Aren tightened his grip on the Smiling Blade and stepped forward to check the source of the noise. He moved past Valerie without saying a word. She just stood there, frozen, watching him carefully.
He moved slowly, every step measured and cautious. His heart pounded. Just ahead, he finally spotted it — a wild boar, massive and strong, munching on the beaver Valerie had been roasting.
Aren swallowed hard, his breath shaky. He leaned closer to the blade and whispered, "I'm afraid… You can just kill it, right? Use your magic… please."
The blade didn't answer immediately.
"Please," he begged again, almost like a child.
After a pause, the blade finally spoke. "You can try something yourself," it replied calmly.
Aren frowned. "What do you mean 'try'?" he whispered harshly.
Gathering his courage, he stepped forward. But the moment he did, he quickly stepped back again, glancing over his shoulder. He caught Valerie peeking at him from behind a tree.He sighed deeply, then turned again, forcing himself forward. He raised the sword and whispered, "Transform into a spear… but do it quietly."
"I can't transform quietly. It will still make a noise," the blade replied bluntly.
Aren winced. "Oh, I'm dead," he whispered under his breath.
As the blade began to transform, metal shifting and scraping into a spear shape, a sharp noise echoed. The boar's head snapped up immediately, eyes locking onto Aren.
"Hey, boar… please don't kill me," Aren said shakily, forcing a nervous laugh, trying to keep his usual joking spirit.
But the boar charged.
"Ah! No, no, no—" Aren shouted, spinning around and bolting away, sprinting as fast as he could. His mind raced, trying to think of any trick to escape or maybe defeat it.
The ground shook as the boar thundered behind him. Aren didn't dare look back. He just ran, lungs burning, heart thudding in his ears.Then suddenly, a loud crack split the air behind him.Aren froze mid-stride, skidding slightly in the dirt. His whole body went still. He didn't want to look, but curiosity burned too strong.
Slowly, he turned around.
"What… but how?" he whispered, eyes wide as he stared at what had just happened.
.....
It was the boar. It lay on the ground, completely still, a large wound across its side. Aren's mouth fell open.
He didn't understand. He looked around wildly, then spotted her.Valerie stood there, calm and strong, one foot pressed on the boar's neck.
"Not possible… but how?" Aren whispered to the Smiling Blade, his voice almost shaky.
"She did it… A lady, and she's done it!" the blade chimed in, sounding almost proud.
"Hey! Stop praising her!" Aren snapped, cutting the blade off.
Aren turned as if to walk away, but he stopped himself. Something deep inside him felt off. Valerie had done what he couldn't. It felt like she was overpowering him, stealing the moment that should have been his.
He sighed heavily. "Hey… let's go. Time for supper," he muttered to himself.
He set the Smiling Blade down gently on the ground, knelt beside it, and leaned in close.
"I know you're hiding something. If you don't tell me now, I'm leaving. I'll go back to my village. Maybe you should find another bearer. The mission to get the Muri Khan can wait," Aren said seriously, his voice low and determined.
The blade stayed silent.....
"Or should I give you a countdown like you did to me before?" he said, narrowing his eyes, ready to start counting.
Finally, the blade sighed, its spirit voice sounding softer than ever.
"Aren… yes, there is something," it admitted. "Can't you see? I want her to stay with you. She's not a betrayer. That is the secret. But I've been hiding it because… I can't afford to lose you as my bearer."
Aren's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat.
"She will help you get the Muri Khan. And… one day, you two will become more than allies. Lovers, even," the blade continued. "But I didn't want this to feel too slow, too draggy. I wanted things to move faster, to bring her close to you right away. But you keep resisting it, holding back."
Aren stared at the blade, his mind spinning, parts of the truth clicking into place, while other parts still confused him.
"Okay… so what do I do now?" he asked quietly, almost like a lost child.
"Don't worry," the blade said warmly. "Just pick me up. Trust me. Let's keep moving forward, together."
Aren stayed still for a long moment. Then, slowly, he reached out, his hand wrapping around the hilt of the smiling blade once more.
He stood up, his eyes lifting to where Valerie stood by the fallen boar.
Something had changed in the air.
Aren stood up slowly, brushing dust from his clothes. He started moving toward where Valerie was, each step feeling heavier than the last. Valerie wasn't looking at him yet, her head turned away as if she hadn't noticed him coming.
But as he got closer, she suddenly turned, her eyes meeting his.
After everything he had done to her, after all the harsh words and cold actions, he felt a sharp wave of shame rush through him. His heart stumbled in his chest.
"I don't know what to say," he whispered to the Smiling Blade at his side, but the blade stayed silent, offering him no comfort this time.
He went even closer to her, forcing himself forward. As he did, his eyes fell to the ground and he realized with a shock ;the boar wasn't even dead. It was only stunned, still breathing faintly near her feet.
Aren looked back up at Valerie, his guilt boiling inside him. He thought of all the ways he had treated her like an enemy.
"Hey, I wanted to say..." He paused, his voice catching in his throat. The words wouldn't come out.
Then, just as his mind froze, the Smiling Blade suddenly spoke.
What it said cut was about changing everything in an instant....