“To be a true
symbol, the object must be emphasized or repeated, and supported throughout the
entire story; it represents something quite different from its literal
meaning.” Rebecca J. Lukens
To the royal house of Elysiel, the scepter was a sacred trust under a
vow to protect. The long list of heirs stood as the Keepers of the Promise with
their hearts merged into the heart of the scepter. To outsiders like King
Pythius it was power awarded to the victor, and he intended to claim the magic
for himself.
In the recently released fantasy The
Crystal Scepter, (The Gates of Heaven Series) by C.S. Lakin, this symbol
weaves its way through the entire story, whether characters are even aware of
the actual scepter’s existence, influence and potential or not. Heart decisions
must be made by minor and major characters alike. Their choices become mirrors
and reflectors of the battle between truth and lies. Personal actions move towards
life or death from the inside out.
King Cakrin warns Pythius of his consequences, “You have come in treachery and out of a lust for power, but you have
gotten a taste of the price of your action.”
But the obsessed king dismisses the warning as subterfuge to
keep him from his victory. He cannot imagine or believe that the scepter can
mean anything else that literal power, or be wielded for any other purpose.
Despite repeated honesty spoken to him, his heart rejects anything but his own
interpretation despite the grueling and frightening evidence he experiences.
How will the prophecy end?
Journal Prompt:
What
symbols/metaphors have had the most impact on you from novels and movies? I
have never forgotten the image of the birds waiting on the telephone wires in
Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, The Birds,
from my first viewing as a tween. In fact when I once tried to watch it again
as a ‘mature’ adult, I had to turn it off.
Make
a list and then divide them into categories of fear or hope or humor etc. Can
you adapt one of categories to your own wip and parallel a symbol metaphor
likewise?
Share: Which is
your favorite and why?
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