As Intellos resumed leading Bengrako down to the hidden chamber, specifically to see The Book of All, he was too focused upon his excitement to notice the depth of resistance within his friend. Had he not been so hasty and focused upon his friend’s enlightenment, he might have cast a simple revealing spell to make sure his friend was telling the truth of keeping an open mind. It would have revealed Bengrako's true motive, to delay for time. But such was not his focus and such was not his belief. So he continued to walk, unaware, into Bengrako's trap.
As they descended the stairs, passing the trigger point for the spell of concealment, Intellos was entirely too preoccupied to notice it was no longer active. Over the years, the spell's application was limited to those who did not bear the title and mantle of Grand Wizard. As such, for Intellos, there was no change and no reason to suspect subterfuge. As he stood in front of the blank wall with his superior, Bengrako played his role and asked, "Why do we linger here staring at the blankness of this wall?"
"You will see, my friend, and after which, I am quite certain you will believe." Bengrako felt Intellos draw upon his well of talent, still astonished at its magnitude, and invoked a spell of opening aimed at the location of the door. Bengrako had done the same, but he saw that Intellos's spell carried with it an intimate knowledge of each specific stone that was utilized in the formation of the door. This was a knowledge Bengrako did not possess, and therefore, would never have been able to open the door on his own.
"What is this place," he said with awe in his tone.
"This, Bengrako, is the sole responsibility of the Grand Wizard and has been so for as long as there has been an office of the Grand Wizard. The secrets and powers contained within have been guarded by my predecessor, and his predecessor before him, and his before him. You are the first Wizard outside of the esteemed Grand Wizard's lineage, to know of its existence and to enter its walls," the Grand Wizard spoke as he stepped aside for his friend to see.
The heavy set wizard was instantly struck by the power emanating from the chamber. Flooding his senses was a deluge of opportunities to increase his knowledge. Though he had not crossed into the room, he was still acutely aware of the nature of several of the artifacts. And he almost salivated at the thought of learning all of their secrets. But there would be time for that later. Clearly, Intellos was set in his altered ideals. He was truly set against the foundation they had collectively held as sacred for thousands of years. And now there was only one path to follow. He must, as must The Council, stand against this threat from within. But to do that, they had to stand together; for separate, they would prove no match for Intellos. Yes, his examination of these artifacts would have to wait. Now his concern was convincing Intellos to convene a special council to discuss this with the rest of its members. He hoped only that Esthinor was successful in his quest.
"Intellos, by knowledge, we must show this to the other council members without delay. Its magnificence is too great to hold in secret any longer," Bengrako hoped this would convince the Grand Wizard. And without delay, he turned and briskly walked up the stairs leaving his friend standing at the entrance way.
"Bengrako," Intellos followed after him, "Where are you going?"
Halfway up the stairs, he paused and waited a moment for Intellos to reach his own location. "I am going to wake the others and convene an emergency council. We cannot wait to show them what you have shown me. Its importance exceeds anything we have seen before, as does your revelation I am sure."
"Then I have your support?" said Intellos with a sigh of relief. "But you do not know the fullness of what I have to say."
"That matters not, my friend. What matters now is that you make your way to the council room and wait for me there. I will summon the rest of the council members and we will listen to our new direction as one," he said as he embraced his friend.
Intellos and Bengrako embraced shoulders with opposite, outstretched hands and met each other's gaze with a silent affirmation of each other's role; the Grand Wizard's to dictate, and his friend's to follow. And as the follower played his role by hurrying up the rest of the steps and vanishing around the corner, Intellos was thankful for the devotion of the heavy set wizard. He would have to make sure he properly showed his appreciation when the opportunity arose; however, he hoped Bengrako's patience would extend beyond a pre-determined expectation of time as he was quite sure the growing conflict would encompass the majority of their conscious occupation. As such, he put all thoughts of the future aside, in spite of the hope it inspired, and focused all of his attention on that which faced him now: The Council.
Surrounded by the walls he had called home for several lifetimes, and surrounded by the initiates who admired him much more than his current self-evaluation deemed appropriate, he could not help but feel alone. Yes, he had his friend's support, but when faced with charting new waters without evidence proving the world indeed had a circumference, a fear of falling off an unseen ledge produced his isolated feeling he suspected would have been present even if he was surrounded by all of the admiration in the whole of Avendia.
But, the more he concentrated upon his new mission, and in particular, its genesis, the more his feeling of aloneness diminished in the wake of the same peace he felt while in Lacorion's presence. There was no doubt, the Great Dragon King of reality was ever more so than the Gold Dragon of the children's fables. So much was His presence, that it still held sway over the Grand Wizard's consciousness miles removed in distance, and equally so in time. As he made the conscious decision to change his concentration, he felt the foreboding feeling of the unknown dissolve away. Replacing it was a confidence and renewed boldness. His strides extended and his posture elevated and swelled. He was the Grand Wizard. And he had found a truth greater than all knowledge of all times combined.
It was not long until he found himself standing before the great council chamber doors, poised to change Avendia for all time. His task would be difficult to say the least, and he would have to answer and endless amount of questions as well as endure an equally endless stream of accusations. Never before had anything even remotely like this been attempted. The only reference to a change of doctrine within the walls of the University and its Council was documented by the fourth Grand Wizard. Prior to his assertion, the Council held the belief that the elements of fire, earth, wind, and water were all created from separate substances with no connecting base structure linking them. However, through a rather accidental discovery, one of the initiates under the supervision of an acolyte in his final year was attempting to test which of the four elements was greater. Or rather, which element held sway over the another.
Their first experiments were conducted during the early morning hours, after the moon had yielded to the sun. But when their schedules were altered because of a shift in their seminar times, they found they had to conduct the last two of their experiments in the later hours of the evening, while the moon was fully visible. These last two experiments were meant to stand as repeatable confirmations for their results, but when their results were shifted but still supportive of their initial findings, they, as dutiful wizards, began to examine the reason for the shift. What they found was that if the experiments were conducted during the day as opposed to the night, there was a shift in the results that did not affect the relationship between the four individual elements, but rather, the group as a whole. Similar to how the wind will affect the accuracy of all of the arrows while it is blowing, but not the precision of the whole group of arrows. The initiate theorized that there must be an underlying, fifth element capable of affecting the commonality of the other four. From that theory, it was not long until The Council assumed responsibility for further testing and found that there indeed was a fifth element, ether. This ether seemed to connect all substances and even held sort of an authority over the others.
But this was quite another endeavor all together. What Intellos faced now would be similar to proving that there were no elements at al
l. In fact, all elements are nothing more than the singular expression of ether manifested under the direction of a divine plan; that, in fact, fire is the same as water and only assumes a physical difference because the design of life and creation deemed it necessary. And in doing so, all understanding of the physical world would have to be re-examined and redefined. Though it was not just the elements he was challenging, it was the knowledge of those elements. The knowledge of everything. He was going to challenge their identities. However, armed with the confidence of the Dragon King, he opened the door to enter the empty chamber and prepare his arguments for the arrival of the other council members.
Snapping his head up, he only half heard the voice, "Good evening, Grand Wizard. How do you fare?"
Looking around in surprise at the presence of a voice when he expected none, he was further stunned to find all twelve of the other members sitting in their respective seats. And finding Bengrako, he replied, "Bengrako! My friend! You were most effective at your task! How did you ever wake them all and assemble them in such a short amount of time."
Another voice spoke up, "He did not. I did."
It was not until the emergence of this second voice that he became aware of the singular variation of the traditional seating arrangement, "Bengrako, why are you sitting in my chair?"
"Am I? I had not realized this was indeed your chair. My apologies Grand Wizard," said the heavy wizard, although he did not move.
Intellos took three steps before he realized Bengrako's intent was not to vacate his chair, but to remain seated. "Esthinor, how was it you were able to assemble the council members?"
Looking up at the standing Grand Wizard, he answered, "Bengrako had bid my assistance in the matter."
Doing a few quick calculations, the Grand Wizard looked directly at Bengrako, "But that would mean you must have summoned them before even meeting me at the main entrance." His eyes shifted from his friend to each of the remaining eleven wizards. An ominous feeling began to grow as he saw all of them formally dressed in their enchanted robes, and each wielding their staffs, except for Esthinor, who sat calmly manipulating two of his jeweled rings in his hand. "Bengrako, why are you holding your staff?"
"Come now Grand Wizard, have you lost all of your impressive powers of observation?" he replied, lacing his words with a sarcastic taunt.
Before he could answer the taunt, another voice interrupted Intellos, "Must we continue this charade? The accusations set forth extend beyond the games you play, Bengrako."
"Accusations?" Intellos spoke in surprise. "What have I been accused of?"
It was Bengrako who spoke next, in a firm and solid voice, "Intellos, Grand Master of the University of Knowledge and Grand Wizard of the Council, you have been summoned here, before The Council, to answer the charge of Blasphemy. It is the responsibility of This Council, on this night, to determine the validity of the charge set against you. Furthermore, it has also been suggested that you no longer contain the appropriate convictions to hold the offices of Grand Wizard and High Wizard. How do you answer the charges set forth against you?"
"Bengrako, friend, you know these accusations are erroneous."
"Intellos, how do you answer these charges?"
The Grand Wizard was about to refute both charges when he heard a voice within him. A voice he had not heard for a very long time.
Do you remember when we first met, young wizard? Do you remember the first time my voice interrupted your thoughts? You were, as I recall, questioning my son.
Intellos stood silently. He did remember the first time, sitting across from the young boy years ago. Such was the impression the voice made upon him, he forever remembered its words.
Yes, I see that you do. But then why would you not? You are, after all, The Great Grand Wizard it said mockingly.
Is all this by your design? Intellos silently asked.
All things are by my design! stated the voice more firmly with a threatening edge.
But that is not true, is it? Intellos challenged. There is something greater than you, is there not? Something you cannot be. Something you cannot ever be.
What do you know, mortal? Intellos could begin to feel the aggression in the voice rise. He decided to continue pushing. Vaguely, he could hear his fellow High Council members speaking, and he could even sense himself answering, but this was a greater confrontation, one that required the totality of his focus.
What do I know? Nothing. I know nothing, but I believe all things.
What is belief except the adherence to a constructed mental process meant to ease the truth of your insignificant existence? You cannot know so you construct something to believe to ease the pain of your lives. The voice challenged
Pain? What is the pain of my existence? Intellos continued in his silent discourse.
Your pain extends from Him! You, mortals, seek and seek and seek to find something you can abandon yourselves within. You desire to be lost, because in being lost, you will have lost even that which hurts you. That which reminds you of the one cruel understanding you all keep hidden - you are not enough. So you gluttonize things in an attempt to avoid what you cannot face?
While Intellos was listening to the silent voice within his mind, he could not help to admit its truth. And for him, the Wizard had gluttonized knowledge. What is it that we cannot face?
That you were created to be abandoned. You were created by a God who left you, has forsaken you, to exist in his cruel creation, without guidance and protection. You were created for nothing more than this: to feel the awful sting of neglect
That is not the God I know answered the wizard with bold defiance.
Not the God you know? You see, even now you talk in circles to contradict yourself. You were right about one thing, Wizard. You do know nothing. Where is your belief now? Where is your God now? You are going to have everything taken from you and be forced to watch as He allows it all.
At the conclusion of the voice's last statement, Intellos was snapped back to his current conversation by Bengrako, "Intellos, it has been found, unanimously by The High Council that your intentions stand against the propagation, protection, and perseverance of knowledge. It has been found you no longer hold it as the sacred defining truth governing all truths. It has been determined that your expulsion from This Council and University is required based upon our findings. However, because of the severity of your crimes, it has been determined that the ritual of The Severing will be required to ensure you are no longer able to use your talent against the superiority and truth of knowledge. But, considering your substantial contribution over your long legacy, we, The Council, have created one possibility for clemency. You must peacefully submit to the authority of knowledge and denounce this new found faith in your God. Do you understand the decisions we have reached here today?"
"Understand? Yes, I understand the decisions you have made. I understand these decisions were perpetuated by your self-adherence to doctrines meant to promote yourselves and your own agenda. You build your importance upon knowledge as a truth, but you have failed to see that knowledge is open to the subjective eyes of interpretation. Though I do not blame nor harbor any animosity toward any of you. For, like you, I was once blinded by my own limited sight and need to be accepted and valued. Though, to have seen greater things, greater life, and come face to face with what I can only comprehend as God and the Man responsible for a love greater than any of our understandings, The Christ; I cannot deny that which was instilled within me as a hope born from nothing I have done, or could ever do, and everything that has been done for me. For that, and that alone, I will seek no clemency."
"Then it has been decided. The ritual of the Severing will begin now. Will you acquiesce quietly?" asked Bengrako.
"No."
Underlying the currents of betrayal growing more and more prominent with the passage of the scene, was a current of stillness and certainty providing the accused Wizard with the answers he required to
do what he must do next. From his encounter with Lacorion and the vision of the brilliant Man called to face the progression of the evil sludge across the land, his understanding of battles and wars was necessarily altered. He no longer saw the faces in front of him as the sole proprietors of their transgressions, but knew there was a deeper, more insidious power moving in the depth of mortal declination. As such, his actions were embolden and done without the shock produced hesitation one might have felt when betrayed by his best friend and removed from all he has achieved; so when the power lept to his command, it lept without remorse and without pause.
Unbeknownst to his inquisitors, Intellos began slowly collecting his impressive reserves of talent as soon as he was met by Bengrako on the great steps. When drawing upon it quickly, it was all but impossible to hide from other wizards. Even the most infant of initiates was able to at least detect a type of movement, even if its identity was undefinable. But if only the slightest current was allowed to flow and then gather, it was also near impossible to detect. And coupled with the apparent fact that Bengrako dismissed any indication of Intellos's suspicions of their subterfuge, he was sure his friend's errant focus would play to his advantage. From the moment when Intellos first saw his friend, there was a visage of something else linked to his friend's identifiable silhouette, a sort of shadow covering his magical signature. Faint and impossibly dim, it seemed to cover all of his actions. So hidden was it that perhaps even Bengrako himself was not aware of its presence, but regardless of his knowledge or lack thereof, Intellos knew he need be cautious. So he gathered and he waited for the scene to advance to its conclusion before allowing them entrance into this intent.
When it had come to its end, the crescendo of all previous details, his secret preparation had given him a mere fraction of a second head start to this race. But that is all he needed. After all, even without his title and all the authority it contained, he still had everything else, and it was glorious. As his last word dropped like a shooting star colliding with the ground below, all that was mortal shook as he grabbed the totality of his talent. He wielded it with the silent power and ability of the realm's greatest poets and artists, writing and painting masterfully designed complete works within the span of his breaths. He was Intellos, a force, a power; and he was left to rage.
Convergence (The Dragon Within Saga Book 1) Page 66
