Cat and Mouse

A massive sixth-circle array materialized around our small party, a whirling mass of runes and mana. With the initiation of the spell, over half of my mana vanished, leaving me weak and breathless. Korra caught me as I staggered into her, catching my arm with a firm grip. She shouted something, but her voice was lost in the screech of the descending centipede.

The creature loomed over us, venom dripping from its maw, eyes burning with hatred. Its scythe-like blades flashed toward us, leaving blurred afterimages in their wake.

Unable to even catch my breath, I leaned on Korra and cast another spell, losing another quarter of my available mana. 

"Blade Ward!"