SWORD OF EMOTIONS (Part 3)

"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.

*******

Hina continued northward with her horse Riku, and soon they were in the desert. They had been traveling under the sun for about two days, and both could feel the strain. Hina glanced at Riku, who looked like he might pass out soon. She immediately regretted her actions; she shouldn’t have brought Riku to suffer alongside her. She felt bad for him.

Just then, she spotted an oasis a few feet ahead. “Thank God,” she said, rushing over with Riku. She remembered why she had come and restrained herself from drinking the water from the small lake. Riku, on the other hand, drank so much water that Hina thought his stomach might burst. He also ate the small patches of grass nearby and soon fell asleep under the shade of a palm tree. Hina tied him with a long rope to the tree in case he woke up and didn’t see her, so he wouldn’t run away.

She continued the journey on her own, just walking under the hot sun. On the third day, she felt terrible, like she might pass out soon. She grabbed the gem and held it to her chest.

Moving a limb felt like a chore. Every step was heavy and labored. She felt weak and dizzy, and hunger made her disoriented. Her legs trembled, her shoulders slumped, and her head hung low. She swayed and stumbled in the sand, dragging her feet with sluggish steps. Everything went black as she collapsed to the ground.

She heard her heartbeat as she floated in a dark endless pit of nothingness. “I’m…still alive,” she mused. The gem she held up to her chest shone a bright green light. From the nothingness, she saw a green surge of light heading toward her until it covered her. Then everything blacked out again.

Screeching, flapping, and the forest symphony filled the air. Hina’s eyes opened gently, and her vision blurred. She blinked, and everything became clearer. She found herself lying on the grass in a beautiful savannah. The trees were large and healthy, and the flowers bloomed brighter than any she had ever seen. She rushed to one of the trees, hit it hard with the hilt of her sword, and sent some fruit falling to the ground. She ate them all and felt satisfied.

“Okay. Time to find the dragons,” she said, suddenly feeling hyped. She turned around and saw a huge black dragon standing behind her, its scary eyes staring at her intently. She could feel its breath on her skin, and its teeth, like rows of swords, growled at her.

“Oh my God,” she said, frightened.

“What are you doing here?” the dragon asked, its deep and fierce voice rumbling like thunder.

“I have come in search of you, dragons.”

“Why?”

“To plead with you to come back to Doragon.”

“Doragon?”

“Yes. The land your predecessors used to take care of.”

“I know what Doragon is, and we dragons live for thousands of years. It’s only been seven hundred years since we left.”

“Okay, so you saw the war?”

“I did, but I was only little then.”

“I am so sorry about what happened back then.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Will you and the other dragons come back to help us?”

“I’m not in a position to decide that,” he said, turning to leave.

“Wait. Who is?”

The dragon turned his head toward her. “My father. He felt another creature enter our world and asked me to check it out.”

“Can you take me to him?”

“He doesn’t like humans, not after what you did to us.”

“I’d like to try.”

“Go home,” he was about to take off, but Hina stopped him.

“Wait, please,” she said. “Why does he hate humans so much?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“But it’s in the past. The one who caused the war is dead.”

“That doesn’t matter to him. He says all humans are greedy and selfish.”

“Do you believe that?”

The dragon looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “Not really, but he is our leader.”

“So why don’t you help me convince him?”

“I would, but it’s hopeless. My mother died in the fight between the dragons and humans. Many other dragons died too, and others were injured before we fled. This has hardened his heart against humans. We couldn’t bring ourselves to fight you humans and so we left. It was so tragic that someone we dedicated our lives to protect didn’t hesitate to stab us in the back. Father still hasn’t recovered from it, and neither have some of the other dragons. He says humans will never change and that the blood of Jiro flows through your veins.”

That last sentence hit Hina, but she shrugged it off. Jiro never had a child, so his bloodline did not continue. “Why don’t you hold a grudge too?”

“I used to have a human friend back then. We fought side by side during battles and training. We were close. When the war broke out, I saw him amid the chaos. He looked hurt and was sobbing as he saw us flee. Even though the king had ordered him to shoot at us, he couldn’t do it and tried to stop the other soldiers from doing so. Some stopped, but the king was relentless. I know not all humans are bad, thanks to this. I’m sure it wasn’t their intent to hurt us. And honestly, it gets boring here. If we’re not busy, our lifespan tends to decrease. As strange as it sounds, some of us want to fight alongside humans again, but the fear of betrayal holds us back.”

“What if I promise you that history won’t repeat itself?”

“You’d still need my father’s permission.”

“Then take me to him.”

The dragon hesitated but reluctantly agreed. “Hop on,” he said, lowering his back. She got on anxiously. “Ready?” he asked. She took a deep breath. “Ready.”

He launched into the air like a flash, and Hina screamed in excitement as the wind rushed past, whipping her hair and face. It was a completely different thrill from riding a horse. She felt weightless, like soaring on a magic carpet.

“I didn’t get your name,” Hina said.

“Haruto,” he replied.

“Haruto. A nice name. I’m Hina.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Hina.”

They flew past a field scattered with cherry blossom trees, where some dragons were resting. Haruto explained that most dragons lived in the mountains, though some came to that place to relax. They flew to the top of a tall mountain, where he dropped her at the entrance of a cave. Haruto said his father usually stayed there and that he (Haruto) would be around in case she needed his help before he took off.

Hina stepped cautiously into the dark cave. “Hello,” she called, walking in cautiously. Her voice echoed. “Is anyone home?” she called again, and the sound bounced back to her. She heard a rustling noise and turned, but saw nothing. She heard another rustle to the left, turned again, but still saw nothing. Looking forward, she gasped when she saw a much larger dragon with a scar over his eye staring at her intently.

“Human. What do you want? Another soul to kill?” His voice was deep, like an earthquake, as he began circling her.

“No! Of course not. I just came to plead with you to please return to Doragon. To help us once again. We are helpless without you.”

“You should have thought of that before attempting to kill us. Oh, Haruto will be in serious trouble for letting you in here.”

“Please, can you forgive us? The one who attacked you is long dead.”

“I don’t care. His blood runs through your veins. Now leave, or I’ll make you my dinner.”

He glared at her with a look that could kill. Hina was visibly frightened. She gulped and said, “Can’t you give us another chance? Please?”

“You’re all selfish and cruel,” he said, his stance turning aggressive. “Anything you do is for your benefit. Last warning: leave!”

Hina was frozen by the bloodthirsty look in his eyes. She couldn’t move as he charged at her. Just before his claws could rip her apart, Haruto appeared and pushed him away. “Hina, run!” Haruto shouted. Hina was still trembling with fear.

“Why do you protect the human? They’re the reason for our sorrow,” Haruto’s father growled.

“Can’t you forgive them? She promised that what happened before won’t happen again. Besides, being idle shortens our lifespan, and you know that. You’ll have to forgive them one day.”

“Pathetic!” he exclaimed, launching toward Hina again. Haruto held him back while shouting her name. Hina snapped out of it and looked at the struggling Haruto.

“Get out,” he urged.

“But I can’t leave you.”

“Yes, you can. Don’t be reckless. Now leave, or he’ll kill you!”

“But Haruto…” Haruto closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them. They were glowing green. He looked directly at Hina, and a small oval green light shone on her chest. She felt a sharp pain, and everything went black.

When she woke up, she was back in the desert. The engravings on the gem were glowing green, before fading away after a few seconds.

“Damn it,” she said, feeling angered by her failure. She stood up from the sand, feeling like a failure. She had managed to survive while reaching the dragons, but she couldn’t even convince them to come back. She had to try again but not now because the gem had to stay for a week before it could be used to travel to the spirit world again.

“What now?” she asked herself. She remembered Riku and decided to go to him. It was a day’s journey, and when she met him, Riku was beyond happy.

“Did you miss me?” she said, as she rubbed his mane and he hugged her with his head. “Of course you did. Sorry, I left you.” They sat under a palm tree together, and Hina looked down as she replayed her failure in her head while thinking of what to do next.

They heard footsteps and were suddenly alerted. She looked at the three soldiers that passed by. They had Doragon’s dragon crest on their breastplates, and she figured that her father must have sent them. She went over to them with Riku. They looked delighted to see her.

“The king asked us to get you,” one of them said. Hina felt a little uneasy as she looked at them. Something was off. She hadn’t seen those soldiers before, and she knew most of them because there were not very many.

“Are you sure? Maybe I’m not the one you are looking for,” she said to distract them. They sensed her suspicion and communicated something with their eyes. Hina felt alarmed and was reaching for her sword when she felt a strong hand hit her neck and blacked out.

Hina was being carried somewhere, blindfolded. She felt slightly dizzy as she woke up from her long slumber. She immediately remembered her encounter with the soldiers and snapped back.

“Let me go!” she said as she kicked and hit the strong soldier that carried her, but her efforts were useless.

“Now now, don’t be violent,” said the same person who had spoken to the king while holding a knife to his throat the night she left. His voice wasn’t familiar to Hina. The strong man dropped Hina on the ground and took off her blindfold. She observed the place she stood and recognized it as the town square. The difference now was that it had soldiers from the Kitsune Kingdom—the Fox Kingdom—everywhere. They had imprisoned some citizens in metal cages, stood around the square like they owned the place, and an elevated platform was built with a tall chair that someone sat on—visibly their leader.

“Who are you?” she asked the man who had spoken, who was also the man who sat on the chair. “And what are you doing here?”

“Me?” he gestured to himself, “I am Yuto, prince of the Fox Kingdom.”

“What are you doing here? Why have you done this to my people?” Hina said, now fuming with rage.

“Before you start to fight, it is important you understand the situation at hand,” he said. He clapped his hands, and a carriage was brought near the platform. Inside the large metal cage it carried were the elders. Another carriage arrived with the queen and the king, followed by one with Yuki and Sora, and another with Granny. Hina gasped in shock.

Yuto continued, “Your family has been captured, and so have your people. In short, I have conquered your beloved kingdom. If you want it all back, give us your sword, the Kanjō no ken.”

Hina’s eyes grew wide with bewilderment. “Kanjō no ken?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“But how did you know?”

He laughed. “So pathetic. I had a spy. One who had been spying on you from the beginning of time. He saw it all: when you drew the sword when your father tried to snatch it, and when it flew back to you.”

“What!” Hina thought. “Only members of the royal family and the elders were present then. Could there have been a spy? Impossible.”

“I don’t believe you!” Hina said.

“Of course, you won’t, because never in your pathetic life would you imagine your closest friend betraying you!” he said as a soldier pushed Ren forward for her to see.

“Ren?” Hina was stunned.

“Yes, Ren, why don’t you tell her?” Yuto said, but Ren had his head hung low. He didn’t utter a word.

“I sent him and his father to your kingdom to keep an eye on the affairs of Doragon,” Yuto continued. “They brought me splendid news soon after that the sword had been revived. I was pleased by this and wanted to take it right away, but they said that it was in tune with your feelings. They warned that if you refused to let me have it, I would never obtain it. So, I had to let you grow and learn how to control your feelings and powers so that when I arrive for us to… negotiate, you will let me have it peacefully. In the meantime, Ren watched you closely.”

“Ren, is this true?” Ren didn’t say a word, instead turned his face away with his eyes closed.

“I thought we were friends, Ren,” Hina said, almost in tears.

“I’m sorry,” Ren muttered.

“Ren!” Hina yelled. “No! Why? How could you? I thought you were from the Chō Kingdom—the Butterfly Kingdom?”

“No. He’s actually one of us,” Yuto replied.

“Ren, why? So all this while you knew about the sword and you were planning on stabbing my back?” Hina was now in tears. She understood the pain of the dragons now, more than she ever had. She understood why it was difficult for Haruto’s father to trust humans again.

“That’s what we do. We are cunning like foxes,” Yuto said, laughing mischievously. Ren’s eyes looked hurt as he saw Hina cry. He wished he hadn’t done what he did, but it was too late.

“So it’s very simple,” Yuto continued. “Give us the sword willingly, and we’ll be on our way. If you don’t, we’ll tear down your kingdom and kill every soul that ever lived in it. The ones who survive will become my slaves,” he said as his men readied their weapons. “And don’t think of fighting back; you’re outnumbered and incapable.” Just then, the ground began to shake vigorously, like an earthquake, as large, fierce-looking foxes appeared at the scene. They stood taller than any other objects or structures. They looked ready to attack with their large sharp growling teeth and menacing eyes that screamed doom.

Hina observed the chaos. She looked at the terrified faces of the imprisoned people; their smiles were long gone. The peace and happiness she had wished to preserve had disappeared like a rabbit down a hole. She had to give up her sword to save them, to regain their smiles; She had to give up her destiny, but will it be worth it?

“Just do as they say, Hina!” the king said.

“Exactly, listen to your father,” opined Yuto.

She looked at her father, who looked fearful, her mother, who was crying, the elders, who looked distressed, her brothers, who had a glimmer of hope covered by fear in their eyes as they stared back at her hoping for her to do something, and finally Granny. Granny looked optimistic, as she always did, unlike the others, but her eyes also had an uncommon fearful look.

“Is there a way I can fix this? Can I handle this?” Hina thought.

“Hurry up and decide!” Yuto yelled impatiently.

“Don’t listen to them,” Granny called out from the cage.

“Urgh! The old lady is being noisy. Take care of her,” Yuto said. A soldier shot Granny with an arrow that hit her chest, near her shoulder.

“Granny!!!” Hina screamed, and she saw red. Anger bubbled within her. All that she had been through started replaying in her mind. It fueled the already burning fire, and without thinking, she drew out her sword. It shone bright red instantly, and a strong, sudden wind filled the area.

“Hmph, wrong choice,” Yuto said, signaling his men to attack.

“Don’t fight with anger…” Granny whispered to Hina. Hina saw her, and the words of wisdom Granny had taught her over the years echoed in her head.

“Never repay evil for evil; rather, repay good for evil in order to maintain peace.”

“Leaders will go through a lot of pain, but don’t let it stop you. Instead, it should make you stronger.”

“…the cycle of revenge continues and this can result in terrible consequences.”

“This is your destiny—you just have to believe in yourself to achieve it.”

“Don’t give up; keep fighting.”

“I believe in you.”

“Granny,” she mused as a tear fell down her cheek. She realized the red-colored sword and remembered Jiro. “The blood of Jiro flows through your veins,” the thunderous voice of a dragon spoke in her head.

“No!” Hina shouted as she tried to force herself to calm down, to regain her calm and fierce fighting spirit.

“Get the cannons ready to fire!” yelled a soldier of the Fox Kingdom.

“Steady your aim!” said another.

She heard them and knew that she had to protect her people. “Protect,” she said. “I have to use the feeling of protection to power the sword.” She held her sword, ready to fight, and closed her eyes. “Concentrate, concentrate on the feeling of protection and love for your people.” This felt a bit nostalgic to her.

The hilt of the sword slowly began to glow blue. It made its way to the blade of the sword. “Concentrate,” Hina said. She swung the sword in a circle around her as a blue circle of light formed. When it became a full circle, she pushed it, and it spread throughout the land, covering the people of Doragon with a blue skin of light.

When the soldiers shot their weapons, the weapons stopped just before hitting them and fell to the ground.

“What!” exclaimed Yuto, “Stop her!”

The soldiers aimed their arrows toward her. She knew she was no match for those soldiers and their guardian animals, the foxes. She needed help, help that could only come from one place: the dragons. “Can I do this?” she asked herself. “I have to try. The sword is known for its abstract powers after all.”

She stabbed the ground with her sword, feeling the need for the dragons’ help. The gem in her pocket flew out and started spinning around her. It stopped on the tip of her hilt, and a large portal opened. Inside the portal was the mountain where the dragons lived. They were all gathered together and were having a meeting.

“Haruto!” Hina called out.

The dragons seemed to be confused by where the sound came from.

“Haruto! Here!” she called out again. A dragon looked up and pointed to the others where the sound was coming from. Haruto’s father was surprised to see this.

“Hina? What’s wrong?” Haruto asked.

“We need your help. We are under attack by the Fox Kingdom.”

From the portal, the dragons saw the devastating condition of Doragon. The foxes were smashing buildings, the soldiers were ready to fire their weapons, and the people had been captured and imprisoned. The dragons gasped upon seeing this.

“We have to help them,” Haruto said to his father, who was upset by the sight. Doragon used to be a glorious kingdom, but now even the Fox Kingdom was conquering them. This filled him with anger.

“Go!” Haruto’s father exclaimed.

“Really?” Haruto asked.

“Are you going to back down?” he asked, flying towards the portal with lightning speed. He flew through the portal into Doragon and let out a high-pitched, ear-piercing screech, turning all attention to him. The other dragons flew through the portal behind him and began tackling down their enemies. The portal closed, and Hina felt a weight lifted off her shoulders.

“Dragons!” Yuto shouted in fear. The soldiers began to lower their weapons and run away. Ren ran and hid amid the chaos. Yuto was about to escape when Hina spotted him. She sprinted after him and forcefully pushed him to the ground. She pointed her sword to his throat.

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done this. Please spare me.” Yuto cried.

“Take your men and leave my kingdom,” she said intensely.

“Huh?”

“Hurry up before I change my mind.”

“Retreat! Retreat!” Yuto screamed as he got up to run. The soldiers and foxes fled from Doragon immediately, leaving behind their dust.

Hina ran to the metal cages and freed everyone. She opened Granny’s cage. Granny lay on the cage floor, motionless.

“Granny,” Hina called, but she didn’t move. “Granny,” she called again, shaking her. “Granny, no, don’t do this.” The royal family and elders gathered around them with solemn expressions.

“Granny!” she screamed, now crying, “Granny, I stopped them, and the dragons are back,” she said. “Granny! No no no.”

“Hina,” her mother called, “you have to calm down.” She placed her hand on Hina’s shoulder, but she shoved it off. Hina cried on Granny’s body until a familiar voice spoke behind her.

“Hina,” Ren called out.

Something snapped within Hina and she charged at him. “You! What do you want? What are you doing here? Haven’t you done enough?”

He knelt down. “I am so sorry for what I did to you. I didn’t know it would come to this. My father took up the job to spy on Doragon because we were struggling, and Prince Yuto promised to pay well. He took me with him to Doragon, and I decided to help him. We read a lot about flowers to fit the cover of a gardener and his son from the Chō Kingdom. Being involved in this whole mess was the most foolish thing I have ever done. I know I have no right to talk to you or beg for your forgiveness, but let me make it up to you by helping your Granny.”

“By helping my Granny?” she asked, puzzled.

“Please,” he said and stepped forward, closer to Granny. Hina wanted to stop him, but her body didn’t move. Ren brought out a flower from his bag, plucked its petals, pulled the arrow out of Granny’s chest, and rubbed the petals on the injury. He muttered some words, and the injury glowed green before healing. He got up and said, “She’ll wake up soon and I’m sorry,” and stepped away.

Granny’s eyes opened gently. “Hina,” she said.

“Granny?” Hina said, surprised by this miracle.

“Hina,” Granny replied.

“Granny, you’re alive!” she said as she ran to hug her. Smiles grew on the faces of the royal family and elders as they ran to embrace her. Ren cracked a small smile and turned to leave.

“Ren,” Hina called out remembering how the dragons had forgiven them and came to their help. He turned.

“I forgive you,” she said. Ren was surprised by this and smiled back at her. “Thank you,” he said, and Hina smiled back.

“Hina, I’m so proud of you,” said the king. “I was mistaken not to make you queen sooner.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“You did well, kid. I’m so proud of you,” said an elder.

The dragons watched all this from the sky, and Hina spotted Haruto’s father. “Thank you, sir,” she said to him.

“Call me Shin,” he replied.

Ren slipped away from the scene, and no one saw him again. The damage done by the Fox Kingdom was cleared, and the buildings were repaired. The dragons lived happily ever after with the humans, and Hina was made queen not too long after the chaos ended.

She strived to maintain peace within and outside Doragon. She ensured she maintained the smiles on people's faces and nothing made her happier. She didn’t plan revenge against the Fox Kingdom, which surprised them, but signed a treaty of peace and friendship with them.

Doragon eventually regained its glory and played its role effectively in maintaining peace and balance in the world.

The End

Always remember this and let it guide you: 'Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.' - Ephesians 4:31-32

I really hope you enjoyed the story! If you made it this far, please like and drop a comment below. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, don't hesitate to subscribe for more thrilling tales. Thank you so much for reading. Sending lots of love your way! 🥰❤