"Alright, come at me you little wimps! I can guess you have already fought other followers of Kali, but did you know? We're able to take down five times our numbers alone, and up to ten times in groups! I only see six of you here, who's ready to die!"

Standing straight on the fallen trunk, back to the lake, her little speech sent back a wave of thick fear through her blessing's senses, telling her she would have more room for errors, their apprehension preventing them from exploiting any holes, fearing a trap. Smiling, she decided to add fuel to the fire. "Hey big boy with the shield, tell me who's the closest to you here, so I can rip him apart first! You've only been blessed with strength, I can feel it... Will the other two turn blind from rage when you break? Hmm? Come on! Fight me!"

Her crazy urging and taunts sent shivers down their spines. Her pupil-less eyes were eerie, her gaze combined with her scar-riddled and tattooed body enough to make them flinch. She was sure of it now. Two followers of Theomars, one of Oberon, three non-believers. The protector had someone close included in the three. She could see the backliners moving, and knew that was her cue for action.

"Let's dance! AHAHAHAHAHA ~~~~~" Her insane laughter resounded in the night as her magic pulsed through her arms. She rushed at the weaker three to her left, turning her back to the heavy and strong warriors. Her best bet was on reducing the number of opponents quickly, breaking Oberon's follower's powers at the same time, before going back to the stronger ones. She would be fine as long as she didn't take any mobility crippling or instantly lethal injury.

"Block her!" One of the two women of the group pushed the shield-bearing man in front, then got ready to flank Thani as soon as she was stopped. "Sorry missy, but I won't be the one to die today!"

"Ahahah, want to bet on that? The stake's all of your heads!" She cut her left arm lightly, and smeared the running blood on her magic-infused tattoos. Still holding her dagger in the right hand, she swung her opposite arm towards the man, and her tattoo detached from her skin, forming a strange spiderweb which grabbed his shield. She pulled him down, tripping him forward.

"What is that magic! Malar never told us anything like this!" The second woman behind him turned pale, terrified by Thani's unknown magic.

"It's called Blood Animation if you want to know!" Thani dodged a panicked sword stab from the shield-bearer at the same time, riposting with one of her own. However the leather armour he wore managed to deflect her hit, turning this exchange into a draw. "It lets me do cool things like THIS!" She threw herself in the man’s embrace, her free left hand cupping his face. Her left tatoo jumped from the shield to the man's face, covering his head entirely, making him both blind and unable to breathe.

The three warriors behind would catch up in a few seconds at most, Thani had to decide which woman to kill first. One of them would break Oberon's follower's powers of protection early, giving her respite by slowing him down, the other would press her for time. She kicked down the man struggling for air, looked intently at her two other foes and spoke in a low, intimidating voice "Who next?". The difference between her crazy attitude and the bloodthirsty one now finally made them realise how close they were to death.

"Don't fight her! She's trying to get you into a close melee and we won't be able to help you!" The plate-covered man’s approaching voice boomed into the air, waking everyone up from that terrifying first trade. The man struggling unsuccessfully on the ground told them of their ennemy's magic strength.

"So what if they know, big man? They don't get to choose!" Thani's right tattoo snaked around her shoulder down her left hand, ready to jump at another target. No more time to focus on her emotion sensing blessing to find the most scared one now. She lunged at the one closest to the shore, intending to break the encirclement to get some more freedom. The target took a step back to give time for her partner to catch up and pincer Thani.

Thani used her tattoo to grab her target's sword hand, leaving her exposed to her own weapon.

"Leave her alone, you madwoman!" She traded a slash across the woman's throat for a heavy stab to her belly, giving her the first non-self-inflicted injury of the fight. No reaction from the big lug behind her, she got the wrong one.

"You should have gone for the head.", she said, turning her empty eyes to the last woman and grinning. "Who are you... How can someone so young be this strong?" The woman's voice was choked, her face harboring tears, her sword still stuck inside Thani's abdomen.

The tattoo left the dying woman’s sword on the ground and grabbed both combatants in a tight embrace. "Blood Family. Give my regards to your companions when then come after you." Grinning from ear to ear, she activated more of her magic, sending it both towards her newest gaping wound and into her foe. "Transfusion!".

The armoured man's heartbroken howl in the night covered the woman's agonized one. The living tattoo released the two women, and only Thani was left standing. The other one fell to her back, gasping for air and holding her abdomen, now adorned with the same gaping wound she inflicted on Thani seconds before.

The three men caught up as Thani pulled the sword out of herself, and began healing at a visible rate. She threw her short dagger at the suffocating man’s face to finish him before they could react, pulling back her second tattoo on the occasion. Both parties stood roughly five metres apart, staring at each other. "I'm going to need something larger for round two." Thani swung one tattoo like a whip, using it to swipe the sword of the woman who was bleeding out.

"Now THAT is a knife. How are you feeling, big man? Ready to get cut up by your relative's weapon? Who was she, a sister, a girlfriend maybe?".

She could already imagine the man's distorted face under his helmet, Oberon's curse for failing to protect his loved ones doing its work of robbing him from his blessing and more. "Now fall for me. Kneel, and I just might let you live to bury your dead. Your God's curse will leave you by then, am I right? Such a dilemma, isn't it? Die a dog's death, unable to even move under your heavy armor, or suffer mental agony as everyone you're familiar with dies?"

Turning to the two apostles of Theomars, she continued : "I'm no follower of Deva and you both know it. Get worked up too much and you'll get cursed blind. Don't and die to me."

"We’re followers of the Warrior God. Do not humiliate us. We will not be swayed by your words, you must have spent an incredible amount of energy in the fight just now to finish it early. You were aware that if we caught up before then it would be your end. Our front liner won't be able to do anything anymore, you have already won. Why keep fighting?"

She squinted her eyes and gave a few swings with her sword. "Let me tell you my name in honour of your God. I am Thani, head of the Blood Family, Blessed four times. Praying and managing gets boring, you know? I can finally indulge in my little guilty pleasure after 14 years. Don’t you dare take that fight from me and run." She tapped her stomach wound with her free hand, showing off her now healed body. "I'm impressed at your discipline after witnessing my little carnage here. The last half of my magic will be enough for you! Now let's paint the earth red!"