Lazarus stood at the edge of the clearing. He was invisible to the naked eye having don on his invisibility cloak. Who knew the cloak he had bought from the mage Balthezar during the reality show would come in handy again. He also had on his Shadow Stealth Assassin gear he had obtained from completing a quest (Quest 10) during Season One. It boosted his Stealth, Perception and Skills. He needed all the help he could get. Unfortunately it did nothing for his Health.

The clearing had a perimeter the cursed man could not pass, a boundary much like those set in the Villages. It confined the NPCs to the game settings they were programmed to. Passing the unseen line triggered the clearing's occupant.

He had a plan. He hoped it worked.

The Assassin had caught a fairly large blue coloured wild fowl earlier and had brought it to this dissolute place.

"Shhh!!" he scolded the squawking fowl. "You will alert him."

"I hope he likes chicken or whatever you are."

He pulled up his hood becoming invisible and crossed the line into the Trial zone. He let the bird go.

"Okay, I'm counting on you bird. You know what to do. Shoo! Go do your thing."

It half flew half-hopped away from him, squawking and flapping it's blue wings making a ruckus. Lazarus took a few steps in the other direction, keeping to the inner edge of the invisible boundary.

The assassin crouched down and froze as the warrior came charging out. Without hesitation, he attacked the bird, killing it with one stroke of his black saber. The poor fowl died squawking, it didn't really have a chance. It was unarmed.

The warrior stood over the dead bird and poked it experimentally. He cocked his head, processing what had wandered into his prison. Ahh, it was something edible. He looked around making sure there were no more intruders. The assassin held his breath and hunched down even more, trusting his cloak to hide him. No, no one else had come to steal his treasure. He picked up his prize. He would eat today.

Lazarus waited until the gaunt fighter had disappeared into the hut. He followed, making his way quietly until he reached the ramshackle structure. He peeked in a window.

The small space was dark and dinghy. Clearly the warrior was not much of a housekeeper. There were cobwebs galore and every surface was thick with dust. His untidy narrow cot was in a corner, straw falling out the split seams of the thin dirty mattress. The only clean space was a small rickety table where the swordsman sat. He was cleaning his saber lovingly, wiping it down with a soft cloth. Then he honed it, stopping to test its edge after every other stroke. He went on like this for hours.

Lazarus bided his time. He had to be patient. Not all quests were completed by sheer power and brute strength. Not all quests required fighting.

Finally, the warrior sheathed his gleaming weapon and carried it over to the corner. He moved to the dead bird he had chucked in a corner and started plucking its feathers. Time to cook and eat. It had been so long since he had eaten a proper meal.

The smell of burning meat wafted out the hut. Lazarus shook his head and took a quick look. The cursed warrior was not much of a cook either. The guy had spaced out holding the saber. The bird was burning over the small fire. If he did not save it, it would soon become inedible, spoiling his plan. Lazarus picked up a small stone and flicked it expertly. The pebble hit the skewer and the bird fell into the flames startling the man.

The warrior moved fast then, setting down the weapon on the clean table to pick up the burnt fowl. The heat did not bother him. He sat on the dirt floor and started eating ravenously, tearing into the juicy meat with his teeth. He ate and swallowed mechanically, not tasting a thing. When he was done, he place the half eaten bird back over the dying coals. Wiping his greasy hands on his pants and mouth on his tattered sleeve, he turned to pick up the saber.

It was gone!

He couldn't find it anywhere.

He searched frantically overturning the table and throwing the chair across the room. He ran around the small room, looking under the pile of dirty feathers and kicking at the hot coals scattering it. His half-eaten meal fell into the dirt and ashes. He threw his bedding onto the floor and lifted the cot. Finally he howled in frustration and ran out the hut.

Lazarus had entered the window when the warrior was engrossed with his meal. Stealthily he had crept to the table, all the while keeping an eye on the gorging man. He was stuffing his face. He had torn off a leg and was taking huge bites, chewing and staring blankly at the dying coals.

The assassin reached out and took the cursed saber from the table, careful not to make a sound. He almost dropped it. It was ice cold! He steeled himself and tightened his grip onto the biting cold. Deftly, he climbed out the window.

YESSS!!

With every step he took, he felt a darkness creeping into him. The cold weapon had become comfortable in his hand, warm and welcoming. He flipped back his hood, turning visible again and looked down to check, yeah, it was the same weapon alright. Weird.

He heard a bellow from the hut. Oh-uh. Time to go. The crazy man was done eating and had discovered his theft. Quickly, he kept the cursed saber into his Inventory freeing his hands. The weird darkness he had felt instantly disappeared.

Lazarus barely started to sprint when the warrior burst out the front door looking for the thief. He spotted the thief immediately. With a loud roar, he leapt at Lazarus and gave chase. The assassin ran to the edge, he was fast but so was the desperate mad man. He could almost feel him breathing down his neck. Why did the border seem so far?

He risked a glance backwards. The crazed man was frothing at the mouth. He threw a dagger at the fleeing assassin. Lazarus dodged and continued running. Whoa! The guy was armed. He was taking something else from his belt.

Go! Go! Go! He mentally urged himself. He was almost there. The edge of the clearing was just a few more steps away.

The next thing he knew, he was on the ground. The warrior had thrown a type of surujin. The weights at the end of the lightweight chain wrapped itself around his ankles, entangling them. He went down like a sack of potatoes, hands outstretched to break his fall. He angled his body so that his shoulder and hips got the brunt of it.

"Ouufff!!"

This was not good.

The man had stopped to throw his weapon but now he sauntered over to the fallen Hero. Lazarus was breathing heavily trying to catch his breath. The warrior took out another dagger and threw it at him. The assassin moved, rolling away to safety.

The heavier man leapt onto him, choking him with his bare hands. Lazarus grabbed his hands, trying to pry them away. The madman was strong, his panic and fear of losing his prized possession adding strength to his calloused hands.

"Give me back the saber! It's mine!"

"No! Ackkk!"

"Where is it you thief?" he shouted. "Give it back or I will kill you."

He continued strangling the assassin and did not notice when the smaller man managed to get the knife from his boot. Lazarus stabbed him desperately, hoping it would work. It did. His assailant let go and fell off him. Without the saber's awesome boosts, the NPC was vulnerable.

"Aarrghhh! You stabbed me." His eyes widened in horror. "I can feel it." He touched his injured stomach and held up a hand covered with blood. He stared at it dumb founded.

With renewed hope, Lazarus crawled painfully to the edge, flinging himself past the invisible boundaries.

Safe! Oh Gods, he was safe. He had made it.

His heart was thumping wildly in his chest. Swiftly, he untangled himself from the surujin freeing his legs.

Lazarus turned back to look at the warrior. He was still in a daze looking at the blood on his hands. The wound would hurt but was not fatal.

There was a shimmering along the edges of the clearing. The boundaries were breaking down, no longer needed. He had done it. He had taken the cursed saber from the man and freed him.

As he watched, the man changed before his eyes.

Colour returned to his dull pallid skin. Dark circles formed under his now light brown eyes. His gaunt look was gone, muscles and flesh filling out his tall frame, making him more of a man and less of a zombie. He looked up and caught Lazarus's gaze. His face took on an odd relief expression.

"Thank you stranger. You have freed me."

Gatekeeper Valentine, Thief, Level 72, Portal Orb Trial. COMPLETE.