could not animate sand giants right now anymore than I could fly."
"I'm not saying their use of sand giants will solve our problem. I'm saying it proves that I might know just a little more about this than you."
"I sincerely doubt that's the case. Your magic might have focused solely on the land, but my control extended over all the hues, including your crimson magic. I do not see how the algors' use of sand giants would lead you to some insight I do not have."
"That's just it. Your control over things like air and light make you look at things differently. This isn't a matter of wrong or right. It's a matter of opinion."
"Opinions have little to do with facts, and the fact of the matter is that you and I have lost our cores. Without one, we can no longer utilize magic in the manner which you hope to achieve."
Neltus would not relent.
"And I still say that's a matter of opinion, and opinions are formed on experience. That's why the algors are important. When they create sand giants, they don't just cast a spell. They have to collect the magic first. They pull it from their surroundings because it's not within them. Just like us, they can't store the magic."
"And that's where your reasoning fails. Algors may not be able to store magic, but they still have a core. Their core is just porous. The magic slips through over time, but they still have the ability to absorb and capture the energy, even if it is only for a limited time. That is how they differ from us, but it's a great difference indeed."
"But maybe we can still learn from them. They are able to pull vast flows of magic from the land. Their concentration may be a key."
"I understand their abilities far better than you think. Concentration is not a relative variable. Do you honestly believe their focus is greater than mine?"
"Not greater... different. No one denies your ability. You could cast the most complex and devastating spells in all the land, but you never faced the limitations the algors had to face since the beginning of their very existence. Your core was an ocean of magical power. You could store amounts unthinkable to the average spell caster, and you could store it almost indefinitely. The algors never had that luxury. They had to use it immediately or it would be lost to them."
"And that is exactly what I have said. The issue is not only storage, it is also collection. My core was vast, and when the need arose, I could create a flow of magic far beyond what any algor could muster."
"But you placed that flow directly in your core."
"And so do the algors. Their application is no different than mine."
"Yes, it is. It has to be. Look at it this way... we viewed the magic like gold. We could hold it in our pockets until we needed it. They view the magic like air. They don't store it. When they need more, they breathe it in in larger quantities, like me after I run."
There were others in the study, individuals still capable of utilizing the magical energy. Jure, a wizard proficient in casting white magic in a perfect circle, had listened attentively to the ongoing discussion.
While Jure did not have Enin's insight into many facets of magical energy, he hoped to grow his own powers through expanding his understanding of more complex concepts. He might not have enjoyed Neltus' company, but he could not deny an interest in the discussion. While Jure believed Enin was absolutely correct in his assertions, he noticed a small divergence between the two viewpoints. He attempted to bring the two opposing considerations together, place them on a similar plane.
"Differing views of magic shouldn't alter basic characteristics," Jure offered. "Whether it's looked upon as gold or air, the magic remains the same. I mean, I can see how certain factors can affect qualities such as spell strength and duration, but is that really the issue here? I see this as a consideration of the base qualities in the energy itself. Even if there are other variables, certain
"I'm not saying their use of sand giants will solve our problem. I'm saying it proves that I might know just a little more about this than you."
"I sincerely doubt that's the case. Your magic might have focused solely on the land, but my control extended over all the hues, including your crimson magic. I do not see how the algors' use of sand giants would lead you to some insight I do not have."
"That's just it. Your control over things like air and light make you look at things differently. This isn't a matter of wrong or right. It's a matter of opinion."
"Opinions have little to do with facts, and the fact of the matter is that you and I have lost our cores. Without one, we can no longer utilize magic in the manner which you hope to achieve."
Neltus would not relent.
"And I still say that's a matter of opinion, and opinions are formed on experience. That's why the algors are important. When they create sand giants, they don't just cast a spell. They have to collect the magic first. They pull it from their surroundings because it's not within them. Just like us, they can't store the magic."
"And that's where your reasoning fails. Algors may not be able to store magic, but they still have a core. Their core is just porous. The magic slips through over time, but they still have the ability to absorb and capture the energy, even if it is only for a limited time. That is how they differ from us, but it's a great difference indeed."
"But maybe we can still learn from them. They are able to pull vast flows of magic from the land. Their concentration may be a key."
"I understand their abilities far better than you think. Concentration is not a relative variable. Do you honestly believe their focus is greater than mine?"
"Not greater... different. No one denies your ability. You could cast the most complex and devastating spells in all the land, but you never faced the limitations the algors had to face since the beginning of their very existence. Your core was an ocean of magical power. You could store amounts unthinkable to the average spell caster, and you could store it almost indefinitely. The algors never had that luxury. They had to use it immediately or it would be lost to them."
"And that is exactly what I have said. The issue is not only storage, it is also collection. My core was vast, and when the need arose, I could create a flow of magic far beyond what any algor could muster."
"But you placed that flow directly in your core."
"And so do the algors. Their application is no different than mine."
"Yes, it is. It has to be. Look at it this way... we viewed the magic like gold. We could hold it in our pockets until we needed it. They view the magic like air. They don't store it. When they need more, they breathe it in in larger quantities, like me after I run."
There were others in the study, individuals still capable of utilizing the magical energy. Jure, a wizard proficient in casting white magic in a perfect circle, had listened attentively to the ongoing discussion.
While Jure did not have Enin's insight into many facets of magical energy, he hoped to grow his own powers through expanding his understanding of more complex concepts. He might not have enjoyed Neltus' company, but he could not deny an interest in the discussion. While Jure believed Enin was absolutely correct in his assertions, he noticed a small divergence between the two viewpoints. He attempted to bring the two opposing considerations together, place them on a similar plane.
"Differing views of magic shouldn't alter basic characteristics," Jure offered. "Whether it's looked upon as gold or air, the magic remains the same. I mean, I can see how certain factors can affect qualities such as spell strength and duration, but is that really the issue here? I see this as a consideration of the base qualities in the energy itself. Even if there are other variables, certain
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