Joarn smiled to himself warmly. He leaned over the side of his bed and disengaged a quaint, leather object from the tight space between the headboard and the wall; a hiding place he had created by scooting his rickety bed a few centimeters forward. It was a book. The leather casing was wrinkly and appeared to have suffered many a spill of oil or candle wax, but the binding was sound and the papers, although yellowing like old teeth, were intact. It held no title, but in the lower left corner, a fine, slanted writing was carved into the old cover:
Possession of this Item is Unforgivable—It is Illegal to be Stronger than the King.
Joarn traced the words with his fingertips, sensing their silent laughter on his skin.
He opened to a random page carelessly. He had finished reading the book a while back, but had to await his pay, which came at the end of every month, till he could afford to get another. Therefore, he was to satisfy himself with what he had.
His hand fell on a critical page, and his eyes read:
…One must not be heedless in the Definition of Magic; for such things are not so aptly defined as folles and fools may think. Magic in its entirety holds no accurate Definition; it is the essence of life, but not essence in truth—rather—it is a more vibrant alibi to life; a clone with colors of higher saturation and vividness that no element of simple life as it may be can conjure or duplicate at so specific and immediate a time. Yet, however—Magic, being a form of pulsating and exaggerated life, cannot be accessed in any mode or matter without a form of Death in return—a price in open blood. Therefore, if Magic were to be given Definition, as human men are apt to desire (for man craves the naming of things), it would be said that Magic is a Paradox.
Joarn turned the pages at random, his eyes devouring the text like a pair of starving mouths. The candle poured over the elegant writing, but despite proximity the pages didn’t burn.
The Performance of Magic in any medium must be fueled by a sustained stream of human blood from a self-inflicted human wound or injury. At the precise moment in which this indicated wound is sealed through the natural formation of clots and scabs, the thread of Magic is severed and the Connection with the Deeper Energies of the Universe are cut short. Therefore, Magic, as well as being a Paradox in its own magnificence, is also a Betrayer. If one is felled in Battle he may not count on the usage of such Strange an Element in his Healing for Magic cannot close wounds, contrary to common lore. Magic will Kill a man who holds no great caution in his heart, and more so, a man in desperate Need.
The amount of blood needed for a Magical Action cannot be measured with the vials and flasks of learned mortal Men, which increases all the more the Dangers of its use. If one is weaving an elaborate spell and his or her injury seals upon itself, the incantation is lost. Moreover, in desperation, the conjurer may injure his or herself beyond repair, and fall into Unconsciousness or Death due to the alarming blood loss. In the general mode of things, smaller actions, such as the lighting of a candle or the breaking of a pot require little more than a mild slash upon the finger, whereas a more major Magical event, such as the constricting of another man’s throat for the purpose of asphyxiation or murder, requires a greater output of blood. This Phenomenon may appear illogical—for the breaking of a pot may sometimes prove more difficult than the suffocation of a child if performed physically, but Magic does not measure itself by physical or materialistic simplicity. The more altering and grave an action is, the more penance is required in Magic’s name, for the breaking of a pot holds no significance in comparison to the life of a human being.
Magic will surprise and astonish, for at times it proves more demanding of blood for certain tasks than it may appear the tasks require—this occurrence remains unexplained. Researchers in the matters of Magic have concluded with little finality that Magic, being interwoven with the forces of the Earth and Heavens, has greater knowledge than mortal men, and judges actions by their potentiality to alter Fate…
