“Abandoned: A Retelling” is a short story in my upcoming novel of short stories set in the world of Kingdom. It is about a group on a pilgrimage who must make a moral choice to take in a homeless person.
The Blessed and Cursed Artifacts in Kingdom
A staple of fairy tales is the blessed or cursed item. From the blessed Excalibur to the cursed Red Shoes, fairy tales and fantasies love their mysterious and powerful artifacts and often employ them to tell a lesson. Are Jack’s beans beneficial or cursed?
Kingdom is a high fantasy fairytale land. Magic is abundant there along with various instruments which channel the supernatural to a divine or wicked end. In Abandoned, one such cursed item causes our heroine to hide far away from its powerful reach. Below, I have a brief inventory of six of the magic doodads, geegaws, or gimcracks of my fantasy world.
Cursed: The Black Orb of Sarsaparilla
The Black Orb of Sarsaparilla resembles a bowling ball in size and shape, but this item is far more dangerous. Anyone holding the orb can ask it any question. The orb will answer truthfully but at a cost. Often the one making the query experiences a distressful vision along with the information he seeks. Surrounding the answer are images of her latent fears or memories best left forgotten. Often people who use the orb fall into depression or panic after using it. Legend states that a trapped spirit lives inside the orb. (This orb has a scene in Kingdom Come.)
Blessed: The White Orb of Sarsaparilla
The White Orb of Sarsaparilla resembles the black orb in size and shape but is opposite in color. Like its dark twin, a person who holds the white orb can ask it any question, but this artifact will answer the query with a fib. Surprisingly, the bearer will benefit from the lie if they follow its instructions. Once, the maiden Frayilla asked the white orb for the location of her lost father—her only remaining family. She went to the location it indicated and found a royal prince who fell in love with her. She became a princess and was adopted with love by her royal father-in-law. After a time, she ascended to queen and became one of the best in Kingdom.
Cursed: The Malterre Looking Glass
The Malterre Looking Glass is a mirror which tempts the unrepentant with whatever their heart desires, pulling them further and further into evil. A greedy man might see riches he never imagined, making him want more and more. An envious woman might see her image reflected back more lovely, until one day her adopted daughter looks even more gorgeous than she, and then the envy turns to hate. Sound familiar? On the other hand, the repentant sees what frightens them the most: growing old, dead child in arms, being alone. The Malterre Looking Glass is prominent early in Kingdom Come.
The Wishing Gems of Kingdom
Technically, the wishing gems aren’t blessed or cursed as the owner of a wishing gem has the potential to bring about a beneficial or insidious outcome. Regular wishing stones in Kingdom are tricky magic. You have to be fortunate enough to word wishes just right or they may result in something unexpected. And some wishing stones have special ways to word the wish: in the negative, as a question, backwards, etc. But wishing gems? Wishing gems know your heart and grant you the perfect wish without worrying about words. As a bonus, depending on their nature, they provide a benefit just by carrying them. The Sapphire of Fortune, as an example, will ensure you will always have money without wishing for it. No one knows how many gems exist, but the queens know of the Sapphire of Fortune, the Onyx of the Elements, and the Ruby of Resolve. Some say other gems exist: a pearl, a peridot, even a very powerful diamond! One of the characters carries a wishing gem in On Earth, As It Is.
Cursed: The Necro-Staff
The necro-staff has a singular purpose—to raise the dead. Thirteen exist in Kingdom, but the most powerful was retrieved for a corrupt king and used against the heroes of Kingdom. The staff can raise an entire army, usually of skeletons, to do the bidding of the wielder. However, the power comes at a cost. Only a mage may use it, and it drains them of their power temporarily. A necro-staff was used in Kingdom Come. For more about this staff, read the short story Things We Keep.
Blessed: Cusp, The Holy Blade
Legend states Cusp was the sword the angel adventurer of Heaven, Mikel, created. He placed some of his pure spirit into the blade, forging a sentient weapon. Only the very righteous are able to bear Cusp. Foolish others have tried and melted into a pound of flesh. What the bearer gains by possessing Cusp is mysterious. One benefit of the holy blade is the wielder is immune to magic, but it possesses other more arcane advantages. The sword is so powerful that it isn’t often used in combat—only presented to the bearer’s adversaries. Rumors state the sword acts as an advisor to the sword’s companion. You do not discover Cusp accidentally. Cusp seeks you out!