TOS- Vol 2, Pt 1, Ch 3

The Overlord Saga

Vol II. Versus

Chapter 3: The Operatic Werewolf

The Overlord poured herself and Underling Fish a glass of wine, sitting across the table from him. He was still unconscious, slumped over with his head drooping. She glanced at where the Grasshopper was putting the bottle of white wine away, glancing back at the Overlord. As she took Fish's glass into her hands, the Overlord took a small crystalline looking substance and placed it into the drink.

"Is that crack?" the Grasshopper asked.

"No, Grasshopper," the Overlord replied absent-mindedly. She closed her eyes reaching in and gently caressing the surface of the wine, stirring ripples with a finger. As she did, white tendrils of magic seemed to flow from her fingertips into the liquid. It met with the small crystals in the wine, crushing them and creating a glow about the drink. As the wine glowed and pulsed, she set it down before Fish, watching him intently as he stirred. "Greetings," she said amiably as Fish opened his eyes. Staring at the shimmering wine with squinted eyes, Fish seemed entranced by the enchanted liquid. The Overlord merely smiled understandingly and cleared her throat, "I am the Overlord."

"I've heard stories..." Fish stammered, "You give these drinks to people who you want to work for you."

"And those stories are accurate," the Overlord replied, "Fish... You have been chosen to join the Undering Army for your tactician powers, cunning, and intelligence. And thus, I have a proposition for you. A soul for power, Fish... What will you choose?"

There was a silence. Intently, the Grasshopper leaned over the Overlord's shoulder, watching Fish as he stared into the depths of the glowing wine. How easy it was to bribe mortals... All they ever wanted was power. They didn't give a damn about the consequences. "I'm going to have to go with power," Fish nodded and took the glass into his hands.

The Overlord held up a warning hand, "The powers come from what will benefit you the most. Meaning... I give you power and I can take that power away. I can guess as to what you will become, but I cannot predict everything that power will give you. Understand that? If you grow an extra arm or something between your eyes, don't come crying to me."

"Ha... I'll try not to," Fish took a large drink of the wine and stopped, his mouth slightly agape in shock. He allowed himself a second drink, and then a third, finally finishing the glass. The Overlord took the glass from him and watched as he stood there in complete shock- stunned, his pupils dilating, and his breathing quick and crisp. She understood... He was being consumed by power. Ultimate power.

However, the moment of triumph and yet, confusion in the Fish's eyes were cut short by the opening of the door. The Soul-Keeper drifted in, a box of orange chicken in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the next. The Overlord cackled and allowed the Soul-Keeper to sit down next to her. He sat the box of orange chicken onto the table, casting a glance at Fish before looking back at the Overlord, "We have a problem..." He hissed into her ear.

"What is it?" the Overlord asked lightly, not bothering to be discreet.

"An old enemy," the Soul-Keeper replied.

"Pharisee? Please tell me he's gotten the memo that I don't want any more of his damn religious crap. I'm so sick of it. Jesus knows I love him and Jesus loves me back," the Overlord leaned back in her chair.

"Oh, sure Jesus does, especially after skipping rent," the Soul-Keeper remarked sarcastically, "No. It's the Operatic Werewolf." The Overlord sat up straight, immediately snapping her head in the Soul-Keeper's direction, "He's been sighted near Tamashii Ninja Academy. There's posters out for his demise."

"Then we leave," the Overlord rose to her feet, then smirked at Fish, "Grasshopper will care for you from now on. I have pressing matters to attend to. Please forgive me." Glancing at the Soul-Keeper, she shrugged and held out a hand, "Warp us to Tamashii. Hellooooo homecoming."

The Soul-Keeper lifted his staff suddenly, twirling it about with a hand and shaking his hips from side-to-side. Gradually, the Overlord's facial expression went from bewildered to utterly disturbed by this action. The Grasshopper quickly covered her eyes, rushing Fish from the room (though, Fish seemed to be quite in a hurry as it were- no one wanted to see the Soul-Keeper's dancing). As the Soul-Keeper tossed his staff into the air, it spun, then landed before him. He wrapped a leg around it and began to perform a few provocative movements when the Overlord grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him away from his staff. Sternly, she pointed a finger at the Soul-Keeper and said, "Colby... No." And with a snap of her fingers, the two had vanished.

---


The nighttime was in its cliche dark, dreary, almost starless state, mimicking a horror movie scene quite well. As the Overlord and the Soul-Keeper appeared at the edge of the woods surrounding the Tamashii territory, the Overlord cast a glance up at a large fence that seemed to tower above both her and the Soul-Keeper. She sighed, closing her eyes and imagining how the first hunt against the Operatic Werewolf had been. "There's a lot of memories in these trees," She muttered, seeing the faint images of four ninjas creeping the woods in her mind's eye. The Overlord saw them all, Sensei leading the group cautiously with katana in hand. Behind her, had trailed the three apprentices- the brown-haired girl, the short blonde, and the tall burgundy-haired boy. She could see it all- the moonlit sky, the stars ahead, the darkness of the night, and the eerie call of the enemy beyond the trees.

There was a thud as the Soul-Keeper tossed his staff over the fence. "How can memories be in trees?" the Soul-Keeper asked, grabbing the prongs of the fence's top. He swung himself over, and landed on the ground with a thud, barely missing his staff. The Overlord shrugged and follow suit, landing next to the Soul-Keeper. As an ominous howl pierced the night air, the Overlord perked up, hearing the note as it lingered in the wind. She shivered, feeling the cold breeze against her face.

"This'll be fun..." the Overlord remarked.

"Operatic Werewolf, huh?" the Soul-Keeper shrugged and tapped his staff against the ground. A light illuminated on the top of his staff and he began forward, careful to duck beneath branches. "How can a werewolf sing opera again?"

"I'd imagine that he's quite a big boy, wouldn't you think? Bigger lungs. More air," the Overlord shrugged, "That's just my theory though."

"I'll accept that," the Soul-Keeper nodded, "It's a valid theory." He bent a branch, allowing the Overlord to pass through between two large trees. He sighed and looked around the dark woods, frowning as he glanced down a large ravine. The Overlord's eyes lit up as she saw the slope, recognizing briefly where they were. The Soul-Keeper descended down the hill, boots sliding as a bit of dirt gave way. He came to a stop at where a small pool was located, a fallen tree forming a not-so-steady looking bridge. The Soul-Keeper tested the log and heard it crack. Backing away, he gave a shake of his head, indicating that it wasn't going to be a good move to cross it.

The Overlord's gaze rested on a small cliff- an overhang she knew too well. Here, she had seen the enemy and had pursue him. She had fallen over the overhang... "This is where the Sanctum is," the Overlord pointed at the overhang, "Beyond there." The Soul-Keeper inclined his head and the Overlord passed him suddenly, a series of rock formations creating a small row of steps upward. She motioned for the Soul-Keeper to follow, using the rocks to move to another hill in the woods. Taking a left, the Overlord drew her scythe and cut through a series of brambles that had entangled her left leg. She gritted her teeth, feeling a thorn as it tore away from her pants. But she said nothing and continued, sliding down a hill and landing ungracefully at the bottom of a massive ravine.

"Soul-Keeper!" She called, watching as he followed her down into the depths. The light reflecting from his staff illuminated the water's edge. Silently, the Overlord drew closer to the pool, the Soul-Keeper following. The gleam from the staff's light on the pool gave off a radiant, divine glow, sending a chill down the Overlord's spine. 'Jesus? Are you here?' she wondered and bent down to touch the water with a finger. As she neared the pool, it did not stir, did not move, and did not seem to be at all like the phenomenon it had once been.

"Try again later?" the Soul-Keeper suggested. Dismayed, the Overlord nodded and began down the ravine, turning her back on the pool. A strong wind blew from down where the ravine was located, and a second operatic note could be heard echoing from up ahead.

As the Soul-Keeper and the Overlord trekked down the ravine, they could hear the singing grow louder. Scythe in hand, the Overlord felt her heart begin pumping even faster than before. The ravine seemed to stretch on forever and the Overlord and the Soul-Keeper walked in silence. Uncomfortable, the Overlord tucked a tuft of hair behind her ears, squinting into the darkness as a large figure could be seen at the end of the trail, kneeling over something. The Overlord held up a hand as the beast turned, its masked face turning to gaze at the two warriors. Drawing back a half-step, the Overlord stared into the menacing, glittering golden eyes, feeling a twinge of regret in hunting down her old foe. He was as mangy as he was before- cape fastened around his neck and his large furry body hunched over.

Extending a clawed hand to the Overlord, his lips parting as if to snarl at her. Instead, beautiful music rushed forth, breaking the tension, "Sing once again with me... Our strange duet! My power over you grows stronger yet!" 'Power? HE HAS NO POWER OVER ME!' the Overlord turned away, stubbornly furrowing her brow. The Operatic Werewolf continued smoothly, "And though you turn from me to glance behind, the Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind!"

"He's got a nice voice," the Soul-Keeper commented.

"Don't listen to his words, they're fake! Meant to draw you in!" the Overlord pointed an accusing finger at the werewolf as he rose to his full height, baring his fangs and readying his claws.

"In all your fantasies, you always knew that man and mystery..." The werewolf drew closer to the two.

"Were both in you..." the Soul-Keeper finished sweetly, beaming at the Operatic Werewolf's ability to hit all of the notes perfectly.

A malicious grin overwhelmed the Operatic Werewolf's features, and his tail thumped the ground a few times, "And in this labyrinth where night is blind- the Phantom of the Opera is there, inside your mind!" He extended a hand, watching as an orb of lightning appeared in his palm, "Sing my angel of music!" Throwing back his head, he howled, hitting some glass-shattering note. The Overlord swung around, scythe slicing through the air, causing the Soul-Keeper to jump. The Operatic Werewolf leapt back, sending the bolt at the Overlord. She took the blow, but it glanced off of her. The Soul-Keeper lifted his staff and promptly began firing a thunder spell of his own.

"You have come here, in pursuit of your deepest urge. In pursuit of that wish, which 'til now has been silent... silent..." the Operatic Werewolf sang as he grabbed the Soul-Keeper's staff in his claws. Bending down to bite the Soul-Keeper, the Operatic Werewolf lost track of where the Overlord had disappeared to. A glint of the scythe's blade in the moonlight and the Operatic Werewolf was howling in rage, grasping his side with a paw. In anger, he snapped at the Overlord, fangs missing by inches, "Past the point of no return! No backward glances! The games we've played 'til now are at an end... OVERLORD!" He snarled, grabbing the head of the scythe in a paw. As he yanked it from the Overlord, she jumped backward, casting a fire spell.

"Oh no you don't!" the Soul-Keeper yelled, jumping into the air. Grabbing onto a branch, he pulled himself up into a standing position. Reaching as high as he could, he summoned a lightning bolt directly from the clouds, directing it to where it stabbed into the Operatic Werewolf. As the werewolf tried to impale the Overlord with her own scythe, the Overlord moved off to the side, setting flame to a few of the trees as her second spell missed. The Soul-Keeper dropped from above, landing on the Operatic Werewolf's head. He hit the werewolf with the head of his staff and hopped away, casting a small thunder spell that hit the beast as he did.

"WHAT RAGING FIRE SHALL FLOOD THE SOUL? WHAT RICH DESIRE-" the Operatic Werewolf yowled angrily.

"Time to switch to another tune! You won't harass my people any more!" the Overlord grabbed her scythe from where it had fallen, turned, and struck the Operatic Werewolf in the knee. She pulled the blade out, spun around and slid the blade between the mask and the Operatic Werewolf's face. Pulling the mask off to reveal a badly burned face, the Overlord grimaced, sorely regretting her action. "Dear God... He really does need that mask on his face...!"

His gaping eye twitched and the Operatic Werewolf shrieked into the night, "Stranger than you dreamt it! Can you even dare to look or bear to think of me- this loathsome gargoyle, who burns in hell, but secretly yearns for Heaven, secretly... secretly..."

"Not much of a secret if you sing it, buddy!" the Overlord jumped and grabbed the Operatic Werewolf's cape. Entwining his back paws in it, she knocked him off of his feet. She glanced up as the Soul-Keeper lifted his staff to the sky, watching as a bolt of lightning struck down and filled his staff. He closed his eyes, feeling the power of the thunder magic vibrate through his weapon ("THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Tinkerbell yelled from across Edmond as the Overlord wrote this into her saga). With a spin of the staff, he sent electricity shooting through the Operatic Werewolf's veins, burning and electrocuting the monster thoroughly. As he screamed, the Overlord saw the tendrils of gold pour forth from his heart. Cautiously, she reached out, snatching the soul and tearing it away in one motion. The Operatic Werewolf howled in rage, his burnt face twisted in agony as he fell to the ground, a few final notes on his breath.

"All... I want is freedom... A world with... no more... night.... That's all... I ask... of you.......... Dark........ Ice..... Brotherhood..." the Operatic Werewolf's rasps fell on deaf ears as the Overlord simply placed the soul into the Soul Jar and flashed the Operatic Werewolf a cunning smile.

"I've had enough of this guy to last me for awhile. Soul-Keeper... Let's go to Pei Wei and get some more orange chicken," the Overlord need not tell the Soul-Keeper twice. In a heartbeat, the two were gone, disappeared and leaving the forest of the Operatic Werewolf behind them.