"You talk too much for a scribe," replied Leah, as she quickly dispatched the futile attacks of another hellhound, "We're almost there."

"Quiet both of you," Lothar said, "I sense something strange ahead. Go ahead and mark in this area, it should be a safe entry point should we need to return." It seemed all our talking did manage to stir up a little trouble, for at that moment a column of fire vaguely shaped like a man locked what must have been its eyes on Lothar and rapidly approached, cursing Heaven and Earth for the intrusion of its privacy. Although I expected a longer fight, the combination of Lothar and his wife proved to be too much too fast, as I only managed to get off two spells before the magical being was reduced to ashes.

As we made our way a little further down the hall, I began to understand why Lothar seemed a little worried. Apparently, some high-powered beastmaster had met his demise in the room ahead of us some time ago. The sound of his masterless and now wild Nightmare almost drowning out those of the equally masterless and wild White Wyrm. Although it was obvious that we should clear the area of these vile and alien creatures, the task of fighting them on our terms required a little strategy.

My Lord and the Princess set up side by side, ready for a brutal assault as I opened the door using Telekinesis. The Nightmare and an opportunistic Lich seized the moment and made a quick attack on the now outmatched Princess. Lothar and myself did our best to heal her rapidly developing wounds, but with both the Lich and the Mare hitting and casting on her, it was only a matter of time before one of us would fail to heal her in time.

Leah quickly realized this and, for the first and only time I've ever seen her do, ran away from the battle. This proved to be the best tactic that she could have done, because although the Lich gave chase, the Mare had decided to now attack the appealing visage of the Patron Saint. Knowing from experience that the Singing Blade was more than a match for any single Lich, I stood my ground several steps behind Lothar, determined to do everything in my power to keep my Lord alive until his wife returned. It was only a few moments later that Leah returned, a drop of perspiration beginning to show atop a face steeled with determination. Now, without a second monstrosity to distract us, the two warriors proceeded to unleash their full fury upon the hellish creature. My attempts of releasing an equally damaging combination of spells was occassionally interrupted by concern for my comrades' health, as the powerful foe continued to attack both warriors with equal abandon in its attempt to confuse the steadfast warriors. That was the last strategic planning that creature would ever perform. Lothar seized the opportunity, brandishing his knife to retrieve the leather from the fallen mount of evil. "I know a certain Man-Servant that would cherish this," he quipped.

I had recently had my own duel with a White Wyrm, a battle that most definately did not go to my advantage. The fact that it easily outmaneuvered me haunted me throughout the encounter that was to come. After getting my Lord's permission, I decided to release a barrage of powerful Fireballs from the safety of our side of the imposing wall to weaken the former beast of war. Somehow, though, I felt that both Lothar and the Princess were feeling robbed of the great opportunity that could have been, for the battle with the now weakened creature was far less thrilling than what we had just experienced.

The two great warriors spent the next several minutes dispatching Liches as quickly as they would emerge from the dark corners of the graveyard. As Leah ran wildly to embrace each creature with her bloody kryss, Lothar calmly met any others that would try to outnumber them. Seeing that my assistance was not required here, I spent the time wandering nearby, challenging whatever else happened to manifest in the area.  When their thirst for retribution had been reasonably quenched, we departed, leaving behind the rotting carcasses of someone's former pets. Lothar must've seen the pity in my eyes for the creatures, for as he stepped through the portal, he said to me, "At least they have been freed from their bondage, and were given the opportunity to live a few moments to do as their heart contented instead of following their master's orders." As I stepped through the portal, I knew I had accepted his reasoning.