Dungeons & Dragons - Ambush

The low crackling of the fire broke through the silence of the cave, it's tiny flames producing little light and barely any heat. The humans huddled together, at the back of the cave, oppresive cold seeping through their breastplates and biting into their skin. They watched the two Naztharunes sitting around the fire, at the mouth of the caves, staring into it's depths, their fearsome leonine faces giving away no emotions. Their gaunt shadows, thrown by the flickering flames onto the cave walls, were accenuated by the blackness outside. A black raven sat atop the broad shoulder of one of the Naztharunes, ruffling it's feathers. Then suddenly the bird took flight, the Naztharune sitting up and exchanging glances.
Reapyr's ears pricked up, and he looked towards Adorno. The look on Adorno's face told him he had heard it too. Clutching his spear, Reapyr stood up and nodded to his bird. Adorno, with bow at ready, came up beside him at the mouth of the cave, watching Cloz fly out into the night. Clouds covered the sky, dark and threatening, and there was no moon. Darkness shrouded everything, and the Naztharunes, even with their prodigious eye-sight, were hard-pressed to see anything past 30 feet.
"Where is that damn bird?" growled Adorno, tensing.
"Right here," replied Reapyr, as the bird emerged from the darkness. Suddenly the fire flickered out of existence, and the darkness was complete. "We have got company. Pikemen, form up on the flanks. Archers behind me. Fire at will on my command," ordered Reapyr, tiny crimson flames dancing on his fingertips. Adorno melted into the shadows, two arrows notched in his yew bow. Reapyr waited at the mouth of the cave, straining his eyes, searching for signs of movement. Sounds of creaking bows and drawn strings broke the eerie silence. And then another sound floated through, cold and remorseless - Now how about that artefact you stole.
Reapyr spun around...
... and the ten archers stood in front of him, notched bows trained on him. A humanoid figure stood behind them, cloaked in black, it's face a misty shadow.
"Well. I don't have all day, or night," it rasped.
"You are too late. We sent the artefact ahead of us, with a battalion of human soldiers," said Reapyr, unsure of what to do under the sudden turn of events.
"We?" asked the creature.
"That includes me, Shade." Adorno appeared out of the shadows behind the Shade, holding an arrow up to the Shade's neck like a dagger.
The Shade laughed softly. "Did you really think i would come alone?".
The darkness behind Adorno slowly condensed and curled, materializing into five more cloaked figures, all carrying swords. The Shade turned around to Adorno, daggers flashing into it's hands. "Naztharunes always act without thinking."
"I'm not just any Naztharune," Adorno replied with a smirk.
And then everything seemed to happen at once.
Puff. A column of thick smoke dissipated into nothingness where Adorno had been.
Five objects flew past Reapyr, plunging into the cloaked figures at the back of the cave, dropping them instantly. The Shade spun around, and six bolts of crimson fire collided with it, burning holes into it. It screamed execrably, it's shadowy face taking the form of a human's, and then smouldering. The flames on it's scorching body lit up the cave, alleviating the darkness, and illuminating the archers, their bows still trained on Reapyr. Six more fire bolts leapt from Reapyr's hand, consuming six archers. The remaining archers stood transfixed, staring in horror at their burning companions, before four arrows soared from the shadows, piercing their throats.
"Never trust humans," said Adorno with a shake of his head, as he appeared from the shadows, nocking two arrows into his bow. "What should we do with those?" He pointed at the pikemen with his bow.
The pikemen stood across the cave mouth, shaking visibly, pikes levelled towards the Naztharunes. Completely unaware of what had happened, and driven by fear and trepidation, they advanced on the Naztharunes. Twenty humans taking on two Naztharunes. The humans didn't stand a chance.
Adorno let fly his two arrows, and before they even reached their targets, nocked and released two more. Reapyr extended his free hand, and a streak of lightning exploded from it, hitting the pikemen on their breastplates, boiling it and frying the men alive. Sense and pure logic prevailed in the remaining pikemen, and they fled into the night.
The two Naztharunes surveyed the carnage in front of them. Twelve human lay sprawled in front of them, some bristling with arrows, others burnt beyond recognition. And then they noticed the lone figure standing outside the cave, throwing knives in it's hand, and its blue cloak flapping in the wind.
"You Shades do enjoy appearing out of nowhere, don't you," said Adorno through gritted teeth, ready to loose two more arrows.
Reapyr held out his hand, stopping Adorno. "It was you who killed the other Shades wasn't it?"
The Shade nodded slowly.
"Why? Who are you and what do you want from us?"
"My name is Tierim. That's all you need to know. I don't want anything from you. I just came here to kill them, for my own reasons," he nodded towards the Shades at the back of the cave.
"Well, you're not wanted here. Leave now and don't return." said Adorno gruffly.
The crimson flames on the archers slowly died down as Tierim slipped into the night, leaving the Naztharunes alone in total darkness and deathly silence.