When Thalasis gave the signal, Constantine and Valentine ran into the jaav ukon's chambers close behind the Overlord and Warlord. They went straight to Lazarus who had collapsed onto the floor like a rag doll.

Gently, they pulled him up into a sitting position.

"Laz, are you ok?"

Only a soft moan answered them.

"He should be alright soon, yes? He is still glowing, no? The Lifestone is still working, yes?"

Although Lazarus' body was healing quickly, he was still trying to come to terms with the emotional shock. He had never doubted Anya's love and loyalty but he had never expected the level of selflessness and devotion she had displayed. It was beyond crazy, she had died painfully so many times. It hurt. A miserable sob escaped the Assassin's bloodless lips as he clutched at Valentine's shirt and burrowed his face into his friend's chest. His whole body was shaking uncontrollably.

"Chosen, tell him Anya is fine. I would have done the same for you," Tania mind-spoke Valentine. Immediately Valentine's throat closed up and he blinked back sudden tears. He shook his head automatically in denial. No, not Tania!

"And like him, I would never want you to do that. I wouldn't be able to bear you in such pain, dying over and over. It must have been terrible."

"I would want to if I could help you or ease even a tiny bit of your suffering, Chosen. It is our calling."

Valentine sniffed and hugged Lazarus tight. Thank God it wasn't Tania who had to go through the torture.

"Laz? Tania says Anya is o'kay."

Only a miserable muffled sob answered Valentine.

"They are only pixelated programmed NPCs ... our familiars," Constantine said sadly, "but they are now part of us. We hurt if they hurt, yes?" Xico had filled him in so he was up to speed. "And I would never want Xico to be in any kind of pain. I love my beautiful Xico."

"I love you too, Chosen," chirped the Red Falcon lovingly.

Valentine sighed and held onto the Assassin. It was all he could do to comfort his friend. Lazarus was calming down slowly and had stopped trembling.

The wall nearest them lighted up with a message only the Ghost Lords could see.

SAVE THE ORC PRINCE QUEST : COMPLETED by Lord Lazarus

Rewards : 500,000 XP points, Gold Chest Box (Please check your Inventory)

Group Reward : Bonus 500,000 XP points, Mystery Box Set (Please check your inventory)

Constantine's eyes lighted up and he grinned.

"YESSSS!! He did it."

"Yeah," said Valentine looking down at his friend. He continued cradling and rocking Lazarus gently, "Now we can all go home."

Constantine thumped Valentine in his shoulder. "He will be alright" he said comfortingly. "He is stronger than he looks, yes? We have all seen how he pulls himself together and get up again."

The Thief nodded and heaved a sigh. Constantine was right. Lazarus was stronger than he looked, just like Jace.

"Let's get him up."

The two Ghost Lords managed to haul their friend up. A few more moments and the Assassin may even be able to stand on his own.

"Oh hey ..." Valentine yelped in surprised. A purple tentacle had wormed its way around the Lazarus' waist whilst another two was prying him and Constantine from the recovering Assassin.

"Myutt, myutt," said the Bello. Mine!! She had come to reclaim her human. She glared fiercely at the family of hugging orcs. She could still squash them easily, especially the little orcling who had almost killed her human. "Squish! Squash! Squeeze!!" Several of her tentacles twitched. "Grrrrrr."

"No ..." groaned Lazarus rousing. " No ... don't kill him. I'm okay, ughh, I mean I'm going to be better soon ... Tell her! Val! Constantine!"

"Huh?"

"Stop the Bello from hurting the jaav ukon. She is thinking of crushing him ... and I'm in no shape right now to stop her," Lazarus said urgently.

"What? Right!" Valentine released his hold on Lazarus letting the Bello have him.

The monster immediately drew her human in possessively. The Assassin disappeared into her thick mess of coils. Having Lazarus in her tentacles all to herself may distract her for a moment, the Thief reasoned. Once she realised that the Assassin was out of danger and recovering quickly she would calm down.

"Oh No!" Constantine jumped up to prevent the catastrophe.

The Red Warlock drew upon his full height to stand tall against the Bello ignoring the very real danger of an angry Boss. However, he was confident she wouldn't hurt him, after all they had gone through so much together. She knew he was a friend, right? Right! And if she did not recognise him as a friend in her moment of anger, he was still the ranking Ghost Lord here. He was the great Constantine, the most awesome and most powerful of all Heroes, the one and only Red Warlock.

The handsome Gatekeeper wagged a finger at her human face.

"NO!" he said forcefully. "No, no, no, no, noooo. Down Bello, down! Control yourself a little, yes? Laz will be fine soon. He went through hell to save the jaav ukon, if you hurt the orc prince now Laz's efforts will be wasted, yes? You wouldn't want that, no?" he asked the Bello in a reasonably tone. "Don't waste his efforts, yes?!"

The purple monster tightened her tentacles around Lazarus, backing down a little. Lazarus was safe with her and still alive. No one was going to hurt him again, not when she was around. Her eyes narrowed as her glare flickered from Constantine back to the orcs betraying her vengeful thoughts. An animalistic snarl escaped her deceptive sweet lips.

"Grrrrrr!"

"Bad Bello, bad, bad, bad naughty Bello," the powerful Red Warlock continued in a scolding voice. He was chastising her but at the same time he kept alert. Constantine had slipped into battle mode, just in case. He was too experienced a gamer to be fooled by NPCs. He batted at her, causing her to back down even more. "Take care of Laz, don't go and start a war, yes?"

She pouted and put her human hands on her purple hips. B-b-but she wanted to fight! And they were all grouped nicely together. It would be so easy to scoop them all up and squeeze her powerful tentacles, and if that was not enough she could always release some poison. Her cyan rings glowed brightly. She glared defiantly at the ranking Ghost Lord.

"Myutt, myutt!!"

"I'm warning you Bello. Let it go. Don't start a fight. If you do, Laz will have to fight again and play peace maker, yes? You wouldn't want that when he is not fully recovered, no?"

"Myutt ... myutt?"

"Exactly!!"

"Myutt, myutt."

"Good Bello. I knew you would understand."

"What did she say?" whispered Valentine.

"I have no idea," Constantine whispered back.

"WHAT?!"

"It's her tone when she responds to me. I guess what she means to do and if she agrees with me or not by her tone ... and her body language," winked Constantine. Then he glanced pityingly at Valentine. "You have so much to learn about women."

The purple Boss' limbs slithered around Lazarus as blue light pulsed from within her coils, lighting up her face from below eerily.

Bright. Dark. Bright. Dark.

The Lifestone was still working to heal its host.

"Don't suffocate him, yes?" said Constantine worriedly. "We still need him."

"Bel-lo," the Bello smiled sweetly. She was calming down too, her anger dissipating in direct contrast to Lazarus' rising Health. His heartbeat was stronger and more regular ... and he was starting to struggle out of her embrace. Her smile widened and she loosened her grip obligingly.

"Chu-uuu~~, chu-uu~ !!"

"Lord Lazarus," called a gruff guttural voice.

Everyone quietened as the Overlord gave his full attention to the Dark One. The Bello hissed warningly at the huge orc. Lazarus did not want her to squish him but she could still poke him a little. He looked back challenging at the Bello, unafraid of her obvious hostility towards his family.

"I will forgive you just this once monster. Threaten me or my family again and it will be your last action."

"No."

"Grrrrr!!!" the Bello stiffen, her anger rising again.

"Shush now Bello," the recovering Gatekeeper murmured softly to the agitated monster.

Lazarus emerged slowly, pushing away several heavy tentacles. The Bello let her limbs slide away, opening a path for him. He held onto a purple limb, pushing himself upwards and outwards. Steadying himself, the Assassin finally stepped out.

"Overlord ..." the Ghost Lord answered. He was still glowing faintly. "Please do not treat the Bello like an enemy. She is just ... being protective of me. Umm, over-protective."

The Overlord glowered. He was the Overlord and military leader of this realm. He was not going to be intimidated by an alien Boss.

"Please Overlord, as a personal favour to me?"

The Overlord noticed the Dark One gesturing subtly to the monster too.

BEHAVE!!

The Bello pouted at the Ghost Lord's command but managed to turn off her death stare. A few moments later, she settled down as if nothing happened. She started poking Valentine but kept any eye on Lazarus.

Ah! The Dark One was something indeed. He was trying to keep peace and it seems that he could control the wild Boss.

The Overlord hid a satisfied smile and decided to be magnanimous especially since the monster will be gone from his realm. He should humour the Dark One. The Ghost Lord will be a powerful ally, if he ever needed one in the future.

"Very well, Ghost Lord." He raised his voice to the watchful Bello, "A truce monster. A truce between us, as requested by the Dark One."

She huffed and fluffed her green hair with a human hand in a deliberate show of ignoring the orc.

Lazarus cleared his throat.

Valentine nudged Constantine.

"Pleasse Bello. Peace isss better than war anytime," persuaded the Witch. "Even if you both like to fight."

"You better do what he wants, or he may not take you back with us," warned Valentine.

"Myutt!" the monster called in alarm at Lazarus. "Myutt, myutt?"

"But you promised!!"

The Dark One kept quiet. He kept his expression blank but he started thinking of alternatives of dealing with the stubborn Bello, just in case it came to war. He did not like to repeat himself. Everyone here could decide for themselves.

"I've known him for some time," said Valentine noticing that Laz had slipped into battle mode. He was preparing for trouble. "And I suggest you do what he wants ... it's not a good idea to cross him."

"I've known Laz for not as long as Val but you know ... it is better to have him as a friend than an enemy, yes?"

The purple Boss contrasted her memories of Lazarus as an enemy when he had cut off her tentacles to one of him patiently roasting delicious Kivhs for her as a friend. She decided that she liked him better as a friend too, an exclusive friend.

"Myutt, myutt," she said in resignation.

"Bel-lo?"

"Truce!" agreed the Overlord.