Garinor looked at the prince and although he knew the man deserved punishment for his ways, he realized it wasn’t his decision to give it. He also knew it was his own destiny to take the scepter and choose the ruler.
He stepped forward and grasped the iron artifact. Garinor then realized the scepter was causing the misty gray light in the air. He looked inside the domed crystal top and saw a multitude of gem fragments fastened to the inner wall. They glowed with their own inner light.
With his hand on the carved iron, the emeralds lit more brightly. The green luminance seeped up his arm and coated his entire body. The sapphires extended their light to Tomli and the rubies gave their glow to the prince.
A deep, resonating voice echoed in the room and bore into Garinor’s mind. “Welcome, Chosen One,” it said. To Garinor, it sounded like his entire village was calling out to him at once and it was disconcerting. “You have come to the moment of destiny. The light of truth already shines within you. You know those whose fates are enwrapped in this scepter and you understand your own role as well.”
“I do.”
“Then before you stands the Choice for which you were groomed. Behold, however, that in touching this scepter, your life is forfeit. It takes a soul to empower the magic within and now that your hand has touched it, you will give life to the light of truth.”
Garinor hesitated. “But why? Why must I die?”
“It was fated from the beginning that the soul of the Chosen One would do so. You cannot change that fate, but you can alter the path that destiny will follow. Will you Choose the prince or the heir to rule the kingdom?”