Xena hurled her needle at the human rat. It flew faster than a bullet, lodging deep in the man's shoulder.
As much as I hate it, I have to play it safe. His breath reeks worse than poison.
From that needle, a single thread snapped back toward Xena. She drew a second needle, hooked it to the thread, and drove it into the floor. Her enemy was on a leash. The line stretched across the center of the basement, taut between them. He tried to grab the needle in his shoulder, but his hand passed through it.
The human rat's face twisted. She used her true name for this one! Bitch! You're serious about killing me!
Learning an enemy's true name was one of the hardest parts of Dark Practitioner battles, so the simpler counter was to use a true name against a true name. The human rat stirred his mana, preparing to unleash his spell. He flung a hand to cast, but the leash jerked him off balance.
