Aldric found the pattern half a breath before it closed.
That half breath saved his throat and cost him everything else.
The rough ring of black tools snapped inward. Clamps bit at the Sentinel's ankles. Bent blades slid across the frost near the Enchantress. Little wheels dragged broken metal under the Cavalier's bad leg and turned the limp into a fall.
Aldric moved all three pieces at once before the ring finished closing.
The Sentinel brought its cracked guard down and crushed the front of the ring. The Enchantress froze the rear tools into a crooked wall. The Cavalier threw itself sideways, broken lance scraping sparks from the board as it blocked the blades meant for Aldric's spine.
Gears came through the only space Aldric had left open.
He had blood on his side now, and it made him easier to see. That helped less than Ty wanted. Gears fought like visibility was another tool he could spend.
Aldric saw him and drove the broken lance forward.
