The Kingdom of Mighty Warriors
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was an extraordinary place surrounded by tall mountains and green forests. The kingdom had brave warriors who trained every day from morning to night, led by skilled trainers.
The warriors’ dedication was impressive, but surrounding kingdoms believed the kingdom’s strength came from two special gems given to the king by a mysterious saint. These gems were hidden in the king’s chamber and guarded carefully.
The warriors mastered swordsmanship and archery, practising tirelessly on the training grounds. Even after training, they sharpened their swords, always preparing for the next day.
It was said that each month, the gems would grow, and the king would have some of them ground into powder and secretly added to the soldiers’ food. This powder was believed to make the warriors stronger. So, the kingdom’s power came from both hard training and these magical gems.
The Newcomers in the Kingdom
One day, a group of beautiful women arrived at the kingdom. They wanted to meet the king and had a special skill – making explosives. With grace and confidence, they asked to stay in the kingdom. They wanted to share their knowledge and also learn from the skilled trainers.
At first, the king was unsure about letting them in with their explosive skills. But he listened to their plea. They explained that they needed to learn self-defence to protect themselves as they travelled. Their sincere request touched the king’s heart.
As the women settled into the kingdom, everyone was excited. They joined the warriors for training. Although they looked delicate, they were surprisingly strong and quickly learned how to defend themselves. At first, the warriors stayed focused on training, but soon they noticed the charm and grace of the women, which caught their attention.
The training grounds changed. It wasn’t just about swords and arrows anymore. Warriors spent less time perfecting techniques and more time impressing the newcomers.
During archery, one warrior shot arrows in patterns to get a woman’s attention. Another showed off a sword move. The trainers noticed and reminded them to stay disciplined, but the charm of the women was too strong. The warriors were captivated, spending more time with the women and even sharing food.
The Distraction and the Attack
Weeks turned into months. The Warriors lost focus and grew weaker. Another kingdom saw this and attacked. The trainers gathered the warriors, but they were unprepared and struggled to fight. The women refused to help, saying they didn’t belong to the kingdom, leaving the defenders outnumbered.
The king was stunned when the leader of the women said, “My work here is done. My purpose is fulfilled.”
Terrified, the king asked, “What are you saying?” The woman revealed her secret. “I am a devil and the source of all evil. Tonight, a monster will attack. The prophecy said you were born to destroy it. You could have been a great kingdom, but now it’s too late. We will destroy your kingdom and take your fortune.”
The king was shocked. “Why wait all these months? You could have harmed me long ago.”
The woman replied, “The prophecy said no demon, devil, or warrior could defeat you. Only you could defeat yourself. So, we poisoned your kingdom slowly, distracted your warriors, and weakened you. Now, you’re too weak to protect yourself or the kingdom.”
The trainers fought bravely, but the kingdom faced defeat due to misplaced priorities.
After the loss, the women fled, leaving a sense of betrayal. The disappointed king visited the mysterious sage for insight.
The Sage’s Wisdom
King: (with disappointment) “Master, our kingdom has suffered a great loss. I trusted those women, and they deceived us. Our warriors were distracted, and we were defeated. What should I do now?”
Sage: (calmly) “Your Majesty, sometimes deception comes in the guise of beauty and charm. Those women were sent by another kingdom to weaken your warriors, and sadly, they succeeded.”
King: (bewildered) “But why? What was their motive?”
Sage: “In the pursuit of power, deception is a powerful tool. They aimed to divert your warriors’ attention, making your kingdom vulnerable to attack. They managed to distract the guard in your chambers, where those gems were kept. They stole those gems. Now that the distraction is gone, you must rebuild the strength of your warriors and learn from this experience.”
The king was surprised when he heard this. He couldn’t believe that these women would betray him. He realised that these women were already trained soldiers. They were only sent to his kingdom to get those gems.
King: (reflective) “What should be my next step?”
The sage went into his hut and came out with two small boxes. He gave them to the king.
Sage: “This time, take care of these two. With the power of these gems, reignite the discipline in your warriors. Train them rigorously. But this time, stay strong against distractions. Focus on the true strength that comes from within. In adversity, you’ll find resilience, and with resilience, you can rebuild.”
The sage’s words showed the king a way out of deception and defeat.
Feeling ashamed and guilty about their earlier mistakes, the warriors were eager to make things right. They trained with strong determination and a new sense of purpose. Each sword clash and arrow shot showed their commitment to recovering what they had lost.
What happened next after the king visited the sage? Did the king manage to get those jewels back? And what is the moral of the story? To find out more, read my next blog!