He flared his Cinder, burning a rift in the air itself, and with a single stride, we stood before the Soul's mist befouled gate.

"You nearly died a half minute ago, Or'do"

"Yup!" He strode through the fog door before I could protest further.

"So I do not think this is wise" I trailed off, each word quieter than the last. Muttering darkly, I pushed through the mist, shuddering at the touch of a thousand clammy hands, and gazed again upon the Soul's domain. Sickly light drifted from the eclipsed Sun, and beneath it stood a slim creature wreathed in flame and clad in mottled black armour. Its veiled eyes burned like cooling iron as it stood, and without hesitation charged.

Or'do met its sweeping blade with nothing more than his bare hand, and even as the thunderous clang pealed out, and the soil itself exploded around him, he rallied his formidable strength, and flung the monster's weapon aside. I lunged in behind, driving my greatsword into its stomach, yet this time, the Soul twisted aside, and with a deft slash sent me reeling back.

"Use this!" Or'do tossed a claymore toward me, its edge gleaming like flowing mercury even in the grim, sordid light. I caught it by the leather bound pommel, its weight light and its balance perfect. Or'do himself cast aside the titanic blade with which he had a thousand Lords slain, and drew his own far slimmer blade.

Flame wreathed his scalp as he ducked beneath the Soul's sweeping strike, and rolling past, he sliced its ankle, shattering plate and severing tendon with a low, metallic cry. The Soul fell to its knees, and at once I was upon it, slashing wildly, carving long, diagonal rivers of weeping fire and dark blood that pooled like benighted mires along its lean abdomen. The song of steel intensified as it rose once more, a flare of flame forcing us to retreat, yet even as its formidable heat washed over us, we were already charging once more, our blades rasping against the monster's armor, and hissing into the flesh beneath. It crumpled, cursing us with its last breath, bleeding from a thousand wounds, and battered by twice so many blows.

Once again, we had triumphed, yet our trial was far from over: Or'do screamed in agony, white flame erupting from his body, turning his armour to slag and his flesh to dust. He collapsed, his cries slicing through me like cold steel; yet now, I was far from helpless. I flared my Cinder, felt its damning, blighted heat course through me like barbed marbles shredding my veins, tearing me apart from within, and kneeling at his side, I drew its power through me. White flame blazed from my own body, then burst outward in a dark concentric wave like the calm of benighted waters shuddering at the touch of a dropped stone. Or'do's robe of flame shivered and ebbed, extinguished as swiftly as it had burst forth. Exhaustion devoured my consciousness, and as shadow claimed my vision, I fell to lay at his side; beyond us, the Flame faded and we were left cold, bleak, wearied: two dark forms lost in eternal night.