Orc Wars 2 : Lazarus

Chapter 12 - Valentine's Orb Trial Part 3

Lazarus stood at the edge of the clearing. He was invisible to the naked eye having don on his invisibility cloak. Who knew the cloak he had bought from the mage Balthezar during the reality show would come in handy again. He also had on his Shadow Stealth Assassin gear he had obtained from completing a quest (Quest 10) during Season One. It boosted his Stealth, Perception and Skills. He needed all the help he could get. Unfortunately it did nothing for his Health.

The clearing had a perimeter the cursed man could not pass, a boundary much like those set in the Villages. It confined the NPCs to the game settings they were programmed to. Passing the unseen line triggered the clearing's occupant.

He had a plan. He hoped it worked.

The Assassin had caught a fairly large blue coloured wild fowl earlier and had brought it to this dissolute place.

"Shhh!!" he scolded the squawking fowl. "You will alert him."

"I hope he likes chicken or whatever you are."

He pulled up his hood becoming invisible and crossed the line into the Trial zone. He let the bird go.

"Okay, I'm counting on you bird. You know what to do. Shoo! Go do your thing."

It half flew half-hopped away from him, squawking and flapping it's blue wings making a ruckus. Lazarus took a few steps in the other direction, keeping to the inner edge of the invisible boundary.

The assassin crouched down and froze as the warrior came charging out. Without hesitation, he attacked the bird, killing it with one stroke of his black saber. The poor fowl died squawking, it didn't really have a chance. It was unarmed.

The warrior stood over the dead bird and poked it experimentally. He cocked his head, processing what had wandered into his prison. Ahh, it was something edible. He looked around making sure there were no more intruders. The assassin held his breath and hunched down even more, trusting his cloak to hide him. No, no one else had come to steal his treasure. He picked up his prize. He would eat today.

Lazarus waited until the gaunt fighter had disappeared into the hut. He followed, making his way quietly until he reached the ramshackle structure. He peeked in a window.

The small space was dark and dinghy. Clearly the warrior was not much of a housekeeper. There were cobwebs galore and every surface was thick with dust. His untidy narrow cot was in a corner, straw falling out the split seams of the thin dirty mattress. The only clean space was a small rickety table where the swordsman sat. He was cleaning his saber lovingly, wiping it down with a soft cloth. Then he honed it, stopping to test its edge after every other stroke. He went on like this for hours.

Lazarus bided his time. He had to be patient. Not all quests were completed by sheer power and brute strength. Not all quests required fighting.

Finally, the warrior sheathed his gleaming weapon and carried it over to the corner. He moved to the dead bird he had chucked in a corner and started plucking its feathers. Time to cook and eat. It had been so long since he had eaten a proper meal.

The smell of burning meat wafted out the hut. Lazarus shook his head and took a quick look. The cursed warrior was not much of a cook either. The guy had spaced out holding the saber. The bird was burning over the small fire. If he did not save it, it would soon become inedible, spoiling his plan. Lazarus picked up a small stone and flicked it expertly. The pebble hit the skewer and the bird fell into the flames startling the man.

The warrior moved fast then, setting down the weapon on the clean table to pick up the burnt fowl. The heat did not bother him. He sat on the dirt floor and started eating ravenously, tearing into the juicy meat with his teeth. He ate and swallowed mechanically, not tasting a thing. When he was done, he place the half eaten bird back over the dying coals. Wiping his greasy hands on his pants and mouth on his tattered sleeve, he turned to pick up the saber.