The Orb of the Soul

Durman wrapped his long fingers around the ball, feeling its weight and its power. He had within him the ability to change one thing in the world, and he gazed into the ball's smooth surface for guidance. There were dragons plaguing the mountain people to the north, but the dragons also scorched the land so it could become fertile again. There were wars on the southern peninsula, but if he stopped them, he had no doubt that they would simply break out somewhere else. He dearly wanted Ismelda's love, but a love forced is not true love at all. The ball showed him many things, but it was inward he had to look to find his answer. He pondered his dilemma for many days before he arrived at an answer, and it was one that surprised him greatly when it came. He would give himself the gift of the wordsmith, creating words that could be written for anyone or spoken anywhere. They could be powerful words that would sway a mighty planet and change the course of its future. But they must also be words that, when reflected back, would keep him humble. Contented with his decision, he grasped the ball tightly, gazed inside its infinite depths, and changed his life forever.