"But I have. I've proven that I can defeat your shield. I wanted you to cast that spell of yours. I think it's why I trapped the elves the way I did. I wanted to put that thought in your head."
"You also wanted to bring me here," Holli added.
"Absolutely," Ansas admitted. "My banishment to this place was your demand, and I agreed to it based on the circumstances of a single battle. You had defeated me and offered me a choice… accept banishment or die. While I might have stayed here based on that choice, the banishment existed only as long as my defeat remained clear. That is no longer the case. Now, I have beaten you."
"Beaten us?" Jure objected. "You countered one simple spell."
"I have done more than that. I have illustrated how I can overcome any hue. That was the purpose of this encounter."
Holli cast a doubtful glance upon the sorcerer.
"You abducted an entire elf camp simply to prove you learned a new application of your magic? I find that difficult to believe."
"Why are all of you so narrow minded? I abducted the camp to bring you here. I could destroy you at will. Despite what this old man believes, he is no longer a match for me. I think you know that, but I choose to do for you what you once did for me. Return to your land. We are even, elf witch, and any agreements forced upon me are now irrelevant. I go where I want, when I want."
"What if I'm not done with you?" Jure intervened.
"You would be a greater challenge than the elf witch, but you are still at my mercy, especially here. As far as you being able to tap into pools of energy, you have no idea of what I can do. You were smart enough to notice the instability inside the dome barrier, but were you aware that I could teleport in and out of the barrier with ease?"
"It was your spell. Why wouldn't you be able to manipulate it?"
"Idiot. It has nothing to do with the barrier's origin. It has everything to do with my control of ebony magic. Teleportation is the very essence of alteration. Although any hue can cast the spell, it is black energy that is best suited for shifting space, and I am the master of that magic. I can reach across and through dimensions. I have found ebony energy that is more pure than I have ever seen. It is darker than even that which exists in this realm. It comes from a place where there is no light, none at all."
"Good for you. Seems to me I'm still standing in front of you. You wanted me here to prove something. I don't think you've proved anything."
"I've already explained why I wanted you here," Ansas sighed. "I have vindicated myself. Whether I stay in this realm or not is now my concern. The banishment I vowed to accept is no longer relevant."
"That is all you wanted?" Holli questioned. "You would let us leave?"
"I have no further need of you."
With that said, Ansas turned and walked away.
"He's just turning his back on us, like we're not here," Jure exclaimed.
The entire altercation defied reason. There was no grand battle, no cataclysmic spell, no spent and exhausted magic caster unable to continue and forced to concede. Jure knew he had not been defeated, and yet the conceited sorcerer turned his back as if the elder wizard did not even exist.
Holli also expected more, but she wondered if it might have been their good fortune that the sorcerer decided to limit the confrontation.
"Should I let him go?" Jure asked.
Holli watched Ansas' back as the sorcerer slowly marched away. He was not innocent, not by any measure. He had abducted elves and made it clear he discarded his self-imposed banishment. None of it sat well with her, and allowing such a dangerous sorcerer to simply walk away bothered her beyond measure.
There were, however, certain measures of success she could not ignore. They had found the elves and freed them. All of them could return to Dark Spruce. Rather than press for further conflict, she decided to accept the uncertain outcome.
"This is not the time for a battle with him. We have achieved our ends. The elves are safe."
"And he is free to return to Uton," Jure noted as he nodded toward Ansas.
"The only thing that kept him here was his own word. He could have broken that at any time. We need…"
Before she could say any more, Holli caught a glimpse of an unexpected commotion down near the portal. Her elf guard instincts took over and she turned to face the disturbance. A single elf refused to enter the rift. Rather than return home, the elf in question rushed away from the gateway and toward where Holli and Jure stood.
Holli cut off the dashing elf, grabbed him by the shoulder and twisted him to the ground before he could get away.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"I am staying here… with him," Scheff gestured toward Ansas, but as he did, he threw both hands up and cast a spell of blinding lightning.
By the time Holli and Jure's vision cleared, Scheff was back on his feet and racing toward the sorcerer.
"Are you both alright?" Ryson asked as he rushed to their side.
"What is going on?" Holli demanded as she struggled to assess the situation.
"He wouldn't go back," Ryson explained. "He argued with Birk and then he just took off. Do you want me to go after him?"
Holli said nothing at first. She watched the renegade elf close upon the sorcerer. She wondered what Ansas might do if he felt threatened. When the sorcerer turned to see the elf confront him, she was surprised to see Ansas simply nod and return to his path. Scheff fell in behind like a loyal servant following his master.
"That can't be good," Jure remarked.
"We need more information," Holli cautioned.
Birk reached them and explained what Scheff had told them, why he refused to return to Uton, and what Haven Wellseed had further clarified about the discussion in Ansas' study.
"Should we try to bring him back?" Ryson pressed.
"I do not believe a fight against the two of them would be advisable," Holli answered.
"He would not listen to reason," Birk offered. "He dismissed Shantree Wispon as if she meant nothing to him."
"He refused to take direction from the camp elder?" Holli asked with obvious surprise.
"Blatantly," Birk affirmed.
"Maybe he's not in his right mind?" Ryson wondered.
"Haven stated she sensed no spell of persuasion. She believes Scheff made the decision to stay on his own."
"This doesn't seem right," the delver exclaimed.
"I agree," Jure added. "I wasn't happy we let Ansas go, but what can we do with the elf? Tie him up and throw him through the portal? I don't think any of this is good news."
Holli stared off at the departing sorcerer with a new elf accomplice in tow. Jure was correct in many aspects. None of what happened boded well for anyone, least of all for an elf gifted with powerful magic over storms who joined with a sorcerer skilled in ebony energy. Unfortunately, there was little they could do. Was she willing to attempt to abduct Scheff and save him from himself? Not at that moment, not while others remained in harms way.
"Let us all leave this place. I will discuss this with Enin."
Chapter 15
Jure sought out Holli among the elves massed together in Dark Spruce Forest. He had just finished casting a teleportation spell that sent the delver back to Burbon. He had done so away from the other elves so as not to cause any confusion or even alarm.
The elves were quite used to magic, but a human wizard capable of casting white magic in a perfect circle was certainly uncommon in Uton. Holli did not wish for Jure to raise any additional attention. Hoping to avoid any comparisons to Ansas, she advised him to cast his spell away from the elf camp.
Most of the elves had gathered in a central clearing while Birk Grund directed the guard to secure a local perimeter. Those that lingered in the open spaces appeared more tired than anxious as they waited for orders from the council. They only wished to return to their normal activities; to return to the forest, collect food, and rest. They had been removed from their home for far too long and few were able to sleep during their confinement in the dark realm.