The Jade Mage: The Becoming: Volume 1 by William D. Latoria

the components themselves had a regenerative or concentrated quality to them and therefore, renewed the power inside the enchantment over time. The fortification spell, for example, had dragon eyes as one of the components.
    Dragons weren’t overly intelligent creatures, no more than a dog or an ape. However, their natural ability with magic, and the fact that they sustained themselves with magic as well as with regular food (Much in the same way humans had to eat food and drink water to sustain their existance) made a dragon’s body parts excellent for enchaments, as well as many other facets of magic. Legends say that dragons were the original children of the Gods, and therefore were magic. There was no such thing as a permanent enchantment, in the truest sense of the word; however, the concentration of magic in the component, provided enough power to keep the enchantment functioning for hundreds of years. Only the very oldest of the elves could ever hope to see a “permanent” enchantment wear off. The eyes Isidor had bought for Tartum’s staff cost him half of his fortune. There was no way Tartum had had access to anything like that.
    It struck Isidor as odd, that the gold was glowing with such a dull light. He remembered the flash during their battle. The light that came from it had been far more intense. He was surprised it hadn’t blinded him permanently. A thought occured to him then.
    “Say the word louder Tartum.” he said.
    “LIGHT!” Tartum said, loudly.
    The gold flared. The pull on Tartum’s magic was increased tenfold, and it staggered him. He wasn’t ready for it and almost shut off his connection to the source. Refocusing his will, Tartum held on. The gold was brillant. Brighter than any torch in the world, the light filled the wagon. It banished the shadows and turned darkness into day. It wasn’t as intense as during the battle with Isidor, but it was impressive none the less.
    “Ok, ok! That’s enough, Tartum. Put it out!” Isidor said holding his arms up in front of his eyes. The memory of the temporary blindness was still too fresh in his memory to make this a comfortable experiance.
    “Dark.” Tartum said, and the light went out. The pull on Tartum’s magic ceased, but it had taken its toll on him. Wearily, Tartum sat down.
    “Incredible. Your staff uses you for its power. Or rather, it uses the magic flowing through you to power it. It’s, it’s, it’s...well, I don’t know what it is. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I never would have thought it was possible, if I hadn’t just seen it with my own eyes!” Isidor said more to himself than to Tartum.
    Isidor had no reference for this kind of magic. He didn’t know if it was safe or if it was dangerous. He assumed the latter, because it was siphoning the magic out of the user. In a real battle, where you need all the magic you can muster, it could very easily get you killed.
    “You must be careful with that enchantment, Tartum. Use it only when you need too. I don’t know how long it will last; it could last forever, or it could last another five seconds. I really don’t know. I think it’s permanent, as long as it has a source of magic to draw from. I can’t say for sure. If it works like I think it does the louder you say “ Light ” the more intense the gold with shine. However, the drain on your magic will also be greater. I’d be careful to control the intensity of how you say that word, when envoking the enchantment. As I’m sure you noticed, the draining can be quite debilitating.” Isidor said. He was worried about this magic getting Tartum killed.
    Tartum was pleased with the analysis. His staff was now more powerful, and it was thanks to him. He could tell by his master’s face, it had him perplexed and the knowledge gave him an odd sense of pride. He began to feel like he was becoming his master’s equal. He was also beginning to feel like the drain from the enchantment wasn’t bothering him as