Sunday Excerpt, "Crucible"

Linvin closed his eyes and concentrated. He thought silently, Can you hear me?

The deep resounding voice from earlier had taken a softer tone. I am here, Master. Any time you are in contact with me I hear your thoughts.

Why do I not hear yours? Linvin inquired.

You hear me now, the Red Sapphire answered. Remember, you are my Master. It is not my place to tell you what to do unless you veer from your mandate. The rest of the time I merely follow your commands.

So you did not have a problem with the theft that I just committed? Linvin thought with surprise.

You were in a life and death situation with Miri. Anyone seeing you would have attacked you as an enemy. To take from one’s enemy to save a life is no crime. Had you stolen for material gain, I would have taken offense. You took only what was needed. I even helped you. It was I who implanted the idea in your mind to use my power to open the lock. I would not have done so if I thought your intentions to be unworthy.

I recall no message from you, Linvin thought. The idea just came into my mind.

Yes, Master, the Red Sapphire noted. It was I who gave you the idea. I knew you wanted to enter the building unnoticed and so I implanted the concept.

Then you can control my mind? Linvin asked in distress.

Not at all, Master. I can only give suggestions. Remember, I serve you. Once you have learned the full breadth of your power, you will need no advice from me.” Well then, Linvin thought. Tell me everything about you and how to use your power.

The expanse of knowledge you will receive may be too much for you to comprehend at one time. For that reason I will tell you what you need to know for now. I see from reading your mind that you have bits and pieces of history, which do not all fit into place. Let me start there.

What your Uncle said was true about the Maker giving too much magic to too few people. The world fell into chaos in its infancy. It was then the Maker crafted the Prism of the Cosmos. He used it to disperse magic into its various colors and among a variety of people. In order to prevent any one magician from becoming too powerful he made his or her bodies the channeling device for magic. That power we call magic is in nature all around us. To harness that power a magician must channel it through his body and release it from his hands. Doing so is very taxing of frail humanoid bodies. Thus, the more power the magician channels, the more fatigued he or she becomes. The limits of the magician’s mortality are the limits of their power. It is also the reason a magician with his hands bound is powerless. They cannot disperse the magic they channel without free use of their hands.