been watching them cautiously. I do not feel they can cause
any great mischief."
"Still, I am sure they will be wanting to change the
organization that you have forced on them," Hendle replied.
Erelon had only chuckled as he considered how he could use
tomorrow's meeting.
And now it was tomorrow, and Erelon was listening to another
wizard whine.
“The military organization is unfair,” one wizard complained.
“Would we not fight more efficiently if we were to battle with
those of our own choice?” another whined.
“Fight who more efficiently? The enemy or ourselves?” Hendle
asked and then gave an answer to his own question, “No. I think we will remain
with the organization installed by Master Erelon himself.”
On they argued.
"Yes, definitely. Wizards who are enemies fighting
together along the wall will be very successful," one growled back.
"You are not divided up by friends and enemies,"
Burlim retorted. "You are divided up by the skills you have, what you
know. You are separated so that each shift has experienced warriors and those
who have not spent as much time fighting or studying."
The battle degraded into a struggle for power.
"I do not believe that these decisions should be only
decided by you and Erelon," a wizard bellowed at Hendle, sweeping his
hands across the table as if trying to make himself appear larger than he
really was.
"Yes, let us allow you to make the decisions. A man who
could barely crawl across the floor of Mortaz when we left," Hendle
growled with sarcasm.
"Well, not all of us here are so young," another bald
wizard bellowed. "Some of us here might be quite qualified to make a few
decisions of our own."
"And feel free to give your opinion in this council, and I
am sure that we appreciate when you make decisions for the defense of the wall
when it is your turn to be stationed there. So I am not sure what you are
disapproving of?" Hendle tried to disarm the situation through a calm,
steady voice.
Slowly, those few involved in the verbal battle noticed that the
other members of the assembly had become quite quiet. Looking down the long
table, they observed the master wizard, juggling several spheres of ice and
fire. Such control over completely opposite and conflicting elements worried
those along the table who opposed Erelon.
“So you do not agree with my decisions,” Erelon started quietly,
amusement echoing within his voice.
“N-n-n-n-no-o-o,” one stammered in denial.
“Oh, it sounded to me as if you were against my decision.
Although it seems to me that it is working quite well,” Erelon stated with
amusement as he could sense the fear he provoked.
Slowly Erelon worked the spheres of ice and fire together until
there were only one of each, and then he stopped juggling altogether, letting
the two forces lie, one in each hand. He brought them together, placing them
together in the same hand, cupping his hands together and then squeezing. The
two elements fought against the wizard, trying to squeeze out, licking at open
air and space. Bringing two elements that are complete opposites together into
the same spell is much like forcing the same poles of a magnet together.
From within his cloak, Erelon drew a smooth, oval, ordinary
stone with his left hand. Erelon slowly began to force the fire and ice into
the stone. It struggled against him. Yet the sphere of ice and fire came into
contact with the rock, and Erelon’s hands cupped over the stone, enclosing the
magical elemental powers. Streams of ice and tongues of fire burst from
between his fingers, and then all went dormant. Holding the rock in one hand,
Erelon displayed it for all to see as it glowed for a few moments and then went
dark.
“So what are we arguing about?” Erelon questioned as everyone
looked at him with amazement.
The control and power he had displayed was amazing. With no
struggle, he had created a magical artifact. Average wizards would
any great mischief."
"Still, I am sure they will be wanting to change the
organization that you have forced on them," Hendle replied.
Erelon had only chuckled as he considered how he could use
tomorrow's meeting.
And now it was tomorrow, and Erelon was listening to another
wizard whine.
“The military organization is unfair,” one wizard complained.
“Would we not fight more efficiently if we were to battle with
those of our own choice?” another whined.
“Fight who more efficiently? The enemy or ourselves?” Hendle
asked and then gave an answer to his own question, “No. I think we will remain
with the organization installed by Master Erelon himself.”
On they argued.
"Yes, definitely. Wizards who are enemies fighting
together along the wall will be very successful," one growled back.
"You are not divided up by friends and enemies,"
Burlim retorted. "You are divided up by the skills you have, what you
know. You are separated so that each shift has experienced warriors and those
who have not spent as much time fighting or studying."
The battle degraded into a struggle for power.
"I do not believe that these decisions should be only
decided by you and Erelon," a wizard bellowed at Hendle, sweeping his
hands across the table as if trying to make himself appear larger than he
really was.
"Yes, let us allow you to make the decisions. A man who
could barely crawl across the floor of Mortaz when we left," Hendle
growled with sarcasm.
"Well, not all of us here are so young," another bald
wizard bellowed. "Some of us here might be quite qualified to make a few
decisions of our own."
"And feel free to give your opinion in this council, and I
am sure that we appreciate when you make decisions for the defense of the wall
when it is your turn to be stationed there. So I am not sure what you are
disapproving of?" Hendle tried to disarm the situation through a calm,
steady voice.
Slowly, those few involved in the verbal battle noticed that the
other members of the assembly had become quite quiet. Looking down the long
table, they observed the master wizard, juggling several spheres of ice and
fire. Such control over completely opposite and conflicting elements worried
those along the table who opposed Erelon.
“So you do not agree with my decisions,” Erelon started quietly,
amusement echoing within his voice.
“N-n-n-n-no-o-o,” one stammered in denial.
“Oh, it sounded to me as if you were against my decision.
Although it seems to me that it is working quite well,” Erelon stated with
amusement as he could sense the fear he provoked.
Slowly Erelon worked the spheres of ice and fire together until
there were only one of each, and then he stopped juggling altogether, letting
the two forces lie, one in each hand. He brought them together, placing them
together in the same hand, cupping his hands together and then squeezing. The
two elements fought against the wizard, trying to squeeze out, licking at open
air and space. Bringing two elements that are complete opposites together into
the same spell is much like forcing the same poles of a magnet together.
From within his cloak, Erelon drew a smooth, oval, ordinary
stone with his left hand. Erelon slowly began to force the fire and ice into
the stone. It struggled against him. Yet the sphere of ice and fire came into
contact with the rock, and Erelon’s hands cupped over the stone, enclosing the
magical elemental powers. Streams of ice and tongues of fire burst from
between his fingers, and then all went dormant. Holding the rock in one hand,
Erelon displayed it for all to see as it glowed for a few moments and then went
dark.
“So what are we arguing about?” Erelon questioned as everyone
looked at him with amazement.
The control and power he had displayed was amazing. With no
struggle, he had created a magical artifact. Average wizards would
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