It's a fantasy role-playing game.

DM: You are Tiberius Stormwind, a dragonborn sorcerer . You are the member of the famous group of adventurers. Previously, The group gathered together, rode onto a magically elevated skyship, and traversing the ocean, carrying the Horn of Orcus within this holy container. They found themselves, over the ocean, suddenly attacked by a band of what seemed to be wyvern- and griffon-riding bandits.
DM: Looking into your spell now. Oh, Control Flames is a cantrip. You are able to control just enough fire to burn away the things. It wouldn't actually do any damage if released. Control Fire kind of like captures an element of it.
Player: Okay. So that's what I was using, the element of what I did.
DM: Yeah.
Player: So I used it so I could have the fire.
DM: Exactly.
Player: Got it.
DM: You set it as a catalyst to it.
