"The problem," Thalso began, "is your understanding of the word 'stronger.'"
He folded his arms behind his back, tone calm but firm. "I've been to a place, strange, dead, where there was no mana in the air. None. The people there were the weakest I've ever seen. And yet, to a normal human raised in a mana-rich region, those same people would be considered strong."
Rauk nodded slowly, taking that in.
"Everyone is strong, until mana changes them," Thalso continued. "Then, they become something else."
Taria frowned. "What do you mean by mana changed us? People always say mana is a gift."
"Of course it changes us," Thalso said. "It enhances us. Makes us capable of things we would never have achieved otherwise. But not everyone undergoes the change. And of those who do, most barely grow stronger than an ordinary person."
He leaned forward slightly, armored plates groaning quietly with the motion.
