Heliodor sat back on a well worn armchair that had seen better days. His squat little shanty was filled with all sorts of strange spell ingredients, bubbling liquids and books. The one table in the room was a mess of scribbled on paper covered in runes, formula's and the feverishly scrawled notes of someone obsessed. The place was so crammed that there was nowhere for anyone else to sit so Sliver and Neen hovered in front of him. To make it even more unpleasant the whole place smelled of orc.
"What do we need to do to reverse the spell?" asked Neen.
"I am afraid to say my dear that there is no way to reverse the effects of a spell cast using that elixir. It is the most powerful magic ever created. Some say it came directly from the gods. A nanolitre has the power to cure disease, a single drop to raise the dead...permanently."
"So are you saying there is nothing we can do?"
"I am saying that you cannot undo the past. If you wish to stop the destruction of the living world as we know it we need to get the elixir back from Gravlok. While he still has it he has the power to raise the dead indefinitely. Even those you say you have killed could be reanimated at his whim."
"How is it that you know the name of this orc wizard?" asked Sliver suspiciously. "I worked for him for six months and I was never able to find out who he was."
"Let's just say we have a history."
"What type of history?" insisted Sliver.
"My current affliction is the result of experiments he conducted on me while I was his captive. In another life I used to be a pure blood elf and a very ambitious magic user. I was lured by Gravlok to learn the lost art of orcish magic. I planned to master this lost knowledge and to save it. Unfortunately I was to discover that his intentions were otherwise."
"None of this gets us closer to a solution," complained Neen.
"I've already told you what we need to do," snapped Heliodor. "We need to find Gravlok and get that elixir back. Then kill him and every last one of the undead and afflicted before their contagion spreads across the entire world."
"And how exactly are we going to do that? Any suggestions?" asked Neen.
"I believe it might be possible to predict where he will go next by consulting some of the ancient texts in the library of Adarna."
"Adarna is halfway across the country!" exclaimed Sliver.
"Distance is not a problem," replied Heliodor dismissively.
"Assuming we do actually find him, how do we stand a chance of defeating him when he can raise the dead at will?" asked Neen.
"With this," said Heliodor as he grabbed his staff, flipped it upside down and unscrewed the brass section at the bottom. From within the hollowed out section he produced a small thin black vial. "Inside this tiny bottle is a liquid called white light. It can only be extracted from the tears of a fallen angel who is willing to sacrifice their wings and become mortal. Needless to say it is extremely rare. I have done things to get even this tiny amount that I thought I would never be capable of. Even showing this to you I take a risk because there are many powerful people who would stop at nothing to get their hands on my little bottle here. It has the ability to elongate life, to heal and most critically to purge the undead of their tormented spirits, thus preventing them from being reanimated."
"That's nice, but how is that little bottle going to stop an army?" asked Sliver.
"White light does not work that way. We need to use it to bless something to convey its power. Pick a weapon each."
"Before I let you anywhere near my sword I want to know why you are helping us?" asked Sliver, his cynicism unsatisfied. "What's in this for you?"
"A good question. I would ask the same of you, but your intentions are clear to me. Revenge is a strong motivator all on its own. Wouldn't you agree Sliver?"
"Not enough to give up what you are offering."
"You are smarter than you look. You might be wondering why I have not used the white light to cure myself. The answer is; I have tried and it didn’t work. The only magic that I know of that has greater healing powers than white light is the fabled elixir of life. For the last few years I have been researching every scrap of information I can find about the elixir, no matter how minute or seemingly insignificant. Until today I was convinced that I was chasing a pipe dream, but now I believe the potion that Gravlok had you steal was exactly that," said Heliodor. He raised his clawed hands and stared at them like he wanted to cut them off. Then suddenly he slammed both fists down hard onto the armrests of his chair. The rage in his voice was raw and Neen rested both hands on her guns just to be safe. "For almost twenty years I have been stuck in this form, shunned by my brethren as an abomination! All this time the elders and the high council had the power to save me yet they chose instead to exile me and make me suffer for my ambitions! I would give anything for a chance to be cured!”
“Sounds to me like your help relies on us giving you the elixir at the end of all this,” said Sliver, ignoring the outburst.
“Yes it is, but not all of it, just one drop. That’s my price.”
“I don’t trust this guy at all Neen,” said Sliver switching to fairy instead of common tongue.
“When was the last time you were able to trust anyone Sliver? He is motivated and we need all the help we can get right now.”
“So do we have a deal or not?” asked Heliodor impatiently.
"Deal," said Neen.
"But if you even think of crossing us, magic staff or not I will put a bullet between your eyes," threatened Sliver.
"I assure you that the feeling is mutual. Now hand me your weapons and close your eyes."
Sliver was still hesitant and elbowed Neen to go first. She elbowed him back hard, but when he did not budge she relented and handed over one of her pistols. Heliodor slowly opened the little black bottle. As soon as he did a pure bright white light streamed out. It filled the room blinding them all.
Heliodor, with eyes squeezed shut, up ended the bottle so the light was shining down onto the gun. He spoke in elvish the words of an ancient blessing and then resealed the bottle. When Neen was able to open her eyes again she looked down in fascination at the afterglow surrounding her pistol.
When she touched it she felt suddenly comforted, happy and at peace. She smiled broadly, hugging the pistol close to her chest as she leapt up into the air and twirled around like a ballerina. The aura slowly faded and so did the sensation of pure joy. She stopped spinning and dropped back to the floor, looking sheepish. She turned to Sliver and shrugged.
"You think it's too late to repent?"
"Are you serious?" grumbled Sliver
"Relax, any peace and content you feel will be short lived. A soul as dark as yours little assassin cannot be saved by this tiny vial," retorted Heliodor.
Sliver finally handed over Tathra and Heliodor opened the bottle. The light seemed just a little less intense this time. Heliodor blessed the sword in the same fashion as Neen’s gun. When Sliver took back the sword he too was briefly carried away by the effects of the white light, much to his displeasure.
"What about you?" asked Neen, stifling laughter at the sight of Sliver's aerial happy dance.
"I shall have no trouble dealing with the undead if it comes to that," replied Heliodor confidently patting his staff.
"Let's get moving. We have a long way to travel!" snapped Sliver as he also returned to the floor and back to his normal demeanour.
"Yes, time is of the essence. Place your hands on mine."
"No way, I have had enough happy feelings shoved down my throat for one day thanks!" protested Sliver.
"He's not going to bless you Sliver. He's going to teleport us. Aren't you?" asked Neen a little excited and nervous at the same time as she placed her hands onto his claws.
"Yes. When you are held captive for as long as I was it makes your very observant. After a while Gravlok became complacent and I learned the secrets of teleporting. That is how I escaped in the end."
Sliver tentatively put out on
e hand while at the same time un-holstering one of the mini sub machine guns from his chest holster.
"Are you sure about this Ne..."
In a great flash of blue light all three of them were gone.