Flash Fiction February 2025 Day Sixteen: Knowledge Is Power (Valan)

A/N: You know things are bad when you'd rather willingly spend time with Neloth than anybody else...

 Flash Fiction February 2025 Day 16 Prompt: Power

Knowledge is power and with great power comes great responsibility, and a lot of council meetings apparently. I can understand why Fyr refuses to be on the council. These weekly gatherings of the councilors or in many cases the appointed representatives of the councilors who refuse to appear for such meetings in person are incredibly boring. Why can’t I send someone in my place? I make a note of it to ask Ayron about later and in the meantime continue to sit through the arguing mostly about petty power struggles and increasing Imperial presence on the island, even though there is practically none in this region. If I remember correctly any members of the Imperial legion from the forts, like the one near Balmora, are forbidden from entering territory held by the Telvanni. Great House sovereignty and all that, parts of the complicated political matters that are included in the treaty that allowed trade with the rest of the provinces. While distracted thinking about other things the conversation in the room moves on to other matters that need discussing. It’s not until someone calls my name that I bolt upright paying attention once more. I’m informed of what the discussion is now, and I’m not thrilled it involves me. They are wondering about the whole prophecy and any special powers associated with that based on the things I’ve been up to lately, like the ring that kills anyone except for Nerevar that currently is worn on my right hand, very obviously not killing me. I answer that I’m still working on figuring things out, there isn’t a whole lot of easily accessible material on the subject, most of what I find is thanks to Ayron and Fyr translating documents or conversations with the Ashlander tribes. I’m then told to find out as much as I can and given more responsibilities within the House itself, as I will eventually need to talk to Gothren about the potential to be named as the ceremonial leader, a conversation I’m dreading greatly. Why can’t I spend my days looking into potentially dangerous areas of forbidden knowledge with Neloth? I don’t want to be a leader! I want to hunt down interesting artifacts with interesting characteristics and gain power from forbidden knowledge like the other wizards I know! Grumbling to myself I agree to do what I can and with that the meeting adjourns for the day to reconvene at a date to be announced. Tired and rather grumpy I trudge through the rain to Tel Naga, the closest place worth going. Neloth of course is grumpy too when I eventually find him on the top floor of the tower, but he’s at least entertaining, much more so than the council. I’m tired of fighting for power, and council meetings, and fifty seven other responsibilities and things to take care of. I just want to sleep.