After the devastating news of Sharak's death, Lazarus decided to find the nearest village. Maybe the Banished One had an apprentice who he had taught or maybe there was another orc who knew the poisons like he did. The main thing was not to give up. He had fought so hard to get here, it would be such a waste to give up now. Lazarus stole a glance at Anya. He could not let her die permanently. There must be a way to save her.

Valentine and Kasakh, the half-grown orc followed behind the group. Tania trailed alone behind them, taking rear guard duty.

"Why were you hiding?" Valentine asked the orc. "Is there danger near here?"

Although she was still young for her kind, she was already slightly taller than the Thief next to her. She was also physically stronger than any of the Heroes, but she had no thoughts of running away. They had strange powers, they could get her safely back to her own mountain on the other side of the valley. Kasakh glanced sidelong at Valentine.

"I was being chased."

"Chased?" By who?"

"The Imperial guards ..." she lowered her voice in fear.

"What?!" Valentine grabbed her arm roughly forcing her to halt. "Why? What have you done? Why are you running away from them?" He glanced around fugitively almost expecting nasty warrior orc guards to pounce on them. That would not be good at all, she could stall their mission. Kasakh could get them all killed, wasting XP and time.

Black beady eyes glared at him in defiance. "Nothing! I have done nothing wrong." She broke away from him and went to Tania in a huff. The huge tawny wolf would make better company than the accusing human even if he did have the supply of delicious meat. She had befriended the two big wolves taking them for pets. They were a good size, soft and furry, a novelty in these parts.

Lazarus half turned at the outburst but did not slow down his pace. He made a subtle gesture with his hands. Anya fell back to join Tania and Kasakh.

A few minutes later, Anya's voice sounded in his head. "Chosen?"

"Can you talk to her?"

"We can talk to anyone we like," came Tania's haughty reply.

"Ah, a three way? That's good. Is Val in the loop too?"

"Yes, but a different loop. One loop with us and the green one, another with my chosen, you and Xico's chosen. We don't want to scare her with too many minds together. It's her first time talking this way."

Lazarus smiled at her description. "O'kay. Ask her why she attacked me."

"She acted on instinct. She thought you were a monster. Only monsters come out of the sacred cave."

"Sacred cave? Oh, the one which held the Portal."

"Ask her why is she being chased?"

"O'kay."

Valentine had joined them when Kasakh had abandoned him. The Assassin and Thief exchanged looks. It was up to the familiars now to get some much needed information.

Xico flew overhead checking the surroundings for danger. They travelled in apparent silence for a while. The familiars were talking to the orc.

Suddenly, Lazarus stumbled clutching at his chest. He stopped, gasping for breath as Valentine caught and steadied him. The Thief lowered his friend down to the ground while the Red Mage stood guard.

"Chosen!!"

"No, Anya. Stay with the orc. Val and Constantine are here."

"Hey! You o'kay? We can stop here to rest for a bit." Valentine said worriedly remembering his own experience of the poison's devastating effects.

"No, I just need a minute," Lazarus replied shakily. His jaw clenched and his grip tightened on Valentine's arm as he rode out the pain.

"You sure?" he frowned at the assassin. A minute was definitely not enough in his opinion.

Valentine recalled the sudden intense pain to the heart as if it was being squeezed from within. Breathing had become difficult, almost impossible before severe dizziness set in. Strength disappeared, draining from his body in an instant leaving him weak and nerveless. He remembered the terrible lethargy and feeling of helpless despair before everything went black when he had passed out. It had been a scary experience, one he would not care to repeat. There is an innate feeling of terror when you know what will happen next and can do absolutely nothing to prevent it. How do you fight the enemy when it is in your body?

Lazarus trembled, fighting the spreading pain from his chest to his limbs. He closed his eyes in concentration, taking deep slow breaths. He was shivering and sweating when he finally opened his eyes again. The numbing cold in his body intensified.

"Let's go," Lazarus rasped as he struggled to get up. "We can't afford to waste any more time. It's getting worse."

"Huh?" Valentine looked in amazement at Lazarus. "How come you can still move? I totally lost it the last time I ... umm, you know. Not only that, I took ages to recover."

The ghost lord gulped down a bottle of Health potion from his Inventory. Lazarus let out a shuddering sigh as his health bar increased. He felt better and gave silent thanks to Isis and her miraculous brews.

"Help me up." Lazarus heaved himself up using Valentine as a crutch. He shrugged. "I guess I'm used to it?"

Valentine exchanged a worried look with Constantine, his frown deepening. The idiot was brushing it off and playing it down as usual. How could one get used to pain? He should know. He had experienced it first-hand.

"Laz ..."

"C'mon. We can get down this mountain before dark and ask the locals if we hurry. Let's not waste time sitting around."

"Use your staff. I'm not going to hold your hand all the way down, you stubborn ass," Valentine said glaring at his friend.

Lazarus cocked his head. He had forgotten his solid white ash Quest Master staff which he had won by completing all the game's quests in Season One. Valentine had remembered it after seeing him use it for the killing blow on the Vampire Boss.

The assassin retrieved it from his Inventory. He held onto it for support and tried walking. It helped steady his steps, welcomed warmth flowed from the staff to his hands. The lethargy was fading faster and his hands were not shaking so much now. The mystic runes he had so painstakingly engraved on all his weapons were paying off.

"Now you look like an old man."

"No, I don't," the gatekeeper protested.

"I think he looks more like Gandalf, that powerful wizard. Don't you think so?"

"Wizards don't hunch and hobble like that..." Valentine grinned at Constantine and winked. They would provide continuous distraction teasing Lazarus to help keep his mind off his constant pain.

The three Heroes continued bickering among themselves like small children as they continued on their journey. They moved at a slower pace in consideration of their still recovering friend. They would pick up the pace once he had revived.

"What's wrong with him? Why are you afraid?" Kasakh asked the wolves flanking her. She pointed at Lazarus' back with a thick green finger. She could smell the fear from her furry friends. She had noticed the white wolf stiffening in fear beside her as the human suddenly stopped in his tracks gasping.

"He is sick," Tania replied. Anya did not bother answering the orc. She was focused on her Chosen, ready to run to him.

"Sick? He was fine before," the orc said. "No ... umm, symptoms earlier. He was fast and strong when he cut me," she said with a slight growl.

Tania cocked her head looking speculatively at her. "How would you know of these things, green one?"

"I know!! My faavhas ... father? sharog ... make medicines, I learn," she said proudly clearly thinking of her father.

"Medicines?" Anya asked interested. She kept one watchful eye on her Chosen as she joined in the conversation. This green one was of this land and her Chosen was right, maybe she could help.

"What kind of medicines?"

"Medicines that help and ..." her face fell, "medicines that kill."

"You have learnt from your father?"

"A little..." the orc hedged.

Anya indicated Lazarus, "Do you recognise his symptoms? Can you help him? His sickness is from your land." Her gaze softened when she looked at her Chosen's back. "Please, I will do anything you ask if you can help him. I will even give you all my meat, my Chosen have lots."

"What is he to you? Why would you promise me that?" Kasakh asked suspiciously. No orc ever did anything for another if it did not benefit them in some way. It would make sense if it was the same with other species.

"He is my Chosen, he means everything to me," Anya replied simply as she looked adoringly at Lazarus. The white wolf turned her great head back to the orc, "Can you?"

Tania spoke up. "We came here to find his medicine. We will leave once we have it. We mean you and your kind no harm."

Kasakh eyed the familiars. It had taken her some time but now she recognised the humans for what they were, the legendary ghost lords; the fabled destroyers of the Realm. If they were here, then the time of the ancient prophesy had come. Their foretold coming was worse than any monster that could have emerged from the sacred cave ... but they had not threatened her or killed her ... yet. 

Could she trust them?

"Help me get back to my mountain safely and I will try to help the sick one," Kasakh said bluntly. That was the only way she could get back. She had escaped the Imperial guards several times and had ended up on this far mountain whilst leading them away from her home.

Kasakh had wanted to check if Sharak had left her any instructions and now, she needed to urgently check the ancient prophesy. If it was true, the human ghost lords' presence here meant the end of their world.