@rinaleonhart
Message Rina Croft
10
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"Courier with a proclivity for knives."
Twin Daggers
Neutral
I sold my soul to hide the Light.
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Post by Rina Croft on Aug 14, 2019 20:01:27 GMT -5
The events that happened next happened in the span of 10 or so seconds. A blur to anyone else who may have been witnessing the strange exchange, but not to Rina. Because of her many years of having to hone her reflexes to keep herself alive and perhaps a mixture of the Dark within her and some inorganic enhancement, Rina watched it happen in almost slow motion. The axe left Madame Gefris' grip and was hurtling towards the girls. Rina was still standing in front of Alma so worst case scenario, Rina would take a battle axe to the chest and drop dead. Not ideal, because that would leave Alma defenseless to the enemy. Rina didn't doubt that Alma could take care of herself, but this wasn't a woodland fiend that could be easily dispatched. Alma was still a kid and Rina felt responsible for her. Rina tilted her head, focusing on the situation. Evading wasn't a problem. It was what would happen afterwards, when Gefris would come back for her axe. She wasn't sure if her and Alma would be able to penetrate that armor. She supposed they would cross that bridge when it decided to come after them. For now she needed to take care of the sharp, heavy object coming at them. Reaching back to wrap an arm around Alma's waist, Rina stretched out her other hand in front of her and saying a small prayer inside of her head, produced a blue tinged orb of a force field around them. It shimmered it's honeycomb shaped panes into existence right as the axe was upon them, cracking the shield like a mirror upon impact. The axe dropped to the floor with a clank, and Rina released the breath she didn't know she was holding and the death grip she apparently had on Alma. "T-that was close. You okay, Alma?"
------------------------------------------------ Dark Shield II: Summons a transparent shield that surrounds Rina like a sphere and negates ALL attacks, physical and magical. Alma Rufus Shinra
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@alma
Message Alma
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Conjurer
Cane
Light
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Post by Alma on Aug 15, 2019 14:50:26 GMT -5
Alma's eyes widened when she caught on to the stranger's intent. "W-Wait, that's not-" She wasn't able to finish her sentence before she was pulled into Rina's protection, something that proved rather courteous when a spinning axe smashed the blue shield's integrity. Alma wasn't that aware of Rina's potential, but it was easy to see what damage the lobbed weapon had inflicted, so that was enough to get an idea of just how much she didn't want to be in its way on a throw like that.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Probably." Alma was short on breath, not out of exertion, but out of panic for this situation she'd found herself. To make matters worse, she was greeted with another terrifying display when she turned her eyes forward again: The woman who'd thrown the axe was already in front of them, cooling off at the end of a sprint with an armored fist flying through the first stage of an uppercut. The other had retrieved the discarded axe on the way over. It was Alma's turn to ward off an attack, and she had a plan, shoving her way in front of the party and readying a defensive cast of Stoneflesh with her cane... only to take a hard fist straight into her gut that, for a brief moment, took her off of her feet. On her landing she staggered backward, her breath catching until she could breathe enough to really experience the consequences of the strike. Every 'breath' was a mess of sputtering, robbing her of any real relief. She'd heavily, heavily underestimated how much time she'd need to cast...
Gefris wasn't done yet. Once that punch was over and done with, she bent down and sent her shoulder into Rina, likely trying to sent her into a similar fit of recoil. Every impact carried the weight of her body and all the material used to make that armor, turning her into a proverbial battering ram. Did she even need the axe? She seemed fully content with just throwing her unarmed weight around.
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@rinaleonhart
Message Rina Croft
10
likes
380
posts
"Courier with a proclivity for knives."
Twin Daggers
Neutral
I sold my soul to hide the Light.
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Post by Rina Croft on Oct 11, 2019 20:41:35 GMT -5
With the pair of girls distracted by the shock of almost being cleaved in two by the axe, Rina was completely off of her guard when Alma stepped forward, ready to cast. With a gasp she saw Gefris sprinting the distance to get to them. Rina tried to reach out to pull Alma back beside her, but the woman was unnaturally fast and poor Alma probably never saw the fist that knocked her to the ground. Rina began to move back trying to put space between them, but Gefris had other plans on how to send Rina backwards. As the armored shoulder made contact with Rina's chest, a surprised yelp came from Rina's lips as she felt more than one rib crack under the force. She was knocked back a few feet and hit the ground with a thud, her head bouncing harshly and a grotesque snapping sound emanating from her body. She had landed with her arm behind her back. The air was knocked from her lungs and fluffy chocobos were flying in front of her face. The intense pain coming from her left arm kept her awake though and motivated her to get back to Alma. This bitch would kill her. Using her right arm to pull herself into a sitting position, Rina almost went back down as a wave of nausea hit her caused by the even bigger wave of pain that was screaming from her ribs. "Sh*t... not good. We... We're too close. Alma! Can you... hear me?" She heaved herself to her feet with a groan and spotted the girl, but not Gefris. She began to stumble towards Alma, her left arm uselessly being cradled with her right. As she reached her, Rina bent down to pull at her sleeve. "Get up. Alma. We need to get out of here."
------------------------- Rina has been injured by Gefris' attack. Broken ribs and an arm will incapacite her hand to hand capabilities. Alma
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@alma
Message Alma
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Conjurer
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Post by Alma on Oct 11, 2019 21:51:02 GMT -5
"We do, but..." When Alma stood straight again and addressed Rina's concerns, all she could think of was the strange hex that had them trapped there. One glance backward was all she needed to confirm that the sheen of a magic barrier was still filling the doorway. Leaving wasn't much of an option. "W-Well, maybe if we get away for a moment, we can think of some way to... to, uh..." The two of them were a good distance away, but even at a leisurely stroll the axe-toting stranger was making quick progress in their direction. That, together with just how hard she could throw her weapon, meant they had little time to come up with any plan other than running.
Just as she feared, she could see Gefris lining up for another attack, hands gripping tight onto the weapon's shaft as she stomped closer. This time, though, Alma thought that, maybe, she had better solution than running. The axe would always be aimed for one of them, right? That meant they was the ones who decided where it went. The young conjurer stepped back a few paces while raising her staff to channel out as potent a healing spell as she could manage in that moment of panic. She wasn't sure just how helpful it would be, but it was all she could muster while keeping her focus on the situation. "I really don't want to fight!" she insisted, though her voice was still weak from both her pummeling and also that ever-hefty desire to crawl in whatever hole could get her away from that person. Predictably, Gefris did not listen, instead speeding into the windup of an overhead swing.
Down came that axe, although a bit slowly, and Alma held up her crook to intercept it. A bad idea, she soon realized, as she could feel the wood stress under the weight of that strike when the pole met her stake. The weight was immense! Holding it up made her arms sort in just an instant, there was so much to it! To make matters worse, it was clear that Gefris wasn't winded in the slightest, barely needing to put any effort at all into straining Alma's guard. In fact... "You're... not even... trying... are you..?" Alma concluded with what breath she could gather, muscles shaking under the weight of both the axe and her fear. As if to confirm her accusation, Gefris tipped her hear inside that helmet and started to push down, forcing the staff lower and notching the axeblade into Alma's forehead, an action that made the mage bend her knees to shy away from a potential cut. She needed to make distance for her plan to work, but there was no way that could happen under this kind of pressure.
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@rinaleonhart
Message Rina Croft
10
likes
380
posts
"Courier with a proclivity for knives."
Twin Daggers
Neutral
I sold my soul to hide the Light.
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Post by Rina Croft on Oct 11, 2019 23:00:57 GMT -5
Even though the first few moments were just as painful as the initial trauma , the pain in Rina's arm began to dull as Alma's healing magic went to work and her breathing came easier as her ribs were mended. She was still sore, but now she could at least function. Alma probably had just a few more seconds, a minute at most before her staff broke and she would be dead. Rina wracked her brain as fast as she could trying to think of an out. They needed to find a weakness in this chick or get rid of that axe. Or... or both. Would this really work? Rina chanced a glance at Alma, hoping to catch her eye before working up the nerve to act. She would have to move quick in order to make this work. Several things happened at once. Rina steeled her nerves before sprinting away from her friend and the enemy. As she ran she threw one hand to the side to cast a shield around Alma to protect if her staff broke, and the other went into the air causing a loud boom of thunder and searing strikes of lightning to rain down on Gefris. She wasn't sure if it would harm her, but hopefully the noise and lights would distract her enough that Alma would be able to run away. Gods, please let this work. Help us. Help Alma.
Rina had sprinted to the other side of the tent and up on top of the bleachers. "HEY! HEY YOU! YEAH YOU!" She hollered over to Gefris. Summoning her daggers and taking a defensive stance, Rina took a deep breath. "Pick on somebody your own size, you hag!"
------------------------------ Around Alma, Rina has cast Dark Shield: Summons a transparent shield that surrounds Rina like a sphere and negates all physical attacks. [Duration: 2 posts] [Cooldown: 3 posts] For a distraction and hopeful damage Rina has cast Lightning Storm: Rina uses black magic to make lightning strike enemies across the field. (Cooldown: 3 posts) Rina has drawn her weapons and is prepared to fight Gefris to allow Alma to get away. Alma
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@alma
Message Alma
5
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Conjurer
Cane
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Post by Alma on Oct 11, 2019 23:43:45 GMT -5
Apparently, Gefris had gotten enough fun out of her painful act of teasing, because she raised that axe in a dramatic windup for another strike- a real one, this time, because it came back with far too great a speed to even consider doubting. Alma wouldn't be able to dodge it, that she knew, and her thoughts bottlenecked when they raced to come up with some angle to parry it. Her freezing up didn't have immediate consequences, though, as the axe was halted in the air, bouncing back with enough recoil to send its owner staggering back a pace. Neither attacker nor victim had expected the bubble to appear and nullify the strike, nor did they consider what came after: a volley of lightning bolts assailing the exposed Gefris from above, zapping her back-to-back and leaving her a sooty, smoldering mess... but still standing.
Alma had already taken the moment of (relative) safety to retreat further backward, while the knight reacted in about as volatile a manner as anyone else in the room might expect when she was confronted with Rina's namecalling. She whipped around and targeted the woman from across the tent with a murderous glare that even her black visor couldn't conceal. Then, she put foot to dirt and started running, clearing the distance in wide bounds and leaping up onto the stage only to jump back off in Rina's direction. Gefris spun in the air to wind up a throw, then let loose the axe from her hand. Now, with adequate distance and a more stable environment, Alma could get a better luck at just what that throw entailed. When the axe left her hand, it was still bound to her palm by some sort of tether, a white thread that followed the weapon all the way to its destination. Gefris, meanwhile, was left momentarily stalled mid-jump even though she had been moving so quickly in another direction. It wasn't just some burst of speed, but rather an irreversible course that she'd be pulled along once her axe landed.
So her plan would work. Alma knew precisely what she had to do, and how she'd go about it. A bit more time was all she needed. That, and a teammate who could stay safe long enough for her to set it up. In the meantime, the young conjurer set her spells to work, assembling that defensive spell she couldn't quite finish last time...
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@rufus
Message Rufus Shinra
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likes
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President
Shinra Power-Electric Company
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Post by Rufus Shinra on Oct 14, 2019 17:40:51 GMT -5
| Sorry? Why, I've never had this much fun. | |
A house of fun seemed more a trap instead. Rufus had spent too mu h time in this world it seemed. It was not a Paradise he would seem any to come in the future. Perhaps he would buy the land from the filthy creatures who ran these horror shows as amusements. With that in mind he would depart. These were not allies of his. At request Rufus is exiting the thread▲ 000 ● TAGGED ● If Misery is company, than I am unwelcome.
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@rinaleonhart
Message Rina Croft
10
likes
380
posts
"Courier with a proclivity for knives."
Twin Daggers
Neutral
I sold my soul to hide the Light.
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Post by Rina Croft on Oct 18, 2019 19:55:09 GMT -5
Looking just behind the charging lunatic that was probably going to murderlize her, Rina could see Alma preparing some spell. Hopefully it would be a spell strong enough to blast this chick away. Rina was about tired of this nonsense. The dark haired girl turned her focus back onto the task at hand: living. The large axe gleamed menacingly and Rina could mentally count down the literal seconds before it would strike her. She would have to time this perfectly. Chancing a glance behind her, Rina noticed noticed how the space between the bleachers and the tent was just wide enough for someone like Rina to fit through. And just before the axe would have struck her, Rina closed her eyes and lept off of the bleachers. Landing on her behind after the ten foot drop (it looked like a shorter distance) Rina scrambled to her feet, spears of pain arching up and down her spine. She took off towards the front of the bleachers where she would be able to emerge back to the tent floor and assist Alma. Rina hoped her disappearing act would buy them enough time. Alma
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@alma
Message Alma
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Conjurer
Cane
Light
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Post by Alma on Oct 18, 2019 21:56:09 GMT -5
Alma was able to send out her spell without a hitch this time, Rina's body turning a good bit more solid when the magic hit her. The axe had landed by then, and the beneficiary had evaded it by slipping behind the stands, but Alma was confident it would last long enough afterward to be a good insurance policy. She sent out a minor mending spell to ease the ache from the landing while her attention was focused on Gefris. Now that the young mage had a moment to observe the fight without being in the thick of it, it felt so much more natural to consider all the moving parts. As she assumed, the knight snapped straight into another trajectory once the axe landed, following the light tether back to her weapon. Even better was that reaching it didn't stop her momentum. On the contrary, she stumbled a pace after taking hold and wrenching it from the bench with her momentum. After that, she was soon turning around and looking for her targets, but Alma was confident in the ideas coming to mind.
"The axe," Alma noted once Rina had reached her. "She's using some... effect when she throws it, but she has to follow it after. You see?" She pointed to the other end of the tent, drawing a line through the air where Gefris had leapt, turned at a sharp angle, then returned to her weapon. "I think we can use that... maybe..." A shred of doubt came to mind when she considered how unlikely it was for either of them to get through that armor if they hit Gefris in the air. Sure, the axe could punch through if someone like Gefris threw it, but it would always be coming toward them. The doubt left her when she remembered that, so long as it was aimed at them, they effectively had control of where it went. That, plus... "The tent- When we leave, it turns us around, right? Will it do the same to her?"
She stood, turned, and rushed over to the door before picking up a stray chunk of concrete and lobbing it through. Sure enough, it came sailing right back out, and came dangerously close to bashing her shin when it did. After taking a moment to get herself out of harms way, she looked back to Rina with an expression most unbecoming of her: She didn't know it, but her eyes had a satisfied glint to them after sorting out this particular puzzle. "I know what to do!"
Gefris, meanwhile, had caught sight of where they had gone and was busy shoving her way through the rubble of the wrecked bleachers. Benchtops were pushed aside or smashed with the blunt side of her axe as she stomped out of the trash and steadily around the stage with the weapon dragging behind her.
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@rinaleonhart
Message Rina Croft
10
likes
380
posts
"Courier with a proclivity for knives."
Twin Daggers
Neutral
I sold my soul to hide the Light.
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Post by Rina Croft on Oct 25, 2019 19:54:03 GMT -5
Rina felt Alma's magic settle over her like a heavy quilt even more so when the cure spell hit her as well. Rina felt like her body was tougher, less likely to be damaged. She felt like she could stop a truck with her bare hands and hopefully that would transfer over to a giant axe. She watched as Alma had a thought on how to stop Gefris and how excited the girl became at the prospect of the plan working. To Rina's understanding they would try to lure Gefris and her axe to the entrance of the tent. If they were successful hopefully the axe would rebound and knock Gefris down a peg or two. Rina wished she could rid the enemy of her armor. That would hopefully even up the fight. Rina's eyes widened as Gefris stumbled out of the bleachers and rushed towards the pair. Rina went to stand in front of Alma, willing to risk what was needed to protect the girl. Her fingers twitched at her side ready to shield up in a manner of seconds if needed. " I hope this works..." Alma
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@alma
Message Alma
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Conjurer
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Post by Alma on Nov 10, 2019 14:54:00 GMT -5
As proud of her plan as she was, Alma still wasn't entirely confident in pulling it off herself. "I'll... let you handle this," she conceded, her grin faltering a tad bit when she was reminded of the thing storming toward them. The young mage stepped aside and took what little cover was available, that being a side path around a nearby set of bleachers. Hidden there, she rushed along and silently wished luck for her ally. Judging by the displays Gefris had given thus far, they'd both need it to bring her down a peg, but no matter the obvious danger they were subjected to, it was impossible to deny that strange feeling. She was supposed to be a doctor, but here she was as some kind of daredevil! "Oooohh, mother would bury me if she knew..."
Their opponent didn't seem too concerned with wherever it was Alma fled to, her visored eyes locked onto Rina and glaring a hole through her as she began to settle into a sprint- a familiar pattern that showed how much more concerned she was with brute force than thoughtful planning. All things considered, it probably served her well in the past, considering just how much force she had at her disposal. Every movement of hers seemed inhumanly swift, and that armor was so tremendously solid that nothing she collided with so far had left a good dent in her. That mentality and skillset was what made her the Invincible, so who was to say it wouldn't work again now?
Well, other than the two who had just set a trap for her to leap headfirst into, that is. Even now, Alma was thinking through the next step, conjuring an extra spell for her own use as she circled around the long way. Gefris was none the wiser when she leapt up onto the edge of the stage, then came back off and spun through the air to wind up with that axe and throw...
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@rinaleonhart
Message Rina Croft
10
likes
380
posts
"Courier with a proclivity for knives."
Twin Daggers
Neutral
I sold my soul to hide the Light.
|
Post by Rina Croft on Jan 18, 2020 19:50:49 GMT -5
5Rina's eyes never left the monstress that was barreling towards her or the axe that would no doubt be upon her in seconds. She breathed deeply and evenly through her nose. 4Slowly blowing out the breath she had inhaled, Rina couldn't help but shudder as a bead of cold sweat slid down her neck. A nervous knot tightened in her stomach, and she continued to count down the seconds. 3Rina's eyes started to close and her heart was hammering hard against her ribs. So many thoughts were running through her mind. She wasn't afraid to die, but if she had to choose she would like to live. Alma was just a child and Rina couldn't let her fight on her own. There were still so many loose threads that Rina still needed to tie up. 2Rina's eyes were closed now and she said a quick prayer to the gods asking for protection, strength... and forgiveness. The whistle of the sharp blade slicing through the air was loud in her ears. 1Rina threw herself sideways and onto the ground, crying out in pain as a white hot pain split across her cheek. In her mind she continued to pray, hoping that she was still alive. Alma
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@alma
Message Alma
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Conjurer
Cane
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Post by Alma on Jan 22, 2020 5:06:28 GMT -5
Gefris leapt off the stage and spun through the air to wind up with that axe and throw... and just as before, it immediately became a disc of whirling violence that cut through the air quickly and loudly. Just standing in front of it for so long was quite the measure of Rina's courage. Well, that, or her hesitation. Whatever the case, it was well beyond beheading speed when it reached her and grazed her late dodge. Her body was greatly enhanced by Alma's spell, and yet the blade still had no trouble breaking the skin. A direct hit without protection would surely have been mortal, if allowed. This was a fight that could not continue, with that risk on the table.
Thus was it imperative that this plan work. Gefris was linked to her weapon by the same tether as before, and was then zipping forward to follow it, but the binding betrayed her when the axe returned from the darkness of the exit and caught her in the air, crashing into her plated body and replacing her momentum with an equally speedy flight in the complete opposite direction. As she went, the plates and scales of her armor were cracked and scattered, turning into shrapnel from the force of her impact and raining down onto the ground where she soon landed, faltered, and tumbled backward. With her defenses gone, she was left with that dress from before, somehow still pristine after its experience and heavily contrasting her beastly movements when she tacked her palms to the ground to stop her backward slide and storm back up to her feet. The collision had left her dazed, but even without her coordination, she was still focused enough to think of her objective and to make a mad dash for the weapon that would help her complete it.
Alma was already there to answer her. Gefris' red eyes turned wide when her presence registered, only to shoot wider when the consequences- and Alma's weapon -finally struck. The warrior woman had been too focused after all, and that let to her getting cut off, then ran through her gut with the shorter mage's light blade. Alma lost her stance for a moment, her target's sprint nearly throwing her off her feet until she got it back and shoved Gefris off of her now dissipating sword. Gefris stumbled back, tripped and fell against the stage, left hand grasping it for support while her other palmed the new wound. From her increasing surprise, she clearly hadn't expected herself to be harmed like that. Alma, meanwhile, was too on-guard to express any pride over her success.
"S-Stay..." Alma dared to threaten, implying there would be more to come if Gefris kept trying to fight. Gefris was still trying to sort through her shock and confusion, though, and didn't seem keen on retaliating.
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@rinaleonhart
Message Rina Croft
10
likes
380
posts
"Courier with a proclivity for knives."
Twin Daggers
Neutral
I sold my soul to hide the Light.
|
Post by Rina Croft on Mar 29, 2020 23:36:40 GMT -5
Even with her eyes squeezed shut, Rina could sense the change in battle and she definitely heard the crash of Gefris falling into the stage and the soft voice of Alma speaking. So she was still alive then and apparently not in any immediate. That was great. Blinking her eyes open, Rina focused on the sight a few feet in front of her. Alma standing in front of Gefris, stiff as board and not appearing to move. The rapidly spreading bloodstain on Gefris' dress. Did Alma get her? Rina pushed herself to her feet only now fully noticing the sharp stinging in her cheek. She gently pushed the back of her hand against it and winced as she felt the wetness of blood soak into her jacket sleeve. Damn... She placed her wrist back against it trying to staunch the bleeding and began to walk towards Alma. Rina could tell she was still focused on Gefris and probably hadn't realized Rina was approaching. "Alma...it's me. You can relax now." The older girl came to stand in front of the younger one, but her eyes were trained on Gefris. "Gut wound. Good place, Alma. A nasty way to die too." Rina made a clicking noise with her tongue before summoning a dagger and walking towards Gefris, tucking the dagger under her chin. "We can help you. Just tell us who sent you and why."Alma
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