Lindarion braced, the impact of Veyrath's aura slamming into him like a tidal wave. His boots scraped against the stone, sparks flying where his power resisted the pressure.
Golden light burst from the sigils on his hands, weaving into concentric circles around his form, protective arrays manifesting instinctively.
Veyrath's eyes gleamed. "Ah… you have learned restraint. Most would lash out. You fortify. Admirable. Predictable."
He raised one clawed hand and made a simple motion, an elegant, serpentine flick of his wrist. The runes on the walls shivered, then leapt free of their stone confines, swirling in the air like living calligraphy.
Each rune carried power, fragments of long-forgotten laws, and together they began to orbit him like a storm of silver scales.
Lindarion stepped forward, blade rising. "You test me, not fight me."
Veyrath smiled faintly. "A test is a fight, young heir. But not all fights are meant to end in blood."
