Lief completed his first Circle of Power with a little help from some old spell books he'd found in a cellar. He had no idea how they had survived the rats but he wasn't one to complain. A Circle of Power took whatever magical energy that was channelled into it and converted it into a spell. Complexity didn't matter, all one needed was enough magic.
There were many documented uses of these circles, ranging from heating water to summoning demons. Lief was going to use his circle to teleport all of them to the only other dead city in Deltora: Tora. He didn't want to go there, but he had to be there to complete his spell. And begin the first step of his plan...
Lief quickly gathered up his twelve marble statues; and the unconscious Jasmine and Barda. He had allowed Steven and Nevets to go because they had nothing to do with this.
Lief looked longingly at Jasmine's sleeping force, wanting to fell her, kiss her…
He shook his head.
'Can't allow my mind to wander now. They'll be plenty of time to 'make up' with Jasmine once this thing is behind me.'
Once they were all inside the Circle Lief summoned up his magic. His hands began to glow with a white light as he activated the Circle. He knew this wasn't enough magic to complete the spell so he drew deeper. The glow on his hands grew bright and spread all the way to his elbow. Lief kept on drawing, secretly wishing to test his limits. When the white light became white flames Lief knew he had reached his limit. But it was enough. A second later the circle pulsed and everything inside it vanished...
Lief stumbled upon his landing but didn't fall. Luckily, neither did any of his statues, or he'd have to start all over again. Looking around, Lief shuddered as he remembered what was right below, in the Maze of the Beast. How many people were down there? How many dreams were lost?
Lief shook his head. There lay the path to true madness.
The Stone of Tora was right in the middle of the circle where they had appeared, just as Lief had planned. Surrounded by his statues, the Stone's flames seemed to grow. For it was the core of Lief's spell. The spell that would free him of this curse. The Stone of Tora, the very heart of Tora, the City of Marble. By stone it was connected to the statues and by the amethyst on the Belt it was connected to Lief. The Toran's unbroken oath preserved the Toran magic. Magic which he could now harness. Lief knew he could never cast a spell this powerful without assistance. The Circle of Power that brought them here would also be used to cast this spell, so no incantation was needed.
Lief began to channel his magic into his fingertips. When they glowed too bright to look at he poured his magic into the Stone, trusting it and the Circle to do what he wished. But Lief put in more then just his magic. He put in a bit of himself, the part the Metamorphosis had. If it had spread too far, Lief would die from this spell.
He watched desperately as the white stream of magic from his fingertips reacted with the green flames on the Stone. The Circle activated itself and began channelling both magic's into the statues. White and green flames mixed and were absorbed by each statue.
Lief could feel his consciousness fading fast. 'I was too late. Jasmine..'
Lief blacked out.