The Bonding (The Song and the Rhythm) by Brian C. Hager

they have different rules? Good. Well, just as the people in your world were given gifts and permission for technological advancement, some people in ours are born with the ability to manipulate certain forces. This ability is also a gift from the Great God. Technology, you see, is forbidden to us, just as magic is forbidden to you. This is why you had to leave behind everything unique to your world. Any item of a technological nature would have violated the Great God’s decree and upset the Balance he instilled in this world, in the same way any spell someone from this world cast in yours would do the same. People, though, seem able to cross relatively freely. I am guessing this is so because, at our deepest core, all of us are made in the same image.
    “There are forces in your world that could be called magical, but the Great God declared you were not permitted to manipulate them. The Great God imbued all things with a kind of internal energy, and with the proper talents and training a person can make use of that energy. Whether it be for healing, communication, experimentation, offense, defense, or any common function, this energy can be employed to enhance that task. It is this energy, and the manipulation of it, that has come to be known as magic.
    “All magic derives from a source, and some sources are stronger than others. The root of all sources is the Great God, and He allows His creations to do with their gifts of magic what they will, even if it means they turn to His enemies for power. But no matter the strength of the source, the power of a spell is determined by the person casting it. The more power involved in the spell, the more training and experience it takes to handle it. The less power involved, the less draining it is on the magician. For example, if a first-year apprentice were to attempt to give his enemies a heart attack, as I did, he would most likely die. That spell is a powerful one and can only be used by someone who has been a mage for a long time. For an apprentice or inexperienced wizard to attempt such a thing would be foolhardy at best. He would be draining his internal energy capacity too greatly, and that can cause loss of all magical ability, or even death.
    “On the other hand, if an experienced mage were to cast a spell to make fire, one of the simplest of spells, then he could do it with almost no drain on his energy. He would still be able to cast a number of stronger spells without danger of harming himself. The more familiar a spell is, the easier it is to cast, and the less energy it uses. A more powerful and complicated spell can take days, weeks, months, or even years of preparation before the mage is ready and able to wield it. If he tries too soon, he may fail and never be able to perform even the simplest of magics. Magic is a useful tool, but only if used properly.
    “But that is the same with anything. Even your sword. If you don’t train to use it properly, you can injure or even kill yourself. Correct? If an apprentice smith tries to forge a weapon without first learning the proper tempering procedures, he will not only fail but will risk great injury. So you must be properly trained to do something before you attempt it, including the use of magic.”
    Merdel shifted on his seat. “Although most magicians are born with the ability, many come to use it through study and training alone. They are typically weaker than those born with magic, but they tend to have more control over it. Inherent magic is more taxing on the body, but it is much more powerful, although not as powerful as some forms of external magic. Nature, for example, has tremendous power. If you can learn to tap it correctly, you can do almost anything. There are certain types of creatures that exist only through magic, and their power can also be used. Life itself has magic, as does death. This does not make it inherently evil. It is, after all, a creation of the Great God, and all things made by Him