have wondered why I was carrying a completely empty bottle, but I had my reasons. I popped the top and squeezed the plastic as hard as I could.

A small whirlwind, just visible in the dim light as a spinning white glow, flew from the bottle and hovered in place. A coffee pot arced past it, and it shifted to one side.

"Elemental, form a wall to protect me and my two companions!"

The whirlwind continued spinning a few inches off the floor for a moment, and I held my breath. I hadn't done anything quite like this before, but I thought it would work. Finally, the small air elemental stretched itself upwards and outwards, reforming itself into a swirling wall of air, about three feet high and maybe half again that long.

"All right!" I said, not...

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