August sheathed his sword and drew on magic from his binding stone.
The shadow summoned by Sunstorm didn't belong to any natural element. That was why Vera couldn't dispel it, even though light normally overpowered darkness element sorcery.
But the power building up in the golden square around August's open palm didn't belong to a natural element either.
The magic of the binding stone pumped through August's mind and into his spell. He focused it. Aimed it. Released it.
The mass of shadow shuddered as if it were a great ball of jelly. Its edges shimmered with an odd translucency.
August clenched his fist, which glowed gold.
The shadow condensed into a ball roughly the size of a man's head, all within a single instant. A great rush of air followed, along with an audible crack.
The rain seemed to halt for a moment, then exploded outward across the clearing. Fractures appeared along the ground. The few remaining huts burst apart into splinters.
