Olek surged on, fearless in spite of our immense foe. Even as it lowered its head, and opened wide its slavering jaws in a cry of challenge, his hammer was already swinging, crashing against the monster's cheek with a thunderous peal.

Ashen One! The Keeper's words stirred me, rousing me from the stupor into which I had fallen. My heart beat slowly, an ominous thrum within my undead veins that slowed ever more as I staggered in after him. Hissing, my stake-driver's slate grey blade jutted forth, its ominous cry echoing in the silence between my haggard footsteps.

Either it did not yet notice me, or it knew of my frailty, sensed that I would pose neither the challenge nor the entertainment it sought. Whirling, it snapped at Olek, whose hasty retreat left the fringe of his white cloak weeping tears of flame and soot, and alit with cinder still, it snapped around him as he rolled, evading its massive paw as it struck the ground with such force that even at my great distance, I was still thrown to my knees.

Defiant, Olek rolled again, coming up behind the monster and bringing his hammer in a wide arc; its cudgel head becoming a silvered streak that turned to a geyser of magma as it struck the beast's flank, toppling it. At once, I was upon it, feeling that perhaps it was the Keeper not I who guided my hand as I thrust an armoured fist into the soft patch behind its jaw, and ripped free a handful of whatever foulness lurked beyond.

It wailed, thrashing and squealing as it crumpled, yet all the same it floundered to its feet before I could strike again. With eyes that smouldered in fury, it lunged: teeth like swords of red hot steel clamping around a leg I could not retract fast enough. With formidable, impossible strength, it hurled me across the chamber, slamming me against the far wall and extinguishing my vision as my spine shattered and burst from my chest in a spray of vile green-black like tar fouled with crushed leaves. Olek cried out, pained despite knowing me only as his conjurer, and struck once more as it gathered itself to spring upon my prone form and drink the life that gushed from my torn body.

Staggered yet not toppled, it slashed with claws of cracked glass, slicing only air as he leaped back, yet this time it lunged: fluid as liquid iron its paw swept out, catching his side and nearly splitting him in two. He hadn't time to cry out before it was closing jaws of fire around his frail, frail body.

Once more my weakness had cost me an ally. I made it only to my knees before with a sickening crack, his body shattered as if made of ancient clay. Anger and sorrow swelled within me, and I fell forward, catching myself with trembling hands braced upon the cold stones. Tears of fury burned along my jaw, and shuddering breaths wracked my body.

I saw not Olek in that beast's jaws, but Or'do. I watched the light fade from my dearest comrade's eyes, as the monster bore him into that most perfect darkness that lies beyond life, and bitterly I wept. Hate burned through me, banishing the frost of exhaustion, and swaying with weariness I felt no longer, I rose.

Ashen One, you haven't the strength to-

"I never will." I growled, thrusting one arm to the side, my weapon's notched spike jolting forth with a harsh clang. "No mere hallucination that was. A promise, from the Darkness itself: Or'do will fall. I cannot, shall not let that happen!" Fire rolled through my chest as with agonizing fury the Cinder blazed to life. "They shall not take him from me!"