Althidon called over some of his students, who lined up in front of me. Each of them held a wooden practice sword in hand and looked to Althidon for instruction.
"Now, look," the Sword-Master said in his gruff voice. "Aaron here is going to use magic on you. Don't worry, he's not going to hurt any of you. But it might be difficult to move your legs, or your arms. I only say this so you'll know what to expect and won't panic when he does it."
"Thanks," I said.
Three of them lined up in front of me, swords held ready. I thought for a moment, then backed up another twenty paces. I wanted to treat this as if I were coming across them in a tunnel or in one of the cave cities. I nodded at Althidon to let him know I was ready.
The moment he clapped his hands I reached out with magic, immediately connecting with their blood. The three soldiers rushed towards me, swords held in front of them.
