When the demon hounds ceased coming out of the ragged rift, Lazarus and Valentine crept forward. That was the signal, now they would proceed with the plan. The two Heroes took their time letting the hounds move towards the Stronghold. They did not need the dogs to be distracted and backtrack to their positions.

"Is it my imagination or are those hounds bigger than the ones Constantine showed us on his ipad?"

"You're right," confirmed Lazarus. "They do look bigger and stronger."

"I thought so. Bigger, meaner and badder." A second later, the handsome Thief broke into a boyish smile, "No problem. We can handle them."

Mentally Valentine adjusted his game plan. He would switch to his new overpowered weapon later instead of using his favourite long sword. It was the best time to test out that baby. Everyone had gone shopping before logging on. This session, all three Heroes had new higher grade weapons to play with.

"Now?" asked Valentine glancing at Lazarus.

"Now."

They could see Constantine already casting his spell. He walked unafraid into the open for the showdown as a large bluish black ring of high flames marked the ground encircling the two magic users. The Red Warlock gestured rudely at the Necromancer who responded with an angry snarl and energy blast. Constantine easily avoided the attack and answered with one of his own.

The powerful veteran orc Necromancer faced the legendary human Red Warlock. Tension built in the few seconds the two rival magic users glared hatefully at each other before they raised their hands simultaneously.

The war of the mages commenced. It was a battle that would be recorded in orc history as one of the fiercest magical battles that was ever fought. It was the battle that changed the tide of the Avraiavor War.

-----

"We're up," said Lazarus. They would kill all the Imperial orc warriors so that none would interfere or help Mallarg with the magical fight.

The Assassin lifted his customised silver bow and aimed. His arrow flew straight and true, entering the Imperial warrior's throat forcefully and blocked off his windpipe. The scarred orc choked curses unintelligibly before dying. Two more arrows followed moments later to fatally pierce the huge fighters on either side of the first victim. They too died before they could react. Lazarus' lips quirked upwards before he was busy again looking for more Kills. It was so good to be back.

Valentine was not far behind. The Thief was also an excellent shot. Hefting his own over powered new Osage orange bow, he let loose a few stout customised arrows. Another three orcs died within seconds of each other. Before his victims could disappear, the high level Hero had already fitted and nocked another arrow. He shot upon choosing his next target.

Methodically, the two Heroes finished off what was left of Mallarg's Imperial army. Their hands blurred as arrow after fatal arrow decimated the enemy. Fifty over unsuspecting grey warriors died as they tried to regroup against the surprise attack. The massacre lasted for only a few minutes. Fiery sparks outlining various battle positions of the doomed orcs winked out slowly. Lazarus and Valentine were very efficient and complemented each other perfectly. The two good friends made a lethal team.

Soon, it was all over. The Necromancer was left completely alone.

The area outside the magical blue black flaming ring surrounding Mallarg and Constantine filled with combusting orcs. Mallarg screamed furiously at the ambush. His army!! The two interfering Ghost Lords outside the magical barrier were killing off his precious army! Without his Imperial army, he would not have access to their Energies. He would be left on his own. He would have to use his own Energies to control the hounds!

For an instant, the Necromancer's eyes widened in shock and fear before he recovered himself. His expression changed as he made a decision.

"Think he is mad?" Valentine asked with a wink.

"Yeah. Very."

"What's he doing now? Is he aiming at us?"

"Nope, not us," answered Lazarus frowning. "It's something behind us ..."

"Huh?" Valentine turned back for a quick look. There was nothing behind them.

Mallarg was pointing and gesturing madly at something beyond them. He then pointed at the two Heroes outside the circle. Meddling humans! He would kill them all! Mallarg was so angry that he burst out laughing hysterically and went berserk on Constantine. The Red Warlock had to focus on the infuriated Necromancer as the incensed orc launched his attack anew. His anger had just increased to another level.

Loud baying sounds answered the Necromancer's summons. The last few packs which had emerged from the portal to race to the Stronghold stopped in their tracks. They clawed the ground agitatedly and ran around in circles snapping at each other as new directives were issued. Then they turned back from the Stronghold. They had been called back and given new targets. They really didn't care as long as they got Kills to feed their insatiable hunger.

"Oh-uh. I got a bad feeling about this," said the Thief. "This was not in the plan."

"Look out!! Follow me!"

Having identified the new threat, the two Heroes ran, repositioning themselves strategically between the incoming lava hounds, Constantine and the portal. Their job now was to prevent any hounds from disturbing Constantine's fight, breaking down his mystic arena or returning to their own world until the Red Warlock closed the magical rift.

"That doesn't sound good. I think they are hungry."

"I know."

"I mean like, really, really starved," stressed Valentine. "Ravenous ..."

"I know, I know!"

The hounds were really near; the terrifying carnivorous baying was very loud. They had rushed back faster than when running to the Stronghold. At the overrun fortress, they would have to wait their turn for a few Kills, but here, now, fresh meat was awaiting them. They would terrify and reap the delicious fear that would emanate from the humans. Fear generated from Ghost Lords was much better and richer than those produced by normal local creatures (NPCs). One Ghost Lord's terror could feed whole packs.

"Here they come!"

"Bring it on!" Valentine's blue eyes were bright with excitement. Laz was fighting with him. His grip tightened in anticipation on his Osage orange bow as he raised his weapon. He and Laz had the advantage of terrain, they had the high ground.

"Auto reload," Lazarus muttered softly.

"Yeah, auto-reload!" echoed Valentine smiling happily. He had picked up a few time saving tricks from the Assassin. "Game on!"

The first shot hit a leaping hound directly in between his eyes. The Ghost Lord's arrow penetrated the canine skull to fatally injure the huge dog. Another two arrows followed closely, hitting its chest and abdomen. Even monsters need their brains and hearts to function. A few seconds later, the NPC combusted spectacularly splashing hot lave everywhere. It howled in death protesting its untimely demise.

"Ewwww!! Constantine never mentioned the stink!!" grumbled Valentine wrinkling his nose in disgust. The overpowering smell of rotten eggs fille the air making the Thief gag.

Lazarus kept his hands busy as he answered the nauseated Thief. "It's sulphur. Don't get distracted!" A hound whined in pain dragging its useless hind legs as another two of his pack mates exploded near him. An arrow was stuck deep in its rump. He crawled a few meters towards the Ghost Lord before another arrow from the silver bow ended its virtual life.

"It's going to take a whole week to get rid of the smell. Rotten eggs don't exactly go with my image!" Valentine bantered as he killed another two hounds.

"Just wear something else then," Laz replied as he dropped down onto one knee and aimed high at a lone hound which had gotten ahead of its pack. The hungry canine leapt with gaping salivating jaws at the Assassin. It exploded in mid-leap.

"But I just bought this outfit. Now it's stinky!"

The Assassin just smiled in response. He was too busy Killing.

The two Ghost Lords fell silent as more lava hounds reached their position. There was no time to talk, they had to focus on the incoming mass. Using Speed, their hands blurred as they moved apart to cover more ground. Each pack held more members than expected. Canine bodies were surging towards them like a tsunami of hot lava, teeth and claws.

It was an awesome sight. The two Heroes fought, firing their ranged weapons non-stop. The continuous explosions of enemy bodies around them were a testament to their legendary Skill and Accuracy. The air was thick with bright bursting red orangey pixels and angry howls. None even got close enough to harm them.

Valentine laughed as he worked his bow. His sheer joy in the fight was contagious and Lazarus found himself smiling as they continued to raise the Kill count.

-----

"Oh my God, they are so fast," exclaimed Chloe. Her eyes were glued to Ash's ipad trying to follow the blurry images. Ash's Valentine was dashing around the screen, his figure a blur as he fought. Lazarus' image was no better. The Assassin looked as if he had grown multiple arms as he aimed and shot the enemy around them.

The other girls just watched in fascination. Aria and Gwen shared Jace's ipad whilst Vera and Sophia viewed the action from Lorenzo's.

"I can't see them properly. The exploding hounds around them aren't helping much. They are blocking Laz and Val."

"There are so many enemies coming at them. Aren't they scared?"

"I don't think they have time to be afraid. I know I wouldn't!"

"Also, they can't see what we see. We have a bird's eye view of the fight and can roam on the screen to see any part of the action. They can't, so they won't know that more lava hounds have turned round to follow those called back."

Chloe make a face. "Poor Val, my poor Val is going to die!"

"Well, he can die as long as he protects Constantine!" quipped Sophia teasingly. "They need to get rid of the Necromancer."

"No-oooo! If Val dies, Constantine will too!" answered Chloe indignantly.

"No one is going to die. The dogs don't have a chance. Laz and Val are both above level 90. Just look at the rate the hounds are dying!"

On the ipad, the area beside and in front of the two Heroes lighted up steadily. Explosion after explosion burst out one after another like fireworks. The screen was filled with fiery yellow, orange and red bursts.

Lazarus and Valentine's killing rate was phenomenal. It was expected when the two experienced gamers who were good friends in real life and who knew each other's playing style and fighting quirks team up. Aria hoped it was enough. The pressure was on. More hounds were turning back, lured by 'easy' prey.

The elegantly grey clad Hero was killing the fiery canines at an impossible rate. The overlapping explosions never stopped since it started with the first Kill. Lazarus was now shooting three arrows simultaneously at a time from his bow. He had upgraded his favourite weapon to make it more effective. The Assassin gripped his customised bow at an angle, aiming and shooting constantly. He only paused for fractions of a second when searching for fresh targets.

Slightly further, the green clad Hero was also holding his own. Dying lava hounds growled and whined combusting in bright hot pixels around him. He was using Speed, Agility and Accuracy. His bowstring thrummed and vibrated as it shot countless missiles. Valentine never stopped moving either.

"Smart!! Each Kill has a knock-back effect. When the beasts die, they push the others away from Val and Laz giving them more time and space for the next Kills."

"Not only that, notice the stun effect when the hounds are injured but not killed? Even being immobile for two seconds is fatal!" added Vera.

"Still, look at the sheer numbers ... they have been overcome by overwhelming numbers of enemies before," Aria said worriedly.

"Just keep them away from Constantine," Sophia prayed as she switched the battle scene on her screen from the Assassin and Thief combo to her brother. The intense mage battle behind the two fighting Heroes was going on full-swing too.

"No!!" cried Sophia in dismay.

Mallarg had scored on Constantine. The Red Warlock stumbled back wincing as he held his injured his left arm.