The Golden Knight reacted with the swiftness of a viper. In the blink of an eye, he had unsheathed his blade and had it ready in his hand. He looked around the crypt. Every shadow held menace. Every nook concealed danger. As his eyes darted from side to side, Richard was sure that he could see forms moving in the darkness around him.

Again the sound of feminine laughter echoed around the chamber. "You will not escape me this time, Richard of Warwick, Emrys of nowhere. This time I shall fulfil my mission."

Nur looked around in panic, then tugged at the sleeve of Emrys's robe. "What is this? Who are these people?"

Emrys just shook his head and removed the younger man's hand from his clothing. "I am sorry. I wish that you had not become involved in this. Truly, it was not my intention that matters should come to this."

A slim figure emerged from the gloom by the crypt's entrance. The Golden Knight turned to face the movement, then gasped: "You!"

"Indeed," Leah replied. "This is the third time we have met. I hope there will not be a fourth."

"May God have mercy on me!" Nur scurried towards the woman, almost tripping over his own feet in panic. "Please! I am only a scholar!" A savage backhand from Leah struck him in the face and sent him sprawling.

"I am sorry that I had to do that," she said as Nur got to his feet. "I would prefer that this be done with dignity and mercy. There should be no need for you to suffer." Then she smiled at the sprawling scholar. There was something terrible in her smile, visible even in the flickering torchlight, that caused Nur to gasp and push himself back towards Emrys and Richard.

"I have fought you before," Richard began. He started to advance towards Leah, his sword held out before him ready to attacker defence as necessary. "And I have defeated you."

Leah laughed again. "You did not defeat me. After all, we are both here. And this time, there are no tricks that your pet wizard can pull." Emrys, busy helping Nur to his feet, paused to snort in derision. "And this time, there are others here to help me." Leah gestured, and from the shadows a half-dozen figures masked and swathed in black stepped forward.

Richard risked a sideways glance towards Emrys. "Is that she-devil right? Is there nothing that you can do to help?"

Emrys shrugged. "Perhaps there is. But I doubt that it would be enough to save us."

"Allow me to worry about that," the Golden Knight responded - and then he leapt forward!

Richard did not know what would happen next. Instead he trusted to God - and to luck - that his impulsive actions would gain Emrys the opening that he needed to work whatever magic he had in mind. His sword cut through the air towards Leah, the edge of its blade ready to slice into her body. But, with a single fluid movement, Leah turned to one side and unsheathed her own sword, bringing it down onto Richard's and diverting its deadly arc. From either side of her, two of the black-clad assailants rushed to defend her; a third emerged from behind her. All of them had their weapons ready to strike - and to kill!

Behind Richard, Emrys uttered a series of blasphemous syllables and extended his right hand, his fingers outstretched as far as possible. A nimbus of blue energy surrounded them, then bolts of power arced out towards the swords of Richard's assailants. For a single moment the power of the spell burnt the scene into Richard's eyes. He saw the crackling energy enter the weapons and pass through the flesh of their wielders, contorting them into unnatural shapes. The strange energy also flashed along Richard's sword, but went straight into the stones beneath his feet with only the slightest of tingling to mark its passing. Two of Richard's attackers collapsed - either dead or unconscious. The third - the one behind Leah - recovered swiftly.

"You - !" Leah cursed vehemently, then pressed her own attack against Richard. "Hassan! We take him together!" The figure behind advanced and joined in the attack on the Golden Knight.

Away from them, Emrys was more concerned with preserving his own life. The sorcerous assault that he had perpetrated had left him weakened, but not fatally so. He still had enough presence of mind to push Nur to one side and draw his own long knife. The attacker facing him paused. "You think that will stop me?" He brandished his own, longer weapon at the wizard.

"No," Emrys replied. "But your arrogance will!" His foot lashed out, catching the man in front of him in-between his legs. As his opponent sagged, Emrys slashed out against the second of the three standing against him. This time his knife found its target and cut deep into the attacker's sword hand.

"I will kill you!" the first of Emrys's attackers called out in rage.

"Good!" Emrys darted to one side. "Try it, you ox!" And with that, the old man darted around the pillars and boxes in the crypt, keeping up a stream of taunts. Enraged, his opponent roared after him, blind to everything but his own fury and the indignity that had been inflicted upon him. "Missed!" Emrys called out. "And again!" His assailant's sword hacked wildly.

Richard continued his battle against Leah and Hassan, switching his attention from one to the other in turn. But, no sooner would he find an opening against one, then the other would take advantage and force the Golden Knight back on the defensive. It became obvious to him that the only way he could win this fight would be if he was to concentrate on one attacker at a time. So, Richard started to turn the direction of the fight, allowing himself to be forced back towards the nearest wall, reducing the number of avenues of attack.

"We have you now, Golden Knight," Leah yelled gleefully, sure that the tide had turned in her favour. But it had not. In observing his two attackers, he had noticed that one - the one Leah had called Hassan - while determined and strong was not as focussed as he should have been. With a single, powerful lunge, Richard slipped under Hassan's guard and drove his sword point-first into the man's body. For a moment, impaled on Richard's sword, Hassan stood there, then collapsed. But, in return, Leah took her opening and slashed with her weapon. This blow struck true. It was only chance that caused it to miss Richard of Warwick's vitals, instead scoring his ribs. "We have him now!" she screamed.

The sound of running footsteps echoed through the crypt as the remaining fighters rushed to join her and to take on the Golden Knight.