Chapter Five
Syndirin - The Arbiter
SYNDIRIN – DARK ELEMENTAL
A wizard of high potential powers
and remorseless criminality with
a swift, cunning mind
make this personality
a most dangerous poison
to be involved with.
THE ONCE-KNIGHT, Drewth, was sitting at the broadside of a long table, the Arbiter, Syndirin, sitting in a chair next to him. They were at an official conference with royalty, and both were wearing their likewise official dress: Drewth in his lighter weighted, shining black armor, an official’s armor but too heavy for daily equipature through a Lightness enchantment upon it; Syndirin in the night blue flowing cloak and robes with gold swirling designs, as he had been the night before. Drewth had as well a night blue cloak upon his back, an addition to his armor, being in his new rank of Arbiter’s Second.
It was a great hall, glistening silks and historic tapestries hung from the tall pearly walls, great-enchanted gold-flame chandeliers suspended in mid-air by long-term architect’s magic. It was a hallway riddled with enchantments, for security reasons; only Lords and the Lords' servants could enter through any doorway; the key was in the clothing. Drewth and Lord Syndirin were wearing cloaks with heavy gold embroidery, the embroidering enchanted itself. Syndirin was adjacent to the king of Gaedia himself; he was privileged this due to status.
This conference had been going for several hours, and at the moment, the lord of North Eastern Gaedia, Lord Mornoc, was speaking. "A treaty was passed between Gaedia and Windpass Isles not 25 years ago, ending war with them! They have not violated a single clause of the treaty; there is no reason for war.” The lord gestured his jeweled hand in the air as he spoke to the king. "Your Highness, one must have consideration for such observations!"
The assembled Lords of various Gaedian lands ceased their attentive silence with low-level murmurs, as their opinions swayed in the direction of Lord Mornoc’s commentations.
Drewth watched as Lord Syndirin, with stately air in his mannerism and Arbiter-dress, replied through the murmuring, "The observations have been considered, Lord Mornoc. A new treaty of peace was proposed, which King of Windpass declined. They declined our offer for peace; they want no peace."
Lord Mornoc’s gray brow furrowed in a confined scowl, and he shook his head in disagreement. “My doubts have the better of me, Lord Syndirin. Bring forth the treaty for my review!”
"Yes, bring it forth!” agreed another Lord, Lord Agorent, of South Eastern Gaedia. He was known as a close friend of Lord Mornoc, and Lord Syndirin’s upper lip curled slightly in a sneer at Agorent's bias alliance. Lord Agorent was lands away, and indeed bore no grounds of experience to make such immediate judgment, rather than to lap like a hound upon Lord Mornoc’s feet. The King, dressed in shining red silk adorn with enchanted patterns of high protection, a jeweled, gold crown upon his frowning white brow, said nothing. He was contemplating; it seemed, staring off into nothingness. Lord Syndirin produced a tightly rolled scroll from from his robes. He unraveled it, and it was much longer than it appeared to have been. Drewth caught sight of its contents, seeing various signatures and letterings and symbols that made the document official. The document was handed to Drewth. He looked over the decrees of the treaty, and not wanting to exhibit possible doubt to Lord Syndirin's argument, passed it on to the next Lord. This Lord then examined its contents, frowned solemnly, and handed it to the next Lord.
When it got to Lord Mornoc, he clutched it on either side with jeweled hands, beginning a rather distinctly thorough examination.
With what seemed like an hour, the Lords at the table murmuring amongst each other restlessly, Lord Mornoc's discriminative eyes were at the bottom of the document, examining it’s final words repetitively, eyes moving left to right, left to right.
Drewth watched as Lord Mornoc's eyes reached the bottom of the page. Then they flashed to the top again, going down along either side of the document. He was probably verifying every seal and signature; probably even the ink, by how long he was taking. Finally, he glared very overtly at Syndirin, and stiffly passed the document to the next Lord, who took it and looked at it himself. More time passed, and soon, everyone present had seen the treaty, except the King. The treaty was placed in front of the King, who didn't show sign of knowing it was there, but still, contemplating, stared off in front of him, looking at no one. All present at the table waited in expectant silence, watching the King.
But instead, the King was remaining wordless, and Lord Syndirin spoke. "The document is genuine, there is no fallacy. The signatories and seals are valid!"
He looked around at each Lord, awaiting challenge. No one spoke, and he continued. "The treaty represents terms of peace. The terms of peace were turned down."
Again, he paused, and again no one spoke. "They are thus, by…considering observations."
Here he paused and eyed Lord Mornoc contemptuously, who shifted in his seat, "Possibly of uprise in action against us!"
To Drewth it felt as if the very air in the room was becoming hot, the looks on the faces of the present royalty were intense. The argument his Lord Syndirin had forwarded was war; only he had not specifically stated it yet. War was devastating to both sides, whether victorious or defeated. No Lord of Gaedia desired conflict; the repercussions would be too much in this time of prosperity. Lord Syndirin rose from his chair, and stood before the table, looking powerful in his deep blue Arbiter cloak. And then he stated, "The first move against a country is the most powerful move. We will move before Windpass does. We ourselves must take the initial action!"
Drewth looked around the great table top at the Lords, in there dignifying throne-like chairs, expecting uproar. The silence was so unexpected his ears began to ring, for no Lord uttered a word. Drewth saw them staring, not at Lord Syndirin, but at the King. To their further awe, the King seemed to take no notice of the conference, or even the surroundings, peering off into the distance, in deep thought.
Lord Syndirin cleared his throat, and in a tone much like a judge in a court of law, stated, "This conference is dismissed; next we meet one week from this day in further discussion. Your carriages await you outside." Doors swung open, servants streaming into the room. Two servants formed by each Lord's chair; one behind, one at the side. The first servant pulled the chair away as the Lord rose to his feet, and the second servant stood waiting to grant any further wish the Lord had. This formality was paid to each Lord at the table, the Arbiter, and Drewth, as well. Drewth was not used to royal treatment; he observed the other Lords responses to the servants' approach. He saw Lord Syndirin wave his servants away, and so following his example, "Be off", Drewth said disinterestingly to the servants before him, and they, after humble "as you wish, your highness” responses, instantly swept away from the area.
One by one the grandly robed Lords exited the great hall, to an atrium that ended with tall doors to the outside. He saw Lord Mornoc approaching Lord Syndirin, and he watched them confer.
"Syndirin," Lord Mornoc began in a quieted voice, in which Drewth could still observe blatantly overt distaste, "Tell me why you want to war with Windpass, a nation we are peaceful with."
Lord Syndirin's eyes twinkled in mock amusement. "Me want to war with Windpass? It is they who want to war with us. If you do not foresee this, if you do not interpret their response to the King's offerings of peace as malicious, warlike, then what do you see?"
"I see it as though someone is working silently and unnoticed against the will of the King and the good of the people; I see signs of a conspiracy."
Then he said, looking darkly into Lord Syndirin's eyes, voiced so that only he could hear, "And I see someone has wormed his way to the top and is overthrowing law and order through abuse of his power, for intentions, still unknown, yet most likely ill in principle."
Drewth interpreted Lord Mornoc's dislike of his
Lord Syndirin by his words, which despite any veil, bit.
A thin smile slowly formed on Syndirin's face, eyes again with that amused, mocking, and almost mischievous twinkle. He turned to the King, who was still sitting at the table, old head resting on a jeweled fist, pondering empty space, and said, "Oh, great King of Gaedia, what say you to this Lord Mornoc?" He took a couple steps to stand beside the seated King, turned to again face Lord Mornoc, and looking up at him, said, "The Lord Mornoc should go?"
For the first time that night, the King spoke - Drewth looked at him, as he never heard the King speak before - in his gravelly voice, still peering off into space, "The Lord Mornoc...should go." He said it slowly, seeming preoccupied with something else.
In response, the Lord Mornoc looked curiously at the King as if he too never heard him speak before, then after a moment's hesitation, bowed his head respectfully, and said, "Yes, your Highness, as you wish." He glared menacingly at Lord Syndirin for a brief second, turned away and walked straight out of the conference hall.
Syndirin looked contently and cunningly at the Lord Mornoc’s back as he departed his presence, and then stepped over to the King’s side, bent down, and whispered into the King’s ear. Still, the King seemed unresponsive. The King, still with an almost mindless disregard of the surroundings, gave no acknowledgement to Syndirin’s communication. Syndirin, as if not expecting any acknowledgement, and with no proper gestures of leaving Royalty’s presence, rose, eyes not on the King but on the halls far exit, and began toward it at a hurried pace.
Drewth caught up with him just as he crossed the exit portal's threshold. He walked along silent with his superior; the only sound their boots upon the broad span of polished marble floor. Drewth felt uneased with his superior so tensely silent, walking next to him.
It felt as if there was no more to say, but contrarily to the pending silence, Lord Syndirin spoke. "I have work for you, Drewth,” he pronounced, still looking ahead, not looking at Drewth, all the superior.
Drewth studied his stern profile as he walked by his side. "Anything, M'Lord!” Drewth answered. Then Syndirin turned slightly to eye him. He then returned his sights forward, Drewth looking at him still, looking to aid. But Syndirin said nothing, and remained without communications, through to the end of the grand atrium's span.
Drewth yielded to his Lord at the doorway, letting him go first. Without so much as a nod, Lord Syndirin walked through, and Drewth followed, to the outside night. They boarded their carriage—another servant holding an orb-torch, tending to the carriage's cab door, waved away with a "be off" from Drewth—and the carriage rumbled down the cobble road away from the royal hall and it's light.
Early next morning, inside a broad indoor training room, which Syndirin had ordered cleared out every day at that time of it's knight, archer, assassin and wizard occupants, stood Syndirin and Drewth, practicing magic combat. Both wore thin cotton wizards' robes: in magic training, especially combat magic training; robes are ruined from spell effects, so they wore not their good dress.
"Concentrate this time," Syndirin said impatiently, and he brandished his casting staff— again a simple wizards' wooden staff—so as not to ruin good casting staves. Drewth had been hit with a minor Dark spell, called Harm. He was still panting from the effect—a state not as bad as before—now that he learned to somewhat perform the Aversion spell. Syndirin's eyes flared slightly as he powered up for the next attack on Drewth. Drewth in turn concentrated, sending his own magic flow into his staff, a flow he had to carefully study to learn. Syndirin released his spell from the tip of his staff, now held out like a thrust spear, and what looked like a black blur flew at Drewth.
Drewth released his Light Elemental spell, holding his staff at an angle as if to guide the spell away. The staff was haloed in a white glow a moment before the Dark spell hit.
His arms jerked violently, and fell numb. He cried out as the staff slipped from his now inoperational hands, clattering dully on the ground.
Syndirin was looking at Drewth, spiteful inside. How his junior was poor in magic training! Yet the conducted tests and various studies he accomplished told him that Drewth was of great magic potential! "Pick up the staff," he said in forced calmness.
Drewth knew this tone as a tone not to neglect in Lord Syndirin, and seeking to obey, dropped to his knees, pawing at the staff with his numb hands. They started working again with a sharp pain, and the pain disappeared. He looked up at Syndirin and saw once again the staff held out spear-like, a soft white glow just dissipating from its end. He had cast a Light spell of Heal, upon Drewth, to restore him from the effect of the Harm spell. Drewth did not take the time to thank his master, but picked up his staff and quickly came to his feet.
"Again!” Syndirin stated pitilessly. Instantly he began charging his staff, and in an instant later the Harm spell flew at Drewth, who had already preformed the Aversion spell. Desperation had taken him, and in it, he managed to deploy the spell more powerful than normal. His staff lit up with a soft flash, and the Dark spell hit it with a small explosion.
The magic explosion threw Drewth off balance, and he staggered back and fell. Beads of sweat trickled down his face, as he waited for the pain. But it didn't come.
"Alas!” Syndirin half cheered, half sneered, "He accomplished this great feat!"
Drewth was abashed at the sarcasm, but responded only in silence, barely looking away from the floor to look upon Syndirin, an effort to confront him.
"Again!” Syndirin shouted again, the suppressed anger now seeping into his voice. Drewth felt resentful to him, so unappreciative, so seemingly uncaring. Returned anger began to burn in his mind, and he sprang to a stance and began the Aversion spell once again. He stared into Syndirin's flaring eyes as he generated the Light magic. His own staff produced a steady white glow that intensified just before the spell was cast. The Dark spell once again knocked against his staff, but was made ineffective by Drewth's magic. Drewth stumbled back but did not fall, peering at Syndirin, his temper rising.
"Again!” Syndirin shouted again, more anger in his voice. Drewth growled under his breath he concentrated his energies so hard. His staff glowed completely white; the places where his hands grasped were spheres of light. He saw Syndirin's eyes glance at Drewth's empowered staff momentarily, and threw his spell from his staff's end at Drewth.
Drewth swung at the spell with his staff glowing, and a brilliant flash ensued. He heard a yell of pain, and looked up to see his trainer on his knees, grasping his chest. Panting, Syndirin glared up at Drewth, and Drewth lost all anger in fear. Somehow he had reversed the Dark spell upon his master.
Yet something else was wrong. Drewth dropped his own staff from his shaking hands. His legs suddenly felt weak and cold, and his vision clouded up. "What's...happening…?" he sputtered, and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
"Stupid fool!", Syndirin spat angrily at the fallen Drewth. "You've over-exhausted your magic in your recklessness, and you deserved it." He clutched his staff, and weakly pushed himself to a stance, still suffering from the blow of his own returned attack spell.
Spitefully he pondered his new junior, as he crossed the training room to a table set with articles. He clutched up from the table a clear glass orb with a smoky center, whose center then dissipated leaving the orb empty, and Syndirin grew stronger. Dark magic was his Element, so the backfiring spell was easy to overcome, being his own Element, and the Dark regeneration orb helped. No longer weak or pained, his temper lessened slightly, and he started to think:
Darkened Light is eventuated from a Light Elemental’s changing into a Dark Elemental, or a Dark Elemental changing over to a Light Elemental. It involves a heavy overwhelm of his opposite Element to effect this – a heavy, voluntary involvement of the individual in that other Element. And it required much further influence to fully change the individual’s Element over fully, rather than resid
e in the Darkened Light stage. And when this is accomplished, his new converted Element is then beyond the normal capabilities of the Element’s common version: known as a Greater Dark, or a Greater Light.
Drewth was pitifully loyal, yet exceptionally potential in the Light Element. If he were to transform his Element from Light to Dark, his Greater Dark version would be superior - a powerful ally to Syndirin’s own Dark Element.
Yet with all of his influence of the Dark Element upon Drewth, he in some way withstood it.
Syndirin looked upon the prone, unconscious form of Drewth upon the ground. In his own irresolution he contemptuously stood his place, peeved, not aiding his fallen apprentice. Was it that Syndirin was ineffective, or was it possibly that Drewth was resisting?
But Syndirin’s dagger-sharp mind worked quickly to answer his own pondering question. Resisting – something was resisting the Dark Element, and it could only be the Light Element. Something was involving Drewth in the Light Element. Whatever it was, be it Drewth’s own will, it must be crushed.
Calmed at the conclusion, the plotful sorcerer grabbed another orb, milky white in its center – a Light Elemental - and walked toward his still unconscious junior.
XXXXX