Aiden and the Sword of Nature

         Someday you will be something great…

         That’s what Aiden’s father, Jared, always used to say. But Aiden couldn’t see where his father got that from. After all, Aiden was weak and skinny, and he and his father could barely provide food for themselves. Their only source of food was whatever they grew on Jared’s very small plot of land.

         Aiden was plucking out the weeds from the farm when he heard his father’s words: “Aiden! Come!”

         Aiden ran back to the small farmhouse.

“Today, I'm going to teach you how to spar, m’boy,” his father said. He threw a long staff to Aiden. “On guard!”

         The two fought with their weapons for while Jared said: “There are two rules about fighting. Rule Number One: Always anticipate your opponent’s next move. Rule Number Two: Never get distracted.”

         The next day Aiden saw that all of the plants in the field were gone. He called his father, and his father was stunned.          

“Don’t worry, father,” Aiden comforted, “I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

         The next day when Aiden woke up, he went to his father’s room, and his father was gone. There was a note there. It said:

If you ever want to see your father again, give me the Plant of Destruction. You have 3 days to hand it over. If you don’t give me the Plant, don’t ever expect on seeing you father again.

It had the Lord of Fire’s symbol on it, a fire with a circle around it. “What is the Plant of Destruction?” Aiden asked himself. “And what does the Lord of Fire want with it?”

He told his best friend, Jon (Also a farm boy) every thing that had occurred. Aiden and Jon's family had known each other years before Aiden was even born. “Weird,” said Jon, “My father’s plants were gone too! And today I saw plants moving like they had legs and were human. They were moving fast so I couldn’t follow them.

“It seems as if the Lord of Fire wants some Plant so that he can vainly quench his thirst for power. He thinks you have what he wants so he’s kidnapped your father to get it.”

“That’s totally weird, isn’t it?” Aiden said. “I just hope my father is alright. If they hurt him I’ll make them pay. I just needed to tell you that I’m going to go to his castle to tell him that I don’t have what he wants. Then maybe he’ll let my father go.“

“Don’t worry, friend,” Jon said. “I know you’ll get your dad back.”

Aiden was prepared, with food in his backpack, and his father’s old steel sword by his waist. After a mile of walking to the castle, Aiden heard horses. “Wait up, Aiden!” It was Jon, and he rode a horse tied to another horse. “I told my grandparents everything that happened. They are good friends with your father and even though they are too old to come with us, they’ll let me go. I’m going to join you. And together we will get your dad back, even if it means taking this ‘Lord of Fire’ down.”

Aiden smiled. “Thank you.”

In an hour Jon stopped, saying, “Let’s eat here.” As they ate they saw a woman in black robes.

Jon’s face froze with fear. “It Shariah the Sorceress!” he yelled, pulling out his sword. Aiden pulled out his as well.

“Hello children,” Shariah said, even though she didn’t look to be older than 15 herself. “What business have you here?”

“This is not your territory, Shariah!” Jon yelled.

“How do you know of me?” the woman asked.

“All countries know of your evil, sorceress,” Jon spat.

“How dare you insult me,” she said, “you insolent fool!” She stuck her hands out from her long sleeves, and shot Aiden and Jon with lightning, paralyzing them for a few seconds. Aiden ran to her, and she shot lightning at him. He dodged it, striking her down with his sword.

“Please don’t kill me,” she begged. “I’ll do anything!”

“How can we defeat the Lord of Fire?”

“Take the sword of Nature. It is in my home.” She led them to her small home in the middle of the forest. There she had a pot of green liquid and a girl the duo’s age tied up to the wall. A nicely made sword hung from the wall, and a green aura emanated from it.

“Release the girl,” Jon said. “Now!”

Shariah smiled. “You’ll have to kill me first!” she took out something from inside her cloak. “So be it,” Jon said, stabbing her in the stomach. She fell to the ground, blood shooting out of her. She started convulsing, screaming, until she said no more.

Aiden untied her from the wall. “Thanks,” she said, “My name is Hannah. I practice sword battling.”

Suddenly Shariah slowly got up. Aiden threw his father’s sword at her, and it buried itself into her stomach. She fell to the floor and died.

Aiden then took the sword of Nature and they were off to the castle. When they went over there, they saw the Lord of Fire, sitting on his throne. “What business have you?” he asked.

“We have come to tell you that I, Aiden, son of Issac, do not have this ‘Plant of Destruction’ you speak of,” Aiden said.

“You lie!” The lord of Fire shot fireballs at Aiden with his hand. Aiden dodged it, running up to the lord. The lord of Fire ran up to Aiden to stab him when a sword grew out of the lord. He fell, and behind was a girl Aiden’s age. “Master was always a fool,” she said. "I am going to take his place as ruler of the world!"

"I don't think so," said Aiden.

"Try and stop me!" the girl said. She drew a small, curved knife.

Aiden ran up to her and stabbed her with the sword of Nature in the chest, and it punctured her heart. She died.

Aiden and his friends searched all the rooms and found his father. They rescued him, went back home, and all of the plants went back to their original places. Aiden was a hero in all countries, and he, his friends, and all of his generations prospered.