Gemworld by Jeremy Bullard

eagle. Both beasts are powerful in their own right, but they are two very different animals.
    “It is much the same with the six Tiles. Each Tile, or division of gemstone magic, is absolute master in its element, but they are as different as... well, as fire and water.” The others snickered, as if at some obscure pun, but Sal missed it completely.
    “Let me put it another way,” Jaren continued. “Emerald magic, the magic that I wield, is Life magic. It is based on, and affects, vitality and decay. We heal, grow, poison, rot—whatever can be done within the boundaries of Life.
    “Granite magic, on the other hand, is based on patterns of strength and weakness, affecting that which is Matter. Rock, dust, metal—these are the realm of the granite soulgem.
    “A mage’s magical alignment often has an effect on his personality. As such, emeralds tend to be abstract and compassionate, where granites tend toward logic. Emeralds use their magic to benefit others. Granites use theirs with regard to the ‘greater good’, without thought to the individual.”
    Sal let all this sink in for a moment. Seemed pretty cut and dry to him. “So a lot of granites go evil then?”
    “I wouldn’t say ‘evil’, exactly,” Jaren said, his face drawing up as he searched for the right words. “Granites are no more inherently evil than emeralds are good. They just tend to have different values.”
    Sal stared blankly at Jaren, missing the connection. Jaren tried a different approach.
    “Due to our gemstone eyes, mage vision differs from human vision. First, we have primary vision, or normal vision. It is similar to your own vision, but tinged the color of the mage’s soulgem—green in my case. Secondary vision is suited to the powers of the gem the mage is attuned to. Emeralds are attuned to health, so emerald mages are able to see the health or decay of a creature or object. Ruby mages likewise see in terms of heat, sapphires stress, and amethysts energy.
    “Granite, on the other hand, is more of a rock than an actual gem. Light cannot pierce it, so a granite mage has no primary vision. They must rely solely on their secondary vision, seeing only in terms of the strength or weakness of matter. As such, they have no relief from their magic, no opportunity to set their magic aside and just be normal for a time. They tend to be solitary, bleak. The world holds no beauty for them. Thus, their singularity of vision leads almost all to embrace logic, practicality. In doing so, they see that the Highest holds sway in the land, and has for millennia. Logic dictates that he will continue in power for millennia to come. So to answer your question... yes, they are in large part misguided, but evil?” Jaren sighed. “That is ultimately up to the Crafter to decide.”
    Sal was silent for a moment, considering. “That helps a little, but it still doesn’t tell me what a granite mage was doing in my world.”
    Jaren shrugged, at a loss.
    “I’ll tell you one thing, mate,” Retzu chimed in. “Whatever it was, he was up to no good. And I dare say that if you saw such a logical creature ‘twist his face in hatred’, you’ve earned yourself a foe at least as dangerous as any you’ll ever meet.”
    Sal couldn’t help but shiver at the prospect.
    “I must say, though,” Reit said, stroking his goatee thoughtfully. “Whatever happened before you were dropped off to rot in our cell, you must have been a force to be reckoned with. You survived.”
    ***
    About the middle of the next afternoon, they crested a high ridge. From that venue, Sal saw their destination at the foot of the hill.
    Caravan, as Reit called it, was a smallish village with a population just shy of a thousand. Sal doubted it would take more than a half hour to walk the village’s perimeter. But what it lacked in size, Caravan made up for in versatility.
    Aptly named, Caravan seemed able to pack up and move on a moment’s notice. Blacksmiths, leather crafters,