The cosy chamber was occupied by the most important beings in the realm. The Overlord casually surveyed the odd group before him. His black beady eyes looked upon Kalthu, the Warlord, his first-born in pride then at Thalasis, his Holy Seer. She had also proven her worth and loyalty during the coup. Kasakh, Sharak's spawn and their only means to unlocking the Banished One's works, was also there sitting quietly gnawing contently on a raw meaty bone. Next were the pale ones, Lazarus, Valentine and Constantine. The interesting fierce white predator was also nearby and happily chomping on fresh meat on the floor.
Never in his life could he have foreseen sharing a meal with such creatures. He was actually eating with the fabled ghost lords, the damned foretold destroyers of the land! However, in light of recent events, there seemed to be something wrong with the Prophecy. There must be. The ghost lords were going to save his son and thus save the land, not the other way round. How could they destroy it? They did not seem interested in conquering his world neither did they show any interest in ruling his people. They came specifically to find a cure for the nauk dzi vras because one of their own was poisoned, not to start a war. The humans were genuinely interested only in pursuing the poison's cure. Could the original Seer possibly have misinterpreted the Prophecy? Impossible! Ahhh, he was getting a headache. He would voice his concerns to Thalasis in private later. Maybe she could enlighten him.
Before him were platters of delicious chunky meat, some still on their bones, fresh from the hunt. He wrinkled his nose at the human's choice of food; the Overlord could not understand why anyone would want to eat charred meat or more than the minimum of fruits and greens required. But his hunters had provided for them as Thalasis counselled. She knew more of this kind of thing.
Conversation had revolved around the recent coup but now had steered to more mundane topics.
"So you are saying that Sharak's works have all been translated and sent to the ghost lord in their realm?"
Kasakh paused in her eating to answer Kalthu. "Yes Warlord."
"How?"
Kasakh shrugged her green shoulders indicating the ghost lords' ways were beyond her and continued with her meal.
Valentine spoke up. "She translated it and gave it to me. I emailed Isis a copy to see if she could make anything out of it."
"Emailed? What's that?"
"Ummm," the Thief wrinkled his fair brow confounded. How to explain emailing and attaching files to a fictional orc? He turned to Lazarus for help.
"It's a form of instant communication we have," said the Assassin keeping it simple.
"Instant communication?" Kalthu echoed in awe. They could communicate with each other even when they were not in the same place. "The ghost lords' ways are indeed unfathomable."
"This Isis you speak of, she was the one healing everyone during the battle," the Overlord said piecing the pieces. "She has great power. I hope she finds something in Sharak's work to help."
"Do not worry Overlord. She will let us know when she does. We are in constant communication despite being in different places."
"Is that possible?"
"Yes, it is My Lord."
Then the Thief caught Kalthu's attention. "Sharak sent you to our home in search of something. May we know what it was?" he asked curiously. The question had been bugging him for some time.
The Warlord hesitated. It was highly classified information. Only Sharak, the Overlord and he knew of this matter.
"Pleassse, Overlord, grant him leave to ssspeak of it. The humansss may be of help. We ssshould all know to be able to pool our knowledge. Time is running out for the dark one," she indicated Lazarus. "If he perisshesses, there is no one else as qualified to help the jaav ukon nor will there be any need for the othersss to carry on sssearching."
The Overlord paused. His Holy Seer was right as usual. He nodded giving his Warlord permission to speak.
Kasakh had put down her meaty bone to listen. She had somewhat trained under her father and may pick up more than the others. Furthermore, it was part his research. Any part of him was precious to her. She missed him dearly. Sharak had been her only family.
Kalthu cleared his throat nosily and started. "The Banished One had theoretically created a unique brew. Unfortunately he could not actually concoct it or test it out because he did not have the special ingredients needed to make it."
The Overlord nodded agreeing with the Warlord's narrative.
"A brew? Like a cure?"
"It was not for the nauk dzi vras, human. It was for something else."
"What?" asked Valentine.
"I do not know exactly but it must have had something to do with the Illaru's poison. That was all Sharak was working on. I was only told enough for my mission in your lands. I am sorry, I only know my assigned task."
Lazarus frowned. "Maybe Isis will know. We will ask her later."
"What did Sharak need for his special potion?" asked Constantine. He too was at the table. The Time Shield was stable. He did not need to stay near it. As long as he did not stray from the orc realm, the Shield could still feed off him.
"Some rare herbs he could find here, he had listed in his recipe. All I know was that I was to go to the human realm and find the 'water of eternal life'. In the meantime, he would search for the 'pearl of life' here."
"Rare herbs, water of eternal life and the pearl of life. It is all connected to the revival and sustenance of life, the jaav ukon's life" Constantine muttered frowning. He racked his brains, running some of his spells and special potions through his head. Nothing came to mind.
"Since I was expandable, I volunteered to go to your world. It was a really risky venture travelling to a world full of the fabled destroyers to find the missing ingredient, whatever it is. It was a suicide mission."
"I'm sorry," Lazarus said quietly. It was not a good feeling when you feel less than others. Kalthu was definitely not expandable but the Assassin understood what the orc meant. The orcs were a warrior race. Kalthu had given up the throne and was not in the line of succession. He was a warrior and if his death could help save the life of the next Overlord, it was the logical thing to do.
"It was the right thing to do. I could not just sit around not doing anything when the little one is dying." The Warlord shrugged.
"Did you find it? The 'water of eternal life'?"
"No. I did not. I could not find it." Kalthu sighed heavily shoulders sagging, "And I still do not know what it is."
"Maybe we can help ... the others are still there. They can search for it," said Valentine. "I'm pretty sure they will figure it out and find it. They are smart."
Lazarus nodded. "We will send out feelers. The girls can search the human realm while we cover here."
"If your friends find it," interjected the Overlord, "how will they bring it here? Will they come here again like when they fought Mallarg?"
Jarrakg perked up at his station behind Kalthu's chair. Was Kirana coming here? The awesome fierce lady warrior? The orcs guarding the chambers exchanged knowing looks and shared a moment of humour at their second in command's expense. Jarrakg was smitten with the human Barbarian.
"Not necessarily. If they find it, I can either buy it or trade them for it," explained Lazarus.
Kalthu scratched his chin with a thick finger. "You can do that? And the 'water of eternal life' will be here, with you?"
"Yes," Lazarus confirmed nodding. "Once it is in my Inventory, I will be able to access it."
The Overlord looked sceptical. What the pale human said was not logical. How could someone trade or buy something from someone in another place and have access to it here? "Are you certain, dark one?"
Lazarus looked directly into the Overlord's eyes. "Yes, My Lord. I swear upon my life."
"Hahaha, thats funny. You mean what's left of your life," Kasakh corrected blithely.
Constantine and Valentine winced as Thalasis hissed at the young green orc's tactlessness. The Overlord glared at Sharak's spawn wondering if her remark would start a war right there. Any normal hot blooded orc would have attacked before she could finish her sentence. Jarrakg had tensed, his hand reached for the pommel of his battle axe. He glanced at the Warlord for instructions, one word and he would kill the offending girl in one stroke.
Amazingly, the human Assassin only shrugged ruefully. "Unfortunately, she is right."
Kalthu grimaced "Please forgive Kasakh, she is young yet and obviously does not know when not to speak." He threw her a meaningful look.
"What did I say?"
Valentine rolled his eyes at the green orc's naiveté.
"No harm done," the Assassin said then his silver eyes widened as he remembered something. "Holy Seer ..."
"Yesss dark one?"
"You mentioned the Witch earlier."
Thalasis gazed unblinkingly at the Assassin waiting for the inevitable question. Ahhh, here it comes, she thought. He had not forgotten.
"You said you had spoken to her, that there is a way," he stopped, almost afraid to continue in case she denied what she had said earlier or that he had misinterpreted her statement. She stared directly at Lazarus, if he needed to know, he had to ask. If he did not, her recently modified algorithm would not permit her to give him the next lead. Hopefully he would hit the trigger words.
"A ... a way to overcome the nauk dzi vras?" he finished off uncertainly, hoping against hope that she would give him a straight answer.
Unknown to his friends, the Assassin's maximum health had dropped to 20 per cent after the fight. He was almost out of time. He had advanced to Stage Five.
"Please."
Thalasis' slitted eyes glittered as she studied him. The foul darkness emanating from him had grown much stronger. It was almost tangible to the likes of her. At last she spoke. "Yesss, dark one," she said in a soothing voice, "I did sspeak with the Witch and yesss, there isss a way of overcoming the nauk dzi vrasss."
"There is a way?!!" The Overlord stood up angrily, towering above everyone. "Why did you not say so before! We could have saved the jaav ukon without all this useless worrying. Thalasis!! Explain! Why did you not tell me!!"
The Holy Seer immediately pushed herself away from the table and dropped to her knees. "My Lord!! I apologisse for not telling you but it isss not a way to ssave the little one."
"But you just said there is a way to overcome the poison." His beady eyes narrowed and he asked in a dangerous voice. "Explain!!"
"My Lord," she glanced guiltily at Lazarus, "I know the Witch becausse ssshe is my kind. Sshe is an outcassst, one who practicesss artsss forbidden to our people. Ssshe is powerful and wilful. Sshe isss nor to be trussted."
Everyone in the chamber had all frozen listening to her explanation.
"Once ssshe had sssold Mallarg the Illaru bladesss, even he could not find her again. No one can find her sshould ssshe not want to be found. I only did becaussse I took a chance to ssseek her on the nether plane. I wasss lucky, very lucky."
"It isss true that there is no cure for the nauk dzi vrasss," she swallowed and lowered her gaze for a moment wondering if she should continue speaking. She knew instinctively that her next sentence would probably send the stubborn humans on a doomed quest. They would all die. Then again, they might be stronger than they looked and the dark on did say the trigger word. Thalasis' forked tongue flickered out nervously, she would leave it to fate. Resolutely she lifted her head. "There is only one way to overcome the deadly poison that is with the Bello's anazzosh."
Valentine made a satisfied sound, folded his arms and leaned back into his chair smiling. He knew it! There was a way! There always was with MMORPGs or the quest would be moot. "Well then, why don't we just go get it and give it to the Laz and the jaav ukon, whatever it is?"
"Becaussse," Talasis said grimly, "there isss a high rissk that the anazzosh will mossst likely dessstroy the hossst along with the nauk dzi vrasss."