Figuring that a good offense makes for the best defense, the heavily-armed maiden wrenched her axe forward in a single, heavy stroke. The rush of the wind whipped past her, rippling through the slick violet fabric of her armor-- and in the span of a single heartbeat she felt the grim resistance of her swing as it parted flesh. The squelch of blood forcibly being freed from the veins that bound it was never a pleasant sound to human ears, even those who were accustomed to its cacophony; Adelle was not so repulsed by it that it would beckon any hesitation from her, however, and the momentum of her first strike flowed into a second with an ominous, metallic grace.
The Ludroths shrieked in anguish as they collapsed, their lives separated from their mortal shells before they even had the opportunity to rake their stubby claws against their adversary's skin. The third of them reared back in horror, growling low before she lunged, the dark waters stirring with the presence of her sisters as they rose to defend their turf.
Adelle would not falter. Her strength had already been gathered, her mind shielded from the grotesque nature of the massacre she was being paid to undertake, and her blade refused to still until ten of the beasts lay sprawled and lifeless across the still white sands, crimson seeping steadily into the pastel grains. And her knife would put the fallen to good use, stripping them of their hides and of their sturdy bones, collecting the resources they provided into her bag alongside her remaining supplies.
The mission was complete, and without incident. Perhaps, Adelle thought, she was better prepared for the challenges to come than she had initially anticipated.
