Aeron raised his sword, and it blazed with fire. With every swing, the burning blade cut through the Ashantis who dared to stand before him. As fierce as the Ashantis were, they were stepping back in fear and confusion; they had never seen anything like this before. But Aeron kept moving faster and closing the gap between them with every strike.
Then one of them, who sounded like their leader, shouted, "Stand your ground! Resist! It is still only magic!"
At his command, they formed their usual strange stance, left hand pressed against their chest, right hand stretched toward Aeron with two fingers raised. Just as they had done before in his village, they began trying to repel his fire and turn it back on him.
At once, Aeron felt the weight that pressed against his arm. His sword, which was blazing with fire, suddenly became heavier, and he struggled to lift it. It was as if the swords were controlling him. The Ashantis were strong, their magic was working against him.
