Dying... I can't type properly.
As the light grew brighter, something rose from the floor; booted feet, legs and long arms. As quick as it had begun, the dust from the Soul Shard fell to the ground where it was lost forever.
Warrick felt a huge wrench on his energy as a good quarter of his already perilously low mana was sacrificed. He felt the world swim and he closed his eyes for a moment, fighting the feeling of vertigo.
When he opened them he found himself looking into pair of deep gold eyes. Bala shook her head, smoothing her hair back from her horns and drew a deep breath.
"In answer to my own question; you are both reckless and stupid." She sighed. He smiled,
"Am I?"
"You needed that Soul Shard."
"…I needed you more."
Bala closed her eyes and praised the Gods, drawing him close to her. This was the Warrick she knew.
A furious roar rent the air, loud enough to split the storm clouds from each other. Both Warlock and Succubus jumped.
"What was that?" Bala asked.
"Nefarian."
"You didn't kill Nefarian!?"
"I was preoccupied!" He snapped. Bala helped him stumble to his feet and cast a spell of Lesser Invisibility. Warrick leant on her heavily, exhausted. Another roar echoed through the air and the sound of beating wings started approaching from the depths of the tower.
Bala led him to the trapdoor in the roof and pulled the ring. It wouldn't move.
"The Priest." Warrick realised.
"The Elvish bastard locked himself inside." Bala cursed.
"…Or us out."
The dragon rose from the side of the tower, spitting a puddle of blood onto the rooftop and snorting. His left horn was hanging from a perilous angle and he had several teeth missing.
"Are you prepared to die, insect?" He growled, hovering in mid-air. He did not see Bala, who let go of Warrick and started creeping towards him, flames dancing between her fingers. Warrick prayed that her spell of Lesser Invisibility held against an enemy so strong.
Nefarian rose into the air and landed on the rooftop heavily, striking out with his barbed tail at Warrick. With a superhuman effort, the Warlock leapt clear of the swing and Nefarians tail smashed down on the trapdoor; splintering it.
"Well thankyou." Warrick muttered and crawled towards it. Nefarion sneered and closed a claw around him, pulling him off the ground like a rag doll,
"What's the hurry? Argh!"
Bala struck out with a long black whip she summoned, catching the dragon across one sickly yellow eye. He dropped Warrick with a cry and he hit the ground with a crunch.
"Get into the tower! I'll distract him!" Bala twirled the whip around her head and brought it down again across the dragons scaled back. He reared and stamped the ground, swiping his tail at her, but she leapt into the air and her wings burst from her back long enough for her to miss the swipe that could have killed her - again.
The Warlock gasped and clutched his dislocated shoulder, pain ricocheting from it down his side and fingers. He started crawling once more towards the hole in the roof whilst Bala taunted the Dragon Lord.
"You call this a fight? I might as well go find Onyxia!" She sneered. Nefarian snarled at the mention of his younger sister and swiped a claw at her, like a cat would at a toy. She rolled to the side, looking up from the floor at Warrick, drawing closer to the hole in the roof.
Warrick pulled himself to the edge and jumped through, feet first. He fell for a few moments then found the stairs - his ankles jarring from the impact - and he crumpled, rolling from the edge of the stairs and landing on the thick carpet.
Shaking dust from his eyes and rolling onto his back, a familiar staff tapped his chest.
"Oh my," The Shadow Priest laughed, "How the tables have turned."
Nefarian felt Bala's whip coil around his left claw and pulled savagely, tearing it from her grasp.
"Damn." She cursed and ran for the hole in the roof. Nefarian took a deep breath, his stomach churning and boiling with heat. He released a thunderous burst of fire that shot across the rooftop, barely missing Bala as she leapt down the hole to the room below.
The fireball hit the top of the tower with a blast that rocked the tower, blowing melted chunks of stone off the tower down onto the countryside below. The rooftop steamed and fizzled in the wet rain, but the dragon could see no sign of the Succubus.
"Come back and fight with honor, insect!" He roared, flaring fire into the sky.
Bala opened her wings as she landed on the stair, stepping lightly down. She heard a laugh and looked up quickly, seeing the Shadow Priest with the Staff of the Shadow Flame.
"No!" She used a foot to push from the wall and leapt at Priest. He looked up just in time to see her hit him like a stone wall. They flew backwards and the sickly green shot of magic that burst from the end of the staff hit the wall harmlessly.
Landing on the floor in a tangled heap, Bala and the Priest got to their feet and grappled for the staff. The Succubus smiled suddenly, drawing closer and kissing him passionately. The stunned Elf dropped the staff and stepped backwards forgetting about the staff completely.
Warrick grinned, noting the same stunned looked that most people wore when Bala used Soothing Kiss on them. He suddenly realised that he must have looked similar when she'd kissed him to save the Acolyte. When Bala stepped back, releasing her hold on the Night Elf, he fell to his knees; confused.
"What am I doing?" He asked. Bala spun the staff in her hand and gave Warrick a triumphant grin. It was barely 10 seconds until the shocked Elf came to his senses and leapt to his feet when he saw the staff in Bala's hands.
Hearing him rise, she spun and lowered it at him. He narrowed his eyes,
"You don't know how to use that."
"Oh don't I?" She sneered and pointed the staff at a chair behind him. The chair exploded without warning, sending splinters through the air. The Priest clenched his jaw but sat back down. Turning back to the injured Warlock behind her, Bala mouthed,
"Good shot."
Warrick nodded, the lingering light of a Shadow Bolt dying from his fingers.
"Okay," Bala said smoothly, "Now heal him."
The Shadow Priest darkened,
"Do I look like a healer?"
"You're a Priest."
"I'm a Shadow Priest, not a heal-bot."
"You could be a Murlock Priest for all I care." Bala spat, "You will heal him, now."
The Elf crossed him arms,
"And if I refuse?"
Bala drew closer to him, pulling him up by the neck of his robe.
"Let me put it into ways you can understand;" She growled, "If he dies then you die. Simple."
Okay I take it back. Bedtime now. Finish tomorrow. Almost done. 3 chapters left.
I might remind people that because I'm speed-writing this, it counts as still being in editing stages. Suggestions are VERY appreciated.
XxABxX