TOS - Vol 3, Pt 1, Ch 3

The Overlord Saga

Vol III. The Armageddon Prophecy

Chapter 3: The Order of Magic

The Order of Magic (OoM) was the foundation that led the supernatural realm that technically existed along the side of normal Earth. Some people mistook them for the Ministry of Magic, much to the OoM’s annoyance, as they would often have to correct people via directing them to London, where the MINISTRY of Magic was located. The Order of Magic had been founded by Merlin, some said. Others said it was founded before even Merlin was around, by Circe or Hecate. Few rumors stated that a person named Gwydion was also a founding member. And them, a select few said the Oz made the Order. Either way, the Order had been around for centuries- long before the Overlord had even been born. No one was quite certain who ruled the Order, but there was a definite executive branch. Alongside that fact, the duties of the Order were also clearly defined, yet mysterious. They checked for signs of Inconcessus Ars- the Forbidden Arts- that much was known. They also regulated magic practicing, offering schools to those who wanted to harness magic power, but also having the ability to take it away from those who proved dangerous.

In other words, they were an unwanted party within the Second Realm, where everything was morally up in the air. Clear factions had been established in the Between, particularly the Underling Army, the Insurgents, the Lost Souls supposedly to the north, then the rogues that wandered the spans of the Second Realm. The Overlord knew in her heart that there was no room for the Order, especially with their pushy attitude. She assumed they had already checked the Insurgents for dark magic, though with the Insurgent Leader’s hero status, the Overlord severely doubted he had been busted. His affiliation to the darkness was strong, no doubt inherited from the Uberlord. However, the Overlord knew he was very skilled at hiding it- it held no physical grasp over him any longer.

She watched the two robed figures approach the Fortress, their staves stabbing the cracked red dirt. Briefly, she wondered if she should have phoned the Twin to see if the Order had pestered her yet. Rubbing her shoulder, the Overlord ignored the pain in her back, writing it off to be that she’d continuously been sleeping on it wrong. Brushing her bangs into her eyes, she glanced at the wooden doors, mentally preparing herself for anything the Order of Magic could throw at her. She had enough on her plate- she didn’t need a bunch of self-righteous mages nagging her.

---


The Order had sent the best of the best. Standing in front, the leading companion had her hood drawn, black decorated with golden trimming, weaving intricate designs on the robe. Low-cut, it was quite revealing, though only in the front. Her glasses were tortoiseshelled and thick, framing her eyes perfectly. Her thick, dark hair fell slightly past the shoulders, peering out from the shadows of her hood. The staff she clasped was metallic, a secondary bar extending from its side, weaving around to reveal a dragon-like pattern at the end, its claws clutching an orb at the staff’s head. She was of a high rank, as most could tell- a Siren among mortals and warlocks.

Behind her, her apprentice- robed in red with golden lining, though her robes not nearly as complicated in design. Her staff was wooden, though sturdy and firm. It was a reddish-brown in tone, smoothed over in absolute perfection with lighter tones wrapping around it, vinelike patterns evident on its shaft. Her hair, light brown, ruffled down to her shoulders as well, moving as elegantly as she could in her high heels. The Siren’s Acolyte, she was expected to observe and watch her mentor at work, eager to be within the Fortress on her first real job for the Order.

“STOP!” a loud, booming voice demanded from the walltop. The Siren and Acolyte did so, both staring up at the guard house atop the wall. “What... Is your name?”

“I am the Siren of the Order. I was scheduled to arrive here and inspect the Fortress for Inconcessus Ars, by the decree of the Order of Magic itself!” the Siren held up an official-looking document, signed with some ridiculous, illegible signature.

There was a crackle on the microphone, and suddenly, the booming voice did not respond to the Siren. “Prussia, I told you, you’re not in charge of guard duty! That’s my job!” another voice could be heard within the guard house, causing a brief exchange of looks between the Siren and the Acolyte.

“Russia! I thought you were on lunch break!?” the first voice sounded less intimidating than before.

“Stop playing with the voice changing device!” a third voice, “Crap... Prussia, you’re about to break it!”

“CHINA!”

“Russia, watch where you’re swinging your leadpipe around!”

“Uh... Hey...?” the Acolyte called tentatively, awkwardly looking at the guard house. A series of heads popped out- Prussia, China, and Russia consecutively. The Acolyte tried to hide her amusement and confusion at the three guards, rubbing her nose with a hand and glancing at the ground in an attempt to stifle a laugh.

“We’ll let you in!” China called, waving at them. All three Underlings disappeared, and the doors into the Fortress began to creak open. The Siren began to march forward, metallic staff in hand. The Acolyte followed, crimson robe swirling around her as she moved.

“Do you remember what to look for?” the Siren murmured to her apprentice without even the slightest turn of the head. Her gaze swept across the gardens, to the statues of dragons and gryphons that posed elegantly amidst the roses and flowers. A glance was given to a mermaid statue in the heart of a fountain.

“Yes,” the Acolyte responded with a nod of her head.

“Good,” the Siren nodded curtly and began up the steps, not even glancing at Brainsucker and TCUE as they stood, at the ready, on either side of the door, their black armor glinting in the red sunlight.

---


The Overlord rose as the two entered her office, scythe hanging on the mantle next to the fireplace. Her green and blue eye quickly analyzed the two OoM members, categorizing them as she deemed appropriate. The black-garbed one was clearly a high ranking member of the Order, the red-dressed one being her assistant. After a glance at their staves, the Overlord immediately knew several things- they were more than just decent at magic and the Order had equipped them for battle. So did they expect me to retaliate or resist? the Overlord wondered, the notion making her uneasy.

Act natural, the Theurgist remarked.

Should I really be taking advice from a dead guy? the Overlord snapped back, forcing a very fake, very unnecessary, yet polite smile. “Welcome to the Fortress. I hope you had no trouble getting here?” She cast a glance at where the Soul-Keeper let him in, discreetly gesturing for him to leave. There was a chance he could ruin her plans, though no one knew that she had cast dark magic before. The Soul-Keeper was a constantly liability, she reminded herself. She couldn’t afford to make enemies with the OoM.

“No, it was quite pleasant,” the Siren replied evenly. The Overlord had a feeling that she was very much into her business. Lowering her hood, the Siren stared at the Overlord, as if trying to look past the veil of dark brown bangs. The Overlord gestured for the two OoM members to sit down next to the fireplace, allowing Nard to sit in her armchair at her desk. He looked over the papers with a bright pink, yet dry tongue sticking out. The Siren sat down politely, the Acolyte next to her and the Overlord on the other side. As the Overlord began to pour iced tea, the Siren spoke, “As you are aware of I’m sure, the Order has moved to the Between in hopes of further mediating magic. We were hoping for your cooperation in inspecting every mage within your ranks. Is that plausible?”

“You’d be checking the majority of my soldiers, Madame Mage,” the Overlord said reasonably, “You see, most of them have learned a thing or two in the magic arts. It’d be fairly difficult and lengthy to-”

“The Order has reason to think that this is necessary,” the Siren responded flatly, “It’s not a matter of time or lengthy-ness at all. I need for you to assemble your magicians for an inspection. For too long, the denizens of the Between has gone unchecked with their usage of magic. I’ll decide whether or not I should approve of this Underling business based upon the quality of your mages.”

“Meaning...?” the Overlord asked, eyes narrowing.

“We could easily revoke your right to be here. To even operate here,” the Acolyte slid a series of papers in front of the Overlord, her legs crossed in a very ladylike fashion.

Teeth gritted, the Overlord glanced down at the papers, the dismay evident in her eyes. With a resentful, yet submitting expression, the Overlord placed two fingers on the papers, then slid them back, “I’ll line my magicians up for you.” Why are you complying when you could kill them? the Theurgist argued. In response, the Overlord jabbed back, None of my Underlings perform dark magic. They’ll be fine. I just wanted the Order out of my hair sooner than this. There’s no way they’ll know that I’ve done anything.

But still... Why comply?

The Order could destroy us if they wanted to. That’s why. I won’t throw my life away because I’m scared of something that won’t happen.

Eh. Your call. What about Sexist?

What ABOUT Sexist?

He still bears the eyes of the Cursed. Remember? They kind of... Glow.

Oh shit!

“I will assemble them if you will give me time to,” the Overlord inclined her head, rising to her feet. “We can do the assessments here, in my office. I’ll have the Soul-Keeper and Ninja-Lord gather them. I will go give them orders...” Without further comment, the Overlord vanished down the stairs, shutting the door to her office behind her. Glancing at the Soul-Keeper, she grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him in close, “Fetch every magic-using Underling we have and tell them to line up to my office. It’s imperative.”

“What does ‘imperative’ mean?” the Soul-Keeper asked in confusion.

“Really freaking important.”

“Got it!” With a jiggle of his hips, the Soul-Keeper disappeared with a ‘poof’, leaving behind traces of unidentifiable, uncertain white smoke. The Overlord distanced herself from it immediately, then began down the stairs, her eyes flitting about the corridors as she moved. Grabbing the Ninja-Lord by the arm as she attempted to bite into a bagel, the Overlord pulled her off to the side, dragging her down the hall.

“I was eating...” the Ninja-Lord pouted, shooting the Overlord a displeased expression.

“Gather the Overling Army- errr... the ones that do magic. Leave the Captain and the Lieutenant, obviously, they’re both rather preoccupied with recovering,” the Overlord ordered, her response a muffled “Why” from the Ninja-Lord. “Because the Order of Magic wants to inspect everyone doing magic. They’re looking for black mages, I guess.”

“That’s stupid,” the Ninja-Lord retorted after swallowing her first bite. She began to take a second when a spontaneous snow leopard kitten toddled by, warranting the stares of both the Ninja-Lord and the Overlord. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” the Overlord watched the kitten go, then looked back at her third-in-command, “Just do what I say. Okay?”

“It’s still stupid...” the Ninja-Lord grumbled, tossing a smoke bomb into the air, then vanishing. The Overlord was left, coughing uncontrollably. As she bent over the rail, she looked down at the Underlings passing by, eyes watering from the smoke.

I hate it when she does that, the Overlord thought moodily to the Theurgist.

She’s been acting odd.

Eh....

Really odd. I think she’s hiding something from you. Keeps wanting to be alone. Or she’s been moody.

Maybe she’s on her period?

Her, too?!

... I.... I don’t even have any sort of come back for that.

The Theurgist was clearly pleased with himself, and the Overlord rolled her eyes, hopping over the railing and landing on the group, frantically looking up and down the crowds of Underlings. Pushing past Fabio and the Pet, the Overlord glanced over at the Lounge, wondering if Sexist was located in there. Slipping into the cafe setting, the Overlord tried to ignore the fact that everyone was staring at her. It was really hard to not feel uncomfortable, and she slowly began feeling her cheeks flush a deep red. But she kept moving, scouring the booths and tables for the blonde Underling. She found him at the bar, back turned from her with a cup of some dark soda in his hand. He was between the Apprentice and Kunoichi. Shinobi and Llama were also present, sharpening their knives on the bar. Fish glanced back at the Overlord, blowing a tuft of brown hair from his eyes.

“Sexist,” her voice cracked worse than a boy going through puberty. So she tried again, “Hey. YOU!” Much better. Intimidation and wrath lining her voice, the Overlord glared at Sexist as he turned, cocking a blonde eyebrow at her. There was equal resentment- his bright blue eyes hitting her only visible eye with as much curiosity as vengeance. He didn’t say anything- he just waited. The Overlord cast her glance away, shifting her hip in the ‘angry mom’ position, and thrusting her arms into a rather pissed off fold, “I need you to come with me. Apprentice, you should be heading upstairs, same with you, Fish. The Order of Magic needs to talk to you.”

“Pft. I’m the freaking Apprentice. I do what I-” the Apprentice began.

“Just go,” the Overlord’s patience was wearing thin, and Fish understood this. He beckoned the Apprentice to follow him, saluting the others in silence. The Overlord turned and looked back at Sexist, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

“Where?” Sexist inquired, voice devoid of any sort of emotion. The Overlord was trying to figure out what exactly his expression was- it was a tie between being pissed and calculating. Was he trying to figure her out? She evaded his glowing gaze tactfully.

“We’re going on a... field trip,” the Overlord responded evenly, trying to keep her voice like his- nulled of feeling. “We’ll be back soon.”

“Okay...” He rose from his chair, bangs falling in his eyes. The Overlord wasted no time, grabbing his arm, then vanishing from the Lounge in a beam of light. Blinded temporarily, she gripped Sexist’s arm tightly, allowing her nails to dig into his skin. As her sight began to filter back, he jerked his arm away, shooting her an annoyed look. Scoffing, the Overlord kicked at some leaves, glancing at the pool of water before her. Sexist recognized the setting as well, turning and looking down the gorge as he took in a deep breath. “Why here?”

“The Overlord’s Sanctum. You’ll be... Safe... here,” the Overlord didn’t sound very warm, though honestly didn’t want to lose the Underling to the Order. Though she hated to admit it, he was a very good fighter, and she knew she needed a water magician around. “Don’t come back until I come for you.” She began to warp again when she caught his glowing, smoldering gaze.

“Why did you bring me here?” Sexist asked, voice low and commanding.

“The Order of Magic is seeking out dark mages. To arrest, no doubt. You carry traces of dark magic. Could have you arrested. So, I pulled you from the inspection process. It’s for your own good,” the Overlord looked down in the waters, staring at the reflection that gazed back at her, pulling her bangs back with a finger to look at her blue eye. She made sure she had her back to Sexist, not wanting him to see.

“You’re doing something for my own good?” Sexist sounded surprised, though his voice was covered in sarcasm and cynicism.

“Not the first time I’ve ever done something good for you,” the Overlord remarked grudgingly. You two are so pleasant and kind to each other, the Theurgist laughed. She turned to face Sexist, bangs covering her right eye once more. “Though... YOU could never say the same in return.” Words icy and cold, the Overlord disappeared in a second beam of light, boots lightly thudding against the stone floor of the sickbay back at the Fortress. Her vision cleared up to reveal that she had landed in the same room as the Lieutenant, who was awake and talking with the Animal Tamer.

“So I heard you wanted a shoulder monkey...” the Animal Tamer was saying, extending her arms out as she held a capuchin in front of the Lieutenant, who was attempting to stifle laughter, “I don’t really know what kind of monkey you had in mind... But I thought I’d give you this one as a ‘get well’ gift!”

“Thank you,” the Lieutenant laughed, taking the monkey into his large hands and studying it. It stared at him, blinking a few times before it began to squirm, trying to run away. “I... Don’t quite know what to say, Animal Tamer...”

“You’re welcome!” the Animal Tamer beamed, “Hey, Overlord!”

“Just checking on my favorite Lieutenant!” the Overlord nodded to the Animal Tamer, then maneuvered around the side of the bed, gazing at the Lieutenant’s bandaged side. “How ya feelin’?”

“The Evocator said I’d be out tomorrow. She’s been healing me all afternoon,” the Lieutenant shrugged, then winced, “Might be tough hauling a bazooka, but I’ll manage. She said that the Captain went into some rage and is in the room down the hall...” His expression darkened, “Is it true he hasn’t woken up?”

“Don’t freak out...” the Overlord began slowly, but she knew the Lieutenant wouldn’t listen. As he struggled to get up, the Overlord poked him in the chest, prodding him back down into the bed, “Now listen! I’m going over there to check on him now and see what’s up. Corporal Woodson should be down in a second to give you some noms, gotcha?”

“I don’t care! I need to see him!” the Lieutenant began to stand up, but the Overlord pushed him back down roughly.

“As your Overlord, I’m telling you to sit down and rest. I’ll need you soon, so you can’t go getting yourself even more screwed up, mmkay?” the Overlord glared at the Lieutenant, “Don’t make me call the Twin in.” She added over her shoulder as she walked over to the door. “You know I will... Don’t forget who’s older!”

“If I wasn’t hurt right now... I could so pick you up and toss you to the other side of the mountains...” the Lieutenant grumbled, arms folded crossly and lip stuck out stubbornly. The Overlord merely flashed him a grin, waved, then slipped out into the hall, trotting down the corridor and into the Captain’s room. She was not surprised to find that he was still unconscious, though, knew he would have to awaken soon.

She glanced at the Captain, poking him with a finger before listening for a moan or groan. “You know...” The Overlord murmured, “You ought to wake up soon. Your Lieutenant is quite concerned about you...” She pulled back his shirt to reveal the wound she had inflicted, wincing as she did so. Putting the shirt back, the Overlord cast her gaze towards the door, voice dropping low, “As am I. Why didn’t you tell me you had Saevio all along?” Her tone transformed into one of bitter- regret stinging her words as she continued, “Come on. Wake up, Captain.” He groaned, and the Overlord’s head snapped towards him, hands grabbing either sides of the bed. “I SAID TO WAKE UP!”

“There’s no need to scream...” the Captain mumbled, eyes opening. He started as he stared at her, his sudden awakening causing the Overlord to draw back. The Captain took in a few breaths, muttering, “Why does my chest hurt?”


“Because you got hit. Hard,” the Overlord remarked, arms folded, “You’ve got some explaining to do...!”

“Not happy to see that I’m awake?” the Captain asked with a bit of a chuckle.

Hip jutted out to the side, the Overlord folded her arms, then remarked, “I sort of want to kill you for scaring me like that.” She tried to look as serious as she could, but couldn’t muster the scowl. Smiling at him, she shook her head, then sighed, “But really... You had me worried. I didn’t know you were inflicted with Saevio... And then you were going all ‘MERRRRR’ on people... And...” the Overlord took in a deep breath, “ IthoughtIwasgoingtohavetokillyou. But it’s okay. Because I didn’t. And you passed out before too long...”

“I’m glad you didn’t kill me,” the Captain stammered, “I’m... I’m sorry... I haven’t done that in a long time. I mean... I thought it left. And it wasn’t going to happen again...”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” the Overlord asked, glancing up at him with her arms still folded.

“Why would I? Most people don’t think that sort of thing is... Well... Morally good,” the Captain remarked awkwardly, “I didn’t even know that you knew about it, Overlord. Honestly... I didn’t.”

“I know more than you’d think!” the Overlord said huffily, though smirked behind her draped bangs, “I suppose I haven’t exactly been honest about my powers, either.” It’s funny because it’s kind of ironic? the Theurgist inquired. Hush! the Overlord scolded gently, then added, “I went into my first rage when I was around fourteen. That’s when I found out...”

“You, too?” the Captain asked, eyes lighting up in shock and curiosity. The Overlord’s head merely bobbed up and down, a grim expression on her face. Staring at her, the Captain tilted his head to the side, stroking his goattee with a hand, “... I can see it, I guess...”

“Have you learned to harness it?” the Overlord asked lightly, as though asking about the weather.

“Harness... it?” the Captain raised his eyebrows.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’,” the Overlord laughed, “I’ll teach you. Once you’re better. There’s ways to calm yourself down before you lose it. And there’s ways to incite it. It took me awhile. But once you get it down, it’s pretty much out of your life unless you want to use it.”

“I’d like that...” the Captain nodded, “Please.”

“As long as you don’t do what you did at the Great Wall of China. ‘Cause... Man, I thought you were going to kill me,” the Overlord laughed, clasping the metal bar at the end of the bed, “I’ll tell the Evocator that you’re up. She’ll want to check up on your wounds.” She bid the Captain farewell, then slipped out into the hall, departing from the sickbay in a few quick strides.

After she cleared the sickbay, the Overlord cast a glance to the left and the right before proceeding forward, moving towards the stairs and looking up at the long line of mages getting ready to be inspected by the Acolyte and Siren. There’s always something... She sighed, then ran a hand through her hair, careful not to expose her right eye. Once the Order members leave... Things will calm down. I’ll get a nice vacation. Hawaii sounds nice. Maybe Hawaii... she smirked, agreeing whole-heartedly with this concept of ‘vacation’ and sensing the Theurgist’s agreement as well. Hawaii it is.

TOS - Vol 3, Pt 1, Ch 2

The Overlord Saga

Vol III. The Armageddon Prophecy

Chapter 2: The Rift

There was a lot of explaining to do. After the Overlord had managed to get the Captain back into the Fortress, she had requested that the cadet that found the wounded Lieutenant be brought to her office immediately. By noon, the cadet had yet to report to the office, though the Overlord didn’t particularly care at the moment. Her time was being wasted by a flurry of reports coming in from the Advisor.

It had been almost six months since the battle with the Nemesis had occurred, and since she had been bonded with the Theurgist. During this time, her methods of disguising her now blue eye had gotten more and more interesting- though, she’d ultimately settled on some very stereotypical bangs that concealed the right side of her face. Though her appearance was far more rugged than before, the Fortress had been repaired nicely, with additions such as the Sandwich Teleportation device (an invention made by Fish and the Scribe) that was frequently used to send people sandwiches (on the basis of ‘candy is sooooo last century’). The swimming pool had been lengthened to help fit Bill II the Kraken (oddly enough, after the Fortress had been taken by DIB, the original Bill had gone missing... though, the Overlord had found some nice sushi and calamari in her personal fridge.......). There was a new, improved training ground that was modeled after the training hollow in Tamashii (designed specifically for the Ninja Team). A library had also been added, along with a Librarian, who kept the Fortress’ lore and most of its knowledge.

More members had been added into the Underling Army, specifically a group of footsoldiers that tended to hang around with each other. They were young, slightly obnoxious, but the Overlord figured it was due to their newness and youthful attitude- everyone was stupid at some point in their life, right? Especially when they were young. Underling Germany had been added at some point, usually preferring the other ‘country Underlings’. The Grasshopper had picked up another female Underling that ended up going by the name of Balls (unfortunate indeed). Other additions included the flamboyant Ke$ha (who was male, mind you), Underling TCUE (his full name was too long for even the author to remember), Brainsucker, Sun-Child, and a very thin Underling that had been appropriately named Skinny. Though they were still amidst the trainees, the Overlord was quite proud of her collection thus far.

After the war against the Nemesis, the Corporal had decided to stay as one of the Captain’s Zombie Headhunters. Of course, this meant that the Sorceress and the Swordmaster stayed- the Sorceress helping the Evocator with magical defense and offense in the Fortress, while the Swordmaster was reluctantly let onto the Ninja Team by the Ninja-Lord (though, he seemed to work more independently than the others). Venice and the Scholar had departed for Fort Effort, along with the Twin and Centurion Ifill (who had been granted the new title of the Horsemaster by her older sister, and given official duties over Fort Effort’s cavalry). The Witch had gone with Jamie in order to go treasure hunting- and the last time the Overlord had heard, they were somewhere in the Caribbean. The Maverick had vanished almost immediately after the battle, leaving behind no trace (not that the Overlord was surprised). The Wises went back to their cave in the eastern mountains, where they belonged, and the DIB members had mostly disbanded. Blondie had ended up a footsoldier in the Insurgents again, much to his dismay and disgracing his name. The Rebel Commander had joined as the demolitions expert, rivaling the Lieutenant and the Captain as always. Pharisee had vanished into thin air, though a rumor had begun where they said he had been captured by someone else and was being held prisoner for an indefinite amount of time. Jester continued his raids every now and then, though the Overlord was certain to send her Ninja Team on him whenever he came within ten miles of the Fortress.

She knew the Insurgents had grown as well as her army had, though the tales all spoke of a new female Insurgent (which was enough to make heads turn) that went by the name of Foreigner. As the Overlord heard it, she was quite interested in challenging her for power.

Puzzling enough, the Insurgents had been quite belligerent the past few months, though McCoy had not been seen for a gap of time. Her sources had told her that McCoy had, first, been killed by some ravenous beast, though later reports stated he was only ill after a battle that had gone awry. Nothing about his condition had been released, though his appearance at the Roman battle made the Overlord scratch her chin. If anything, he seemed normal. Perhaps he had made a full recovery? She honestly felt bad for actually being relieved, but supposed that was the old ANF general in her talking. Now she was the Overlord- now she had to resume her evil duties.

The SVC had almost revoked her membership after her downfall at the Nemesis’ hands. It took many lawyers and a darn good case to stay in, but the Overlord had pulled it off... Along with a bit of blackmail that made some of the older members quite wary of the Overlord’s Army in the recent days. A new SVC building had begun construction in the Between, somewhere in the north along with the rest of civilization. Though the Overlord ruled the south, she was becoming increasingly aware of more denizens of the Between that had snuck past her sentries in the far north, particularly a rumored city of trapped souls and mortals called the City of Lost Souls. Due to their fears of being brought into the Overlord’s wars, they had, however, barred themselves and their buildings from magic or from being found easily. This presented a problem to the Overlord, who, say, actually thought that having an entire metropolis in her palm was a decent exploit.

More organizations had moved to the Between, specifically the Order of Magic, which had been monitoring the magic properties and usage for the past millennia. The Overlord was not overly fond of this, as it added more goodie-too-shoes into her life, but tolerated them. Their new-made prison, however, had caused a few heads to turn in their direction, in the good AND in the bad way. As it was rumored, the prison/psych ward was supposed to be the institution for powerful sorcerers who did not handle their magic with the care that was necessary. Though it was a prison of sorts, it went by the rather peaceful, and compliant name of Cypress Row. There were certain rumors that circulated about the psych ward’s inmates- rumors that the Overlord was not sure she truly wanted to know the truth behind.

“... Are you even paying attention?” the Advisor snapped the Overlord from her thoughts, arms folded and a nasty glare shot in her direction, “We have a list of people who have begged for an audience with you. Will you see them or not?”

“Send them in,” the Overlord responded, adjusting the way she was sitting in her chair and gazing at the first group as they entered. A boy with spiky brown hair entered, followed by some white duck in a blue mage’s outfit, and a floppy-eared, silly looking dog with a shield. The Overlord blinked, but remained silent- she’d seen weirder.

“Uhhh... hi,” the boy stared at her, blue eyes full of innocent confidence. The Overlord stifled a pitying snort. “Uhhh I was just wondering if you could let us look around. See... I’m kind of looking for this keyhole, and...”

“You want me to let you snoop around my castle?” the Overlord said incredulously. “I think not! Soul-Keeper, escort this trio out of my sight!” She snapped her fingers at the nearby, robed second-in-command, who grabbed the brown-haired boy’s arm and began to drag him out of the room. The Overlord glanced at the Advisor, huffing a sigh and folding her arms. “Next!”

A teenager with a shaved head (despite a large black ponytail of hair) and a nasty burn on his face entered next, a rather portly old man following him. “Prince Zuko, I don’t think this is a very good-” The elderly man was cut off by his partner’s brash statement.

“Have you seen the Avatar?” He held up a photo of some drawing, depicting a bald child with a giant arrow on his head. The Overlord’s eyes flicked from the prince to the picture and she merely collapsed back in her chair, facepalming all the while.

“It’s time for you to go,” the Advisor urged them out, the duo leaving even quicker than they had entered. Casting a glance back at the exasperated Overlord, the Advisor offered a meek smile, shrugging her shoulders. “Perhaps... the underling news?” The Overlord grumbled something incoherent, so the Advisor continued, standing before the Overlord’s desk firmly.

“Here’s a list of potential recruits. I had the Ninja-Lord do some scouting on her down time,” the Advisor slid a stack of papers on the Overlord’s desk, which warranted merely a glance before the Overlord shot her a frustrated look. The Advisor’s expression only turned cross at her temperamental leader.

The Overlord flipped through the papers, almost in disinterest, “We’ve had a decent enough soul haul. It’s been good that Gabriel waved the rent after we set him free from DIB’s prison.” She selected a particular biography of a Hispanic man, turning the page so that the Advisor could see it, “Is this a joke? Look at him. He’s in POVERTY! Why would I WANT him? He has no fighting experience whatsoever. And he’s not a genius. He has the IQ of a... Of a rock.”

“Actually... You have to take him,” the Advisor scratched the back of her neck.

“Oh?” the Overlord quirked an eyebrow, attempting to keep relatively calm.

“See, the public is getting upset that the majority of your Underlings are uhm... Caucasian from the middle to upper class...” the Advisor stammered uncertainly.

“So they’re dictating who is in MY army? What PUBLIC is this? I crush publics before afternoon tea,” the Overlord stood up from her chair, moving the papers away, “I don’t accept. Not in the slightest!”

“Overlord, you have to show your sensitivity to minors and their hard working-” the Advisor tried.

“This is stupid,” the Overlord concluded, plopping back down. “And I won’t listen to any more of it. Wrap up the reports, I’ve a bit more I need to do before dinner.”

“The Order of Magic has sent word that they are in need of investigating our Fortress for hidden traces of Inconcessus Ars. I told them it was unnecessary, but allowed them to send two representatives. They’ll arrive in the morning,” the Advisor informed her, “That is... Fine, right?”

The Overlord recoiled slightly, shifting her weight, and curling her fingers into a small, loose fist in thought. Traces? Hidden traces? No... No traces here. None that I haven’t gotten rid of... She responded with a nod, ignoring the Theurgist’s sinister chuckle within the depths of her mind. “It’s fine,” she stated calmly, crossing her ankles beneath the desk. So... You’re hoping they don’t inspect the Captain... Right? the Theurgist cackled. Could be problematic...

Could be. I won’t let it bother me. I gave my story to the others once I got here- I had to pull a knife on him or he’d have shot me.

And how many do you think actually believed that?

All of them. Because most of them don’t know what Inconcessus Ars is... other than it is bad.

So the Order is going to chain you up if they find out... Right?

Chains would be the least of my worries. You can break chains.

But what can’t you break?

The Overlord didn’t reply. Instead, she continued listening to the Advisor’s report, “The Sorceress is watching the Captain. She says he’ll be unconscious for a day or so longer. You must’ve really hit him hard, I guess. The Lieutenant is fine and awake. He’s in the sickbay, first floor. I’m sure you’d want to talk to him.” When she nodded her head, the Advisor smiled, then added, “Also... The Ninja-Lord said she found something while she was out scouting. She wouldn’t tell me what, but it seemed urgent. I would talk to her as soon as possible, Overlord.”

“Thank you. You’re dismissed,” the Overlord waved a hand, watching the Advisor exit quietly before shutting the door. She stretched, rising from her chair and striding over to the mirror, one of her hands brushing back her dark brown bangs to reveal the blue right eye, unfamiliar and alien to her, still.

So... Explain to me again why you began turning to dark magic?

For the past month... I keep having these dreams. They’re different than others. Sort of like when the Nemesis was around still... But different. I know I’m going to need to get stronger if I’m to survive what is to come.

And what IS to come?

You’re the psychic. You tell me.

These dreams... I experience them as well. I see fire burning the world... Coupled with seas of blood. Though... Are you sure it’s not just the excessive playing of Dragon Age causing this?

“I’m certain...” the Overlord responded with a cool chuckle. Nothing ever stays this quiet in the Between. Maybe it’s the Order that will provoke me next- I don’t know. But the peace never lasts- surely you know that. She brushed her bangs back into place, letting them fall in front of her blue eye. “All of this isn’t out of paranoia, though, don’t get me wrong. It’s out of caution.” She added firmly, turning and walking towards the door.

I’m sure Dragon Age doesn’t help though.

Hush. It’s a strangely addictive game.

Reaching the stairs down to the second level, the Overlord found herself lost among the Underlings and Overlings, trying to find her way down to the kitchens. When she reached the staircase to the lower level, she passed Sexist by, purposefully looking away from him. His arm bumped into hers softly- accidentally, she was certain, but she still winced at his touch, recoiling as she did so. Neither of them muttered a word to each other- maintaining their icy relationship as best as they could. No glares, no stares- she couldn’t even look at him without a sudden reminder of the Nemesis. It made her feel queasy. Eagerly reaching the bottom of the stairs, the Overlord clapped TCUE on the back, smiling at him before passing the Animal Tamer and Fish, both beaming at each other.

Aw. How cute, she thought, a small, sinister gleam in her eyes shining as she looked at them both. Next came the Evocator, talking with Prussia, Russia, China, Belarus, Germany, Fabio, and the Animal Tamer’s Pet. She received and smile and a wave before being greeted by the Scribe, who eagerly clasped the Overlord’s hand, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you! I still haven’t finished my documentation of the War of Fire and Ice. I need your input and a few quotes to wrap it up!”

“Errr... Right... What about?” the Overlord asked uncertainly.

“Particularly... How you beat the Nemesis, as you made it quite unknown in your official statement to the SVC and the press,” the Scribe frowned, looking his notes over, “If you could come by my room at some point-”


“Will do,” the Overlord inclined her head, escaping in the crowd sneakily. Great... Need to come up with details? I can’t just explain... Ughhh. Alexi. This is all your fault!

My fault? How is this MY fault?

You heard him. He needs to know how I beat the Nemesis. People found me passed out in a pool of blood. HIS blood. They said that the body was so broken that his death seemed unnatural... they burned him though. Everything. Put his ashes in a cave not far from here....

So if you lied? Said you just went into Saevio and killed him in your rage? It explains everything. And what are they going to do? Piece his ashes together to see if your story’s accurate? They’ll never know...

So many lies...

But it’s all necessary.

The Overlord relented, a grimace crossing her features as she opened the door to enter the lounge, trying to pass through, unnoticed, to the kitchens. She tripped, however, grabbing a hold of the wall and glancing down at the ground to see what she’d tripped over. A small, purring snow leopard kitten stared up at her, tail flickering back and forth in anticipation. Confusion evident in the Overlord’s eyes, she chose merely not to ask, and continued about her way, almost making it to the kitchens when the Ninja-Lord appeared next to her in a puff of black smoke.

“There you are!” the Ninja-Lord exclaimed, grabbing a hold of her arm. The Overlord jerked back, startled. The Ninja-Lord’s metallic arm did not release her, however, “There’s something you need to see. I didn’t report it to the Advisor... But I must tell you now, there’s something going on in the Wasteland.”

“Explain...” the Overlord pried her arm away from the Ninja-Lord, maneuvering past to reach the kitchens. The Ninja-Lord stalked after her, lowering her voice to where it was somewhere between her normal voice a whisper.

“A giant... uh... rift... is dividing the Wasteland. Not a uhhh... Not a figurative one, either. An actual... Rift. It’s huge- over a mile wide and you can’t see the bottom, Overlord. It’s between our Fortress and the Insurgents’ camp.”

The news struck the Overlord as odd slightly irrelevant, but intriguing. Quirking an eyebrow at the Ninja-Lord, the Overlord allowed herself time to study her Overling’s face before coming to a conclusion. Thoughts swam in her head, until, finally, she began to break down several conclusions. The first was that, of course, the Insurgent Leader did it on purpose. Realizing it sounded very ‘older sisterly’ and childish, the Overlord dismissed it as the primary conclusion. She did understand that his intellect did not stretch so far as hers. The second conclusion was that she had accidentally done this, though she could not recall how accurate this was. She then assumed the Soul-Keeper had something to do with it, but then, considered that he had been merely out to New York recently to go watch the Phantom of the Opera. And then, she came to a final conclusion.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

“Do show me,” the Overlord rubbed her chin thoughtfully, “I’m curious.” The Ninja-Lord grabbed her arm once more and closed her eyes, throwing another smoke bomb onto the ground. The Overlord held her breath, eyes tightly shut as they warped out of the Fortress. As soon as she felt her boots hit solid ground, the Overlord opened her eyes, waving away smoke with her hand as she took a step forward. Black fog clearing away, the Overlord glanced immediately downward, drawing back at the sight of the soil merely vanishing from view at a certain point.

“We’re here,” the Ninja-Lord said with very fake enthusiasm. The Overlord tilted her head to the side, glancing the ravine from a sideways perspective before picking up a rock in her palm. Gazing across the rift, she noted that it was several miles long- much deeper than it was long. She dangled the rock out between two fingers, then dropped it suddenly, mentally counting the seconds as they went by. But no noise came. No thud. No landing. The Overlord frowned, staring down into the rift.

“It’s odd, isn’t it?” the Overlord observed, still frowning as she drew away from the edge. “I don’t suppose we can investigate it further?”

“Solid rock. Solid fall,” the Ninja-Lord responded, glancing at the Overlord from the corner of her eye, “I’d rather not risk it. Who knows what’s at the bottom of that thing? Could be something we don’t want to piss off.”

“I considered that,” the Overlord replied, “Though... It seems odd that it should appear so suddenly. If it grows... I’ll investigate it myself. I know a few who might be able to shed some light on this.”

“Hn,” the Ninja-Lord shrugged passively, turning to face the Overlord, “The Evocator wanted you to visit the Lieutenant when you returned. Said he was awake and asking for you.” The Overlord nodded silently, looking back at the distant Fortress. “I might stay awhile. Scout the area,” the Ninja-Lord added with a stern nod of her head.

“Be my guest,” the Overlord shrugged as well, then vanished.