The first one to make a move was Rosaendra. She had pressed her fingernails into the still-fresh cut on the palm of her left hand until blood began to flow. She did this subtly, as she held the pommel of the athame to her wrist. When she felt the warm liquid begin to flow once more, she lowered her guard and tossed a few droplets into the creature’s face. It recoiled backward, and Rosanedra lunged forward like a cat; her dark wood knife held above her head.
Burn. Burn. Burn. Burn.
She thought as she lunged forward with a flurry of fury. The point of her blade found scant purchase as it tried to penetrate the red scales along its body. It swiped with its short sword toward her stomach; the blunted metal battered against the plastic shell; sending jolts of pain through her ribs. She stepped away from the creature.
The orange and white fishman lunged forward with its buckler in front of it, and Chloe retreated a step until the back of her knees were pressed against the crate in the middle of the floor, once her balance was thrown off, it reached forward with its spiky palm. Chloe threw herself to the right, and to the floor.
Smoke rose from the wooden crate where the creature’s hand touched, and the spikes pierced. It retracted its hand and revealed the rot beginning to spread from where it touched. Chloe stabbed forward with her blade; aimed toward the creature’s leg. It knocks away the blade with its buckler and reaches down toward Chloe’s face.
Rosaendra landed a kick on the lip of the crate; sending it sliding across the floor and colliding into the leg of the orange and white puffer fish, sending it stumbling away from the seated Chloe. With the opening, the other snapper stabbed forward with its blade. Rosaendra intercepted the oncoming blade with the arm that she had injured. It passed through and cut open the stitches. Rosaendra forced a grin through the pained grimace that pulled at her lips.
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She smears the flowing blood on her palm, and lunges forward; the Snapper bites down on her ear, and tears open the lobe before she had a chance to pull away.
Yes. More. Take more of my blood.
Rosaendra puts her blood-covered hand over the creature’s gills; rising and falling on either side of its neck. The Snapperman shoved her back and raised its blade above its head like a club.
Burn. Burn. Burn. Burrrrrrrrn.
Chloe hops up from the floor and raises her blade in a swing. The orange and white fish raised its buckler, and Chloe stopped mid-swing and changed it to a lateral slash; catching the fishman’s elbow. The edge of the blade ate through the scales, and cut the joint free. Green-brown blood flowed freely down the gaps between the deadwood floorboards. It tried to raise its other hand in defense, but that was put to rest by another quick swipe to the creature’s wrist. Chloe stabbed through the head of the creature and then lopped it off with another swing.
The Snapperman screeched as Rosaendra’s blood seared its flesh as assuredly as acid. It fell to its knees, wiping desperately at the burning liquid on its neck. Rosaendra turned her attention to help the other woman just in time to see the final blow.
“Chloe, can you finish this one off as well? My athame can’t pierce its hide.”
Wordlessly, Chloe stepped around the crate. Rosaendra stepped away to give her enough room. The stone-faced woman swung her blade down and cleaved the creature’s head in two.