The black vines faded as Hard pushed ever further onwards, he didn't waver as a shadowy, ephemeral dart erupted from Melissa's staff and struck him squarely in the shoulder. Instead, he pushed forwards, teeth gritted and eyes narrowed on his target. It stood before him, still daring to throw a haughty smirk his way between its dark incantation's. Once a woman, once his wife. It was neither no longer. A necromancer. An undead. It was the Knight's of Solaria's goal to eradicate them.

He would not falter in his goal.

A bright beam of sunlight erupted from his weapon as he pointed it towards Melissa, though instead of striking it's intended topic, his beam dissipated into a black metal shield, one of her guards had moved to protect her. Hard closed the distance as the other armoured undead moved to intercept him. The silvered ram of fury that was the dwarf crunched recklessly into the knight, their shields collided with a violent explosion of sound that bounced throughout the cavernous bedroom. Hard swung his mace quickly, the metal still shimmering and glowing with yellow sunlight. It cut a trace of light in the air, but struck nothing, the knight having quickly circled left to catch Hard from behind with agility that betrayed the dark plate that covered it's body completely. With a swift thrust, the undead knight brought the blade forwards, tip biting into the mail beneath Hard's arm, but it did not find flesh, instead, it pushed into the chain as Hard slammed his shield into the knight's again, forcing the fighter backwards.

A close call.

Both of Melissa's armoured guards moved in a very different manner to the simple undead that had populated the mine up until now. Definitely not first-tier trash. Death Knights. A disquieting flash of thought reached Hard's mind as he pulled back and surveyed the situation, both of the death knights now advancing in unison on him.

Even without Melissa, he might be outclassed by the two undead.

That is until he saw the blur of green linger at his vision or the flash of purple and red that howled through the air in front of the green figure.

His bolt burst forward in front of Steal, the goblin letting the energy blast forwards as it crashed into the closest of the death knights, his target stumbled and reeled backwards as Steal took the opportunity to launch himself onto his staggered opponet, he quickly clambered onto the undead's shoulder, his mace cutting through the air as it crunched down into his opponent's helm. The mace made no indentation, and Steal's strike was not responded to with the victorious sound of crunching bone. Just metal against metal. Regaining it's composure, the figures gauntleted hand rose up and gripped Steal's throat, tightening around the goblin's neck and wrenching him from the knight's shoulder, tossing the green figure to the ground.

Steal crashed and bounced on the wooden floor, finding his footing besides Hard, the dwarf offering him a re-affirming grin beneath his helmet. "Goblin, this is my fight. Not yours." The dwarf allowed himself a quick, hearty laugh as the death knights continued to enroach, and a shimmer of green could be seen beyond them, atop Melissa's staff."But I would be grateful for you assistance."

Still, these weren't words that Steal knew, not a language he understood. But the goblin had decided that he would help Hard from the start.

The heat in his muscles rose ever higher, the rush of his blood pounding like drums in his skull.

The fiery bolt roared louder than even Hard as it leaped from his palm, it's purple orange light crashing into the undead's armour. Hard lunged forward with the attack, slamming another oncoming strike out of his way with his shield, metal striking on metal like a bell as the sound of the clash died out by the sound of more intense battle behind them.

Steal caught the barest hint of bone beneath the knight's black armour, the slightest flash of clean white, an opening underneath the knight's shoulder. His claws tightened on the haft of his mace. Something cut through the air beside him, a jagged blade that rent green flesh, drawing blood as the goblin recoiled, gritting his fangs together as he felt the red ichor fall from his shoulder down his chest.

He offered this one no retaliation, even through the gritted teeth. The dwarf lunged forward, swinging his weapon down to his own opponent's skull, the skeleton brought it's blade up in response, catching his weapon with it's blade and stepping to one side.

Steal made use of the opportunity presented to him. With it's blade raised, the goblin could still see that hint of white bone. His mace swung upwards, and he knew his strike hit true as the sharp snap of bone sung louder for but a moment than the clashing steel beside him.

Seemingly losing all strength in it's sword arm, the undead buckled as Hard pushed forwards, smashing the blade out of his way and slamming his sheld upwards into the skeletons helm. Metal screamed, bone crunched. A fleshless body hit the ground in a clatter of metal, the skeleton's head falling after the rest of it's body, bouncing off the wood beneath it and rolling off into the distance.

Another blade sung through the air, Steal was ready for this one, darting to one side as the blade bit the wood beneath it. He glanced to his side, Hard was gone, feet crunching the metal body beneath him as he rushed towards the woman.

The vampire brought her staff up to defend herself, catching the dwarves mace mid-swin, sidestepping as she thrust the staff forwards, it's skull-topped end crunching into Hard's chest, a blast of purple energy sending him sprawling backwards several feet. The dwarf's heavy armor strook the ground with a dull thud, hastily picking himself back up.

Steal lost the luxury of checking how Hard was doing when a rugged blade roared through the air beside him, he brought his own weapon up quickly to block the swing, but he was nevertheless sent stumbling back by the impact.

Steal's attention was stolen again as he saw the pale woman slam her staff into the ground again, a ball of black smog erupting from the ground and rushing forwards, flowing it's way through the visor of Steal's opponent, the black smog seemed to solidify, atleast somewhat, shrouding the skeleton in an eerie darkness, wisps of black smoke seeping from holes in it's armour and flowing to the floor from the creature's visor, glowing ruby red pinpricks piercing through the darkness where it's empty eyesockets had previously been.

"Finish the damn thing and protect me!" the woman howled as she thrust her staff towards the charging hard, it's skeletal head pouring forth a wave of crackling black energy towards the oncoming dwarf.

A blade bit once more at the air ahead of Steal, the goblin narrowly parrying a swift thrust from his foe, the creature moved into it's thrust, slamming it's shield into the head of Steal's mace and smashing it against the goblin's nose. Something cracked as the sickly taste of blood poured along Steal's lips.

The blade rushed forwards again, Steal brought his mace up pre-emptively to block the strike, the blade left his opponents hand, clattering harmlessly against Steal's hasty defense, now with it's hand free, the skeleton gripped the haft of Steal's mace, the goblin desperately held on as he was hurled skyward, he hung in the air for a moment, coal-black eyes darting around as the oncoming rush of air bit as his eyes as he descended, watching the undead quickly snatch it's blade from the floor and raise it skyward, shining tip pointed directly up, towards the plummeting goblin. With no weapon at hand, the goblin flung his right palm forwards, clenching his arm steady with his other hand.

The energy welled inside him, a familiar feeling of power and heat that was above even that of the gentle warmth that the Speaker had filled him with. The purple and red inferno erupted from the goblin, striking the undead in it's outstretched arm, flames hungrily engulfing the black smog that flowed over the skeleton.

MP = 0

Bloodfuel has been automatically enabled.

But till, although it stumbled, it endured enough to keep it's blade raised.

A figure broke from the torrent of emerladine flames and black bone that surrounded the paladin's. Dark skin turned darker by soot, lungs coughing up black smoke as he charged, shield raised.

Kor'ak's shield struck the skeleton with enough force as to lift it from the ground, the both of them hurtling into a nearby wall, wisps of black smog turning into slender claws and raking at the man's exposed flesh as he pinned the creature to the wall. "Help the dwarf!"

At that very moment, Hard had slammed the vampire's staff from her hand, the arcane implement went spinning through he air, landing sofly upon her bed. Devoid of her weapon, Hard surged forwards, bringing his mace down in a heavy swing.

Only for his arm to be caught mid-swing, a slender hand tightened it's grip on a metal gauntlet, the metal beneath bending and howling, Hard tried to slam the shield towards her, she grapped it by it's edge and wrenched hard, the dwarf bit back a howl of pain as his grip on the shield went limp.

She held the dwarf there for a moment, her eyes narrowed and alight with pure contempt.

"I sure do hope your blade tastes better than the other stuff that came out of you."

Her smile was wide as he voraciously licked her lips, exposing glistening white fangs, that quickly sunk themselves into Hard's throat.