Valentine watched apprehensively as Constantine, Nark and the Captain disappeared into the swirling portal one by one. The Witch waved her hand dismissing the magical gateway once they were gone.

"May they be in time to ssave the jaav ukon. If not, all may be losst."

"You care what happens to the orc prince?"

"Of coursse Ghosst Lord. If the little one isss sslain, my future will become very bleak indeed. I will be sstuck here forever. The Overlord will be too bussy with war to pay any attention to a trifle matter like me."

"Oh."

"Bel-lo," the Bello said softly calling the Witch's attention. She was holding the Assassin upright with two tentacles. One more extended to poke his pale face.

"Stop that," he said weakly attempting to push the annoying purple feeler away but doubled over coughing. His long dark hair fell over his shuddering shoulders, covering his face as dark blood spewed from his mouth. The fine white sand near him was stained an ugly red. Lazarus heaved painfully for breath; one hand clutching at his chest as he urgently waved them away with the other. He was trying to say something. More blood trickled from his lips.

"Ughhh!"

"Laz!"

Valentine rushed to his friend but he was held back by the Witch who had suddenly grabbed his arm. She studied Lazarus suspiciously with narrowed eyes. The thick black miasma emanating from the dark one was swirling agitatedly around him. Something was very wrong.

"Laz?" Valentine snatched back his arm glaring at the Witch but she caught him again. "Let me go. He needs me!"

"Bello?" the Witch asked the Boss ignoring the frantic Thief.

"Bel-lo." The Bello announced solemnly.

"Myutt, myutt." Her melodious voice sounded frighteningly soft and wary confirming the Witch's suspicions. The elegant hybrid moved away from the Assassin she was holding, releasing him from her coils. He sank down to his knees, shoulders hunched over. Valentine struggled breaking away from the Witch to move closer.

"Laz?" He started moving towards the Assassin again.

"No! Not now Ghosst Lord. The dark one isss very dangerousss right now ..."

"Dangerous? What are you talking about? He can hardly stand!"

Valentine reached Lazarus. He held his friend's shoulders to steady him. Lazarus felt very cold to the touch and he was shivering violently.

"Vaa-aaaaal."

Valentine recoiled at the low raspy drawl that called his name. Lazarus turned slightly to face the Thief. His hair fell back revealing a sinister smile stretched on bloody lips. Valentine blanched and gulped at the change in the Assassin.

"Ghost Lord! Look out!!" Kalthu shouted running to the two humans.

The Warlord's warning came too late. Lazarus had already turned swiftly on his knees, hunting knife out slashing at Valentine. The Thief jerked back, pushing the crazed Assassin away from him. Valentine's quick reflexes saved him from being slain on the spot.

"What the hell Laz?!" Valentine exclaimed but stopped in mid-sentence when he realised his friend could not 'hear' him anymore. The Assassin was clearly in a delusional world of his own. Possessed, Valentine concluded in a split second. His blue eyes widened in comprehension; Lazarus was being consumed by the poison's terrible effects. He was in for another round of madness. From the looks of it, this round was going to be worse than that at the Floating Path.

Lazarus landed same distance away in a half-crouch facing Valentine. His wild sunken silver eyes were bruised and blood-shot. Blood trickled from his flaring nostrils and pointed ears. His uncontrolled incessant trembling had ceased completely. The Assassin was now steady and focused. His right hand gripped his long hunting knife as his eyes darted from Valentine to Kalthu. A low animalistic snarl escaped his red stained lips as his attention settled on Kalthu, the weaker one.

"Kalthu, stay away. He is in a killing rampage ... it's the last stages of the nauk dzi vras. He is too fast for you," Valentine yelled.

The Warlord, distressed at seeing his human friend in such state reacted, rushing forward without thinking. "I will save him from himself!"

"Kalthu! NO!!"

"Gwarrr!!"

Lazarus' humourless smile widened as the huge orc rushed him. Unafraid of the thundering orc running towards him, the human stood his ground waiting for the right moment. When the warrior came within range, the Assassin leapt high, springing on light feet to get leverage. He somersaulted in the air gracefully, attacking the much bigger Warlord.

Kalthu yowled as the sharp hunting knife slashed rapidly, scoring on his broad shoulders and muscled arms. Black ichor flowed from three deep cuts on his body. Undeterred, the now angry orc turned to charge again but the next second he fell down in a heap clutching his thigh. The crazed Assassin had not waited for the Warlord to recover. He had landed on his feet only to bounce back immediately deadly knife outstretched for another attack. Lazarus skidded to a stop on one knee as Kalthu was cut down. The NPC didn't really have a chance against a level 89 Hero when he was lucid and in full control of his faculties, even if only temporarily.

"Gaaaaoooowwwww!!"

"Laz! Snap out of it!!" Valentine yelled as he charged blocking the crazed Assassin from finishing off the injured orc.

Valentine's long sword whistled in the air at high Speed to meet Lazarus' hunting knife. Sparks flew from the weapons as the two gatekeepers clashed, sword and knife attacking and blocking each other again and again. Kalthu watched in awe as the fighting Ghost Lords moved away from him and rubbed his beady eyes. What was wrong with his vision? He couldn't see properly; the humans were moving too fast. Was it just him? No, he surmised, the Witch and the Bello were watching the intense battle too.

Fine white sand flew into the air in wide arcs; the continuous sound of clashing steel rang out loudly. Powerful shockwaves rippled out from the two high grade overpowered weapons to wash over the watching trio. Their clothes and hair fluttered from the backlash. Unconsciously the Warlord and Witch stepped backwards, away from the intense battle.

The Witch gasped and Kalthu swallowed at the lightning Speed and battling Skills the two Ghost Lords displayed. Block, parry, attack! Strike, turn, block!! They fought without pause. Valentine and Lazarus' images blurred, blue green and black flashed in a mix of colours as the two legendary beings circled and attacked each other relentlessly.

For the Witch, it was like watching the fair one fighting a black ominous cloud; the poisonous miasma was so thick around the dark one now nothing else could be seen. At this point only the level 88 Hero seemed to be a match for Lazarus.

The Witch wondered if the golden headed Ghost Lord could survive against the dark one. The influence of the nauk dzi vras was intense and extreme. If Valentine could withstand Lazarus' short spurt of madness he may even be able to continue the mission. The Warlord had been lucky the human had intervened. Even now he was bleeding profusely from his deep wounds. Hastily the Witch raised her hands mumbling healing enchantments for the wounded orc. It would not help her case with the Overlord if his firstborn died when she could have saved him.

The Bello watched intently, her luminous eyes bright and alert. The humans were both fast and Skilled. After a few moments she made her decision.

"Myuut, myuut, MYUUUTTT!!" she cried darting into the fray.

"Wait!!" the Witch screamed in alarm. "They are not like the Vogeruks! They are very powerful and unpredictable (not programmed). You can and will be hurt!"

The Bello Boss ignored the Witch. She had never been seriously hurt before. She was better, faster and more deadly than any who had ever tried to fight her. The Bello's tentacles lashed out to encircle each panting human pulling them forcibly apart. The enlarged Boss ignored slashes and cuts appearing on her vulnerable arms from both weapons as the gatekeepers continued wielding their weapons. Both humans were bleeding from several wounds. Fresh human red blood mixed with her thick luminous green blood to drip from her tentacles.

"Myuttt!!"

Valentine gasped and instantly stopped when he realised that he was being held in the air.

"Ahhh! Sorry! I didn't mean to cut you!" He twisted himself towards Lazarus who was still in battle mode. "Please, put me down."

He checked status.

Valentine, Health 39 per cent.

Valentine blanched. His Health was too low; he needed to top it up. Hastily he drank a potion. He would need full Health if the situation worsens which seemed very likely. Lazarus was in full madness mode. The Assassin didn't even seem to be feeling anything in his hysteria but Valentine bet all he had that Lazarus would suffer when the effects of the madness wore off. It was not going to be pretty.

The Bello obligingly put the Thief down and turned her full attention to the dark one. She had to tighten her grip on him. He was struggling wildly, causing damage to her tentacles with every move. Numerous deep cuts already marked her, luminous blood flowing freely from her wounds. For the first time, she was actually hurting.

The Bello screamed in pain when Lazarus managed to sever her thick arm which was holding him. His razor-sharp hunting knife sliced through her flesh after he hacked at the wound a few times. The weight of the long twisting loops still coiled tightly around him crushing and burying the gatekeeper as he plummeted to the ground.

"Ughhhh!"

"Myuutttt!" the Bello cried, her high pitched scream vibrating through the air. Glistening tears streamed down her petite human face. She had never known pain like this before.

Valentine, the Witch and the Warlord pressed their hands desperately over their ears in a poor attempt of blocking out the inhuman wail. The Bello's piercing cry was a weapon in itself. Valentine shook his head when sharp pains jabbed at his brain. The noise was terrible. The orc and Witch were less affected.

Bright green blood gushed out from the severed tentacle to soak the battered Ghost Lord. Slowly Lazarus stood up grunting as he pushed the heavy purple coils off him. His ribs hurt and his knees were wobbly. He steadied himself, ignoring the Boss's high decibel heart-rending scream. More blood trickled from his nose and ears to drip down his neck.

Lazarus stared dully around seemingly assessing the situation but when the Bello moved retracting her severed arm protectively to her body he reacted. Her defensive movement triggered his delusional mind. He thought she was preparing to strike him again.

Dashing forward he attacked the Boss. After all the best defence is offence. Using maximum Speed, the Assassin blurred as he raced around the confused Bello attacking her vulnerable spots. Clouds of white sand were stirred up obstructing the view of the squealing Boss. They became a mess of white, purple and black. Their vague shapes silhouetting against a brightening luminous green glow as more and more of the Bello's blood spilled.

The Boss trashed around, darting and lashing her tentacles at her small target. The first time it had been easy to snatch him; he had been off-guard. It was impossible to catch the gatekeeper again as he dodged, jumped and parkoured expertly on her coils. Her cute delicate face screwed up in concentration but try as she might she could not touch him. The terrible pain of her severed limb distracted her. In fact, all her attempts seemed to be causing her more problems. Her many coils had become entangled, criss-crossing each other and becoming hopelessly knotted.

"Myutt! Myutt!" she screamed in frustration and pain.

Meanwhile, Lazarus had continued cutting her down, one tentacle at a time. He had to get pass her numerous long arms to get close to her human form. Only then could he kill her.

Finally her wounds overwhelmed her. The mutilated Bello crashed to the ground bleeding profusely. By now, several tentacles were cut off, its ends still wiggling violently where they fell. Her amputated limbs flailed wildly splashing blood everywhere.

Lazarus tried to land lightly on his feet but fell to his knees when sharp pains shot up his legs. His ribs were hurting too, probably a few broken bones from earlier when the Bello's thick heavy tentacle had hit him on the way down. It was pain he had not noticed before. He wheezed and coughed, spitting out more dark blood. Breathing became impossible; he choked desperately unable to draw in breath.

The Bello started keening in agony earnestly. Valentine, the Witch and Kalthu hunkered down wincing. Desperately, Valentine passed healing potions to the others. He gulped his down hastily hoping it would ease the numbing pain building up in his head. He wondered how Lazarus could withstand the penetrating wail. The gatekeeper was not even bothering to cover his extra sensitive elf-like ears.

He threw a glance at the gasping Assassin ... or maybe he could not stand the noise either but just didn't care? Valentine watched in horror as Lazarus still on his knees paused to shake his head violently a few times almost falling over in the process. When the terrible shrieking did not stop, the Assassin simply ignored it. He tried to get up but could not when his legs failed him, so he started crawling towards the Bello's human torso. Finally he was close enough.

Lazarus pushed himself up grunting, his bloody face frighteningly devoid of any emotion. He positioned himself raising his hunting knife for the kill. It would be a swift death, he decided. Kill the monster, shut her up, then get rid of all the pain building up and cumulating inside his defective body. All he wanted now was peace. Lazarus blinked trying to clear his blurry red vision. What the hell? He saw two, no three Bellos superimposed. He frowned confused, which was the real one? Was this a trick of the Boss?

The Bello was trying to pull herself away from impending death with her human hands but her total body mass was too great. She continued keening loudly, her high pitch shrieking taking on a desperate tone. Her chances of survival dwindled with every centimetre the crazed human gained on her. She was growing weaker by the second as more precious fluid leaked from her mutilated body.

"Aarrrrghhh!!"

Suddenly, Lazarus froze. His killing madness forgotten as the poison spiked suddenly bringing each stabbing pain and wound into sharp focus. He arched in agony before collapsing incapacitated into an untidy heap.

"Laz!" Valentine yelled getting up hurriedly. He left Kalthu to the Witch.

"Careful, Ghosst Lord!! It might be a trick of the nauk dzi vrasss."

"I don't care!! He is dying!"

Lazarus let out a long despairing moan clutching his head. The severe pounding headache was back, hammering at him from within. Intense sharp stabs jabbed at his throbbing temples making his brain hurt and his eyes water. He felt like his eyeballs were being forcibly pushed out of his skull and his teeth was being shattered with every pulverising beat. But it was nothing compared to the biting cold that had decided to return in full force. Chills wrecked his tortured body as the glacial sensation invaded his flesh and seeped into his bones. The cold had intensified so much that it was burning him from within. His heart felt like it was being squeezed and was smouldering slowly. It would surely explode at any time.

It was just too much.

"Damn it!!" Lazarus cursed vehemently at no one. This is not the time to be ravaged by the poison; he had a monster to kill. He squeezed his silver eyes shut trying to focus but it was impossible. He couldn't think straight anymore. Forget the Bello; he needed to end this unbearable pain now.

"Snap out of it! This is not you. The Bello is on our side. We need her Annazzosh to cure you! Without her, you have no hope!" He grabbed Lazarus by his blood stained clothes and shook him roughly until he got the Assassin's full attention. "You cannot kill her!!"

"No-ooo, you don't understand! The pain! I can't bear it anymore ..."

An insane light come into the Assassin's silver eyes as he stared directly at Valentine. But he did not see his friend; instead he saw the dying experimental animals in Sharak's workroom. The bloody, pathetic, whimpering creatures trapped in their own bodies without any means of escape from the terrible poison killing from within. All had been bleeding from their orifices, freezing from the inside and physically exhausted from the spurts of madness.

Now he understood exactly how they felt. Weak and wrecked with pain in their last hours of life, they had to wait hopelessly for blissful death. Well, he was not going to end up like that! He could end his own misery. With desperate force, he pushed Valentine away before he tried to plunge his hunting knife into his heart.

"No! You can't die either!" yelled Valentine as he Sped towards Lazarus and caught his wrist. The hunting knife wavered as the two gatekeepers fought over the weapon.

"Let go! I have to end it now," Lazarus sobbed. "I'm done!"

"No! We are so close!" shouted Valentine. "You can't give up now!"

"Aaaarrrghhhhh!!"

Lazarus wrested his blade from Valentine cutting him on his arm. The Thief ignored the pain and tackled the Assassin. Lazarus was not going to die, not now, not yet, not if he could help it. They grappled with each other, rolling over in the sand trying to get the advantage. Finally they stopped, panting in exertion. Lazarus had the upper hand; he sat on Valentine pinning him down with his weight.

"Kill you first," the Assassin rasped in a hoarse voice and swallowed painfully, the taste of rusted iron filled his mouth "... then I can die and find some peace," he continued through gritted teeth.

Swiftly, Lazarus lifted his gleaming hunting knife high for the Kill. His hand wavered and trembled violently. "Ughh!" he grunted as he grabbed his right hand with his left to steady it. This was impossible, he couldn't see. His vision had become blurry red again and strength was draining rapidly from his body. "No! Not now!" he moaned in anguish. If he did not kill Valentine and suicide now, he knew he would not have another chance. He could not die like those experiments, he would not!! He would not be trapped in this weakening body any longer. He had to escape this unbearable pain!

But it was too late; his hunting knife fell from nerveless hands as Lazarus collapsed heavily onto Valentine. The short spurt of madness was over, the heavy lethargy was back.

"Ooaafff!!" gasped Valentine. Lazarus' knife had fallen sinking blade first into the ground just centimetres from his handsome face. "Oh my God! That was close!"

"Laz!" Valentine pushed his friend off and rolled him onto the soft sand. He held Lazarus' cold body down as the Assassin convulsed and spasm. Black-red blood sprayed from bloodless lips as Lazarus' shaking hands gripped tightly at Valentine's vest. The Thief stared in fascination as light layers of frost seem to form on the Assassin's exposed hands and face. Impossible!

Valentine could only hold down his friend fearing he would hurt himself if he did not. He kicked Lazarus' hunting knife out of reach ... just in case his friend became violent again. After a few nerve wrecking minutes the gatekeeper went limp but his eyes opened. His silver eyes blinked a few times readjusting as awareness returned and Lazarus came to his senses. Bloody tears leak down his face in shame and regret. If he had managed to suicide, he would have let everyone down.

"Thank God you're back!" Valentine said. He noticed the changes in his friend. The unpredictable seizure seemed to be over and Lazarus had quietened down considerably ... hmm, perhaps he was too quiet almost to the point of being unresponsive. Panicking Valentine quickly checked his friend's status. Lazarus really didn't look good.

Lazarus, Health 4 per cent (Maximum 8 per cent)

What?! Seriously Simtrixx? Capping Laz's health at 8 per cent was really a low blow. He blanched as the max cap dropped before his eyes to 6 per cent.

The Thief gave a short cynical laugh. Simtrixx was seriously prolonging Lazarus' agony. Apparently there was no mercy for him. They would draw out every bit of drama from his predicament. It would make a great story; the legendary Lazarus' rise and fall. Right now they were probably recording every second of his great downfall and very probable death he thought angrily. Valentine's indignant suspicions were cut abruptly.

Notification!

Jinx : We deciphered what the "Water of Life" is from the Gatekeeper's blog. We are pretty sure it's the vampire's blood you and Laz have. Get the Lifestone and make the antidote for the Annozzosh. Save Laz. We are going Valkyrie to help Constantine. He needs help. Good Luck!

Valentine let out a loud victorious whoop. Way to go Jinx!!

"You see that Laz? You see that?!! I told you!!" He cradled Lazarus' lolling head. "You're saved."