** Warning : There is a bit of self-harm in this chapter. Lazarus self-harms in virtual to save the orc prince. It is only for story purposes. Please do not do this in real life.

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Everyone gathered outside the jaav ukon's chambers. It was a large crowd consisting of humans, orcs and numerous other unnamed species who served the Overlord.

"Ready?" Thalasis asked. Both Constantine and Lazarus nodded.

"Warlord, pleasse keep everyone here. No one musst enter once the Dark One entersss with the Bello."

Kalthu immediately issued orders to the effect.

"But ..." Valentine protested.

"I am ssorry my Lord Valentine but you and Lord Consstantine cannot help once the Bello injectsss her Annazzzzosh into the jaav ukon. It will then be entirely up to Lord Lazarusss."

She continued urgently, "Do not interfere. It will be very dangerousss and worsse for him if you do. It would only disstract him."

Valentine gulped and looked at her sharply. He had a very bad feeling about this.

"Ssisster, you will help with resstraining the Bello once sshe has done her part."

"Of coursse."

"Come," Thalasis beckon to Constantine. Lazarus, the Bello and the Witch stood close. Only four of them will enter the orcling price's chambers. Constantine will stay outside once he removed the time shield.

The Red Warlock stepped forward.

"It is time, yes? I will remove the time shield now. Stand back."

Constantine bowed his head in concentration. The first part was summoning his magical energies. The second was the magical spell which had to be repeated in a set of different intonations. When he could feel the culmination of the magical force gathered, he started gesturing.

The atmosphere around him seemed to shimmer and brightened. Little wavy lights appeared flickering in the air wiggling and swirling energetically in place before zooming in at the sweating spell caster. Constantine absorbed the energy and redirected it.

He raised open palms to encompass the shield and carefully made magical gestures to evenly spread the gathered energy. He directed it diffusing it carefully over the barrier taking his time. He did not need it to explode and cause a war during this sensitive and uncertain time. The orcs' mood was precarious and a tiny misstep could easily cause a misunderstanding and start a war if orcs thought he was trying to kill the orcling.

The time shield brightened and shimmered reflecting Constantine's careful control to neutralise it. It started pulsing rhythmically. In less than a minute, the time shield shimmered and faded away dispersing safely into nothing. The almost still candle flames in the disenchanted chamber started flickering in real time. Little wisps of smoke swirled up lazily again before disappearing into the air.

"It is done," said the powerful spell caster wearily. "Time now flows normally in there. Do what you can to save the prince."

"Lord Lazarusss pleasse call the Bello and follow me," invited Thalasis. The Witch followed her sister silently into the spacious chamber.

Lazarus nodded and gestured to the Bello.

"Bello? Bel-lo," she said in her sing song voice and followed her human willingly. She sashayed gracefully on her flexible tentacles and soon stood beside the orcling prince with the others.

"The jaav ukon'sss wound isss on hisss right arm. Tell her what to do, Dark One."

Thalasis handed a dagger to Lazarus. "Usse thisss. The blade hasss been coated with an anti-clotting ssubsstance. Your blood will flow more eassily."

The Ghost Lord nodded understanding. He pulled down the coverlet and lifted the orcling's arm. Then he pushed the loose sleeve until he found the half healed wound.

"Bello?"

"Bel-lo," she answered in her velvety singsong voice.

Lazarus smiled at the sexy monster. She really was quite sweet, when she was not upset. He mind-spoke her to give specific instructions.

"Come. Can you inject your Annazzosh into the orc prince? We have to save him before I can go home."

"Home?"

"Yes."

"What about me?"

The Hero tilted his head. "You can go home too when the moons align again and the Witch opens the portal to your realm."

"No."

"No? You want to stay here? I'm sure you will be welcomed by the orcs to stay. The Witch and the Holy Seer will take care of you."

"No. I want to follow you."

"Follow me?"

"Yes. Follow you home," she tapped him with a tentacle, "... or no Annazzosh."

Lazarus was stunned. The Bello wanted to go to the human realm with him. "B-but if you do, you will never get the chance to return to your world."

"Not true, human. I will still maintain contact with the Witch. I can go home whenever the moons realign, if not the coming realignment then maybe the next or perhaps the next ... I can come back here if you bring me."

If she ever wanted to do that, he would have to complete the Gatekeeper Trials again and bring her back. The alternative was to let the jaav ukon die now and get killed. Then the Bello would be stuck here and he would re-spawn back in the human real without completing the hidden challenge. Of course the orcs would hate him then and probably seek revenge for the death of the jaav ukon. Not good.

Sigh. Re-doing the Gatekeepers Trials was better than starting a war between Realms he supposed. The Trials were doable.

"Myut, myut!" she warned verbally. "Take me with you or the princeling dies."

The silent communication took only seconds but the Bello had made her position clear.

"Isss there a problem Dark One?" asked the Witch anxiously.

The Bello had her dainty human hands on her hips and was glaring challengingly at the Dark One. Her sparkling green eyes bored into the Assassin's silver ones.

"No. No problem," Lazarus replied making up his mind. "O'kay, Bello, we will do it your way."

"Now can you please inject the Annazzosh?"

"Promise me."

Lazarus caught her gaze and sent solemnly. "When this is over, I promise to take you home with me to the human realm."

The Bello's posture melted and she smiled sweetly at her human. She won. He was going to be reasonable after all and give her what she wanted.

"Chuuuu~" replied the Bello softly. She caressed his face lovingly with a tentacle tip before gliding gracefully towards the jaav ukon.

Strong purple tentacles coiled around the orcling, holding him down securely. Thalasis had already taken off his top baring the young orc's body. The jaav ukon was turn onto his side exposing his right arm. The Bello hovered over the wound and sniffed. Her pert human nose wrinkled in disgust as she detected the poison's stench. Nauk dzi vras. Ugh! For animated pile of bones, the Vogeruks really had the most unique disgusting stink.

"Myut, myut," she warned. This was it.

The Bello lifted up her human hand. Her nails elongated, hardened and sharpened into strong black claws. Since the jaav ukon had bigger mass and was made of tougher flesh, she would inject a larger amount to neutralise the nauk dzi vras which had spread throughout his body. Carefully she positioned her hand over the gash. She would use more force than when she had injected Lazarus, the orc's skin was thicker and tougher than the fragile human creatures. A quick stab and her five nails were driven deep around the injured flesh. Black ichor seeped out of her neat punctures.

The jaav ukon jerked and yelped out loud but was held in place by the strong Bello. He moaned making the Overlord grab his great sword.

Lazarus heard a few urgent sounding guttural muttered words as Kalthu restrained his father forcibly. They must not interfere now.

Sweat trickled down his back as the nervous Gatekeeper watched the Bello's poison flow into the orcling. It covered the torn grey flesh and was absorbed as fast as it was injected. Black liquid oozed from the Bello's fingernails, the effect spreading visibly under the orcling's grey skin to cover his entire arm. Then it started spreading to his chest and upper body. The jaav ukon jerked and squirmed awkwardly but he was no match against the multiple coils which held him down.

Was that how it was when she was injecting him with her poison, thought Lazarus. Valentine must have freaked out. After a while, the Bello retracted her nails but did not release the orc prince.

"Myutt, myutt."

"Be careful. My Annazzosh will fight the nauk dzi vras now," she warned.

"It's done," Lazarus informed the waiting sisters.

The jaav ukon whimpered in pain. His light grey skin was turning an ugly mottled grey, his body and face became splotchy. Black ropey veins stood out on his exposed chest and hands. It also streaked up from his neck up his face, the thicker arteries branching out into finer veins. He had started to decay alive.

Thalasis went to his side. The orc prince needed her.

The rotting orc howled and spasm violently reacting to the toxic substances inside him. He tried to wiggle out of the Bello's hold, squirming and bashing violently at the coils around him. He hit and squeezed purple limbs wildly, smacking and even biting at the restrictive coils.

"Myutt, myutt!!" the Bello cried in pain but held onto the orc. Her superior Annazzosh will beat the weaker Vogeruk's nauk dzi vras. She would see to it!

The Witch immediately went to the Bello's side. She took charge of the monster, soothing and giving her support. "Yesss, you are doing the right thing. Sstay strong Bello, I am here. It will be over ssoon. Then you can resst."

"Myutt, myutt," the monster mewled. Her cute human face was scrunched up as she endured the unaccustomed pain. Usually, she was the one inflicting the punishment.

"Bear with it a little longer, Bello. Don't let him go. He musst not hurt himsself."

Thalasis cued Lazarus. "Dark One, get ready. The Annozzzzossh is taking effect. The little one will need you ssoon."

Lazarus clenched his jaw. He took a deep breath and re-gripped the dagger in his hand. He wanted his blood to be flowing freely when the orc needed it. There must be no delays and no mistakes. He did not want to be the cause of a war.

The jaav ukon had started twitching. His movements were jerky and zombie-like as he flopped on the huge bed. Big bones started protruding from his shrinking frame, the outline becoming clearing and clearer against disappearing flesh and thinning stretching skin. Soon the skin would split and open sores will cover the orc. The jaav ukon was decomposing alive.

"Father!!" he roared. He started convulsing in pain, twisting and arching into convoluted positions. "FATHER!!"

Immediately the Overlord shouted back.

"Rawr!! Get out of my way! My son needs me!! All of you, OUT OF MY WAY!! RAWR!!"

He had to go to his son. The little one was in terrible pain. The jaav ukon was calling him. There was sudden clanging of steel as orcs drew their weapons to prevent the anxious Overlord from going to his heir. The Warlord was in charge.

"Jarrakg!! ORDERS!! Restrain the Overlord. Do not let him pass!!"

"Gwar! Gwar! Yes Warlord!!"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!"

"I'm sorry Overlord. We can't do that!" yelled Jarrakg.

"I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD JARRAKG!! MAKE WAY! LET ME GO TO MY SON!!"

"Stand strong!!" shouted Kalthu. He held onto his struggling father, trying to calm him down.

"Warriors! Maintain your positions! Stand your ground! Do not let anyone pass!! Not even the Overlord," yelled Jarrakg resolutely. He would trust the fate of his head to the Warlord. "He is not the Overlord right now, he is a grieving father of a sick orcling."

Kalthu too was struggling with his emotions. It was one thing to plan the recovery of his little brother but actually seeing him in pain and calling out desperately for his father was quite another. His brother's alternating bellows and piteous cries wrenched his heart.

The Warlord shook his head violently and beat his chest to dull the pain in his heart. He had to do his job. He had to maintain order and prevent anyone from interfering with what was happening in the chambers. That was the only way he could help his little brother now. He gritted his teeth in determination. No one was getting pass him.

Lazarus blanched and stood transfixed staring at the convulsing orcling. Had he been like that too? He could not recall anything other than the terrible pain and the repulsive feeling of rotting alive at the time. He could still remember the agony when the two poisons clashed in his body. It was unbearable. He gulped.

The jaav ukon collapsed after a while breathing hard. He had fallen off the huge bed and lay whimpering on the cold hard floor. It was a rare sight indeed to see an orc so weak and helpless.

Lazarus could see ugly black streaks snaking all over the orcling's body. His black beady eyes bulged out of his sunken face. Black ichor was leaking from his orifices. His eyes, nose and ears were wet with black blood. He moaned pitifully and heaved for breath. That started a series of racking coughs which ended in the orcling spitting out dark gobs of thick ichor. He stank of decaying flesh.

The Assassin grimaced remembering the acute pain in his chest and the burning sensation in his throat when he went through the torture of the Annazzosh. It was not an experience he wanted to repeat.

Suddenly the jaav ukon started spasming wildly. His body convulsed and arched painfully as his muscles strained. His teeth grinded, mashing together loudly. Thankfully he did not bite his tongue. The orcling's seizure signalled the climax of the poisons' battle.

It was time for the cure. Thalasis hoped fervently that it worked. She did not want to think of the circumstances if it did not.

"Now Dark One!! The Annazzzzossh have neutralissed the nauk dzzi vrasss. Give him the antidote in your blood before the Annazzzzosah desstroysss him," instructed Thalasis.

Swiftly, Lazarus slit his wrist. Bright red blood spurted out and dripped to the floor.

The Assassin approached the jaav ukon. Crouching down, he extended his bleeding arm to the orc.

"Drink. It will ease your pain. I promise."

The orc prince opened his eyes and looked upon the human. He growled not trusting this ugly fragile pale creature.

"Jaav Ukon," Thalasis called. The little one needed a familiar face. He knew her. She was one of his father's trusted aides. "The Overlord, your father isss here. He awaitsss your recovery. Thisss one has been ssent to cure you. Drink!"

"Gwar!" Thalasis! Thalasis is here. That means father is near too. "Father!"

"Drink little one and all will be well. The Overlord watchesss. Be sstrong, make him proud."

Lazarus pushed his arm to the orc's mouth. The jaav ukon had calmed down, his seizure over. He better drink soon, before the next bout of seizure attacked his weak body. Lazarus remembered the torture too clearly. The longer he procrastinated drinking the stronger the Annazzosh will be in his body.

"Drink, my son! DRINK the human's blood!! The Ghost Lord will cure you!" the Overlord roared from the chamber doors. Kalthu's burly warriors were barely restraining the powerful Overlord. "I command you to drink. You must live. DRINK!!"

Suddenly the jaav ukon blinked and his black beady eyes settled on the Assassin. Father and Thalasis said to drink. This creature's blood will cure him and end his terrible pain. Father promised the pain will go away.

The orcling prince turned his head, focusing his little beady eyes on the Ghost Lord next to him. With a desperate roar, he grabbed Lazarus's bleeding hand and chomped savagely down.