by Jeff Inlo
He seized the opening of the conduit with his magical core. He felt no pain, no discomfort at all, but the link was undeniable. He followed the connection with his magical senses. The established link was like a cord and he could almost touch the pitch black line that led out of him and into the abyss of nothingness that sat between dimensions of reality.
The connection passed through the emptiness and Scheff could finally see that it led back to Uton. He could not, however, follow it to its ultimate destination. The line hit what appeared to be a blurred wall, an endpoint that would not allow the magical connection to complete the link. The cord became somewhat of a hose pointed at its objective but unable to attach. While he could not identify the target, he understood that somehow it would refuse any magical energy passed towards it.
Despite being unable to follow the connection to its end, Scheff allowed the energy to spill out of him, and it flowed freely into the black hole. It started as a normal expulsion, an outward thrust of magic, but almost instantly, the outpouring of magic became a flood of escaping energy.
Scheff could not control the current. The magic rushed out of him in great waves. It felt as if he was vomiting out the energy in violent heaves. His body trembled and he felt a small crater form in the pit of his belly.
As the flow continued, the crater began to grow. Scheff felt as if his very insides were being pulled from his body. The hollowness expanded and soon he felt as if he was nothing but an empty shell. His knees buckled, but he managed to remain standing. He could still see those around him and he looked to Ansas with a painful expression.
"Very good," the sorcerer acknowledged while ignoring the elf's growing discomfort. "We will begin the second phase."
Once Ansas nodded to the other spell casters, they greedily cast their own spells which linked themselves to the elf's magical core. They pulled at the energy trapped deep in Scheff's essence. They only took magic that matched their particular hue or energy that was completely pure in nature, energy that had not been shaped by the bias of some color.
What started as a flood diminished to a small stream, not because Scheff tried to restrict the outward flow, but because there was very little magic left within him. As the other spell casters viciously pulled at what they could, the pain of extraction magnified. Scheff began to stumble as a great weakness washed over him. He could no longer stand and he fell to his knees.
The three spell casters ignored Scheff's plight. They continued their grab of power and they fought with each other over any fragment of pure energy. As the elf coughed and retched, they strengthened their own spells to dig deeper and deeper.
Ansas stood up to get a clear look at the crumpled elf. He spoke, and for the first time allowed a greater passion to shape the tone of his voice.
"Do not fight against them. Allow them to take everything from you that they can. What they pull from you, you do not want. It represents the mistakes you have made in the past, your misjudgments, your decision to allow weakness to enter. Free yourself from the past and take hold of your future, a future you make for yourself. Look to nothing else and you will be prepared for what is to come."
Ansas peered deep into both Scheff and the conduit that continued to accept a small trickle of magic from the elf's essence. He examined the links to the other spell casters. When he saw them run dry, he acted.
"Cease your spells," he commanded, and the two humans and one infern complied immediately.
Scheff found momentary relief as the three links to his core ended abruptly. Only the conduit pulled at him, but it did so in a much more passive manner. As he looked about the room, he realized he could only see in black and white. All color was absent from his vision. He did not have to see any color at all, however, to appreciate the complete shadow that formed around him.
Ansas had cast a new link, one of absolute emptiness. It was the total absence of existence and it enveloped Scheff like an avalanche of darkness. It also ripped away every last shred of magical energy hidden within the elf's essence.
Scheff's vision was extinguished. He could not even see shadows, but he did not have to see to feel the raging force tear through his insides. He felt as if he was being turned inside out. The pain was beyond monumental, it was spirit rendering. The hollowness he felt expanding throughout his body became his reality. He muttered a simple truth.
"I am dying."
As if spawned by the very emptiness that engulfed the elf, Ansas' face appeared within Scheff's tortured awareness. When the sorcerer spoke, the elf could hear the words as if implanted in his consciousness.
"Yes, you are," Ansas replied.
"You lied to me?"
"Is that what you think?"
Scheff did not see deceit in the eyes of the sorcerer, but he did not wish to die. It was not the reward he sought.
"I do not understand."
"Of course you don't. You are facing something you have never dealt with before. The abyss. The ultimate destiny. I brought you here so you could face death and then avoid it. Only by embracing the emptiness of your existence can you free yourself of the chains and barriers that limit your potential. All of the magic within you is gone. There is nothing left. You will be dead in mere moments unless…"
"What?! What must I do?"
"Take hold of what I give to you and understand that we make our own way. Despite this ebony magic that creates the new foundation of your essence, you will devote yourself to the magic you can control. Your essence will become the essence of the storm and all other constraints will be abolished from your mind."
In the fashion of an answer, Scheff embraced the emptiness that surrounded him and at the same time gave up on every other aspect of his life. The hollow magic would serve as his base, but he knew, from that moment on, he would fill himself with the violet energy that was his to command.
The room came back into focus and the elf found his strength returning. In moments, he stood and acknowledged the others in the room. He announced himself as an equal and as if seeing them for the very first time.
"I am Scheff," the elf stated. "I am the storm."
"I'm Neltus," one of the humans replied. Neltus was middle-aged, overweight, and had extremely long and unkempt hair. Despite his rather ragged appearance, he seemed quite pleased with himself. "You're not the storm yet, elfie, but you will be. I'd say I'm the land, but then I would sound even bigger than I look, and that's just wrong."
"Ignore him," the other human intervened. She was tall and plain, but her deep blue eyes revealed the essence of her hue. "I'm Rivira."
Scheff nodded and then peered at the infern.
"And you, half-demon? What should I call you?"
"I call him torch boy, but he doesn't answer to that," Neltus offered.
The infern glared at the human spell caster but only replied with his name.
"Gnafil."
Ansas quickly grew tired of the inane chatter. He had more important considerations. He had achieved his objectives far more quickly than he planned. He removed his self-imposed banishment and proved to the elf witch and her wizard accomplice that he was superior. The elves he used as bait were no longer his concern and he had added another spell caster to the list of those who would prove the dominance of purified magic. He still hoped to find spell casters skilled in yellow and green magic, but he had other ambitions as well. He needed time away from distractions to plan his path.
"I have given you the opportunity I promised," Ansas noted to Scheff. "Don't waste it. Go wherever you wish… find a suitable place to grow. Prove to this land your true potential, show them what the purity of violet energy means. If I have additional opportunities for you, I will call. You may all leave me now."
Chapter 19
The four spell casters exited Ansas' small house in the dark realm by mundanely using the front door. It's not that they were unable to teleport directly out of the sorcerer's study, but they had learned not to. Ansas created his home as a haven for quiet reflection, a
nd he didn't appreciate others casting spells in his personal sanctuary. He requested-actually required most forcefully-that those he entrusted with slices of his dark power used the proper doors as he had seen fit to create.
Neltus signaled for Scheff to follow him, and the elf wisely moved with caution through the front entrance and out onto the harsh landscape of the dark realm. All the spell casters stepped a few paces away from the exterior of the house before they turned to face each other. It was Neltus who addressed the others with obvious enthusiasm.
"So, who wants to see the new guy test his powers?"
"You are such a child," Rivira, the human sorceress, noted. "Why do you have to make it sound like some idiotic initiation?"
"Because it is?" Neltus responded cheerfully. "Come on, Rivi, you know he's dying to see what he can do, to see if he's any different. You also know that we want to watch. It's a chance for us to see someone else make the same mistakes we did."
The infern glared at the heavy set magic caster.
"I did not make mistakes," Gnafil hissed.
"Oh yes you did, torch boy, I was there, remember?"
"What I remember was allowing the magic to choose its own direction. I made no mistake."
"You almost set the entire sea on fire!" Neltus replied.
"That was the power of magic without direction."
"And that's not a mistake?"
"No, it is not."
"Fine," Neltus sighed. "It wasn't a mistake, but are you going to tell me you don't want to see what elfie decides to do?"
Gnafil said nothing.
"I take it that means you do want to see. And what about you Rivi? You going to let the men go off alone?"
"Absolutely not, but I go because I wish to expand my own abilities, not to watch some novice."
"What are you all talking about?" Scheff asked in a suspicious tone.
"We're talking about you," Neltus laughed. "We're going to take you somewhere safe where you can cast your first spell."
"I have no intention of putting myself on display."
For a brief moment, Neltus' expression turned slightly harsh as the playful grin evaporated from his mouth.
"You best understand your place on the ladder, elfie. If the three of us want to watch what you do, we will." A twinkle quickly returned to Neltus' eyes as he waved off the elf's initial rejection. "Besides, it'll be fun. You'll learn a lot faster, too. We all made mistakes when we started out. You're going to have questions. You know you are."
Scheff frowned, but after realizing he was outnumbered by three magic casters that were much more experienced, he made no further objections.
Seeing they were all in agreement, Neltus joyfully took the lead.
"Excellent. I'll bring us to somewhere safe."
"You always pick the spot," Rivira protested.
"It's a good thing, too. Imagine if I brought torch boy to the forest."
Neltus didn't wait for further objections or for Gnafil to angrily respond to the perceived insult. He placed his hands above his head and a circle of red magic rotated up and down his arms.
Concentrating on the entire landscape that surrounded them, he pulled at the dimensional bonds that kept the different existences separated, and yet still connected. He did not break the purity of his hue by attempting to ride the waves of light or shadow between dimensions or by utilizing a mix of hues to connect two points of existence. He focused entirely on his crimson energy and its connection with the land. Allowing the energy from two distinct existences to generate a unique connection, he pressed them together as if shifting sands from two piles into one.
When he released the ring of energy, it spun off his arms and formed a wide portal directly in front of him. He smiled widely back at Scheff and then leapt through the dimensional rift.
Rivira and Gnafil looked expectantly at Scheff. It was clear they would wait for the elf to cross before they stepped through. They would follow and their patience was waning fast.
Knowing he did not have a choice, Scheff stepped through the portal and found himself back in Uton, but in no less harsh an environment.
The black and gray stone of the dark realm was replaced by the tan, dry sands and cracked rock of the Lacobian Desert. The heavy, humid winds disappeared, as the elf was greeted by the hot parched air of a dry land. The half-dead trees oozing with a sickly sap were nowhere to be found, but Scheff could see several tall cactus rising defiantly from the desert floor.
Scheff found the conditions even more displeasing than the dark realm. He had lived all his life in the thick forest of Dark Spruce. He did not travel beyond its borders. The surrounding wasteland of sandstone cliffs and high dunes were as foreign to him as the hostile grounds of another dimension. The hot, dry air burned his lungs and the smell of the desert was something he could not describe. It seemed both empty and overpowering at the same time.
He almost leapt back through the portal, but he could see Gnafil and Rivira bounding across and he was forced backwards to make room. Before he could get around them, Neltus closed the portal.
Rivira revealed a similar expression of discontent and made her dissatisfaction known to all.
"I hate the desert," the sorceress complained.
"I know you do, sweetie," Neltus laughed, "but we played near the sea last time. That was much too big of an advantage for you. You have to learn to deal with dry land."
Rivira did not appreciate the insinuation that she was ill prepared to deal with a harsh environment and clarified her own understanding.
"Nothing is completely dry."
"Then you should be happy."
"I am not happy with the desert."
"I don't think you're happy with anything. You complain a lot. At least torch boy doesn't talk as much."
"And you talk too much," Gnafil noted.
"Well played," Neltus allowed, "but the truth is, I picked it as the safest spot for the new guy. If we put him near a sea, he could wipe out an entire coastal town by mistake. We put him in the mountains, and he could cause an avalanche or flood a valley. No, this is better. It's pretty wide open with not much else to get in the way."
"I don't care who gets in the way," Gnafil hissed.
"I know," Neltus admitted. "I think you would torch an orphanage without a second thought, but I don't think we want that kind of attention. We can't expand our powers if we're running from every witch and warlock hunter in the land."
"What do I care for hunters?"
"You don't, torch boy, but if you start stirring the pot, maybe some other wizard starts getting interested in us… like the one in Connel."
Neltus didn't even have to say Enin's name, but all of them knew of the powerful wizard. Despite their expanding talents, none of them believed they were a match for a spell caster that controlled pure white magic with two perfect circles.
Turning to the elf, Neltus decided not to waste any more time.
"Alright, elfie, let's see what you've got."
"Excuse me?" Scheff responded.
"Time for you to cast a spell, tap into that new pure power of yours."
"Just like that?"
"What? You need time to prepare?"
"I need time to consider the implications of what has happened."
"What's to consider? All the previous spells you've ever cast have been ripped out of you. This will be like casting your first spell all over again."
"And that is exactly why I should take time to consider what I cast."
Neltus frowned.
"You think too much, elfie."
"You would rather have me not think at all? Perhaps then I, too, would set something as big as the sea on fire."
Neltus tilted his head, but then saw the annoyed expression on the infern's face. The rotund spell caster laughed heartily.
"Very good!" Neltus approved. "You took a shot at torch boy… and on your first day. I like you, elfie."
"I would appreciate it if you ceased calling me 'elfie.' I f
ind it irritating."
"You best get used to it, because that's just one of the things the land can be… irritating. Think of me as the pebble in your shoe, or the sand down your shirt, or the grit in your eyes."
"You will not get used to it," Rivira advised. "He is childish, as I said before. Do your best to ignore it."
"Very well, then I will also ignore his impatience and I will take my time."
"I have no intention of waiting," Gnafil sneered, and the infern turned his attention to the open lands in the distance and cast a spell of his own. A dark orange circle appeared at the palm of his gauntlet and he flung it into the deep blue, desert sky.
The ring of amber rotated as it grew both wider and longer. It turned into a spinning tunnel of flame that swirled across a high dune. It was a towering twister of pure fire, feeding on the hot air. It roared like an angry beast filled with hate and fury.
"Not bad," Rivira allowed. "Do you still control it?"
In response, the infern directed the fire tunnel back and forth with swift hand movements. Gnafil forced the flaming twister to dance in various directions.
"I wish to attempt to douse it," Rivira announced, but looked respectfully to the infern for approval before casting her own spell.
When Gnafil nodded, Rivira's eyes flashed dark blue and her own azure ring of power leapt far above her head. She kept the circle in place, but allowed it to spin faster and faster. She used it to pull every drop of moisture from the air and ground as it grew in bulk. There was so little water in the immediate area, the magic pulled from great distances and far into the sky.
Once she had obtained sufficient water, she molded the ring into a long liquid spear. Revealing deft control, she pointed the spear at the flaming twister and cast it with an arced projection.
The long shaft of water flew high above the desert floor in an upward angle until it found a clear path into the center of the narrow twister. Its pointed tip dropped downward, and the spear plummeted at a much steeper angle.
Gnafil attempted to maneuver the fire tunnel away, but the dark blue, liquid javelin adjusted its own path to compensate. Even as the infern commanded the flame twister to dodge and weave, the two massive elemental forces collided.