Mallory
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A towering shadow cast its cloak over the scene, while a and a barely audible voice startled her amidst the cold wind. Mallory's eyes darted to the side, noting the figure of a man. Relief mingled with irritation; she wasn't alone, but his presence complicated things.
"Who the Fu-"
A primal snarl erupted from behind her before Mallory could fully register the man's presence. She spun just in time. The unicorn, sensing her hesitation, seized its chance. With a guttural snarl, it lunged forward, hooves churning up clods of frost and earth. Mallory's instincts kicked in. She sidestepped, her dagger flashing in the muted light. Just as she aimed for the creature’s neck, she tripped and fell hard into the snow. Gasping for breath, she swiftly rolled and sprang to her feet, scooping up a handful of snow to throw into the unicorn's face, hoping to blind it, if only for a moment.
The unicorn reared back, shaking its head furiously to clear the snow from its eyes. It snorted and pawed at the ground, momentarily disoriented, granting Mallory a brief but precious opportunity to act.
Everything slowed to a crawl, as if the world itself had hit the brakes. The woman assessed the situation. Her mind raced, calculating options amidst the chaos. With deliberate movements, she evaluated the distance between herself and the unicorn, as she attempted to anticipate the creature's next move.
"Who the Fu-"
A primal snarl erupted from behind her before Mallory could fully register the man's presence. She spun just in time. The unicorn, sensing her hesitation, seized its chance. With a guttural snarl, it lunged forward, hooves churning up clods of frost and earth. Mallory's instincts kicked in. She sidestepped, her dagger flashing in the muted light. Just as she aimed for the creature’s neck, she tripped and fell hard into the snow. Gasping for breath, she swiftly rolled and sprang to her feet, scooping up a handful of snow to throw into the unicorn's face, hoping to blind it, if only for a moment.
The unicorn reared back, shaking its head furiously to clear the snow from its eyes. It snorted and pawed at the ground, momentarily disoriented, granting Mallory a brief but precious opportunity to act.
Everything slowed to a crawl, as if the world itself had hit the brakes. The woman assessed the situation. Her mind raced, calculating options amidst the chaos. With deliberate movements, she evaluated the distance between herself and the unicorn, as she attempted to anticipate the creature's next move.
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