[PP-F11] Unscathed

[Mari 1]

“What’s the matter?”

Mari hissed as she loomed over the struggling man. “Weren’t you gonna end me? Where did all that Bravado go?”

He writhed and kicked beneath her. A man twice Mari’s size clad in silver armour. A thin buzz cut and stubble on his chin, his weapon - a large axe had been thrown several feet away. Away from his reach. Around the two were clear signs of a scuffle, and to the side, curled up in a ball by the base of a tree was a crying girl, knees held up to her chest and head buried into a ball. Her tiny form shaking like a leaf, she couldn’t be any older than 7, 10 at most.

Mari had the man pinned beneath her - straddling his hips. Not exactly a position she wanted anyone catching her in - but sometimes, when you were taking out the trash you found yourself in less than ideal positions. His wrists had been bound with thin garrote wire - and every time he tried to struggle they’d cut into his skin.

“Git off!” He slurred, trying to buck Mari off but she was stalwart in her position. With her hand held out to the side she’d materialize her weapon. Something she rarely did against players. But this… She let it drop to the floor and placed the polearm over his neck - levering it beneath her knee. Further pinning him to the floor.

“Now…” Mari said quietly - barely hiding the hatred that dripped from her tone, a grim flash of her past mirrored in her cold and uncaring gaze. She ignored the choking gasps he made. She didn’t care. “Mind telling me why you were trying to drag a screaming and crying child out of the town?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. “Why were you threatening to PK her if anyone else got too close?” These were the people she hated most, it took every ounce of strength to not flip her halberd and cleave his head clean off. It’d be cathartic. She is the unwilling arbiter and executioner of this unexpected yet all too common tale.

He didn’t respond. Instead trying to push her off of him. Mari pulled out a smaller blade, this time a dagger - and with a quick flourish coated it in toxic venom. Run of the mill stuff - but useful nonetheless. She shoved the blade into his shoulder and he screamed out.

“F-Fine! FINE! It… It…IT…” His beady brow eyes shifted left and right as he spluttered. “Uh…L-Laughing Coffin!” He called out. “T-They got me to-ARghh!”

Mari had twisted the blade, watching his health slowly tick down. As much as she wanted him to….she wouldn’t let him die. “Wrong answer." Mari said coolly. “You know…so many people use that name as an excuse- because who would question it?” She asked. “You ran across the wrong person though.” Mari gave him a sarcastic pat on his cheek before standing, shoving her foot hard own on his chest as she pointed the halberd at his neck. “I’m married to a member.”  A lie, a half lie…Lancaster wasn’t Laughing Coffin anymore but this guy didn’t need to know that.

“I know their MO - and it doesn’t involve kids. So again.”  A stomp on his chest. “Why the FUCk were you dragging her away, and to WHERE?”


Mari | HP: 1220/1220 | EN: 154/154 | DMG: 21 | MIT:143 | ACC:4 | AA  | FL.AURA: 8 | BH:67 | BRN: 56 | ENV-O: 32 | PARA-V | LD:5 | True Tier 15