14 The Stones of Arcory – Chapter Fourteen – Balance versus Empowerment

There had been sour tone to his voice at that intoxicated admission. One I well understood. Such thoughts had more than once haunted me as well since the heady days of the Council and the Collegiate's creation. While I remained a servant to the letter of our tenets as best I could be, there had been many times over the decades traveling across the kingdoms where I witnessed the price of standing back, allowing the various kinds of plague, pestilence, even war occur where, had I been given the authority to act at will, the results may have been less grave, and many who suffered and died would have been saved.

"There is a reason why The Vaeranshi recovered from the War so much earlier than our kingdoms managed to," Omar insisted, amongst the hour or so, he had openly praised Vaer tenets. "And why they thrive while the Thirteen still struggles."

Ah, the great philosophical divide between the alliance of the Thirteen Greater and Lesser Kingdoms and the Imperial Vaeranshi ways. Balance versus empowerment was often the way of describing the difference. But the truth and consequences are always more complicated. Certainly, the bonding of wizard and aristocrat had it merit and produced impressive wealth for the Empire of the South. But, of course, as a consequence, there were no shortage of horrors the Empire's less constrained use of magic had unleashed, which provided Council meat for their arguments against such relaxation of our Tenets. Besides, the Empire had but one ruler, and a strong one at that, not an often league of shifting alliances which stoked conflict where there could have been permanent and beneficial cooperation.

I did admit there was a part of me that felt, and for some time, Council had held us back in many crucial ways, and there are more than just Omar and myself who felt they should loosened the powers they compel us to withhold, such lands could be restored to their former purity. Say anything about the Vaer, they had not required artifacts such as Arcory's stones to restore their tainted lands.

It is said, often amongst Councilors, ultimately, the Empire will devour itself one day. That may well be its fate. But, I also had argued, could there not be a middle ground?

Omar seemed to have made his choice, a more Vaer way, in act, if not in true bonding.

"I have many responsibilities amongst my first order supplicants," Omar told me before bidding me good night. "And, established as they are, to take on such a time consuming, not to mention draining task. It's not I have no interest in helping those in need. What you taught me, I still hold dear. But life is more complicated for we who live beyond the walls of Council and Collegiate. I would be forced to slight those who depend on me most, to an unacceptable degree. And I cannot do that. I can never do that. You do understand."

Yet, I kept my response from my lips, you live in a land of riches. Few would be encouraged to slight those who rule in such a wealthy kingdom. And could I apportion blame for such an attitude? Was I a better man than Omar? Or a better wizard, to tell him he was wrong?