With supreme effort, I snared my sanity and bound it to me. Yet as we strode, laying about with vicious blows that tired him little, yet drained me of what little strength remained, I felt trepidation sweep over me like a mantle of frost. Or'do however, spared not a thought toward his state, rather it seemed he delighted in the power that came of allowing the presence unfettered command.

Then, its hold was shaken: we strode from shelter into the sickly light of a foul sky, and the flickering radiance of smouldering pyre, yet no sooner had we lain waste to those before us, than a stream of bullets was raining down, punching a thousand holes into my trailing leg as I rolled aside, and spraying Or'do's entrails across the stones in a fine scarlet mist. He crumpled slightly, then bellowing in challenge, sprinted toward the tower from which our foe took bead upon us, and unleashed another hellish barrage.

'No Or'do wait!" I called, charging after him, seeing too late that the clearing into which we burst, was littered with barrels promising to bathe the world in liquid fire, if struck even obliquely. Or'do bounded on, heedless of my warning, and when that hail of bronze again rattled against the stones, he was engulfed in flame that even this almighty frenzy could not mute.