Zero, feeling even more comfortable on this side of the pit now, raised his crossbow and loosed a bolt at the closest creature.

The giant rats skittered over the floor, their claws rasping against the stone. With fangs drooling they charged into Khalin and Tradden.

‘Ouch, damn you!’ cursed Tradden as he lashed out at the only rat within easy reach.

Tradden moved up next to Khalin, ready to take on the next wave and give himself some more room.

Khalin yelped in pain, then gritted his teeth and let out a battle cry: ‘I'm gonna fix that rat!’. The dwarf lunged for the nearest beast, swinging his warhammer into action.

Zero took careful aim at the remaining giant rat circling Tradden, only able to catch glimpses of the vicious creature from his position.

Zero grinned and chuckled. ‘Yeah, that was good,’ he murmured proudly. Unfortunately, he could now only see his two friends. He had confidence in their abilities, but notched another bolt and took aim, just in case another creature dared to poke its head into his line of sight.

Taking heart from both Khalin's vigour and the quick deaths of the swarm of the smaller vermin, Tradden attacked the nearest rat with his blade.

Then, with nimble feet, Tradden shifted to a new position so as to improve the tactical situation of the group.

‘Ignore the pain, Master Tradden!’ roared Khalin, gritting his teeth against the sting of his own wounds. ‘These vermin shall know what it means to task the patience of valiant men of the Isles!’

Khalin then turned to face the dire rat to his left.

‘Now my pretty, you'll find that tasting the blood of dwarfkind comes with consequences!’ he taunted, attempting to lure the beast closer to Zero's aim.

Khalin baited the beast, then let out a warcry and struck it with his hammer.

Moving remarkable nimbly for his stout build, Khalin then deftly shifted to the right, trying to lure the rat into Zero's line of fire.

Seeing the opening, Zero immediately pulled the trigger, sending a sleek bolt toward the rat.

Without pause, Tradden hefted his weapons — feinting with his shortsword he brought his longer blade diagonally down, cleaving clean through one rat and into the other!

Having already obtained the full focus of one rat's attention, Tradden yelled a ferocious combat challenge to the other, diverting its immediate attention away from the bleeding warlord. It seemed only right to use a war cry the dwarf would appreciate.

‘By Moradin's Hammer!’ he cried, waving his blades around for maximum effect.

Khalin forced a grin as the rat's teeth failed to pierce his dwarven armour this time.

‘You invoke the Soul Forger, Master Tradden? Truly you must be a friend of the dwarves! You must tell me more …later!’

The bloodied but unbowed warlord gritted his teeth against the pain a moment.

He then refocused on the first rat, swinging his warhammer again.

Zero took aim at the nearest rat and fired.

‘Damn it!’ Zero cursed as he fumbled for another bolt.

Zero's bolt whistled past without reaching its target, but Tradden was nevertheless heartened by the fact that there were three of them and only two sewer dwellers left.

‘Time to make the odds even better!‘ he snarled, as he looked to put a permanent end to the nearest rat.

Khalin yelled with pain, but quickly turned the howl into a battlecry, bringing his shield up to bear and swinging his trusty hammer once again at the first rat.

The hammer whistled past, but Khalin deftly reversed the move, swinging the hammer back in a neat arc and back at the rat again.

Zero smiled at the sight and took a shot at the remaining rat.