The Overlord Saga
Vol I. Past, Present, Future
Chapter 17: Uprising
The Twin had entered the Fortress still in the disguise of the Overlord. She walked through the main entrance and immediately felt the hair on the back of her neck raise. Grabbing her bow, she placed an arrow at the ready and crept down the hall, feeling very alarmed as her footsteps echoed in the abandoned corridor. She reached the old throne room, her heart racing as she looked over the abandoned chair. Something about the air reeked with the use of dark magic. The Twin shuddered, her paranoia getting the best of her. She hadn’t seen a dark magic user in ages.
“Overlord.”
The Twin spun around, firing the arrow at the shadowy figure as she did so. Jumping back, she loaded a second arrow, then released it, watching as it bounced away harmlessly with the flick of the enemy’s hand. Landing in a crouch, the Twin gritted her teeth together in frustration and anger, “You!” She yelled, “I knew it was you!”
“You’re not her,” the shadowy figure remarked almost carelessly, “Another underling? No... I recognize that bow from the fight. Years ago... Twin.”
“Uberlord. You won’t get away with this. Where’d you take the Theurgist and the Evocator?” the Twin demanded, loading another arrow.
The Uberlord folded his arms and shrugged, “They’re safer than you right now. I wouldn’t worry.” He laughed, then glanced about, “So, where’s the real one? No... Where’s the now so-called Insurgent Leader? I very much would like to speak with him as well as his pompous little playmate.”
“When you say playmate, it just sounds so wrong,” the Ninja-Lord said as she raced down the stairs, the Soul-Keeper’s Apprentice in tow. “Uberlord... I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Who’s that?” the Apprentice whispered, “I’ve never seen him before.”
“You think you three will be able to take me on?” the Uberlord laughed, “Ha! You’re wrong.” He lifted a large lance and slammed the butt of it against the ground, “It’s time to join your two friends... In the Dungeon!”
“Hey... HEY! That’s my home! You can’t just throw people in there!” the Apprentice argued.
“Watch me,” the Uberlord said in a very confident manner. The Twin fired an arrow, signaling the start of the fight. The Ninja-Lord drew her katana, urging the Apprentice to take up her staff. The Ninja-Lord ran at the Uberlord, slashing at him with her katana. He grabbed her by the collar and tossed her into the air. With the dull end of his lance, he struck her against the wall. The Ninja-Lord did a somersault and bounced off the wall, swinging her katana once more. The Twin pulled off the disguise (as it seemed very appropriate at the time for a random strip down into lighter clothes... but don’t get me wrong here, she was wearing something underneath) and began shooting arrows at the Uberlord, watching as one struck his shoulder.
The Apprentice shot a fireball at the Uberlord, but he countered with a dark spell of his own. The Uberlord slammed the ground with his lance and the stone floor began flooding with an unknown, black substance. “No! NO, NO, NO, NO, I do NOT allow you to do that!” the Twin began firing arrows at the Uberlord but found herself getting pulled down by tendrils of the black liquid.
“Ughh... It’s like sewage!” the Apprentice complained.
“Darkness,” the Ninja-Lord muttered. She had climbed up onto the throne and was dueling the Uberlord- katana against lance. As the Uberlord tried to knock the Ninja-Lord off into the darkness pooling about the floors, the Ninja-Lord jumped up over the lance, catching it on the handle with a foot and flipping backwards. Grabbing the Twin’s hand, she pulled her out of the darkness and threw her at the window, “Get the Insurgent Leader!” the Ninja-Lord yelled. The Twin kicked the window open and landed outside, stumbling as she did so.
The Ninja-Lord pulled herself onto a statue of a gargoyle and looked down at the Uberlord with narrowed eyes, “I’ll get you, Apprentice!” she vowed, katana in hand. “I promise.”
“You’re so much like the Overlord. It’s sickening,” the Uberlord made a face, “There ought to only be one of those in this world.”
“There ought to be one lord. And she’s the only one that can fill that niche!” the Ninja-Lord declared loudly and jumped at the Uberlord. He launched his lance at her while she was in the air. She twisted out of the projectile’s way and bounced off of the Uberlord’s head, grabbing the Apprentice and flinging her toward the stairs.
The Apprentice began running as fast as she can, “I’ll get the others! Just... keep him away from me!”
“NO! You’ll go to the Dungeon!” the Uberlord lifted a hand and the doors shut and locked themselves. The darkness dwelling on the floors vanished and the Ninja-Lord landed on the stone tile behind the Uberlord. He extended a hand as the Apprentice spun around to shoot another fireball at him. The Apprentice allowed the spell to launch but fell to the ground suddenly as the Uberlord shot some spiraling violet flare of magic at her.
“No!” the Ninja-Lord yelled as the Uberlord turned to face her.
“It’s just you and me,” he grinned, and pulled his spear out from the ground. “Let’s see how well the Overlord has trained you... Ninja-Lord.”
---
The Twin stumbled away from the castle, wiping away a few of the squirming tendrils of darkness that had clung onto her leg. She grabbed a hold of a tree in the Fortress’ gardens as she staggered toward the door, looking around as if in a daze. “Insurgent...?” the Twin stammered, narrowing her eyes as a figure came running at her. She barely could see any detail on the Captain’s face as he grabbed her around the shoulders.
“Twin? Twin!” he yelled as she stumbled, holding onto her, “Lieutenant! She’s wounded! Something’s gone wrong in the Fortress!”
“Uberlord...” the Twin gasped for air as the Captain flung her rather haughtily over his shoulder and began to move toward the gates.
“Darkness is covering the Fortress,” the Lieutenant informed them, “The Master of Tazers has the gates held open for us. The Animal Tamer moved everyone back to the Insurgent Leader’s camp!”
“We have to get back before-” the Captain began and suddenly began gasping for air. He fell over, grabbing the ground with a hand and trying to not drop the Twin with his other arm. “L-Lieutenant...?” He grabbed his chest, gaping and falling over.
“Captain! What’s going on!?” the Lieutenant yelled.
“My... Soul...” the Captain barely managed.
“Lookie what I found,” the Uberlord came walking from where the gates were, holding the Master of Tazers with a strong grasp. In his other hand, he held a large jar, labeled, clearly, the Soul Jar. This time, it wasn’t filled with glowsticks, the Twin realized, it was filled with something else. ‘Souls...?’ she wondered, ‘Real, actual souls...?’
“This is so not cool. I’m going to taze you. This is rude,” the Master of Tazers was threatening the Uberlord.
“You will submit before the Uberlord,” the Uberlord threw the Master of Tazers to the ground and held up the Soul Jar, “I've had the Overlord do all of the work for me. This has been... Far too easy.”
“What’d you do with the Ninja-Lord?” the Twin demanded.
“You all will bow down before me as she did,” the Uberlord said vaguely, “You will bow. You will exalt. I am the ULTIMATE LEADER!” He roared, “My servants have already disposed of the real Overlord on that damn Mount Overlord. You never stood a chance. SHE never stood a chance!” He snapped his fingers, “Animal Tamer, was it?” He nodded to the Animal Tamer, who came sulking out of the shadows, looking a little possessed. With a snicker, the Uberlord said, “Take our prisoner to the Dungeon. You all no longer shall work for the Overlord. I own you now!”
The Animal Tamer and the Captain grabbed the Twin by the arms and began dragging her away. The Twin tried to struggle but the Captain dealt her a blow across the face before muttering a low, “Sorry... Can’t.... Control... Myself...”
“You’ll never be the ultimate leader!” the Twin screamed at the Uberlord, “She’ll come back... She always does...” ‘NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO COME BACK, FORTENBERRY!’, the Twin thought angrily.
“Put her with her sister. They’ll entertain each other enough to where they shan’t die of boredom,” the Uberlord waved a hand, then turned to see the gates open unexpectedly, “Now... my last foe.”
The Insurgent Leader stood in the gateway, Muramasa in hand. He took a deep breath and held up the massive sword with two hands, glaring at the Uberlord, “I should have known,” he said simply, completely donned in his armor, “My forces and I are here to stop you, Uberlord!”
“That sword!” the Uberlord snarled, “You think you can defeat me with the blade I forged?! You’re about as smart as you are tall!” He drew his lance and glanced at the legions of forces behind the Insurgent Leader. Deciding to even the odds a bit, the Uberlord lifted a hand, watching as darkness sprung from the cracked earth in the center of the Insurgent army.
In horror, the Insurgent Leader turned to see a portal of darkness devouring his forces. Turning angrily at the Uberlord, the Insurgent Leader began his charge, his hands gripping the handle of his sword tightly. He swung at the Uberlord, who disappeared and reappeared behind the Insurgent Leader. “Too slow,” the Uberlord teased, then dealt the Insurgent Leader a hefty blow with the blunt side of his lance, “You’re lucky I’m as merciful as I am.”
“Merciful? You’re no better than the Overlord!” the Insurgent Leader spat, “No... Actually... You’re a lot worse.”
“Did you just call her by her title? You’re really losing it now,” the Uberlord laughed and struck at the Insurgent Leader. The Insurgent Leader blocked the blow and returned it with a hit to the Uberlord’s shin. The Uberlord cringed and stumbled, but retaliated by levitating an orb of solid darkness into the sky. He instructed it to strike down on the Insurgent Leader, who held up a hand to stop it. The orb ceased and exploded, not harming either of the combatants.
“Darkness manipulation one of your skills now?” the Uberlord sounded interested, and maybe even a little intrigued, “You’ve grown up, Insurgent Leader, but you’re still the dwarf you were all of those years ago.”
“Enough with the short jokes!” the Insurgent Leader said, enraged, and leapt high into the air to strike the Uberlord. The Uberlord put his lance away and brought out a riot shotgun- something he’d picked up along the way to conquering the Fortress. He began firing, watching as the Insurgent Leader’s attack was countered entirely. The Insurgent Leader landed on the ground, a bullet embedded into his stomach.
“You let your temper get the best of you,” the Uberlord walked over and grabbed the Insurgent Leader by the collar. Dragging him out of the gates, the Uberlord tossed him, as though he were some piece of trash, and watched as he flew several feet. The Uberlord kicked Muramasa after the Insurgent Leader, calling, “I’ve no use for that butter knife. Keep it. Remember your defeat.”
The Insurgent Leader picked himself up from the dust as the Uberlord shut the gates behind him, stumbling as he looked around at the empty plains. ‘How could I let this happen!?’ the Insurgent Leader thought angrily, ‘We’re all going to die... And it’s my fault! It’s MY fault!’
Looking up at the Fortress, the Insurgent Leader stuck Muramasa into the dirt and leaned against it, wondering how he could possibly scale the walls and break into the Fortress. ‘That’s just it’, he thought in dismay, ‘There’s no possible way to get in... Not without certain death.’
---
The Uberlord opened the door to the Overlord’s office, feeling overly satisfied with himself. He glanced down at the rugs, then at the fireplace, then at the awesome, classic villain armchair. However, as he looked at the chair, his lip curled into a scowl. “Oh... I see that I have one last obstacle before I take over this Fortress.”
Nard sat in the chair, his dark eyes resting upon the Uberlord. In stoic silence, the little white and brown dog’s tongue stuck out- at least an inch- despite his mouth being shut. As the Uberlord drew his lance, Nard rose to his four paws, tongue still mocking the Uberlord.
“The Overlord’s faithful minion... Until the end,” the Uberlord said darkly.
Nard made no sound. He simply stared, his eyes not leaving the Uberlord and his tongue still mocking the self-proclaimed lord.
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