He raised his hand toward the maelstrom of crystal, curling his fingers. The shards suddenly froze and the hum of the crystals ceased. Each shard floated in the air as if gravity itself had frozen. Dastan wiggled his fingers and the shards tilted. He was in control. He dropped his hands to his sides, releasing the crystals from his influence. Pinging echoes of the plummeting minerals hitting the ground resonated throughout the cave like a steady hail.
“Well done, Dastan!” Milara clapped.
Dastan raised his hand in front of his face. A peculiar idea sparked to life. He focused his energy, holding his arm outstretched. A sharp blade of crystal formed from his knuckles. A steady base of crystal cradled the back of his hand beneath his wrist, supporting the growing blade. Milara gasped as the
