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Post by Valcrist on Jun 27, 2011 21:45:05 GMT -6
Alright. This is battle. This is war. It was time to fight, pay attention Valcrist, don't die. Why is he even here? He didn't volunteer! He was just a blacksmith. But if he could do anything maybe it was for the best? It wasn't fair though! Life isn't fair. Blast it, the boy just couldn't make up his mind. "Just breathe. Breathe... focus on your breath... hesitation is death..." Holding his blade with bother hands, he took slow and steady breaths, thinking of nothing but the entrance and exit of air into his body. The frigid air hurt his lungs slightly, but the sweat and heat of the battle kept him warm as his body was battered by the elements.
There they were! He didn't know if they were early, late, if the plan went successful or if they were doomed utterly. Even if they were doomed, he'd fight to his last breath. He heard a voice. It told him to charge, there was another too, it said to flank them. Mobile units... That would be him. Now or never.
He tensed on the spot, his entire body locking up like an animal that was ready to pounce. In one, swift move he exploded into action, holding his slim sword close to the earth and moving at great speed. Weaving around some units fighting, he worked his way to some unsuspecting fighters. This was to flank, right? To attack their undefended sides, he's read the term in some of his books before. Heroes telling of how they were flanked, and almost killed but persevered in the end. It felt odd to be the one flanking, but it made sense. If they weren't defended then they would die that much easier, and it will be one less man trying to kill every last one of them.
He wasn't alone, but his only little squad was much thinner then the ones who remained with the man who was, supposedly, leading them. In a quick movement, Valcrist's blade found flesh and drew blood. The man hadn't even had time to defend his self before the weapon dug it's way into his body in one thrust. He slumped, and eventually fell to the earth as the body withdrew his weapon. Another man swung at him with his axe, moving like an oaf, it was not problem for Val to smoothly slide out of the way. Leaving his self open, another person stepped in and cut at the bandit, locking him to his new target. Turning his back on Val, a mistake surely as Val assisted in ending him, his blood running down the edge of his blade.
There was another man who had slunk behind him as he was distracted, his axe coming down like a guillotine. He moved out of the way, but suffered a shallow gash along his arm. Stinging like hell, he managed to deal with it, he'd get it treated later. It wasn't bad enough to impair him, but damn did it ever hurt.
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Post by Richter Abend on Jun 28, 2011 21:11:04 GMT -6
Endellion laughed madly, sidestepping the the Falcoknight's attack with a swayed step to the left and back, her spear point barely missing his waist. He knew he was quicker than he looked, what with his massive bulk, and if it would surprise this girl he'd use it to his advantage. A crazed grin on his face, Endellion swung his axe back, fully extending his right arm and winding up for a full strike. He would cleave this stupid pegasus rider in two. All who opposed his axe, and by it St. Elimine, would perish. They always did.
Then, suddenly and without warning, the red haired beast shot his knee forward like a muscled lightning bolt, aiming the quick strike at the much smaller girl's chest in hopes of sending her sprawling, or maybe even breaking a bone. She was quite a bit tinier than he was.
Even for Endellion, the massive cleaving axe was somewhat of an unwieldy weapon, and if he wanted to hit more nimble targets with it, he'd need the element of surprise. It was far easier chopping up a stunned, splayed target than an alert, focused one after all. And Endellion did enjoy the chopping. He enjoyed it very much. He couldn't wait to paint the snow with Clair's sweet, young blood.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Jun 28, 2011 23:25:04 GMT -6
How a man so large was able to outmaneuver her attack so easily was beyond the Falcoknight. Sure, bigger people had more reach and could step farther and all that stuff than she did, but normally they telegraphed it more in the process. This man was just there, and then not.
The smaller girl just managed to get her lance placed crosswise between the knee and her body as it came at her, the resulting impact nearly wrenching it out from the grip of one of her hands, and driving her back a few steps as her lance bounced off of her breastplate. That axe! He was ready to bring it down.
Instead of attempting to recover, and drive straight in again, the Falcoknight leapt to the side, tucking the lance inside her core as she rolled to the side away from the big man's axe, before throwing herself to her feet again. The rocks in the area hurt, but not as much as that axe would. Watching the axe, and his knee, and aware that he was quicker than she'd realized, Clair got ready to head back into the fray, when something caught her eyes.
Pegasus riders were still fighting the remainder of the bandits on the cliffside. There actually weren't that many bandits left. Delia and the rest of the riders had been doing good work, even if some of them were down. She could see the other riders circling up around some of their fallen and getting them back on their feet.
Catching a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye, Clair rotated her lance in a loop, and hooked an incoming bandit's axe. Her lance guided the axe up and away from her, before slamming into the man's head with the continued motion of the swing. The man fell, head gashed open from the jagged edges of her lance, but the Falcoknight didn't wait for him to hit th ground. Seeing the hand raised for the axe strike, she charged in, waiting for her chance to take it.
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Katelyn
The "Before" years
[M:0]
Posts: 13
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Post by Katelyn on Jun 29, 2011 4:40:30 GMT -6
Gasping for air, she lay there in the snow coughing lightly, a spear tip reached for her. Raising her slender hand the fiery haired squire grabbed it, being quickly pulled onto her feet. Though she winced lightly, even though the arrow had only broken through her shoulder guard, barelly gracing her shoulder. The fall more likely hurt her more than the arrow itself. The battle on the ridge was starting to come to a closing, since the bandits seemed to be unable to regain their momentum.
A tongue licked her in the face, with the stench of hay, so that she fumbled backwards, falling down once more. Equus stood before her, the horse having a small cut on his wing, though nothing that would hamper him on a short flight. Katelyn pulled herself up by grabbing the reins, as she got up she caught notice of the large bandit still fighting Claire. She found her lance laying where she had fallen, somehow still unharmed.
She tightened her grip around the lance, without mounting Equus, and instead she made sure the stallion wouldn't follow her, as she started moving a bit closer towards the two fighting. The slim lance shaking lightly, as she held it in front of her, she had seen what that large man had done to others getting to close, she couldn't make her knee's or hands stop shaking.
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Farlus
Mage
[M:0]
You had better hope I can make use of you.
Posts: 67
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Post by Farlus on Jun 29, 2011 6:58:16 GMT -6
Farlus was astonished as the soldiers followed his orders faithfully. The formation was complete, now it was a matter of cleaning up the bandits. The earlier victims of his attack were beginning to get back into the battle, meaning they were to feel the full force of these ambush groups soon. Something felt a bit off, however. Judging by the movements on the cliffs, Farlus expected more bandits than they were currently fighting. His suspicions were confirmed as a rain of arrows came down upon the formation.
"Blast!" Farlus quickly concentrated on the air above the formation and heated it as much as he could before the arrows were to reach them and then ignited it with the hottest flame he could muster. Thankfully, the shafts of the arrows burned up and the arrowheads, losing the one thing keeping them straight, tumbled in the air. The sharpened stones hit and cut the heads and shoulders of the soldiers on the ground, but it was better than them winding up inside of them.
"Shields to the sky! Quickly! Spearmen take the vanguard position until I say otherwise!"
Much to Farlus' delight, the previous vanguard raised their shields to block the arrows and the spearmen stepped in with their smaller shields as replacements. The makeshift phalanx was adequate so the mage stepped out of it to judge the position of the archers. Until some of the bandits on the ground were killed off, the formation wouldn't be able to spread out to make the arrows less effective. However, Farlus wasn't able to take much time to think as a stream of flame came straight for him. The mage rolled out of the way and peered into the fray to find a pair of mages staring him down. Farlus stood, slightly winded by the amount of energy he exerted burning up the arrows earlier.
"You wish to test me?" Farlus' stance became wide and he flicked his wrists. Flames shot out and swirled around each hand, "Then test me!"
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Post by Valcrist on Jun 29, 2011 7:38:10 GMT -6
Arrows? From above? He wasn't a part of the main grouping of people, but some arrows were flying towards him all the same. In fact it was as if the weren't even afraid they might hit some of their own. Val didn't even think, he dropped his sword and grabbed the hilt of the one on his back with both hands. Ripping the fanciful blade right from it's sheath in one smooth tug. Magic whipped and whirled around his blade as he held it, waiting for the perfect moment.
"Graaahhh!" His voice cried, his entire body moving with his weapon. Gripped with both hands and swung at the sky in a powerful arc. Erupting from his swing was a fierce galestorm of winds, blanketing the sky in it's ferocity. The arrows falling towards him, and many others were tossed aside like rag dolls, falling to the earth broken and limp.
Standing there, he couldn't help but feel he made a scene. True enough both bandits and the army noticed what he did, though now wasn't the time to be distracted. Val stared at the sky above, a mixture of disbelief and caution. Streams of fire lit up the sky, from over in that direction. Quickly he scooped up his dropped weapon, holding one in each hand. Sheathing the slim sword, and holding his wind blade in his hands. If he wanted to live, he needed to use everything he had.
He bolted from the spot, not long after the shock of what he had done wore off and bandits began approaching him. The probably feared him for all of a minute, it wore off too quickly to be of any use though. Swerving in and out of small scuffles between soldiers and bandits, he used his speed to avoid anything thrown at him. His body shot like one of the many arrows that littered the ground, heading right towards one of the two mages.
Gesturing like a madman, one tried to fry the boy as he rushed dangerously close, a stream of flame erupted and shot right towards Valcrist. "Nope!" He swung his blade, the gust of wind batting the flames away like it wasn't anymore threatening then a kitten. Swinging his weapon, the mage barely got away from the cold steel of the weapon itself, only to be blasted with the wind erupting from the swing. Wincing in pain, but hanging on with his resistance to the magical arts both of men and weapons. Small cuts all over his body and his robe looking like it got into a fight with a shredder, the mage gripped his fire tome with a fire in his eyes staring the Myrmidon down. Val pointed his blade at the weakened mage, smiling like a madman. "You're next."
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David Krisby
Mercenary
DEAD
"Where is MY path to redemption?"
Posts: 81
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Post by David Krisby on Jun 29, 2011 11:50:14 GMT -6
"Damn, arrows!" Having no shield himself, David crouched behind a young man who had a shield on him. Unfortunately, that young man was unlucky and hit by one of the arrows, he slumped over dead.
David took the small shield from him, "Guess you don't need this anymore, do you? Didn't think so." David still couldn't move his left arm, so he just attached the shield to his right. Fairly unwieldy to have a sword and shield on the same arm, but he didn't use shields often anyways. He raised the shield to block an arrow that was still coming down.
He saw a young man who he seemed to have seen at some point use a weapon David hadn't seen before. "A sword that cuts the air itself? First dragons, now this? I hate magic." He let the young man sun off towards whatever he was doing, as David charged towards a few bandit's on the young man's trail.
"Out of my way!" he yelled, slashing into one. The bandit countered David's attack, cutting his left arm more. "Can't feel it! Hahaha!" he yelled in the bandit's face and cut the bandit down.
His arm was bleeding even more now, to a dangerous point. David paid no attention and looked at the next bandit. "Come on, I haven't got all day!"
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Farlus
Mage
[M:0]
You had better hope I can make use of you.
Posts: 67
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Post by Farlus on Jun 30, 2011 8:33:37 GMT -6
Farlus was expecting another spell flung at him, but a swordsman came leaping in, slicing one of the magi down a notch and goading the second. Farlus had only a moment to ponder who it was that stepped in as the mage that was unharmed shot out his hands which crackled with electricity. The white haired mage's eyes widened and he leapt forward, rolling once more to stand in front of the swordsman. The instant the mage fired his lightning bolt, Farlus was already working on redirecting it.
He sensed the source of the energy for the lightning. The energy was similar to his own flames so it was easy to pinpoint. Then, he urged it upward. In the split second it took for the lightning to strike, Farlus was able to seize the spell long enough to steer the bolt off it's course. The bolt didn't go upward like he wanted, however, but directly at the cliff behind them. The impact dislodged a portion of the cliff and it crumbled to the ground. Farlus fell to one knee, incredibly tired from now twice saving peoples' lives.
"Normally I... uuuugh!" Farlus groaned as he stood back up, "Do not play the defensive. What do you say, swordsman, to helping me clean up these uncouth magi?"
Farlus produced another flame whip and lashed it at the injured mage. the force of the explosion sent him ramming into his partner. The two quickly got up and stared them down once again.
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Post by Richter Abend on Jun 30, 2011 23:13:00 GMT -6
Endellion frowned. Clair was more capable than he had expected. Not only had she completely dodged his axe, but she had managed to mitigate most of the force of his knee into her lance. HIS SURPRISE KNEE! It made him so mad! Who was this girl to stand against him? A Falcoknight under whose command was nothing but squires? The daughter of two glorified Ilian nobodies? Endellion had done his research. Richter, the traitor, and the dragon were supposed to be the only real threats, and yet this damn girl was consistently avoiding his blows, even going as far as to leave a long wound down his back. It still hurt, goddammit!
Roaring, Endellion slammed his foot into the ground, the ice and snow cracking beneath him. He secured his footing, preparing himself as the Falcoknight charged him once again. As long as she continued to rush in like this, there was no way she could win. The proximity just allowed him through all of his weight at the much smaller fighter with little consequence. Thus, the closer she got to him, the more powerful his strikes would be. Idiocy! He would wring every last drop of blood from her pathetic little body. She'd rue the day she stood against him!
And with that, like a divine guillotine from heaven, Endellion let his axe fall from the sky in hopes of this time severing Clair in twain.
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Fran
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"I am so excited."
Posts: 66
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Post by Fran on Jul 1, 2011 10:32:45 GMT -6
Fran moved wildly through the enemies, trampling each one of them. And they didn't seem brave enough to approach her, not when the opponent was a dragon. Her scales were very thick, their weapons couldn't injure her much. And before the could even get closer, her tails would send them flying or her fangs would kill them instantly.
In the midst of battle, Fran noticed a red-haired girl, shaking. She remembered that some pegasus riders had joined the army, which made Richter's army stronger with their aerial reinforcement. It seemed that girl was one of them, however, she looked exhausted. Fran couldn't ignore her so she moved toward her, both allies and enemies quickly tried to get away from her, not wanting to get stomped by her big feet. After forcing her way through the enemies toward her, and probably stomped some of them, the blue dragon then covered the red-haired girl with her wings, protecting Katelyn and her pegasus from enemies' arrows.
But, she didn't see that an enemy leapt toward her, holding a deadly weapon, a Wyrmslayer. Soon, for the first time, a dragon's painful roar echoed on the battlefield as the sword that had ability to kill dragons and wyverns pierced Fran's scales.
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Post by Valcrist on Jul 1, 2011 12:11:19 GMT -6
The mage was addressing him, the mage looked familiar. Of course it wasn't hard to pick out where from, what with his unique appearance and Val's impressive memory for faces. His name, on the other hand, was lost in the murky abyss that lies between his ears. He extended some kind of offer to take down the mages together, which made sense he supposed. Val simply looked at him and nodded, preferring not to speak in battle. Well unless he was lost in the moment, but that didn't happen too often. It distracted you, and made you an easier target. Now all he needed to do is get a rope on all the thinking he does all the time.
He readied his self for a new assault, the two mages were split between the two fighters. One staring at him, and one at the quartermaster tactician guy. The somewhat worse for wear fire magician seemed to reluctantly have his attention at his ally. The two whispered something to each other, but Val couldn't catch it. Still, he couldn't give them time to plan, time to recover, he needed to press the offensive. He burst from the spot in a rush of movement, his wind sword trailing a tail of gusts behind him. He brought the blade up, slashing at the man, but was stopped dead in his tracks.
His whole body seized up, screaming in pained yelps of agony. His body being seared by a thunder spell that he wasn't quick enough to avoid, his clothes burnt and delirious. He was lucky magical lightning wasn't as destructive as real lightning, or else he would be lucky to even be alive. Crashing into the snow as if some giant had picked him up and dropped him, he scrambled back to his feet quickly and began running once again. The shocked look in the mage's eyes said what he didn't have the time to, that he was surprised Valcrist was even alive. It would take a lot more then that to take this boy down.
Scrambling to get away, he wasn't even half as swift at the myrmidon, before he could even get away a large gash appeared across his chest. Still leaving, still breathing, but having a hard time with it. Val stood there, hair on edge and the tips slightly burnt, his slim sword raised in the air from when he pulled it straight from his sheath in one quick movement. One blade in each hand, he was no Yaen though he couldn't pull this off. By the time he tried to strike with his other blade he was too far away. It hadn't created the wind he wanted either, probably because he wasn't too good at concentrating at the moment. Trying to split his attention between both weapon, having just been fried, and that cut on his arm stinging badly after just being bombarded with electricity. So he decided to put his wind sword away. He would beat these men with his skill alone, not because of some magical sword.
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Farlus
Mage
[M:0]
You had better hope I can make use of you.
Posts: 67
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Post by Farlus on Jul 1, 2011 13:30:36 GMT -6
The boy didn't seem to respond, but it also looked as if he did not have a chance to. The swordsman scurried off to duel the mage casting lighting spells and Farlus was about to follow him, electricity is definitely not something one toys with, but was blocked by another stream of flame. The white haired mage eyed the other enemy mage. He stared at Farlus with lethal intent, eyes narrow and cold. A quick flick of his wrist and another stream was cast at the tactician. Farlus rolled to avoid the spell only to find himself directly in the path of another.
The staff officer's heart jumped as he slammed his hand on the ground. Almost reflexively, he cast his own spell, a pillar of flame that sucked up the stream fired at him. Farlus jumped up and swiped his hand across his chest, transforming the pillar into a wall of flame, and made a motion as if shoving something forcefully. The wall moved forward with great speed and nearly engulfed the enemy mage if not for his quick footedness. Farlus spied the mage to the right of his advancing wall and dispelled it.
Despite the heat coming from his own spells, Farlus recognized a change in the temperature underneath him. The white haired mage leapt from the spot he was standing in just in time to see a pillar of flame burst upward. Had he not left his spot, he would have likely been toast. That heat was different from that he had encountered from the mage earlier. He recognized it from his days in the Rangers. Samuel was quite fond of the spells in that book.
"Elfire..." Farlus spoke to himself, horrified of the possibility a wrong step could result in. The flames produced by a mage versed in spells from that book could melt steel. However, power was not everything when it came to magic. Part of being a mage was being crafty enough to find new ways to shape one's spells. And Farlus had yet to meet anyone craftier than himself.
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David Krisby
Mercenary
DEAD
"Where is MY path to redemption?"
Posts: 81
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Post by David Krisby on Jul 1, 2011 23:05:04 GMT -6
"Heh...heh..." Even if he couldn't feel anything in his left arm, David could still feel his head spinning from loss of blood. He leaned on his sword, coughing up blood.
"C-crap... guess I overdid it a little, huh Fran..? But, I gotta stay alive. For our trip after the war..." He slowly rose up. Some bandits saw him moving, thinking him an easy target in his condition.
David spit out more blood. "Heheheh... You guys must think you can kill me off easily, leave the harder work to your buddies, huh? I'M THE DARK HUNTER!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, "WHETHER I DIE IN THE SOUTH OR LIVE IN THE NORTH, THIS IS NOT MY GRAVE!"
He charged the two bandits, who flinched giving him just enough time to strike one down. The other stopped being hesitant and slung his axe downward. David attempted to parry the attack, but the strength of just one arm wasn't good enough. He fell backward, getting some leverage from the ground, barely keeping the axe away from his body.
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Post by Valcrist on Jul 2, 2011 9:50:26 GMT -6
So it appeared there was two main targets here, a mage slinging lightning and the other bursting flames. As of this moment, the one of fire was distracted by his duel with Farlus. A duel that looked less like a fight and more like a one upping show off contest. Where all mages like this? He didn't remember Sir Gabriel being quite so... whatever word would fit the best here. Well it didn't matter in any case, because that wasn't his concern, his concern was the other. The mage of thunder, Val could deflect and bombard the fire mage and his attacks with his magical blade so it was likely the two switched targets because of this. As nice as his windsword was, it didn't have much it could do against thunder.
The mage had managed to get a good distance away from Valcrist, filling the air with charged blasts of electricity as he ran. It took a almost all of his concentration just to dodge the strikes, let alone try to fight back. His long hair stood at edge, the electricity charging the world around him. I can't just run... Not anymore. I need to strike back! Mages... A mage was his first enemy, he could still remember the heat washing over his body. The pain as he was laying there, his singed flesh. Even after that staff was used, his body ached and burned. How he almost died. But that was a long time ago. It felt like years, like a whole other life. He was different now, stronger.
The blacksmith, the swordsman, and the artist. All three rushed forward as Valcrist bolted from the spot, moving erratically, making feints and impossible to read. He ran ahead, then diagonally, then to the side, all the while making is look like he was going to do something else. The thunder couldn't strike him, it always hit the wrong spot. He couldn't outrun lightning, but he could make sure he wasn't going to be struck by it. The mage looked frantic, holding his arm out straight, before the magic discharged the blond boy ducked and slid in the snow. The electricity whizzed over his head and exploded at the snow behind him. This time he sent a whip of lighting, tearing at the air, but by the time it could reach the young man he had already leaped in the air above it. The mage was becoming predictable, he had been fighting Valcrist too long.
He scrambled to throughout another spell, anything to stop the swordsman! It wasn't fast enough, for when it comes to speed that was Valcrist's play ground. The large distance between the two the mage had forced was crossed in less then a minute, though it felt like his entire life. And for the mage? It would be. The blade crashed down from above, like a tool of the gods, slicing into the man's soft flesh with no resistance. The mage toppled to the ground, struggling to get up. To get to his tome, to fight back. To live. Slowly he crawled, only for the book to fly away just as he reached to grab it. The blacksmith kicking it far away.
He grabbed at his leg, pulling with all his might, looking up at the swordsman with pathetic eyes. What he found wasn't mercy, it was his a blade between the eyes.
Exhausted, Valcrist fell into the snow. Sitting and desperately trying to catch his breath, surrounded by blood and body in pain from his injuries. He kept a wary eye, for at any moment he may have to move. If for the other magician, some bandit, or any reason at all.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Jul 2, 2011 9:54:08 GMT -6
The young Falcoknight, dodged her way into battle, fully enveloped in the fight against Endellion. It was like a dance: there were right moves, and wrong moves. In this particular instance, there were no neutral movements.
With his axe already in the air as she swept in, it wasn't hard for Clair to predict where the axman would bring his weapon down, but, argh! He was fast. Through a combination of a sidestep, and a twist, she was able to avert her course to the outside of his weapon from him, and sideslip it as it came down.
Now it came to it. Moving on instinct, Clair quickstepped first one foot, and then another up onto the handle of the axe. Using those first two steps as a launching pad as she threw herself into the air, dragons' roars rumbling across the mountain valley as she did so. She wasn't jumping at him, but rather, across the axe, perpendicular to him. As she jumped, she also spun, twisting through the air, and bringing the lance around before thrusting it straight towards his head, throat, or chest. The killer lance wouldn't differentiate between the flesh it bit into.
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