Evii was already casting a spell of some sort, one hand waving as the other moved the staff in a circular pattern.  Zerxel's instincts and mage training recognized it as a warding gesture even as she summoned her innate drow powers and dropped a globe of darkness on Evii's location.  Then the black skinned beauty in garments that could only be called lingerie was practically flying across the sand.  The higher heels of the boots slowed her not one whit as only the balls of her feet and toes hit the sand with each ground consuming stride.  A single touch to the gems on the sides of her stockings and instantly her hands were each full of curved steel. She could hear, even at this distance the shocked reaction of the elf mage as the ball of darkness appeared about her.  But then, just as she was a few strides from the inky black night, she heard, almost sensed, the elf moving.  Evii might be a fool, might not.  But she was a skilled mage, and she knew what happened when a drow summoned a globe of darkness.  Evii was moving off, to her left.  Zerxel, her keen hearing catching sound of that adjusted her stride slightly, angling towards the sound of the moving mage.<br/><br/>Not a moment too soon either as a finger thin bolt of fire lanced out of the darkness, scorching by Zerxel's left arm, missing by about a foot's distance.  Had she not moved, it likely would have struck her center mass.  But then Zerxel plunged into the darkness and was swinging her scimitars in a reliable closing slash, one blade coming from either side.  Her swords however felt as if they cracked against something hard, not flesh.  She felt give in that strike, as if she'd slashed against a mushroom stalk, but the blows landed too far apart to be the mage.  A magical shield of some sort no doubt.  Zerxel might be able to bring it down with her magic, though there was little doubt that Evii was likely the better mage of the two of them.  Then again most mage shields could only repel so much damage, it might be best to continue a physical assault.  Of course, even blinded, the elf wizard likely knew Zerxel's vague location now, and likely would be preparing her next strike as well!