Sunny had largely gotten away with that through the element of surprise. Otokoto Ginny was a prodigy among Leopard People and a second level sorceress on her own shouldn't have been able to handle him. But that was in some way the advantage of being a free agent. You went for simple, practical solutions that your more magically-minded peers simply did not.

He'd get the upper hand back if this took too long. And even in her upset, she knew that Spencer had been right. She didn't have to finish this; she had to get them out alive.

She didn't know what was in that syringe, but satisfied that it would be useful, she nodded back. Though to be sure that this didn't go horribly wrong, she raised her knife slowly, effectively lifting Otokoto by the throat while he clawed at his neck for air. Only with his left hand, though. His right refused to drop his knife.