They were a blur of dark fabric with how fast they moved.
Ragnar was momentarily caught off guard before he snapped into action. But those first few seconds he froze would later cost him. One of the intruders rushed at him, blade drawn. Ragnar veered away from the sword, dodging the first strike. He was currently unarmed so he immediately summoned his shadows. The action was sluggish, almost inexperienced the way the shadows were slow to respond to his call.
He stopped calling on his shadows when he joined the royal army in hopes that he wouldn't be alienated by the other soldiers if he didn't use his ability in front of them. But after five years of ignoring that part of himself, even attempting to call on it now felt strange, like reaching for something distant and unfamiliar. Darkness slipped out of his hand, solidifying and taking the shape of a long sword.
