[center][IMG]http://i64.tinypic.com/2j3fmsm.jpg[/IMG]
Lucian yelled out behind her, but Lua kept her focus on the task at hand like he'd trained her to. She knew she couldn't help him until the Cursed one immediately before her was taken care of. The creature was starting to break through Shiara's spell, inching towards them. Its feet slid in the filth with each step as if it pushed against a heavy obstacle. When Lua realized the bone mage was already doing all that she could, the apprentice resolved to finish the thing off herself. 

The waxed bolt had continued to weaken the Cursed man. His ribs twitched weakly, like a poisoned insect. It turned slowly as she moved in to slice away an arm. There was enough power left in it to strike out with one pointed bony limb and she jumped back to dodge. When her feet splashed in the filth again, the Cursed man lunged towards her. The ears were still uncovered. It was tracking her by sound. Without stopping to look at it, she nimbly leapt to the severed head as if it were a stepping stone and crushed it underfoot.

The creature made a truly awful sound, then. A scream without a mouth. Vibrations echoed from the splayed chest while air howled out through the open neck. It made another lunge at her. The rib-limbs reached out as if to envelope her. Now deaf and blind, though, the strike was clumsy. Lua made quick work of her prey. Cumbersome as the crossbow's blade was, she still sliced away the ribs with two swipes. Another two slices cut away the arms at their twisted shoulders. The final cut removed the man's emptied torso from his lower limbs and the halves fell into the muck with a heavy splash.

Immediately, she turned her attention to Lord Barrett. The apprentice loaded another poisoned bolt into the bow and shouldered it. Aiming in the dim light was difficult, especially when she was already a lousy shot. Lua prayed their goddess would guide her and pulled the trigger. The bolt pierced the boy's chest with a satisfying [i]schlink[/i]. Confidence bolstered, the apprentice loaded another bolt and waited for another opening.[/center]