The Forest Spirit

2

In the dining hall Hyunjin was having dinner with his parents, the King and the Queen. They were talking, but Hyunjin couldn't hear their conversation. He was too focused on the flames in the fireplace. Until the doors to the dining hall flew open and in stormed a soldier.

"My King, the South Kingdom has been burned to the ground." Said the soldier.

The room fell in silence.

"What happened?" the King asked.

"We don't know, my Lord." Answered the soldier.

"Send people quickly to help the Kingdom." The King raised his voice.

"It's too late for that, my Lord. No human could stop the fire now." The soldier replied.

Silence filled the room. It was the queen who broke it.

"Let's pray for nature to take over the flames then." She stated quietly.

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Jeongin was still running. All wet and cold from the rain. But he couldn't stop. He needed to find what he was searching for. What he was called for. It was finally quiet. One could only hear Jeongin's running feet. He could hear clearly the wish that called him, showed him direction. The wish was urging him, telling him there wasn't much time left. He needed to hurry. The voice begged him to hurry. So he did.

It was here somewhere. But on the surface was nothing more than debris. He had no time to waste. He started digging with bare hands hoping he was digging at the right place. After a few moments of digging, his hands had started to hurt him. He saw they were covered in blood, but he had no time for that. Whatever he was searching for was running out of time. Soon he felt it. His fingers brushed over a hard surface. He found a big chest unharmed from the inferno in which it was until not long ago. He knew the cold material it was made of. It was found only in the depths of the forest. And it was forged there as well. A material that could withstand everything. He tried to flip it open, but to no avail. It was locked. A key was needed. A chest forged by a forest spirit however, could be easily opened by another forest spirit should they wish for it. With no key at hand, but using his forest spirit nature, Jeongin opened the chest, his eyes going wide.

Inside the chest was a little girl. She was so small, a child. She was curled in a ball crying. He was so confused as to why there was a child in the chest.

"That's the South Kingdom's princess." The voice whispered.

"The princess?" Jeonging echoed.

"She needs protection, so one day she could rebuild the Kingdom. She needs your protection!" the voice whispered.

"What happened here?" Jeongin asked. "What caused the fire?"

"That I cannot tell you, Young One." answered the voice. "You need to find that out on your own."

"You were the one who called for me. To make this wish come true!" Jeongin said.

"It's time for your test, Young One. To show why you were born." The voice told him.

"Why I was born?" Jeongin smirked at that.

When the chest was open the girl felt the cold air. But she was too scared to stop crying. She saw the person standing there, but still couldn't calm down. After a few moments she heard him talk, but he wasn't talking to her. She tried calming down and slowly started to sit. At the sign of motion, the person stilled and focused his gaze at her. He was beautiful, she thought. Sharp features, fox like eyes... And then it hit her.

"A forest spirit" She gasped. "So you heard us? You came!" She started crying again.

Jeongin felt the sadness coming from her. He put his hand on her head and started petting it gently.

"Calm down child. I am here now. I heard you." He tried to calm her down.

A few moments later, the girl calmed down. She looked around and after seeing no one, she asked him:

"Who were you talking to?"

"The Forest." He told her. "She told me you needed me."

"Mother always told me if I ever wanted something from the forest, I need to give first." She smiled sadly.

"That, she teaches you well. I saw you a couple of times planting flowers with the other children, but I never knew you were the princess, sweet child." Jeongin said with a smile.

He then picked her up. Such a small child.. Facing the cruel world alone now. No, she wasn't alone. He was here for a reason. He was called for a reason. He felt it deep down inside him that the girl was special. He needed to find out how and why.

"What's your name sweet child?" Jeongin asked her.

"Serena." She said. "And yours forest spirit?"

"Jeongin."

"Tell me Jeongin, what animal were you, before becoming a spirit?" Serena asked him.

"Fox." He said chuckling "That I think you already knew, since you recognized I was a forest spirit too."

"Now Serena, lets find you a new home!"