Constantine stared out over the walls. All seemed peaceful but he felt uneasy. It was the calm before the storm. He could feel a change in the atmosphere, the build-up of tension was almost tangible. He clenched his jaw, no matter, he thought, he was ready.

"What do you see, Spell Caster?"

The Red Warlock turned slightly to acknowledge the powerful orc leader. No one could mistake his hulking presence.

"It's more like what I sense, esteemed Overlord. It is too quiet."

The battle experienced warrior nodded in acknowledgment. He knew exactly what the Ghost Lord meant. Both human and orc waited in silent camaraderie.

They did not have to wait long. Horns blared long and hard in the distance breaking the silence. The mournful sounds echoed loudly signalling the start of a new wave.

"Here they come."

"Ready?"

"I am always ready for battle, Ghost Lord."

The Overlord had redirected his warriors to defend the other walls. Only he, Jarrakg, the Captain and the Seer were here with the crazy human. The Overlord wanted to see what the Spell Caster was up to and Jarrakg was there for back-up. Unknown to the Red Warlock, Jarrakg had a whole platoon on standby. If anything went wrong here, the warriors would rush in upon command ready to defend the wall. The orcs were not going to rely a hundred per cent on the foreigner, not when their Stronghold and the jaav ukon was at stake.

There was no more time for talk. Howls, growls and fierce barks preceded the attacking smouldering demon hounds. Constantine glanced at the distant hill top and spotted Mallarg. He could deal with the canines but he had to think of a solution to stop the Necromancer. If not, Mallarg would continue the siege endlessly wearing them down. Suddenly Constantine frowned as a thought occurred to him, where did Mallarg get his Energy from? Any form of magic took a lot out of the practitioner and he kept up each attack for at least two hours. Another mystery that needed to be solved. The Red Warlock shrugged and put it at the back of his mind. He would figure it out later. Now he had lava hounds to destroy.

The orcs by his side were ready with their bows. The Overlord looked with interest at the Captain's enchanted bow. His report had included the enchantment the Spell Caster had cast onto their weapons, making their bows unbreakable and their supply of arrows inexhaustible. Kalthu and Nark had one too.

Jarrakg nodded readiness with a tinge of envy but recognised what a great advantage it would give them. The Captain was well trained and a very good shot. Nark too will make good use of his bow on the Western wall and the Warlord? He hoped that the Warlord would live long enough and come back victorious. He was sure Kalthu's magic bow would serve him well wherever he was.

"Wait for the Overlord," Jarrakg cautioned the Red Warlock. The Overlord had the honour of First Kill.

Constantine nodded understanding but kept his hands on the wall in front of him. The wall looked normal but now intense cold emanated from the solid granite. The Red Warlock had been working on the cold spell for some time. It was not easy to drain heat and infuse sub-zero temperatures into thick slabs of solid rock but he had done it with the help of the epic level 92 spell. The atmosphere on the parapet turned frigid.

This brutal realm was offering him a whole lot of circumstances in which to test out his arsenal of epic weapons and spells. There had been no such opportunities in the human realm. He had been purchasing and hoarding the over-powered weapons whilst levelling up. He grinned wickedly in anticipation. This was going to be fun. The lava hounds were in for a huge shock.

The great Overlord drew his impressive bow and aimed. He chose a large intimidating specimen and shot when it came into range. The sturdy orc arrow flew straight hitting its target squarely in its chest. The lava hound howled defiantly before bursting and splattering lava in its vicinity before disappearing. Orcs cheered at the Overlord's Kill, the small victory signalling attack. The lava beast's death fuelled the rest of its pack which surged towards the ready defenders. Furious barks and howls reverberated loudly as the two sides engaged. The battle ready orcs, not to be out done yelled battle cries and curses back at the oncoming enemies.

"Get ready to die, mangy dogs!"

"Fire at will! FIRE AT WILL!!" Jarrakg roared, his hands already busy.

"Gwar! Gwar! For the Overlord!! GWAR!!"

"The Overlord!! And the Jaav Ukon!!"

Arrows rained down on the attacking dogs and boiling oil was poured onto canine bodies piling up against the walls outside. The hounds were mindlessly throwing themselves against the wall piling up their huge bodies. Their pack mates clamoured over the rapidly growing stack of bodies heedless of the crushed ones below. Bodies exploded when the boiling liquid from above splashed on them. Unfortunately each cauldronful could only kill so many.

Inside the Stronghold, more hot oil and melted tar bubbled in large cauldrons ready for use. Battle trained grey orcs manned the walls whilst sweaty muscled green ones replenished weapons, ran errands and provided a steady stream of boiling liquids. Young grey orcs in training ran messages, orders and information.

At the Overlord's front, it was a different kind of chaos. Unnatural chilled winds blew outwards at the lava hounds cooling them as the Overlord, Jarrakg and the Captain shot arrow after arrow at the enemy. Numerous individual explosions detonated one after another. They were interrupted by larger multiple combustions when Constantine's melee weapons were activated. Not only were his cold winds cooling the hounds and slowing them down, his thrown ice bombs and Spikeballs were thinning their numbers at a phenomenal rate.

The Red Warlock was in his element. Picking another two ice bombs, he lobbed them at the canines below. Both detonated blasting the enemies within its area of effect (AOE). Hot lava hounds stopped dead in their tracks, sizzling as their molten insides cooled instantly in their monstrous bodies. They were unable to move when their lava blood froze turning into dark unsightly basalt rock, locking their muscles and paralysing them. It created an immense inward pressure which made the beasts implode spectacularly.

"Hahaha! Not so hot anymore, yes?" Constantine crowed and lobbed more. "Come and get it! There is plenty for everyone, yes?"

Empty spaces formed at the spots the Hero's melee weapons dropped. Snarls of rage rose into the air as the hounds charged again and again like the mindless beasts they were.

"Over here, human! They are almost over the wall!" yelled Jarrakg who was at the far end of the wall. He had exchanged his bow for his war hammer and was swinging wildly at snapping jaws. The Captain and Nark were shooting at targets trying to topple the tower of bodies.

The hounds clearly did not care for their own lives. They only had one thing to do and that was to get into the Stronghold and kill every living thing in it. The overwhelming killing compulsion was what they were designed to do. Once unleashed, they killed without prejudice until there was nothing left to kill. Then they turned onto each other, biting and clawing until all perished. That was what they did. That was all they did. Mallarg had taken a huge risk in unleashing the fearsome beasts. If he lost his fragile control, they might turn on him instead.

Constantine changed tactics and raised his hands. Icy blue electricity blasted out to envelope the snarling creatures climbing over the parapet. They spasm howling and fragmented when their bodies suddenly cooled down. The tide of bodies eased letting the three orcs take a breather.

With the immediate threat neutralised, the Red Warlock turned his attention to the base of the build-up. His running chant varied according to his intent. Bright blue bolts shot out and spread along the first ten feet of living bodies. Those on top ignored their suddenly freezing whining pack mates, they were too busy scrambling and clawing their way up. They were almost there, the top was only a few meters away. It was too late when they realised what was happening. Magical bright blue electricity crawled all over their pack mates below before they imploded by the dozens. The lava hounds high above ground yipped in fright as they fell in the sudden empty space below them.

Falling ten feet was not a problem to the huge monsters. However, the mass of their heavy pack mates falling on those below was. Mayhem reigned as barking and whining lava hounds fell on top of each other. Clawed feet raked empty air for purchase and bared fangs snapped at each other desperately for something solid to hang onto. Bodies were squished and the pressure from tons of molten flesh pressed down burying those unlucky to be at the bottom. They were crushed by their brethren and died en masse.

"Good one Spell Caster!" laughed the Overlord in glee as he watched the beasts crush and kill each other. Still smiling broadly, he lifted his bow to continue his own killing spree.

"Thalasis!" Constantine shouted for the Seer after topping up his Energy levels in a gulp. He had lowered the temperature of the thick granite wall to well below freezing point. It should be easy for the Seer to use his spell's foundation to build hers on. He had to maintain some Energy for his other spells and his numerous Shields. "Now! Do your spell now!"

The Holy Seer came forward. Her forked tongue flickered out testing the air. "Yesss, it is cold enough Sspell casster. Thank you. Now I will begin my tassk." She did not have to touch the wall to feel the cold emanating from it. So far, the hounds had endured the painful cold for their mission. She smiled humourlessly.

"Sstay away from the wall my lordsss," she cautioned the Overlord, Jarrakg and the Captain. She took out a sparkling powder from her long sleeves and threw it onto the wall.

"Asssmarotzz Bavarakh Ssyntarathsss!!"

Cold white frost bloomed and spread on the grey walls. The lava hounds that were in contact with the solid granite whimpered in pain. The already cold surface became glacial. Clawed paws and mangy smoking pelts steamed, cooling down instantly at the unnatural cold. The creatures whined in pain and discomfort when their bodies started sticking to the frozen sides gluing the unfortunate creatures to the rough surface.

The frost extended over the whole wall and onto the dogs which were unfortunate enough to be in contact with the wall. Lava hissed at the magical ice, cooling at a phenomenal rate freezing the lava hounds in their tracks. They imploded shattering their rocky bodies.

"What a beautiful sight, yes?" Constantine was grinning madly watching the spectacle. His plan had worked. The Seer was not bad but he was awesome as usual.

Thalasis doubled her efforts when she saw the effect on the enemy. The Red One's plan was brilliant; she would have never thought to use the wall this way. She threw more powder and continued her rhythmic chanting spreading the forming ice.

"Asssmarotzz Bavarakh Ssyntarathsss! Asssmarotzz Bavarakh Ssyntarathsss!!"

The frost grew thicker, patches of rime filled cracks and the top of the parapet. The solid wall turned white as the orcs looked on in awe. All the demons on the wall had imploded. The ice cold wall was nice and bare now as it should be. A light dusting of frost on the ground extended to a about a meter from the wall. Beyond that, the remaining lava hounds snarled and yelped aggressively. They would have to wait until the strong spell dissipated before they could advance again.

Constantine's grin widen in glee. He threw a few more ice bombs thinning the pack even more. Mallarg must be really hurting. Many more hounds had died this wave. If the Necromancer was stupid enough, he would divert monsters from the other flanks to make up for the loss here. If not, he would concentrate on the weakest wall whichever it was.

Apparently, Mallarg was ... stupid ... or maybe he was just not battle experienced enough. He had after all spent most of his time on studying and perfecting spells rather than training for battle. Other than that he had to focus on politics and economy. So, he did just as Constantine hoped and diverted beasts from the other walls to the frost wall. That would lessen the burden significantly on the orc warriors the Red Warlock thought in satisfaction.

All eyes were on the ground, watching more incoming packs. Fresh hot demons bounded from the East and West to join their stalled brethren. Loud menacing growls overlapped each other in an ominous symphony before a sudden eerie silence. The lava hounds were alert, ears perked forward and standing rigidly. They had all turned to face the distant Necromancer's figure on the hill.

The jubilant defenders quieten down, exchanging uneasy glances.

"Something is not right. Seer, how are you holding up?"

"I am fine. I can keep thisss sspell up a little longer if need be," Thalasis replied a little breathlessly. Her throat was parched and her forked tongue dry from all the chanting but she could endure a little discomfort for the lives at stake.

"I think ..." the Overlord's gruff voice trailed off as his mouth hung open and his gaze went outwards. "What in Onnorux's name is that?!"

"INCOMING!!" yelled Constantine. He felt the magical Energies hurtling their way before they could fully manifest.

"Down! Down! EVERYONE GET DOWN!!" Jarrakg bellowed.

Everyone ducked, crouched or body slammed themselves onto the ground just in time. Fiery red orangey blasts flew over the waiting lava hounds to smash into the frozen wall. Blazing hot energies rained down upon them like a nightmare firestorm, trailing thick black smoke behind them. Soon the air heated up and filled with smog. Fire collided with ice as the two strong magics clashed.

Thalasis screamed in shock and pain, falling over in a faint. Constantine caught her in his arms, gently lowering her to the ground. He too was trembling in pain. Mallarg's fire spell had hit the wall, directly impacting his and the Seer's Energies. The magical backlash vibrated throughout his body.

"Aaaarrgghhhh! Bloody orc!"

Constantine gritted his teeth and bore the temporary torment. He knew he would heal quickly, his Health and Energy Restoration were at maximum levels.

"Holy Seer!" The Captain and Jarrakg rushed to her.

"She's hurt. Take her in to safety!"

"Here!" Constantine tossed a vial at them. "Make her drink this. It will heal her internal wounds and restore her inner Energies."

The two orcs looked at each other in awe. Such a potion exists? The Ghost Lord was great indeed.

When the Overlord nodded his approval, Jarrakg passed the precious vial to the Captain with instructions to take the Seer to the infirmary. Quickly he carried the unconscious Seer inside the Stronghold.

"I will take over now," the Red Warlock said in a grim voice after recovering somewhat. He placed his hand onto the half defrosted wall and started muttering. After a few moments, he made a pushing motion. The air shimmered outwards in invisible waves, coating the granite wall and lowering its temperature again. Half melted frost and rime hardened into slippery ice.

His efforts were rewarded by a few howls of frustration as hounds slipped and fell to their deaths. They had tried to take advantage of the fading spell to attack the Stronghold again. Seconds later another volley of fiery rain was blasted at the Stronghold.

When it died down, the two orcs continued firing, picking off a demon at a time. The Kill rate slowed again. Constantine peeked over the edge to see the extent of the damage. His action triggered a hidden trap. Immediately the Red Warlock was caught in a bright orange glare which blinded him. He jerked back but it was too late. A sudden wall of fire erupted enveloping Constantine, swallowing him whole. The next instant his whole body was engulfed in the inferno.

"Ghost Lord!!" the Overlord yelled in horror.

Constantine was a sight. The Overlord would never forget the terrible yet fantastic sight of the legendary Ghost Lord in flames. He looked like a vengeful ghost from the deepest parts of Hell. Bright vermilion and orange flames danced on his burning body and emitted more black smoke into the sky. His clothes and hair were ablaze as he opened his arms wide and threw back his head screaming.

Below, the lava hounds started baying in excitement as they caught the scent of burning flesh. It would not be long before the human died and they could return to their siege. If he fell over the wall, they would tear him apart while he smoldered. Fire was nothing to them.

Above the loud incessant baying of the lava hounds, a raucous gleeful laughter could be heard as the Necromancer crowed in his victory.