Ashley Beach-Author and Storyteller

“Until the beauty in your heart is reborn, you shall bear no rose, but only thorn.”

Prologue

“Beautiful rose, glow clear and bright. Rest your head in the cold winter’s light. Let the power of love be born deep within your quiet heart. Wintery sky and silvery moon, fill you with their lyrical tune. Let your heart be born again, and may you seek the power within.”

“Still crooning your lovesick lullabies to these formless little orbs, Archimedes?”

The silvery blue orb Archimedes had been holding slipped from his small hands. The tall dark man who had startled Archimedes reached out his staff and scooped up the glowing orb before it reached the ground.

“Luscian. You are not allowed to be in here. As a matter of fact, I seem to recall some sort of law that prevents you from entering this realm at all unless you have business with the Mage,” Archimedes growled out as he crossed his small arms across his chest.

“I do have business with the Mage. Unfortunately, He wasn’t here when I came in, so I decided to have a look around the place. See if he has done anything with it since I left.” Luscian sighed as his eyes roved around the room. “Still the same blaringly bright gaudiness he was so fond of all those years ago. What a disheartening disappointment.” 

“At least it has some character, unlike you.” 

“Now, now, Archimedes. No need for cheekiness. I would feel no remorse in letting this orb meet an ill-timed fate for remarks like that.”

Archimedes’ small frame stiffened as he watched Luscian swing his staff upwards with the globe. “Ye best be careful with that orb, Luscian. It won’t be my head the Mage will want on a silver platter if anything happens to it.”

Luscian scoffed, “Not the gracious Mage. Would he really want my head on a platter? That would be so unlike him.” 

“You know more than I the wrath of our Mage when his anger is aroused.”

“Hmm. Yes. His so-called righteous anger. I have been the unfortunate mark of that anger a few too many times.” Luscian swung the orb from his staff into his hand. As he twirled the glowing orb between his dark fingers, the light accented a dark scar that ran across his filmy eye. 

Archimedes watched with trepidation as the silvery light played off the fingers of the scar that rose out of Luscian’s left eyebrow like tangled roots from an uprooted tree. Beneath the blackened scars, the man’s filmy eye looked unseeing at Archimedes, while the dark line of the scar continued below onto his ashy cheek. 

Luscian stopped twirling the orb and drew it close to his seeing eye. “Tell me, what is so special about this particular orb that has you so worried about me destroying it?”

“Every orb is special in the Great Mage’s eyes.”

Luscian glared at Archimedes over the orb. “That soppy old sort. You know as well as I that the Mage cares more for some over others. Why would he let me have my fun with some of them if they were all so precious to him?”

“Only the strongest and most precious jewels undergo the greatest trials.”

“Enough with your cryptic riddling, you codgering old man,” Luscian hissed at him. As the hissing sound left his lips, a pink and yellow orb glowed peculiarly bright behind him. Luscian sensed the powerful glow and turned to look at the golden orb. 

“Magnificent,” Luscian let out in an eerie, wanting whisper.

“Luscian. Stay away from that globe.” Archimedes marched towards the ominous man.

“And you stay away from me, little man. Don’t think for one instant that because I am in your Great Mage’s realm that I will play nice with any of these dancing little firefly balls.” 

“If you touch any of these orbs without permission from the King, you will answer to a higher law than either of us care to discuss, Young Dark Lord.” 

Luscian’s seeing eye glowed hot as he stared at Archimedes. The entrancing orb’s light shrunk away from the outer casing of the globe. Luscian hissed and threw out his staff towards Archimedes.

Archimedes smirked, “You know you can’t hurt me as long you are standing in the Mage’s realm.”

A small growl escaped Luscian’s lips as he glared menacingly at the little hobgoblin. “No. I cannot hurt you, but I know all too well how angry the Mage will become if he finds out what dark magic his little apprentice has been dabbling in while he is supposed to be watching out for his precious little orbs.” Luscian waved his staff towards a glowing orange orb and caused it to fly from the shelf.

“Imagine how angry the Mage would be if he discovered your dirty little secret and your lack of responsibility regarding these orbs.” Luscian let the orb drop.

Archimedes dove toward the orange orb but wasn’t quick enough to catch it before it hit the ground. Miniscule cracks formed in the core of the globe. 

“What a shame, such a precious stone, and to think, it cracked because it slipped through your pudgy little fingers. Let’s see what the Mage’s grand apprentice can do with this one.” Luscian held up the silvery orb he still held in his hand. As he was about to toss the orb away from Archimedes, he noticed a large, deep fissure in the middle of the orb.

“My, my. It looks like this one is already damaged goods,” a wry, eerie smile pulled at his thin lips. “I suppose someone is already a worse globe handler than I thought. Makes it much easier to finish the job.” Luscian’s demonic smile widened as he let go of the silvery orb.

“Luscian.”

The orb stopped inches from the ground as a booming, majestic voice filled the room. 

A look of irritation fluttered across Luscian’s face as he turned to face the Great Mage. “Ah, your mageliness. I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten our little appointment.”

“I was preparing a gift for one of the young queens in the winter realm.”

“A gift? How generous of you.”

“What have you come here for, Luscian? Surely you know better than to mess with my orbs or my apprentice.” The Mage looked at Archimedes cowering on the ground, a fiery orange orb glowing in his small hands.

Luscian’s lip curled into a snarl as he watched the Mage bend down to help the goblin up. “Of course, your majesty. I would never dream of hurting such precious oddities. I merely came to ask if I may bestow my own gift upon the young queen.”

The Mage eyed Luscian, “You may bestow on her one thing. But, her unborn child must remain untouched.”

Luscian remembered the silver orb that still hovered above the ground. He smiled as he whisked the lighted orb from its impending doom and held it up. “You mean this? In truth I would have loved to grant this snow babe a gift as well, but it seems her globe already has a sizable crack in it. I have no need to deepen this poor child’s hurt.”   

“You have overstayed your welcome, Luscian. Return to your realm before I send you there,” the Mage said in a commanding voice.

“Of course, your majesty,” Luscian hissed out. As he bowed and turned to go, he caught a glimpse of the glowing pink and yellow orb again. He smiled as he leaned toward it.

“Luscian,” the Mage’s voice sounded behind him. “Leave. And don’t touch another orb in this room.” 

“Of course. Let me just return this one to its place,” Luscian continued smiling. He turned to place the silvery orb on the shelf next to the glowing pink and yellow one. The silvery orb slipped from his hand. As he bent to pick it up, he breathed his dark breath into the pink and yellow orb. As he stood and replaced the silver orb, a small black spot filled the sunrise colored globe. A wiry smile spread across his lips. 

“Your Majesty,” he bowed toward the Great Mage and backed out of the room.

Copyright ©️ August 2020