One day in his ninth year of age, Zelnard was playing with Abah and Gavid. They were playing Fire, Water and Earth Boy, a game they had invented where they had to use their water, fire, or earth powers to move a small glass ball out of the circle drawn on the ground. Zelnard was the oldest of the group and quite talented for his young age, but his powers lay firmly in the water category. Moving the glass ball on sandy soil often meant the creation of mud, which frustratingly would slow it down. Abah, learning to use earth powers, often played into this weakness by creating softer and hard soil around the ball, he even learnt to create a small berm that would inhibit a rolling glass ball perfectly and slowed Zelnard's progress each turn. While it was just a game, all three boys saw it as an expression of their abilities, and it often ended in a fight as pride was hurt or ego damaged when one of them was finally successful in knocking out the glass ball. This was rarely a cooperative exercise.

On this day the morning  sun was rising in the grey sky and rain seemed imminent, the clouds were casting long shadows as the boys took turns trying to outmanoeuvre each other. Zelnard had just managed to push the ball out of the inner circle with a particularly clever water jet aimed right behind the ball when Gavid, a mischievous grin on his face, lit a small fire beneath the ball, sending it skidding back into the circle.

"Not fair, Gavid!" Zelnard snapped, his frustration evident.

"All’s fair in games and magic," Gavid shot back, laughing. "Maybe you should try harder, Water Boy!"

Abah, who had been watching the exchange with a smirk, added, "Maybe Zelnard should just admit that earth is stronger than water. Mud or no mud, I’ll always have the upper hand!"

Zelnard narrowed his eyes, not one to back down from a challenge. "We’ll see about that. Next time, I’ll wash your little mound of dirt right away!"

How do the boys’ actions during the game show that it is about more than just fun? Use examples from the text to explain your answer in Thy Quests.

E10 Q2 The Game