The frozen guard barely had time to register what had happened before I raised my left hand again. Frost spread across the stone floor in twisting patterns as ice crawled forward like living crystal, causing the temperature inside the barracks to drop several degrees.
The gathered guards watched in stunned silence as a massive sculpted hand rose from the frozen ground behind the immobilized man. Every finger was detailed, each joint carved from translucent blue ice, and before the guard could even attempt to struggle, the construct closed around him and dragged him across the floor until he stopped directly in front of me.
The sound of ice scraping against stone echoed throughout the room as I kept my injured right arm close to my side and studied the gathered guards. Many refused to meet my eyes while others stood unnaturally rigid, desperately trying to hide their unease. Unfortunately for them, fear was becoming increasingly obvious.
