A New Guard

Suddenly, a soldier's scream pierced the air. He clutched at his throat, an arrow protruding from it. His comrades watched in horrified disbelief as he stumbled backward and collapsed, blood gushing between his fingers.

It wasn't until a second arrow felled another soldier that the rest finally reacted, drawing their swords and erupting into a cacophony of shouts and screams. I flicked my wrist, and my spell resolved, enveloping me in a shimmering Blade Ward.

"Grasping Vines!" Luxxa's voice called, her command cutting through the chaos. Hundreds of thick, thorny vines burst from the earth, trapping the limbs of the surviving soldiers and immobilizing them in their tracks.