>>5169741>17, 16Chase cries out and shields his eyes, while his older ally simply closes them and falls back, raising his arms to protect himself. In the confusion, you draw your blade, licking your lips as your eyes flit between the two humans. Chase is better armed, but his reaction gives away inexperience…
>17Inexperience which you can exploit! You slip easily into the gap in his stance, too close for him to stab or slash at you even if he could see.
“How isss thisss for pleassurable company?” you whisper, plunging your frost dagger into a gap in his armour.
He gasps as the icy-hot pain shoots through him. When you push your shoulder into him, he crumples and is bowled over easily. You take pains to tread upon his face—and HARD—as you exit the alleyway; you feel his nose give way under your heel, and relish in it with an unsavory glee. You aren’t sure if the wound you inflicted was fatal—probably not, if they can get him a healing potion fast enough—but he’ll remember it. For now, it is all the cover you need for a swift escape
>8Chase is practically whimpering, bravado broken by the barrage of pain. Still, he does not pelad or beg—he swears vengeance.
“I’ll get you, you demonic BITCH!” he howls.
>16You hear footsteps behind you as you flee the scene… But they draw short, for Innes chooses to tend to his fallen brother-in-arms rather than pursue you as his first priority. It is a foolish move motivated by mammalian weakness, but you mentally thank him for it.
Less so when you hear him calling for reinfrocements.
‘ShiiiiIIIIT’ Irinnile wails. ‘We need to get the FUCK outta’ here, hotstuff!’
‘Shift my face,’ you command, ‘NOW!’
‘Y-yeah, okay, okay, but… The cloak, babe! It’s, uh, it’s pretty distinctive!’
…And too magical to just abandon, you suppose. At least, you’d RATHER not. Damnit.
Where do you retreat to?
>The Pretty Kitty—it’s all the way across town, but it should be easy to lose them well before you arrive>Albacete’s home—she’s closer, has changes of clothes, and (of course) si a Reptilian and thus more reliable>Edwin’s home—he may be upset with you, but he won’t let you just be captured, and he’s even closer>Goblintown—nobody can find ANYBODY in Goblintown, and you have a network ready to squirrel you away>Ditch the (admittedly lovely) enchanted cloak and just shift into a very different form, then lay low where you are while your pursuers chase shadows>Write-in 