The order had barely left the captain's mouth before the others moved.
The crystal-spear fighters lunged first.
They slammed their spears forward in a practiced thrust.
The feline warrior blurred out of sight, then reappeared behind Ben with a silent slash of twin daggers.
The scaled casters stood back.
They wove spells and summoned arcs of molten light.
The glowing lines twisted in the air like serpents as they shot toward him.
None of it posed any real threat to Ben.
He ducked under the first spear strike.
His hand shot up and caught the haft.
He twisted it sideways and used the momentum to hurl its wielder into a nearby wall.
The guard hit stone and crumpled.
The feline came next, fast and silent.
Ben pivoted.
Her dagger scraped across his shoulder instead of his throat.
He spun low and swept her legs with a kick.
She crashed to the ground and did not get up again.
A sharp arc of magic flew toward his chest.
Ben flicked a dagger into it.
