It was so strange. He had the ability to cast spells of tremendous force. He could create storms that could devastate the land, and yet, he knew he could not even dent the barrier before him. The black magic that had built the wall did not challenge the elf or even mock him. It just dismissed him, and Scheff knew it.
Disregarding his sudden sense of inadequacy, Scheff brought the full measure of his violet power to a sharpened point. He knew any attempt to completely overcome the barrier was pure folly, but that was already understood by all the elves that stood beside him. It was not his charge to break the barrier, or even to dent it. He only needed to find a way to disturb it, even ever so slightly. A drop of water cannot break through a stone wall, but an infinite number of raindrops could flood the land and carve great valleys from the strongest rock foundations. He was but the first drop of water.
Scheff pressed his palms together in front of his narrow face. He closed his eyes and opened himself up to magic that was fed to him through several links formed by the elves behind him. He turned the magic over in his soul, brought out the purple hue in every strain that entered his being.
A near perfect circle formed initially around his wrists, but the ring quickly grew and encompassed his entire body. It swirled around his head and shoulders with the center focused at the middle of his pressed palms. The ring grew wide and quickly caught the attention of every elf trapped in the dark realm.
Confining all the power within him into a single spell, Scheff formed that single drop of water deep in his consciousness, that small bead that seemed so irrelevant but signaled the start of a mighty storm. It was hard and sharp, the perfect stone that could drop a giant if thrown with faith. In that small droplet, the purple force pulsed with its own fury. It could not match the potent throb of the ebony wall, but it became the embodiment of Scheff's inherent power. It was the strength of a hurricane in a single stone of hail and Scheff held it at the core of his being until it became far too intense to contain.
Unleashing the condensed ball of violet magic, the elf spell caster directed it into the wall before him. The projectile flashed out from the center of his hands. The purple ring of energy that once swirled around the elf followed the trail and exploded upon the surface of the barrier.
A great flash of lightning burst across the obstruction and a clap of thunder shook the ground. The wave of force nearly knocked Shantree Wispon from her feet, but Birk Grund caught her before she completely lost her balance. A burst of wind exploded from the point of contact and the sudden blast dislodged several weakened branches from the surrounding half-dead trees.
Scheff did not simply unleash the spell and separate himself from the energy. He held to it as if grasping the string to a kite lost high in a night sky. He forced his will against the massive ebony energy, sought to peel a small portion of the black magic away from the barrier.
The obstruction swallowed the attack, but not without consequence. The mass of black energy could not diffuse the sudden onslaught. It did not fall or buckle, or even crack, but it did shudder. The violet magic rippled through the translucent wall and Scheff shouted out his advance.
"I have not broken through, but I have intertwined my spell with the barrier!"
The two monitors noted the remarkable achievement, far greater success than either had expected.
"The wall has not weakened, but the ebony magic is spreading apart to envelop the influx of the purple hue!" one monitor reported.
The second observer considered the implications and then offered his assessment for the next spell.
"The storm creates the wake, let water flush into the passage!"
They all agreed, and while Scheff continued to force his spell against the obstruction, another elf-powerful in the casting of blue magic-moved to his side. The second caster could not quite cast with the same efficiency as Scheff. His circle of control fluctuated at times, but his influence over water was unmatched by any other elf within the camp.
Blue was the perfect compliment to the violet storm. They worked in tandem. As the purple magic created the passage, the azure energy flowed heavily behind in its wake. The force of water expanded the pressure, seeped into the essence of the barrier and bubbled with boiling fury.
The monitors directed their attention on the emissions of the force field. The integrity of the black energy held, but it continued to tremble against the concentrated assault. The rhythm of the vibrations from the barrier became unsteady, the flow of magic that coursed throughout the translucent wall flared with irregularity.
At first, many elves grew optimistic. They believed their plan might ultimately cause the breach they needed far sooner than expected. Several elf sorcerers-talented and experienced in creating portals to other dimensions-readied themselves to dash through any break in the field. If they could just escape the prison, they believed they could return to Uton and gain the help they needed.
Despite the growing tremors through the force field, the barrier would not dissolve even a pinprick. Those who monitored the ebony magic, however, understood the battle had just begun. It was not their ambition to destroy the obstruction with two waves of magic, but to weaken it, to peel away the strength of the wall with patience and perseverance.
"What next?" one monitor asked of the other. "Land or nature?"
"Red magic," came the reply. "Let the power of rock and soil follow the water. It will take hold of our advances, hold firm against retreat. Then we will follow with the emerald energy of nature. The crimson energy will form the base for the green energy to thrive."
Both monitors agreed, but before they would let the elf graced with control over red magic cast her spell, they bid Scheff to cease his spell of storms.
"The violet casting must end and the blue energy must be strengthened first. If all three come together at once, the storm will overwhelm the other two. The three hues will merge. That is not what we want. Red and blue must be allowed to work in concert with each other, but not in such a way that they become so intertwined they simply feed the violet power."
Scheff complied with the instruction, and just as another elf prepared a blast of crimson magic, he ceased his spell. The power that was fed into him broke away and was offered to the other two elves that cast spells of blue and red fury. As he felt the energy drain away, he nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
He took several steps back, allowing room for the others, but he remained nearby. Curiosity bid him to watch the wall, but he forced the desire out of his mind. He concentrated entirely on his own magical reserves. He inhaled deeply any shallow energy in the air, embraced all traces of the humidity that might hold a flicker of magical power. He wanted to recharge as quickly as possible. He understood that his gifts would be needed again. The combination of hues was nothing more than a guess. Trial and error was a part of the process and it was doubtful they would find the exact sequence on their first attempt. The endeavor was as complicated as it was draining, but he would not claim exhaustion as an excuse for failure.
A young elf by the name of Flower began her casting the moment Scheff ended his spell. A rich red oval of magic, not quite a perfect circle, twirled around her neck as she lowered her arms and held her hands firmly against the outside of her thighs. She kept her eyes open and her brown pupils turned a fiery crimson.
Flower placed her sight on the very spot of the barrier where the blue energy met the ebony magic. The red ring continued to spin just below her chin, but a single line of straight red power jabbed outward and flowed into the wall right alongside the stream of blue magic.