Tri-Colored Roses

The river ran backwards on the day the Queen vanished. This was the warning of the Naiads. Though confirmation of the Queen's disappearance did not come right away, the peasants knew to heed this warning. When the second sun rose on the second day of the Queen's disappearance, knights and liege lords scattered across the land, air, sea, and volcanoes. Queen Seraphina kept the realm balanced with her elemental magic. Without the Queen and her magic, the realm of Terra Septem would default to the Starborn.

The Starborn are a race of sorcerers that were born of shooting stars falling to the Earth. In Terra Septem, there are a thousand Starborn people. They are an immortal people, who are tasked with keeping the history of Terra Septem. The leader of the Starborn is a sorcerer named Horin; the oldest of his people. Horin had discovered the rivers and streams to be flowing backward and knew he would be getting a visit from the Queen's men. To prepare for the search parties arrival, he had his brothers and sisters remove the ancient spells that protected the Starborn from invasion.

It did not take long for a search party to enter the kingdom of the Starborn. Leading this search party was Lord Grey, fifth in line for the throne. Lord Grey specialized in water element magic and rode a steed made of blue ice. The search party had no trouble entering the Starborn Kingdom. They were met with the pale, radiant faces of the Starborn who clothed themselves in dark colored silks. Everything in the kingdom was brilliant white. From the cobblestone roads to the crystalline structures everything was white and shiny. It wasn't common for outsiders to enter the Starborn Kingdom. Although the immediate splendor would have stunned anyone else, Lord Grey was on a mission to find his Queen.

The search party were led up the cobblestone road to the Crystal Palace where Horin resided. Once there Lord Grey was informed that only he was allowed to enter the palace, and the rest of the party were to stay outside.

"Only you may enter Lord Grey. Our Fallen Lord knows why you are here." The voice was hypnotic and filled with rich tones.

"If it must be done in such a fashion then so be it." Lord Grey replied in his rough voice. Although there was no threat from the Starborn, Lord Grey stayed planted firmly on his ice steed. He galloped into the throne room where Horin sat on his crystalized throne.

"Lord Grey, I know why you are here. Unfortunately I do not have the answers you seek." Horin said smoothly. Lord Grey finally relinquished his steed, which turned into a puddle of water on the throne room floor.

"If you know why I am here then you should be twice as alarmed." Horin was confused. With the Queen missing, he is in charge of all magical acts within Terra Septem, nothing he worried about before.

"There is no reason for me to worry. Not about my people or the people of Terra Septem. My brothers and sisters and I are already mending the magical balance. All will be as it was with Queen Seraphina on the throne." Horin did not sound confident.

"Not this time. Not only are the rivers and streams flowing backward, but the sun is beginning to dim, and the moon has begun to turn red. This is in alignment with the prophecy." There was a gasp and a shudder that rang out in the room. Lord Grey looked around and found that there was a captive audience listening to this exchange. Lord Grey continued. "The Prophecy of the False Witch is upon us."

"That is a lie!" Horin's voice boomed and echoed within the chamber. "The Prophecy of the False Witch has come and gone." Horin snapped his fingers, and two figures dressed in black silk came carrying a dirty green scroll. Horin unraveled it and began to read from it. "It was the year 8389 of the Fallen, or 674 for Terra Septem. The sun diminished and the moon dripped blood onto the Earth. From the drops of blood came the False Witch. An entity that would turn all creatures of magic toward their false instincts. She was defeated by Star Mother. That was the last of the False Witch." Horin re-rolled the scroll and handed it back to the Starborn he took it from.

Lord Grey looked exasperated. His diamond blue eyes penetrated Horin's false confident demeanor. "We have received word that the necromancers are back." Again there was a gasp from the audience.

"There haven't been any necromancers in Terra Septem for over five-hundred years. The last one was killed for attempting the most heinous act of resurrecting the False Witch using sacrifices." Horin paused and hung his head. "Many of my brothers and sisters were taken and mutilated in the attempt, never to be the same again."

"We all grieved for the loss of the Starborn. However, like many magical abilities it was never lost. Before the Queen vanished, her advisors had stumbled upon a cult of necromancers. They are dedicated to the old ways and were each blessed by their undying god. Just as we were about to apprehend them the Queen went missing. We now feel they are going to resurrect the False Witch. I have come here to ask if it's possible?"

Horin stared at Lord Grey before answering. Horin drew a long deep breath. "If what you say is true, then yes; it is possible." More gasps filled the crystal chamber. Horin rubbed the sweat from his brow. For the first time since arriving, Lord Grey looked worried.

"This cannot come to pass. What can be done to avoid this?" Lord Grey asked.

"If what you say is true, then there is no way to avoid it. The last time the False Witch was defeated it was because of the Tri-Color Rose. The Tri-Color Rose doesn't bloom for another thousand years. Moreover only a direct descendent of the first king can wield its power."

"That is only if the necromancers succeed in resurrecting the False Witch. If the Queen is found before then, the realm can avoid the devastation." Lord Grey summoned his icy steed and mounted it. "The realm will be in touch Horin." With that, Lord Grey galloped out of the Starborn Kingdom with the rest of his knights. Horin rose from his crystal throne. One of the other Starborn draped across Horin's shoulders a cape of glistening gold and black silk. Horin walked toward a balcony to watch Lord Grey and his companions ride away from the Starborn Kingdom. Fear now gripped Horin.

"There are many things that are avoidable in life. Sadness, fear, wrath, and other mortal emotions. I have found that mortality will cause those with the soundest minds and hearts to become corrupted. This is what happened when the False Witch came into being all those years ago. If Lord Grey's words ring true then the next step is to find the Oracle." One of the other Starborn following Horin chimed in.

"Your Radiance, the Oracle hasn't been consulted in millennia. There is a possibility that it has forgotten who or what they are."

"The Oracle will never forget. They live outside time and space. The power may be dormant but never absent." Horin stopped pacing. "Send word to The Kings Hold. Tell them that a teacher is needed to remind the Oracle who they are."

"With haste Your Radiance." The Starborn glided out of the room to fulfill Horin's command.

"With haste indeed."