:Now comes the test of strength, Rian said. He resisted the crushing, matching force with force. At the same time he watched for other forms of attack. Time slid by. The sorcerer’s attack grew steadily more powerful. Rian slowly increased the strength of his defense.

Abruptly, the crushing force eased.

Though Rian reacted quickly, a great wave of force rushed out from him. Trees shattered. The ruined house flew apart. Dust and rocks filled the air, obscuring all. Rian threw out a gentler magic, pushing the dust to the ground.

The sorcerer was gone. Casting about, Rian saw a huge black beast loping away, carrying a man. He sent a bolt of lightning toward it, but the energy skittered around the fleeing sorcerer and sank into the ground.

“Gods strike him,” Rian hissed as the man and beast disappeared into the trees. He sent a mental call to his Bearer. The mount was not far away.

:Take care, Juran warned. Follow him, but be wary. He is powerful, and a surprise attack could be deadly.

Auraya felt a chill run down her spine. Deadly to Rian? But surely nothing could harm him.

:Not as powerful as I, Rian replied, his thoughts dark with anger and determination. There will be no opportunity for ambush. I will not sleep or rest until I know he is dead.

Then his thoughts faded from Auraya’s senses. She opened her eyes. Dyara met her gaze.

“That was enlightening,” the woman said dryly. “We have not encountered an enemy this powerful for a long time.” Her eyes narrowed. “You look puzzled.”

“I am,” Auraya replied. “Is Rian in any danger?”

“No.”

“Then why did Juran warn him to watch for a surprise attack? Surely he cannot be killed.”

Dyara crossed her arms. “Only if he makes a foolish mistake—and he won’t. I taught him well.”

“So we’re not invulnerable. Or immortal.”

Dyara smiled. “Not exactly. Most would say we’re close enough to it. We do have limitations. One is access to magic. Remember what I taught you: when we draw in magic we use up some of what is around us. If we use a lot it becomes harder to draw in as the magic around us thins and we have to reach farther from our position to get to it. Magic will flow back into the place we have weakened, but it happens slowly. To gain a fresh, strong source we must move to a new position.

“It is rare for us to use that much magic,” Dyara continued. “But the most likely situation to cause us to is battle with another sorcerer—an exceptionally powerful sorcerer. The depletion of an area may cause you to weaken at an inopportune moment.” She paused and Auraya nodded to show she understood.