The Once-Great-King would travel for hours on horseback to consult an unassuming crone who had studied with renowned healers in India.
The wizened old woman lived on a cave-like secluded farmhouse amidst herbaceous vegetation known for its medicinal and supernatural properties. She concocted magic perfumes and potions from her enchanted herbs.
The petite soothsayer was in direct communication with the spirit world and the Once-Great-King trusted her predictions and visions with his life and his kingdom.
One strange day, when the moon and sun were both presiding over the skies, a swarm of butterflies appeared, attaching themselves to every living tree in the land. The flutter of countless wings created a humming chant that reached the Once-Great-King’s ears in waves...he understood the time of great change had finally arrived...
- excerpt from a story I began writing years ago
