A round table before them, the leaders of the rebels of the Forsaken Land sat across from one another, discussing the fate of their newest subordinate.
"A wizard might be a good addition to our cause, but not one who practices dark magic." His brown hair a bit lighter due to the presence of the sun, Tramr turned the face of the card in front of him downward, signifying his choice of stopping Vlad from practicing dark magic.
Before any more leaders could give their opinions, Hayteyr interjected, making a case for how important a necessary evil could be to the rebels.
"I understand your fears and worries concerning Vlad and his practice of dark magic. But have you ever thought of what he could do for us with his knowledge of dark magic and his willingness to make use of it? With the addition of Vlad's dark magic, we won't be easily predicted, giving us an advantage in our future endeavors."
Looking at the faces around the table, she lingered for a while on the leading voice of the rebels, Haziwr, her mother.
"What about the dangers associated with dark magic? How do we cope with that?" Not dismissing her daughter's words, Haziwr asked a question.
Turning toward Hayteyr, Tramr and U'tak waited to hear what solution she would provide.
"We all know the most dangerous aspect of dark magic is the attack of the mind—an attack aimed to break the mind and unleash the Defiled lurking in wait." Hayteyr wrote down all she said, aiding her brain in arranging her words. "From the report of those who spectated the spar between Vlad and Zayxehr, it seems that wasn't the first time Vlad made use of that spell, hinting at his powerful mind, or at least a mind more powerful than those who practiced dark magic previously in the camp."
Although nodding at Hayteyr's words, U'tak wasn't entirely convinced. His bald head glittered in the sun as he raised an argument. "Your viewpoint is indeed rational, but that alone isn't enough to offset the dangers of corruption. What concrete solution can you provide to assist Vlad in resisting corruption?"
"I have a spell that can resist corruption for a while, giving one a little bit of time to regain control of their mind." Hayteyr divulged, putting a contemplative expression on the faces of the leaders present.
I haven't seen or heard of such a spell, Tramr thought, suspecting Hayteyr of receiving a brand new spell from the Will of the Realm. But he still couldn't quite believe it, as the Will of the Realm hardly interfered with the humans living in it. Its major purpose was to direct the way magic is used, how nature interacts with the creatures living in it, and to protect itself from the…
Although dark magic practitioners could bypass the limits it placed, they had corruption to face as a consequence of their actions.
Not one to beat around the bush, U'tak inquired of Hayteyr, "How were you able to get the Will of the Realm to reveal such a spell to you?"
"I have no idea, same as everyone who has ever received a spell from the Will of the Realm. It just happened." Holding nothing back, Hayteyr revealed, just a bit annoyed at how direct U'tak had come at her.
They still think I was only able to get to where I am because of my mother. She glanced at Tramr, seeing the same expression U'tak had, an expression of superiority and authority.
"The Will of the Realm never does things without a purpose. History has shown that to be true. A change is coming, one that even the Will of the Realm is making preparations for. We must also make our preparations in order to ensure our survival. Reveal the spell to Vlad. He should decipher the incantations to be used." Speaking out, Haziwr finalized the discussion, concluding the meeting to decide Vlad's fate.
..
"Zayxehr, what are you doing here?" Returning from the meeting to decide Vlad's fate, Hayteyr saw her friend pacing around in front of her tent.
"You're finally back. I've been waiting for a while now." Hearing Hayteyr's voice, Zayxehr stopped pacing.
"I need to tell you something," she said, sounding urgent.
"Slow down. Let's get inside." Placing her hand on the door of her tent, Hayteyr deactivated the defensive magic on it, a courtesy of the disciplinary section of the rebels.
Following along as Hayteyr entered her tent, Zayxehr sat on her favorite seat while waiting for her friend to quench her thirst. Coming back from the kitchen, Hayteyr moved Zayxehr's legs away from the couch before taking a seat.
"Was that necessary?" Moping at Hayteyr's action, Zayxehr placed her legs on the table in front of the couch.
"Are you going to tell me what's so urgent that you, of all people, would wait for me to return?" Not responding to Zayxehr, Hayteyr asked a question of her own.
"It's regarding Vlad. You must have heard about our duel and how it went down." Zayxehr began the conversation, directing Hayteyr's mind to her duel with Vlad.
"I heard about it. You lost to him." Hayteyr grinned, annoying Zayxehr.
"I lost to dark magic." Dropping her legs from the table, Zayxehr refuted, associating Vlad's victory with dark magic.
"Dark magic used by Vlad." Not backing down, Hayteyr continued to annoy Zayxehr.
"Using dark magic is cheating, and you know it." Pointing at Hayteyr, Zayxehr complained. She couldn't accept her loss against Vlad, especially when she thought their abilities were tied.
"Fine. What is it about Vlad you wish to tell me?" Shaking her head, Hayteyr chuckled at Zayxehr's angry expression. She knew how rare it was to annoy Zayxehr, compared to how much Zayxehr usually annoyed her.
"I can't continue the task of trying to find out what Vlad is hiding, not after knowing he's practicing dark magic." Looking at Hayteyr, Zayxehr expressed her desire to back down from the mission they had devised.
"You were the one who agreed to get close to Vlad and spy on him after I told you he was hiding something important, remember?" Hayteyr reminded Zayxehr of her decision.
"I know, alright. But that was before I knew he was practicing dark magic. From past records, it's shown that those who are close to dark magic practitioners end up worse than the practitioners themselves. I don't want to end up like that."
Unwilling to be among the examples of the consequences of dark magic that would be told to future generations, Zayxehr revealed her reason for backing down.
"What if I tell you that there's a way for Vlad to resist the corruption of dark magic? Would you still withdraw from continuing the task?" Offering a glimpse of a rosy outcome, Hayteyr asked.
"A chance to discover the secrets of that liar… I would definitely not withdraw." Surprisingly still spiteful toward Vlad, Zayxehr couldn't wait to prove his intentions wrong.
"That's good to hear, because there is indeed a way for Vlad to resist the corruption of dark magic." Hayteyr disclosed, watching Zayxehr's expression change into one of shock.
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