[h2]Tyaethe[/h2]

The vampire stilled unnaturally, accepting the spear piercing into her abdomen. The mismatch... oh, how confident were they in their little deception, so so [i]sure[/i] that it would pass scrutiny? Surely, this must be some amazing exhibition of speed, except they forgot they were dealing with an enemy that was no longer entirely human.

And she could hear heartbeats.

Ahead and behind, two heartbeats just lurking behind their protective screens. It was an impressive display, and no doubt effective if you could arrange for others to shield you to arrange it. But what if your target caught onto it? Well, there was only one way that was going to end, wasn't it? Acting on cue, the paladin spun to face the direction of her latest aggressor, grin invisibly splitting her face.

The duo were still speaking, but it was irrelevant[i]irrelevant[/i][b]irrelevant[/b]. Who cared what taunts they had about spotting their 'clever ruse' or whatever it was? The heartbeat behind her was moving, and Tyaethe tensed, waiting...

Her sword swung wildly, the arc carrying it far behind her body. [i]Exactly[/i] as intended. Its length was more than equal for some common spearman coming in to pierce her from behind, and no warning had been given.

How would their partner react, she wondered?