The Toy Soldier

Once upon a time, long ago, in a world far different than ours, brilliant giants with minds that created worlds of their own, proudly walked the streets they conjured. Here, there was a single Toy Soldier. He was known simply as the Toy Solider by his creators and the one he was created for. Crafted by a master blacksmith and then enchanted to a semblance of life by the Smith’s husband, The Toy Soldier was created for their daughter so she’d always have a companion.

You see, the Smith and the Enchanter were part of the Giant Kingdom’s Royal Court and imperative to the creation of the magical machinery responsible for the kingdom’s defense. This would keep them extremely busy throughout most of their daughter’s life, so before she was even born, the Smith and the Enchanter made a smaller model of their famed super-soldiers, one that would be roughly the size of the humans that threatened their kingdom, as strong as the defenders of the kingdom, and as fiercely loyal to their daughter as their love was for her.

The Toy Soldier was made of stark white metal sheets hammered into shapes to create intricate joints. This would allow fluid movement when infused with the magical lavender runes that were inscribed into his body plates, sword, and shield. For years, The Toy Solider would be an inanimate plaything for the Giant’s daughter and they’d play for hours upon hours while she was left alone in her room. He would speak to her in her parent’s voices, runes sparking to life to release prerecorded messages activated by voice commands she’d unknowingly speak during their play adventures.

When she would call for “Mama” the Smith’s voice would ring out like her hammer on an anvil. The Toy Soldier would speak and respond to her questions, giving her words of strength and wisdom, delighting in their fantastical games of imagination wars.

When she'd call for “Papa” the Enchanter’s voice would sing lullabies, humming out from the Toy Soldier’s mouth like a music box. These songs would see her off into sleep where she’d play in open fields with her parents, and the Toy Soldier stood vigilant, making sure no harm would become the little girl.

One night, while the little girl slept and The Toy Soldier sang in the Enchanter’s voice, they returned. The Smith and the Enchanter crept into their daughter’s room, picking up the Toy Soldier and returning him to his place on the shelf he’d never see unless they returned. The Enchanter looked solemnly at his runes across his daughter’s toy and said to him, “Thank you for keeping her safe Solider, your service is done, and now it’s our turn.”

The Smith lifted the sleeping girl from her bed, hugged her tight, and walked out the room waiting for her husband to follow. She locked eyes with the still singing Soldier and said one word to him before closing the door behind her family; sleep.

Exiting the castle grounds, the Enchanter and the Smith walked hand in hand, humming to themselves, the tune the Soldier sang, as they left behind their duties and their home.

When you wake up, Loren,

all your dreams will come true.

We’ve wanted this since you were born,

Mama and Papa and You.

Shortly after they left the grounds, the castle was sieged by the human army. The majority of the giant people taken down overnight while their land was taken over, but the Enchanter, the Smith, and their daughter Loren made it to safety in a land far away from their home. They were free to play and sing and run through the fields their daughter had always dreamt of. Grass of every rainbow hue tickled her nose and made her laugh so hard tears would come to her eyes. At night, in between her Mama and Papa, Loren would dream of a white and purple Toy Soldier and wonder what happened to her friend before her dreams came true. To this day, The Toy Soldier sleeps, awaiting a time when another little girl needs a defender, a friend, a loyal Soldier.

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