The tight formation held better than when they were scattered a moment ago. What followed was not graceful nor perfect, but it was disciplined and they felt like they had each other's back.
Power no longer lashed out at random. Every movement from one person fed into another and every spell timed against the next impact.
They had not fought together for long, yet their instinct bridged what their experience lacked.
King Gulben anchored the center like an immovable pillar. His golden barrier no longer stretched wide but tightened into a dense, layered bulwark that curved around the formation.
When spells slammed into it, they did not disperse outward. They were absorbed, bent, and redirected upward in controlled bursts that tore apart incoming curses before they could settle.
Aurdis moved constantly along the inner edge of the formation.
