I suppose I am thinking of this as I have been working on a passage of magic usage today. Oh, that and working a pig into the script. Yes, a pig. I gather the Oxford University Press is banning all mention of all things porcine in case it offends anyone. The thought of Pigling Bland from the Tales of Beatrice Potter ever being on a banned list offends me greatly and inspires a sudden plethora of little piggies. But I digress.

Serious magic in a fantasy setting is not legerdemain and nor should it ever appear as such. Magic is an element and as such, must have an origin. What the origin is doesn’t really matter as long as it is well thought out and very plausible. In the case of Darkspire Reaches, which I mention as I am polishing the sequel, Serpent of the Shangrove, the magic is twofold as I have a creature of earth and water and one of fire and air. Now for the later there is incredible energy put into the making of jewel stones. What if these could be used as a source of fuel? Fire and air would be a perfect match. Water and earth are a lot easier with the raw power of nature. Consider the energy of a waterfall, or the power of a tree root splitting rock. So there it is. One answer. Now I wonder if I can justify a flying piggy? Probably not.