The Smiling Sword: Hunt for the Muri Khan

Aren stood frozen, staring at Valerie, then at the blade. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The Smiling Blade let out a long, exaggerated sigh, almost like it was tired of babysitting.

"Alright, listen up," the blade finally spoke, its voice echoing slightly in the quiet clearing. "Aren here is trying to apologize for the way he's been acting. He wants to be your friend now. He's promised to help you find your sister, and in return, you'll help him with his own mission. He's truly sorry ;deeply sorry… But I'm not his personal messenger forever, so I'll let him finish the rest himself."

Then, the blade went silent, leaving Aren standing there with his heart pounding.

Valerie's eyes locked onto his, and he saw so much inside them — hurt, exhaustion, but also something gentle trying to peek through. Hope. Maybe even forgiveness. Guilt hit him like a punch to the gut. He had been so cold to her, so quick to push her away, never realizing that the future might hold something greater for them both.

He swallowed hard, his voice shaky. "I… I'm sorry," he finally managed, his hand lifting slowly toward her. "Can we… be friends again?"Valerie looked down at his hand for a long moment. She seemed to be weighing everything — the hurt, the betrayal .Then, she stepped forward and took his hand, her fingers wrapping firmly around his.

"I'm sorry too," she said quietly. "I shouldn't have attacked you back then. We both messed up."

Aren let out a deep, shaky breath, a laugh slipping out almost by accident. Relief washed over him so strongly that he nearly fell backward.

They sat down together on the ground, right beside the boar. Aren kept stealing glances at it, then at her, his eyes wide and almost playful now.

Here Comes The Laughing Blade

"Hey, I still can't believe this boar isn't actually dead," Aren said, poking it gently with a stick. "Is it playing some kind of jungle prank on us? Like it's about to pop up and yell, 'Surprise! Gotcha!'"

Valerie tried to keep a straight face, but her lips twitched dangerously.

"Oh come on," Aren continued, leaning in closer as if sharing a secret. "Maybe it's just waiting for us to cook dinner first so it can join in. Like, 'Hey guys, pass me some mango slices, will ya?'"

Valerie snorted, quickly covering her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shaking.

Aren grinned wider, encouraged. "Or maybe," he went on, his eyes shining, "it's going to run off tonight and brag to its boar buddies: 'Guess what, fellas? I faked my death and those two weirdos started bonding over me! Free show!'"

That did it. Valerie burst into laughter, real and unstoppable, her voice echoing through the trees. She wiped tears from her eyes, still giggling, while Aren watched her, his own heart finally starting to feel light again.

"Guy, you're talking too much," the Smiling Blade suddenly cut in, sounding almost annoyed.

"I wasn't talking to you! Can you just shut up for a second?" Aren shot back without missing a beat.

The blade fell silent immediately, as if pouting.

After the blade fell silent, Aren took a breath, then muttered under his breath, "Sorry… but please, can you just leave me to talk for once?"

The blade didn't answer.

"Hey… you're still angry? It's fine," Aren said, forcing a small laugh.

He stood up from beside Valerie and picked up the Smiling Blade, holding it carefully. Without another word to her, he walked a few steps away and slipped into a small cave nearby. The walls were cool and damp, echoing every step he took.

"Hey, blade," he began, his voice low but firm. "I wanted to ask… I don't think she actually fought that boar. So… what do you think really happened?"

The blade took a while before finally answering. "I won't tell you. You'll have to ask her yourself," it replied, sounding almost stubborn.

Aren sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead. "I was trying to make jokes to feel comfortable around her… but I still can't. It's like… like I shouldn't even be here with her."

"No," the blade interrupted quickly, its voice calm but sharp. "It's not that you shouldn't be around her. It's the guilt. Your heart feels heavy because of how badly you treated her before. That's why it's hard."

Aren swallowed hard, staring at the cave wall, tracing small cracks with his eyes. "Or… or maybe she has some sort of magic?" he asked suddenly, his voice picking up a hopeful edge.

"Yeah," the blade replied simply. "She does. But you need to hear it from her. Go talk to her."

Aren fell silent, his fingers tightening around the hilt. The blade's last words felt more like a gentle push than a command.

"Go talk to her," the blade repeated again, softer this time.Aren closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Deep inside, he knew the blade was right. He couldn't keep hiding behind jokes or excuses.

Finally, he turned and stepped out of the cave, the jungle air brushing against his face. His eyes found Valerie still sitting near the boar, her hair catching the soft moonlight filtering through the trees.

He took a deep breath, feeling his heartbeat quicken.

"Alright… here goes nothing," he whispered to himself, starting to walk back toward her.