Barrier

The group approached the edge of what had once been a lake, and paused for a moment to take in the sight before them. The water had been collected up into a magical sphere in the middle of the remaining hole in the earth, creating a thick barrier preventing entry to the villain's lair. The water was moving at rapid speeds, and had carried a large number of stones and boulders up with it - it was apparent that not only could you swim straight through it, if you tried you would be bashed to pieces. And that, of course, was assuming you could even reach it - the empty lakebed had severe drops in it only a few feet out, and the ground below was uneven, rocky, and covered in trash and the bodies of dead fish.

The mage stepped forward, and with a wave of his hand the larger stones lifted from the lakebed and lined up, one after another, creating a pathway for the group to traverse. The pathway was solid and even, magically held in place and as stable as though they were walking on earth itself. And yet, as they proceeded over it, the pathway fell away behind them, stopping anyone from either side from following them. This was to be a dangerous battle - it was best if they were the only ones involved. They were sure that there would be enough forces to fight just on the other side of the barrier, and it was best if they weren't taken from behind as well, or had anyone else injured by their actions.

It was the monk who stepped forward as they reached the barrier, simply clothed and wielding no weapons. He took a strong stance just in front of the rushing water, gathering his ki in his body before throwing an open palm against its surface. There was a moment of relative silence as the waters continued to swirl. Then they came to an abrupt halt, the cessation of movement spreading like a shockwave. For a moment they were still, and the placement of the rocks was apparent, and they could see faintly the fortress that was on the other side. And then the water shook and fell back into the lakebed, returning the lake to normal and revealing the newly constructed fortress in the center of the lake.

It didn't take long for forces to pile out of the openings in the fortress, moving towards the small group of invaders who had already eliminated the first line of defense. The numbers were impossible to withstand - but they were gods among men. And they were ready to set things right.