<div class="floatright">(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/db/e9/cf/dbe9cf5fe0e93ceb0b2c4707e6679664--character-portraits-character-ideas.jpg)</div>As the tendrils of white fire burned out on the rodents massive face, Sophie was able to see just how much damage she had done. It was more than she had expected she was capable of. Its beady black eyes were scalded and one looked ruined. Though it flailed half blinded in her direction, squeaking in a mingled racket of rage and pain, there was no doubt it was still intending to fight as it lumbered towards her.<br/><br/>She heard Les bellow at their observer demanding he finally take part in the fight and for a brief moment, she felt relief swell inside her lungs. Help was on the way and she wouldn’t die here after all. They’d return to the tavern and have a bath before the hour was up and she’d figure out her ankle and then…<br/><br/><em>“First lesson girls. When you get into a situation you can’t handle….run!”</em><br/><br/>And the gigantic prick managed to pop the balloon of hope, which deflated within her chest. That smug asshole! He had promised to help them and yet he was standing up there as useless as tits on a ferret.<br/><br/>The acid of her temper bubbled up from her gut filling her throat.<br/><br/>“Fuck you!” she snarled through gritted teeth, laboring to haul herself backward and give her as much distance between the thrashing rat and herself as possible.<br/><br/>“We don’t fucking run away!”<br/><br/>It was difficult to know if a truer statement had ever been made about the pair for they seemed to approach every bad situation they were faced with not only head on but running full tilt in its general direction.<br/><br/>“Les, I think we can take it together.”<br/><br/>Sophia called, tilting her head in the direction she thought her teammate was in. It was difficult to tell with her face splattered with mud and… other stuff.<br/><br/>With the fire burning in her belly and filling her throat she called out, raising her hands up before her.<br/><br/>“On the count of three. One. Two. Three!”<br/><br/>It didn’t quite go according to plan but it was close enough. Les’s aim was true and solid, delivering a loud sizzling creak of ice that caught the rat at the junction where throat meets shoulder but the priestess was suddenly having some performance issues.<br/><br/>“Shit! Shit!!! Come ON!” She bellowed waving her hands before her, but nothing happened.<br/><br/>The rat screamed in agony and with a sickening crack, his shoulder gave way, breaking from his leg and leaving the massive creature tripedal and it’s now severed limb stuck in the muck, it’s frozen blood glimmering like rubies in the sunlight. It fell shoulders first into the mud, snapping wildly at Soph just inches away from her dead ankle.<br/><br/>Fear and embarrassment put the girl into a panic as she desperately tried to remember her spell when the tingling built up on the fine hairs of her arms. She saw the little motes of light travel between her quivering fingers just as the creature bellowed and the ball of light plunged down the thing's throat.<br/><br/>For a second the two just stared at one another, equally startled. The rat squeaked frantically, abandoning its anger for pure terror and then there was a loud POP. Its back end exploded in a shower of splintered bone and entrails. It was the most grizzly and gruesome party favor she had ever seen. The creatures now lifeless but no less repulsive upper half had managed to surge forward, jaws wide and teeth bared.<br/><br/>The scream that followed could have pierced the rain from the clouds above. It took the raven-haired girl a moment to realize that she had not, in fact, been swallowed whole. With a grunt and a whimper, she pushed the decapitated and unreasonably large rat head off of her legs, visibly shaking. Which made the following laughter from her throat a bit unsettling.<br/><br/>“Les! You were brilliant!” She beamed with a snort at the redhead who was almost as covered in mud as she was.<br/><br/>Sophie had always admired and been deeply envious of how clever her friend always was but in this moment, she was nothing but grateful.<br/><br/>She felt like they could take on the world now, forgetting all about that fuck on the hill. They could do it! Really do it and kill the larger rats together, but first, her ankle needed mending.<br/><br/>It wasn’t easy, trying to recall what her tutors had tried to teach her about the magic and for once she found herself frustrated that she hadn’t paid as close of attention as perhaps she should have. She reached down, folding her battered and bruised form in half and slipped her muddy fingers below her boot.<br/><br/>Instantly, her eyes went cross and teared with pain. The ankle was fully outside of the joint and swelling fast within its leather confines. It took her a few tries, mumbling words and getting shit backward but finally, she managed to mutter something that resembled her teachings. She felt bone deep heat radiate from her ruined foot and another loud pop followed by a jump and squeal of pain.<br/><br/>Well, it wasn’t perfect but at least the ankle was back where it belonged. Gingerly she rolled it a few times and then clumsily got to her feet. Very sore and still swollen but good enough to limp on.  She hobbled over to her friend, only vaguely noticing the smaller rats had all fled the scene. It was the sound of lots of scuttling that distracted her just as she came to her partner's side.<br/><br/>The first spell she had managed to launch down the anus of the cave seemed to have spooked the occupants as more than a handful of the larger creatures shuffling out, blinking up with frightened squeaks into the wrath of the afternoon sunlight.<br/><br/>“Think we can take’m together, Les?” She asked, giving her adopted sister a sidelong glance.