,” she said to herself. Not long after, she had defeated them all. She stood victoriously with the tip of her sword planted in the ground as she leaned slightly against the hilt.

“These are your best men?” she asked, “That was too easy. I am disappointed.” The elders smiled along with the queen, Granny, and Yuki.

“Impressive,” one elder remarked.

The king smirked and clapped his hands twice. A large metal gate creaked open, and a rhythmic vibration filled the air, like the footsteps of a giant. Hina grabbed her sword, suddenly alert, and stared in the direction of the sound. From the shadows emerged a huge giant, clad in a suit of armor.

“Too easy, you say? Now behold our ultimate secret weapon, Kyodai,” the king said with a smirk. “Let’s see how you handle this.”

“Your Highness! This is too much!” one of the elders exclaimed.

“No! If she must rule this kingdom, she must be prepared for the worst. Being king is not all rainbows, unicorns, and flowers.”

Sora’s eyes grew wide with fear; he hadn’t even known such a warrior existed. The warrior was a tall as tall as a mountain and as huge as the ocean. “Would Hina stand a chance?” he thought. Granny looked slightly worried but whispered to herself, “You can do this, Hina.”

Hina was stunned. She was still sizing up the giant when he swung his massive hand and sent her flying halfway across the battlefield at lightning speed. She hit her head on the ground and got up, dazed.

“My God!” she muttered. Her sword had flown out of her hands during the hit. She scanned the area and found it a few meters away, with the giant now heading toward her. Groaning, she stretched her hand toward the sword, feeling a surge of determination rising within her. The sword shook vigorously and flew into her hand. She charged at the giant with all her might and slashed him, but he didn’t budge.

“What?” she thought, baffled.

He threw her across the field again, and she got up after some time with another groan.“Let’s try that again,” she said, charging at him once more with all she had. The sword slash didn’t move him, but she managed to jump away just in time to avoid his counterattack.

“Okay, close-range combat won’t work on this guy. He’s too strong. I’ll have to try something else,” she mused. She took a battle stance and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Her hair began to flutter in the sudden wind. When she opened her eyes, they were now glowing blue, along with her sword and her hair. Blue-colored strips appeared around her hands and legs, and a powerful wind whipped around her.

She had read that the sword allowed its wielder to acquire some of its power, making them as fast as light and as strong as diamond. She had been practicing this, and now was the time to use it. She swung her sword in the air, sending a powerful slash that forced the giant to move a little.

“Good,” she said and charged at him like a whirlwind. She ran around him in circles at blistering speed, slashing him with her sword so that he couldn’t predict where she would strike next. Although he managed to hit her once, he didn’t stand a chance against her at that speed.

“Marvelous,” Granny exclaimed.

“Beautiful,” said Yuki. “I am going to paint this.” Over the years, Yuki discovered his passion for art and was chasing his dream of becoming a renowned painter. The elders and Sora were very impressed, but the king didn’t look pleased at all. Sora began to feel that maybe Hina was truly fit for this.

In no time, Hina had knocked the giant out. “Whoa! Now that’s what I’m talking about. A worthy opponent,” Hina yelled, drowsy but excited. She had returned to normal, and everyone remained happy and stunned.

“She is indeed the chosen one,” said one elder.

“Does this mean I can become queen?” Hina asked.

The elders nodded. Over time, they had come to understand that it didn’t matter what the gender of the destined one was; what mattered was that the person who was to restore peace had been found. It was now left for the king to accept this. All eyes turned to him, but he didn’t look happy at all. It was obvious he had hoped Hina wouldn’t win that battle.

“No!” the king yelled. “You cannot rule this kingdom,” he said as he stood to leave.

“But, Your Majesty,” an elder said, “we all agreed to this.”

“Not anymore.”

“Dad!” Hina called out. He stopped. “What else do you want from me? I can do this—just believe in me,” she said, almost in tears. He looked back at her and shook his head without a word.

“If you won’t step down willingly, we’ll have to take you down by force,” one of the elders warned, but the king continued walking away.

Granny shook her head in disappointment. The queen comforted Hina, who was staring blankly at the floor, assuring her that he would come to understand soon—hopefully. She then left. The elders did the same. Yuki and Sora told her that she had done a great job before leaving as well. Granny came along and Hina cried in her arms. Granny comforted her, encouraging her not to give up and to keep fighting. Afterward, Granny left Hina in her room and went to her own.

Hina sat at her study desk with a long face. She casually reached for a book she had been studying, titled "The Guardian Animals" and suddenly had a brainwave. "If I bring back the dragons, Dad will surely find me worthy of the throne at last, and it will also be beneficial to our people and kingdom," she said to herself.

During her study, she discovered that the guardian animals came from the spirit world of animals. When the dragons fled Doragon, they had nowhere else to go but back to the Spirit World. She had also read that for a human to get to this spirit world, they had to be exactly at the point of life and death, holding the gem that connects both the kingdom and the animal up to their chest. She knew where this gem was—inside a small cabinet in the elders' chamber—and she also knew that there was a desert north of Doragon that would be perfect for the operation.

She knew what she had to do. She packed a few fighting tools along with her sword and left the room. She got to the stable, saddled Riku, and was leading him away when she heard a voice.

"Hey, Hina." It was Ren. "Where are you going this evening?"

"Oh, Ren," she giggled. She explained to him her plan, which left him stunned.

"You want to do that?"

"Yes, I have to."

"Then, good luck. I know you won’t be taken down easily."

She smiled. "Thanks, Ren." She hugged him and continued with Riku. She took him to the elders' chamber and left him under a window on the third floor. She crept in through a back window and made her way to the room where the gem was. She gently pushed the door, but it was locked. She took a pin from her hair and picked the lock. The door swung open, and she made her way to the small cabinet that held the gem. She used her sword to break the glass, then took the gem.

It was a black stone with engravings around it. She put it in her pocket and was about to leave but suddenly felt a presence.

"What are you doing?" asked an elder who was standing in front of the door.

"I’m, err..." she said as she stylishly made her way to the window. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I felt my security spell vanish, so I came to investigate. Can you explain your presence here?" He raised his hand, causing something invisible to shut the window.

"Okay," she chuckled and sighed. "I need the gem to bring the dragons back."

"What? Do you understand what you’re saying?"

"I do. It might be the only way to get my father to trust me."

"No, no, no. Don’t mind His Majesty; I’m sure he’ll come around. You shouldn’t do this because of him."

"But it’s not just because of him. It’s for the whole kingdom. For the safety of our people and the respect of Doragon once again."

"But what about you? You could die if you’re not exactly at the point of life and death."

"I know, and I’m willing to take the risk."

"You could die! We need the destined one!"

"Or I could survive, and we’ll have our dragons back!"

"I can’t let you do this," he said, looking ready to fight.

"I’m sorry." She ran toward the window, drew her sword, broke the glass, and jumped off.

"What!" The elder ran to the window and saw her on her horse, heading away from the palace and toward the north. "Stop her!" he yelled to some nearby soldiers. They began chasing her, and soon she had an army of soldiers on her tail.

She was now a few meters away from the northern gate, with an army of soldiers chasing her. The soldiers at the gate drew their weapons as a warning for her to stop, but she kept moving. She drew her sword and slashed it in the air. A strong breeze blew the guards at the gate away and forced it open. She rode through the gate like a whirlwind, then slashed her sword at the gate again, causing it to shut just in time to block the soldiers behind her.

"Sorry," she muttered as she raced into the night.

"She did what?!" the king yelled, fuming with rage. "And you let her get away?!" The elder who witnessed the incident, along with some guards, now trembled at the sight of the furious king. A guard mustered the courage to speak. With a trembling voice, he said, "We tried to...to...stop her, but—"

"Silence!" the king shouted. "Send some soldiers after her immediately!"

"Sorry, but that won’t be happening," said an unfamiliar voice from the background.

"What!" the outraged king shouted. "Who dares to..." he said, turning to see the person who had spoken. Instead, he found a knife beside his throat. "Oh dear," he said in fear. He gently turned his neck toward the guards and elder, only to see that his guards had been taken out by some men and the elder was captured by a giant-looking man. "Dear God!" the king exclaimed. He observed the crest on their breastplates and thought, "The Fox Kingdom? What do they want now?" Suddenly, he had a bad feeling.

To be continued…