Luminous Circle Mages

Gladius nodded, immediately grasping her logic. "Good thinking," he said. "Want me to take a look?"

At Arianna's nod, Gladius closed his eyes, extending his sword sense far into the surrounding area. The world came alive in his mind's eye, a tapestry of life force and magical energy. He could feel the steady pulse of the earth beneath their feet, the erratic movements of wandering Nascent beasts in the distance.

But what he was looking for was something different. Mages had a distinct life aura, like beacons of concentrated magical energy. Each one had its own unique signature, setting them apart from the ambient magic of the world around them.

For long moments, there was nothing but the background hum of the canyon's natural magic. Then, just as Gladius was about to give up, he felt it - a cluster of powerful auras, each one blazing like a small sun in his magical senses.

His eyes snapped open, meeting Arianna's expectant gaze.