It was decided that Valentine and Kasakh would continue searching for more clues at the orc's home while Constantine and Lazarus went to the Overlord's Stronghold. They had to be careful, the Overlord was desperate for his prince's life and could kill without reason.

The two highest ranking Heroes stood on the path leading to the Overlord's Stronghold. They could see the impressive high thick walls and the orc guards checking everyone going through the huge stone gate carefully.

"Sneak in or walk in?"

"Sneak in? Oh no, no, no, my friend. You insult me. We shall announce our arrival like true mighty Heroes. They will see us if we can help them, yes? Their little prince needs us."

Lazarus smiled in amusement. Valentine would have preferred to sneak in and take the risk of getting caught. It was more fun.

"Right."

The two ghost lords marched up boldly to the open gates joining the queue of alien creatures waiting their turn to enter the stronghold. All manner of beings walked, slithered, glided and crawled in front of them.

"State your business," one fierce looking orc guard halted them in when it was their turn.

"We want to see the Overlord," Constantine announced.

"He is too busy for the likes of you. You can meet with the High Counsellor and he will decide. Weapons?"

"Weapons? I have only my bare hands as you can see," said the Red Warlock waving his empty hands in the air innocently. "And my friend here only has this bow. Laz, show him."

Lazarus obediently unslung the low graded Level 25 bow from his shoulder which he had prepared for the charade and held it out for the guard to inspect.

"For hunting small game," the Assassin explained.

"Hmmm, okay."

The orc waved the Heroes inside and turned his attention to the next in line.

"Hey! We are important people with important business for the Warlord. He will want to see us. I'm telling you, we can help him!"

The orc guard turned back to Constantine and snorted. "I doubt you, whatever you are, can help our most esteemed Overlord. You are not even an orc, you are only ..." he said condescendingly. Then he took a closer look and blanched, turning an ugly ash colour. He smacked the nearest guard pointing at the Heroes. "Aren't those hoomans?"

"Hoomans? Where?" The other orc asked looking around agitatedly. "Hoomans really exist? Is that what they look like? What are they doing here?"

"Lazarus? Constantine? ..." a familiar deep guttural voice cut in as a large commanding presence materialised. A hulking grey orc came striding towards the gatekeepers. "Keep quiet, I will handle this," he said to the two Heroes. He waved at the guard. "That will be all. I will take charge of these two."

"Yes, Sir!!"

"Oh ... and keep your mouths shut if you want to keep your black hearts beating."

They jumped to attention beating their chests smartly in unison and went back to their stations.

The commanding orc signalled several soldiers with him, "NARLOK!!"

The well trained warriors immediately saluted, banging their fists against the thick brass bands on their arms and enclosed the two gatekeepers, hiding them from general view.

Narlok formation; to secure, enclose and keep safe from harm and prying eyes.

"What the ..." Constantine said startled as large solid grey bodies crowded in around them.

"Shhh!! If you value your lives. I will explain later."

"Come."

The group marched away from the gates and into the Stronghold proper. The Lord Commander set a fast pace. This was serious business, he had to talk to the ghost lords before they met the royal Necromancer, for meet him they will. He was sure Mallarq would see to that and try to use them or worse.

The group only slowed down when they had reached their destination, a secluded barracks by the looks of it.

"Secure the perimeter! No one is allowed within twenty standard paces. Check for spies," he bellowed. They all knew who he meant, the Imperial guards.

"Sir!!" Yet not less than three looked uncertainly at their superior as they moved into position. A few stole surreptitious glances at the two fragile beings in their midst that they had just concealed from the public.

Humans!! Here, Now. It was a bad omen.

"Stand strong. I will find out what is going on, then there will be a briefing. Stay alert."

"Sir?"

"Yes, Jarrakg?"

"Be careful of them, Sir," Jarrakg, his loyal second-in-command said before turning away smartly on his heels to check the others.

"You worry too much. I can take care of myself."

Once alone with the gatekeepers, the Lord Commander turned his full attention to them. This was going to be very interesting and potentially dangerous. The Overlord was agitated, cornered and desperate. Anything could set him off. The Land was in political turmoil and Mallarg, the Necromancer was growing bolder. He was barely concealing his desires and was now growing strong enough to openly wrest power with his Imperial warriors. The ghost lords had come at a perilous time indeed.

"Constantine! Lazarus! Greetings! Forgive me for the rude welcome earlier but it was necessary."

The gatekeepers smiled in relief. "Kalthu! Well met!"

"It is o'kay my large grey friend but you will explain, yes?"

Kalthu, the orc prince who had befriended the gatekeepers in Season one sobered. "I am afraid you have come in troubled times. Your coming here now will be seen as a very bad omen."

"Who us? Why?" Constantine was affronted. "Me? A bad omen? Never!"

"Be at ease Kalthu, we are here for our own reasons. We are not interested in your political strife. It has nothing to do with us," said Lazarus. "We will complete our quest and leave."

"No friend, your very presence here threatens our existence."

"Huh? Why?"

Kalthu looked around, catching his second-in command alertly keeping an eye on him. Jarrakg gave a slight nod to his superior indicating that all was secured and continued his rounds. Kalthu hunkered down so that he was levelled with the smaller humans.

"Because, we are at war. A silent sneaky war, but still a war," he said shaking his head in disgust. "I prefer an open war with good honest fighting myself, not this subterfuge and underhanded tricks."

"What has this got to do with us?" Lazarus asked.

"Because you will tip the balance of our war. There is an obscure ancient prophesy that says human ghost lords will come and that when they appear, all will be destroyed," the grey orc begun. "You are officially, the destroyers of world as we know it."

"We are soooo not the destroyers of your realm, orc," the Red Warlock said indignantly. "We are only here for Lazarus' quest and maybe some sight-seeing, not to destroy your home. Your prophesy does not concern us, orc prince."

"I know you mean us no harm, great warlock. You never have and we have fought side-by-side before," the huge orc replied, "but we are a superstitious bunch. If I cannot convince all that you are not here to destroy us, you will be hunted by both sides and even the lesser orcs once they recognise you."

"Both sides? Ahh yes, you mentioned a Necromancer? So there are two factions here," the Red Warlock said. "I am sure I am more powerful than him, yes?"

Kalthu shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe, I don't know. Your magic is different, I think."

"So the Imperial warriors who caught us earlier were controlled by Mallarg, the Necromancer and the warriors with you are under the Warlord's control? The ones with the brass arm bands?"

Kalthu nodded at the Assassin confirming his summary, touching his own thick brass band proudly. It was a prestigious badge of high honour. Only those who were deem trustworthy, strong and skilled enough were allowed to serve under the Warlord.

"Both report directly to the Overlord and are of equal power now. The balance of which changes daily, depending on how many we can kill each night ... secretly of course," he added grinning mischievously, a wide crack splitting his craggy mug.

"And so, who is the Warlord?" Lazarus asked. "Maybe we can ask his help, hopefully he is more reasonable than this Mallarg."

Kalthu's grin split even wider, if that was possible. He looked absolutely horrifying. "Me," he said proudly tapping his broad chest with a thick grey finger. "I am the powerful Warlord of this realm."

The gatekeepers stood still for a moment at the revelation, then burst out laughing in delight.

"Ahh, this will make things so much easier, yes?" Constantine asked gleefully. Finally, something was going right.

"Maybe, but Mallarg, he is not to be taken lightly. I wanted to warn you about him. Right now, he has the Overlord in his grasp because he is keeping the jaav ukon alive."

"How?" Constantine asked interested.

"Some black sorcery of the forbidden arts. A static spell to slow down time, slow down the poison. The Overlord allowed it to save his son," Kalthu explained. "I do not know the details."

"That is interesting. If I, the great Red Warlock can nullify him, do you think the Overlord will give us a chance then?"

Kalthu's eyes lighted up briefly before narrowing in speculation. "If you can, we could free the Overlord from Mallarg's grasp. His power will be lessen. But the young one will still be dying."

"We need to talk to the Overlord. We need to see Sharak's work room. The Banished One was working on something when he died. He must have left a clue behind that could help the poisoned prince ..."

"We will have to come up with a plan, think things through. There are too many variables at play here."

"I may be able to do something about that, the static spell," Constantine mused. "I will need to do some homework first. Maybe talk to Isis."

Lazarus raised an eyebrow.

"By the way, how did you know to come to the gates for us? What was the great Warlord of the Realm doing patrolling the Stronghold's perimeters?"

"The Holy Seer told me," Kalthu said mysteriously. "Thalasiss, she is never wrong."

Constantine rubbed his hands in delight. The orc Realm was really growing on him. Everything was right up his alley. "First there is a Necromancer. Now there is a Seer too? And she is on your side? Nice. Is she pretty?"

Lazarus ignored Constantine turning his attention to Khaltu.

"Can you help us?"

"I will help you meet the Overlord, if you promise to save the jaav ukon and not destroy us as prophesied," Kalthu concluded.

Constantine made a face.

"I am sorry friend, we cannot promise that for we do not know what will happen. We can only promise you that we will try our best," Lazarus replied reasonably. He was not about to promise something he had no control over. Better to be honest about it. Who knew what Simtrixx had in store for them?

"Will you still help us?"

"Hmm, it will be worth it if Constantine can take Mallarg down," Kalthu said thinking aloud. "O'kay. I trust you," he said simply. They were jauk.

Kalthu had fought with these two humans before. They were more than friends, they were jauk, brothers-in arms. Lazarus had saved him and his beloved Sharn before without expecting anything in return. That trait was not in any orc. Yes, he trusted them, even if they might be the fabled ghost lords who may destroy all he knew. It was a calculated risk but they were not destroyers. He knew them. Being a warrior, he trusted tangible things like these two before him more than some old obscure beliefs. Yes, he trusted them more than the ancient prophesy. It felt scary to go against his superstitious culture but his warrior instincts felt right.

The Red Warlock clapped his hands in glee. "I will do my verrrrry best. I will not sleep until I find how to do that that Mallarq is doing." Constantine was ecstatic. He loved a challenge, especially a challenge that seemed tailored for him.