"Did you expect differently? We are in the desert."
"Still complaining, eh?" Neltus laughed, but quickly dismissed the sorceress and turned to Scheff. "Well, elfie. Times up. We're not going to wait around forever."
Scheff had watched the other two spell casters intently. Their magical strength was awe-inspiring, but he understood he had access to the same levels of energy. His was the aura of violet storm and he decided to make his own claim to power.
Focusing on the still burning twister of fire, Scheff decided to cast a tornado of his own, one that would match the size and strength of the column created by the infern. The elf's twister, however, would be born not of fire, but by the heart of a storm.
With his first spell, Scheff could not ignore the influence of the dark energy deep inside of him. He could not tap into its strength, but it guided his connection to the magic all around him. It kept him completely focused on his inherent hue, allowed him to dig deeper into his own magical core to shape the violet power.
A perfect ring of purple magic rotated about his wrists until he cast it out into the desert horizon just to the left of Gnafil's fire column. The violet color was much darker than it had ever been. It quickly expanded and elongated into a narrow but furious band that stretched from the desolate ground high into the blue heavens.
Gale winds from the upper reaches of the sky swirled into the magical current of Scheff's violet energy. The cyclone spawned a growing storm cloud in the previously clear desert atmosphere just as the base of the long, spinning column stretched down to the high dunes. The violently circulating winds sent rock and sand in all directions.
Even at a great distance, the spell casters could feel the harsh grains of sand batter their exposed skin, but Scheff ignored the distraction. The elf maintained control over his cyclone and he sent it directly toward the infern's column of fire.
"What are you doing, elf?" Gnafil shouted with growing alarm.
"Testing the strength of your fire against my winds," Scheff responded almost gleefully.
The extent of his newfound energy surprised the elf, stoked his confidence and pressed him to test the limits of his power. He fed the cyclone with even more of his energy just as the high winds of his twister crashed into the flaming walls of Gnafil's tornado.
The results surprised the elf. The gale force currents of the cyclone failed to snuff out the flaming twister as Scheff expected. Instead, it fed the flames as it merged into the center of the fiery column.
"I can not control it!" Gnafil screeched. "Pull back!"
"I have lost touch with mine," Scheff admitted. "I can not even see it."
The flames engulfed the spinning winds and the twisting tower of fire doubled in width, then tripled and continued to grow.
Before Neltus acted, he winked at Rivira.
"Still think the desert was a mistake?" he asked with a grin.
Not waiting for Rivira to admit she was wrong, which Neltus knew she would not, he cast his own spell. A ring of crimson magic flew from his finger tips and skipped across the ground toward the column of fire. It was not affected by the ripping winds or the roaring flames, and it took a position directly underneath the cyclone. The instant it was in place, it exploded with a dark red flash.
Sand and rock poured into the center of the twister from every direction. It came in giant waves, each nearly as tall and as wide as the cyclone itself. At first, much of the dirt and debris was cast aside, but it kept pouring over the center of the column.
After about a dozen waves, the flames began to dim and the spinning winds started to sputter. More and more stone and sand filled the twister, and the cyclone's movements became lethargic and labored. The violent tornado could not fight off the choking waves of debris, and eventually the heavy sands completely smothered the combination of fire and wind.
As the dust slowly settled, the spell casters revealed various reactions. Scheff appeared visibly shaken, surprised at how much raw power was at his command, and just as surprised at how quickly it broke from his control. The infern appeared furious while the sorceress revealed an expression of annoyance. Neltus, however, seemed greatly amused by the entire debacle.
"That was almost as much fun as when Gnafil set the sea surface on fire," Neltus laughed.
Rivira shook her head and stepped up to the elf.
"Let that be your first lesson, Scheff. You are indeed strong with the storm, but the pureness of your magic creates a greater concentration of energy for each spell. You may not be able to manipulate the dark magic Ansas planted within you, but it will feed you nonetheless. If you're not careful, even the simplest of spells can break from your control. A basic rain storm could turn into a hurricane, and not only rage against your target, but drain you of your energy and leave you defenseless against your own spell."
"But the fire was Gnafil's spell," Scheff objected.
"And it was fed by the wind of your cyclone. If you don't think you would have been responsible for roasting us all, then you have no idea of the consequences of your own spells… and that is a very dangerous consideration."
Rivira said nothing more. She and the infern cast separate teleportation spells and exited the Lacobian Desert.
"Ahh, don't let her get to you," Neltus advised. "She's always a bit high strung. I think it was a great start."
Scheff wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a jesting insult, and so, he said nothing in response.
Neltus' mirth slowly died away. He looked at the huge pile of sand and stone created by the mix of spells and considered the combined power of magic they had displayed. It was a concern that plagued him when he realized that Ansas wished to purify new spell casters.
Taking a quick look at Scheff, Neltus decided to take advantage of their moment alone and pressed for the elf's opinions on such subtle matters.
"Let me ask you this, elfie, where do you think this is all headed?"
"Headed?"
"Yeah, headed. You're not deaf are you? No, 'course you're not, just a bit slow, or I'm sure you'd rather say 'careful.' Be that as it may, I admit you're a cautious one, and you must have thought long and hard about the sorcerer's offer. What made you take it?"
"He offered me an opportunity to grow stronger on a new path," Scheff admitted. The elf then nodded over to the same mounds of sand and stone that marked the last position of his cyclone. "Evidently, he was correct."
"Yeah, you've got more power than you had before, can't argue that, but that brings me back to my original question. Where is this all headed?"
"You mean what direction will I take?"
"I guess that's one way to put it, but I'm talking more about all of us together, not just what you're going to do next."
Scheff considered the question in the context it was given. He thought about himself, Neltus, Rivira and Gnafil and how they all fit in with the opportunity Ansas described. He gave what he thought was the obvious answer.
"We are all going to get stronger."
Neltus shook his head.
"No, elfie, think bigger, wider. The big picture. What is it?"
"The big picture? I do not understand."
"You haven't spent much time out of the forest, have you?"
"Of course not. I am an elf."
"Alright, let me put it to you this way; we didn't all get a piece of Ansas just because he wants to play around with magic. At least, I don't think so. I'm trying to figure out what he ultimately wants to do with us."
The answer to that question seemed obvious, and it was a question that Scheff had already put before the sorcerer.
"He wants us to expand our powers, to become something greater. He said so himself."
"Come on, elfie, that doesn't add up. You're looking at this from our perspective, not his. Ansas isn't going to just give away a piece of himself so we can get stronger. Let's face it, he's not the warm and fuzzy compassionate type, hoping to make the land a better place for us spell casters."