Mina stood to the back of the group, taking off one of her rings. It was one of her favorites, give to her by Captain Rackham after he realized that she was, in fact, a girl and not having an affair with his mistress. It was a handy little thing because, in addition to being decorative, it was fairly poorly made, with several sharp, jagged edges sticking out of the gold base in all kinds of directions.

She dragged one of those jagged edges across her wrist, horizontally to avoid any gushing. A thin line of blood formed on her skin, deep crimson against the pale white. For a moment, she watched it. When there was a sufficient amount, she quietly whispered to herself in a foreign language. Instantly, all of her skin shimmered, hardening into a sort of armor. Maiden Skin. One of her favorite spells.

Putting her ring back on, Mina reached into her pocket and pulled out one of her pistols, cocking the firing mechanism and pointing the barrel up. She was ready.