Nascondersi muffled the sound of the iron-shod wheels as they found every stone and every hole on the sun beaten, rocky trail. He had long ago passed beyond the boundary of the maps that lay useless in the wagon. Humans could not live here now. He doubted if they ever had or ever could.

He breathed with a rhythm that helped him hone his mastery of magic and sorcery. A wizard who practiced both paths of power rarely survived long. Magic was by far the older, and in some cases, the easier method. With enough preparation, spells could be changed to meet almost any purpose. Spells, once unleashed, did not require further attention.

Though he would begin his attack with magic, his defense depended entirely upon sorcery. Sorcery was unlimited, at least in theory. That theory was soon to be tested. Sorcery’s only known constraint was the wizard’s ability to focus his will. Despite his arrogance, the wizard harbored doubts over his ability to keep his focus through the upcoming trial.

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