For that reason, among seers, those who see future in long, unbroken stretches are considered far more gifted than those to whom only quick flashes are revealed, as short, chaotic glimpses are much more prone to misinterpretation, if they can be deciphered at all.
Even rarer are seers who can view the same set of future events repeatedly, allow them to notice greater texture and details with each iteration. Such visions become the most unambiguous signposts along the otherwise unpredictably swerving road that is the forward progress of time.
—From When Will It Rain and How Much: Visions Both Luminous and Ordinary
20. IT IS difficult to predict how powerful a child elemental mage will become. A toddler elemental mageling who can shift the foundation of a house in a rage may be able to lift no more than a quarter-ton block of stone as an adult.
Sometimes the reverse is true. An elemental mage who can move no more than a quarter-ton block of stone under normal circumstances may very well manage to lift something twenty times heavier when his or her life depends on it.
—From The Lives and Deeds of Great Elemental Mages
21. THE WYVERN is the rare carnivore that consents to being domesticated. But wyverns born in captivity tend to be slower and less ferocious. This is fine for mages who wish to keep wyverns as pets, but unsatisfactory for mages who race wyverns or for those looking for a fierce guard dragon.
Wyverns born and raised in the wild and subsequently tamed are, therefore, far more desirable. It has become the established practice of stable masters to sneak eggs from their prized wyverns into the aeries of feral wyverns, then later track down the juvenile wyverns at a stage just short of maturity to tame and bring back into the fold.
—From The Dragon Watcher’s Field Guide
22. THE ESTABLISHMENT of a permanent no-vaulting zone requires a heavy initial investment of time—it cannot be hurried. The setting up of a temporary no-vaulting zone, however, requires not time, but labor.
A few friends on a camping trip can manage a temporary no-vaulting zone around their tent in about an hour. A few dozen friends can do the same for a small public park, to have themselves a party—provided they first secure the permits, of course. Armies, with their much larger number of mages on hand, have been known to turn small cities into temporary no-vaulting zones overnight.
—From The Art and Science of Magic: A Primer
23. THE GOLDEN age of elemental magic is generally considered to have ended nearly a millennium ago with the passing of Leopold Sidorov and Manami Kaneshiro, who spent their careers in a virulent rivalry and died in a duel that killed both, along with a number of unfortunate spectators.
Hundreds of years went by without the next truly great elemental mage coming along. It had become accepted wisdom that another one would never be witnessed when Hesperia the Magnificent came into her powers, one of the greatest among the great.
It rather gives us hope that we might yet see an immensely formidable elemental mage in our lifetime.
—From The Lives and Deeds of Great Elemental Mages
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Kristin Nelson, for the six drafts we went through together.
Donna Bray, for knowing the way to perfection. It’s a destination that one never reaches, but I had no doubt she set me on the right path.
Everyone at Balzer + Bray, for their incredible dedication and expertise.
Colin Anderson, for the smashing cover art.
Erin Fitzsimmons, for the genius art direction.
Janine Ballard, for the invaluable read.
Flannery Keenan, for her honest opinion.
Dr. Margaret Toscano, for the fantastic Latin spells.
Maili Ryan, for her peerless fact-checking skills.
Ivy Adams, for all the laughter.
My family, for giving me both the support and the space I need. A special thank-you to my firstborn, the most unwavering champion anyone could ask for—and a pretty darn good fanboy besides.
And if you are reading this, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.