Gathering of the Titans: The Tol Chronicles Book 2 (43 page)

What impetus would The Slice have for providing these magic mentors? The Slice, at least as current research would suggest, is almost as long as the universe itself, wrapping around the physical structures in chaotic patterns undetectable by any current astronomical instruments. Nevertheless, it has mass and contributes to the overall mass of the cosmos as what some call “dark matter,” although The Slice itself constitutes only a small percentage of that phenomenon. It has been conjectured that other as-yet-to-be-discovered overlapping dimensions containing energies totally unlike any known to N’plorkian scholars may account for the balance of this unseen mass.

The Slice itself is a vast regenerative organism, the largest living structure in the universe so far discovered. It generates manna on an almost incomprehensible scale and this magical energy pools into vast reservoirs that at length begin to destabilize the structural fabric of The Slice itself. In order to keep the manna accumulations down, it must be siphoned off somehow. The most expeditious means of accomplishing this seems to be creating colonies of mages on nearby planets who act as ‘relief valves’ when they draw manna for magical use. N’plork rests in a dense pocket of The Slice and so is an ideal candidate for providing such an outlet.

Another fact that lends credence to the arcanelemental theory is that the historical record and physical evidence supports the assertion that they went ‘extinct’ less than a centum (perhaps even within a few years) after the last Speculum was set in place. It could well be that, their mission over, they simply returned to their native habitat.

It is hoped that one day sufficient hard evidence will be uncovered to solve the mystery of the arcanelementals once and for all and fill the gaps in our understanding of the origins of the force we call magic. That day, when it comes, will represent a significant intellectual milestone for all the races of N’plork.