The Overlord Saga
Vol II. Versus
Chapter 8: Betrayal
The cracked plains seemed alien to the Overlord as she staggered toward the timbers that lined the horizon. She dug her heels into the ground as a piercing wind slammed against her, unsteadying her already wobbling legs. With a fatigued hand, she unbuckled the sheath that was strapped onto her back, letting it fall to the cracked ground. The scythe was no longer hers- she had no use for its holder any more. With a frail hand, the Overlord smeared the blood away from her eye, concentrating on staying upright. If she fell now, she would be unable to rise once more, which was more than enough incentive to keep walking.
Casting a quick look at the Fortress, the Overlord still was dazed. Images flew through her mind, the broken and lifeless body of the Theurgist the most prominent of them all. She felt the freezing sting of the Nemesis’ touch against her skin- or so she thought and the Overlord whipped around. But there was nothing, simply the distant form of the Fortress. Spirals of ice now decorated it, standing strong against the blackened sky. On the distant horizon, the sun still shone, a staggering sanguine color that contrasted against the charcoal thunderheads. The land seemed different, however, much different that the cracked and deserted wasteland that she was so used to seeing each morning from her balcony. Perhaps it wasn’t the environment that had changed, it was the neutrality. Everything seemed so hostile- the menacing clouds, the blinding sunlight, and even the parched ground.
Two long shadows cast themselves in the Overlord’s path, catching her off guard. She veiled her eyes with a hand, staring forward at the two figures on the horizon. Straightening herself with each step, the Overlord lifted her chin, staring into the sun and directly at the two individuals that blocked her path. She ignored the blood on her clothes and face, her eyes burning with anger. Teeth gnashed together and fists clenched, the Overlord glared at both of the familiar figures, her breathing quickening as a wave of realization hit her.
There was no way that the Nemesis could have massed an army by himself. It took an expert of war to do this- someone with many years of experience. Everything was beginning to make sense now. Why had the Nemesis attacked her in the first place? She was beginning to think there was something greater at work. Gabriel had not sent for him and God would never have ordered the Theurgist’s death.
“Insurgent Leader,” the Overlord said quietly, stopping as she glowered into the fading sunlight, “Come to mock me?” A part of her died on the inside as the Insurgent Leader stepped forward, Muramasa resting across his shoulder blades. Her short rival was grinning deviously, his dark eyes full of triumph.
“False One... If you just give up now, things will end better for you. You should learn not to anger those with power,” the Insurgent Leader was giddy, his sword tip moving to where it pointed at the Overlord. She froze in place, the tip of the longsword still a good yard away. As the Overlord’s eyes followed the sword, the Insurgent Leader added, “The Nemesis has proven to be a valuable ally in your defeat.”
“So that’s it? You hired someone else to do your dirty work for you?” the Overlord scoffed, “That’s low, Thomas, even for you.” Her attention turned to the other figure, a tall, looming warrior in armor. She squinted against the sunlight as the person approached, a sword strapped to his back.
“We didn’t hire him,” Sexist corrected her, with the toss of his blonde hair. He smirked at the Overlord, drawing his claymore and pointing it at the Overlord as well, “It was a partnership. Between the Insurgents and the Nemesis. An elaborate conspiracy to dethrone you... False One.”
The Overlord’s eyes flashed in anger as she looked at Sexist, her fists trembling, “You....” She began angrily, “You....!” If she had her powers, the first thing she’d have done was set the entire cracked plains alight with fire. “You got a haircut!” the Overlord pointed at Sexist, eyes narrowed, “Traitor!”
“His hairstyle is the least of your worries,” the Insurgent Leader frowned, sword slightly lowered in confusion.
“So this is it? A convoluted scheme to get me out of power?” the Overlord laughed, “What did he promise you, Sexist? Your soul? How does that make him any different from me? How does that make him so much better?”
“My name isn’t Sexist,” Sexist replied, “It’s Eric. I don’t belong to you anymore, False One.” He flashed the Overlord a smile, and shrugged, “Well... I suppose your ill-attempted escape was pointless. We’ll be dragging you back to the Nemesis now.”
Something about the word ‘escape’ triggered a series of further epiphanies. ‘Tinkerbell,’ the Overlord realized, ‘He told me to escape this way... He was in on this the entire time!’ She felt her nails dig into the palms of her hands, angrily looking away from Eric and the Insurgent Leader. ‘The Nemesis schemed with the Insurgent Leader to overthrow me. That’s how he knew my weakness.’ Knees on the verge of collapsing, the Overlord moved a step back, lifting her gaze to meet both of the Insurgents. ‘The Theurgist died so that I could live. He saved my life... And is this how I’m going to repay him? His memory got me this far.’
“No.”
“What?” Eric asked, frowning, “Oh geez... Insurgent Leader, I think she wants to FIGHT us.”
“You’re powerless. Defenseless. You don’t even have your scythe anymore,” the Insurgent Leader sneered, “What are you going to do? You’ll die, False One, you know that. So why fight us?”
“The Overlord never gives into defeat,” the Overlord smiled wryly, “Even like this. Look at me, Thomas. I’m bleeding. I’m dying. And I just lost everything. I don’t have much to lose, do I?” ‘Actually, that’s wrong...’ the Overlord thought, ‘I have a soul to lose. But I’m not giving it to the Nemesis. No... It’ll go to where it belongs.’
“False One...” Eric tsked, “You’re going to regret doing this.”
“Sexist! Eric! Whatever your name is! After everything we went through with the Uberlord, you would truly choose to betray me?” the Overlord laughed maniacally, “I’m not the one who will regret anything in the end. You both are stupid... So... SO stupid. You let this happen? It’s the blood on your hands... Not mine...”
“I think she’s lost it,” the Insurgent Leader remarked, glancing at Eric.
“I don’t think there was much to lose to begin with,” Eric retorted. The Overlord’s eyes narrowed, shooting Eric a death glare. As the Insurgent Leader began to circle around to the Overlord’s other side, the Overlord moved away, though attempted to keep a fair distance between both Insurgents. The Insurgent Leader lashed out with Muramasa, the longsword nicking the Overlord’s thigh. She stumbled back, staggering dangerous close to Eric. As she tried to dodge Eric’s sword, she twisted her leg around, the blade missing by inches. A shot of pain seared through her leg, causing her to gasp loudly in agony.
The Insurgent Leader’s blade caught the Overlord in the side and he began pressing her to the ground. A hand grasping Muramasa’s hilt, the Overlord pushed the Insurgent Leader away, making a move to deal a blow to his kneecap with her foot when Eric grabbed the back of her neck. She dropped to the ground, a bolt of adrenaline rushing through her veins. ‘Kick him!’ a voice screamed suddenly, and the Overlord’s foot hooked around Eric’s leg, tripping him. She rolled away, giving the Insurgent Leader some room. His sword embedded into the dirt as he attempted to stab her. As the Overlord rose painfully to her feet, she caught a glimpse of Eric extending a hand. A swirl of water blasted the Overlord back a yard, hitting the ground back-first.
She stared up at the sky, wincing and hopping to her feet. Shaking her head from side-to-side, the Overlord offered the two Insurgents a smile, “This isn’t very fair, you know...” She commented, but Eric responded with a second blast of water magic. She grimaced, hitting the ground and, this time, not immediately jumping to her feet. ‘Watch out!’ the voice returned, screaming loudly at the dazed Overlord. The Insurgent Leader charged her, blade glinting in the fading light. As he tried to impale her, her feet snapped up, as if on command, slamming him in the stomach. ‘Good now... Behind you!’ the voice whispered. The Overlord began to stand when Eric’s sword stabbed through her cape. ‘The cape!’ Unclasping the brooch holding her cape on, the Overlord ran forward, knocking the Insurgent Leader away with a fist. ‘Good! Get one of their swords and you can do this, Overlord!’ the voice seemed so familiar, but the Overlord couldn’t place it. Her concentration level was very low at the moment, her instincts keeping her alive.
“How is she doing this?” Eric hissed.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to end it!” the Insurgent Leader yelled, sending a wave of darkness at the Overlord. As the Overlord fell to the ground, the Insurgent Leader reached down, grabbing her and tossing her into the air. Eric jumped up, spinning the claymore and dealing a hefty blow to the Overlord’s stomach and chest. The Overlord hit the ground painfully, her senses jarred.
‘Get up! You have to!’ the voice said urgently, ‘You’re going to be okay. You can’t let them knock you down like this!’ The Overlord tried to will the voice to go away, searching desperately for the strength and energy to rise once more. As she pushed herself into a kneeling position, the Insurgent Leader kicked her down. The Overlord tried to rise and felt Muramasa cut through her shoulder. She yelped, the tip of the sword digging into the dirt. As the Insurgent Leader pulled the blade out, the Overlord kicked him in the knee and pushed him away. Slowly standing up, the Overlord was hit back by a burst of water, her consciousness wavering.
The Insurgent Leader lifted a hand suddenly and a large black tendril of magic sent the Overlord flying into the air. Eric sheathed his sword and held out two hands, small cyclones of water emerging around each arm. He tossed both at the Overlord, the spells hitting her directly in the chest. For the final strike, he reached back with his sword, tossing it and watching it spin. The blade hit the Overlord, knocking her from where the massing black tendrils were holding her up. She hit the ground, not moving and striving for a breath.
“She’s down,” Eric glanced at the Insurgent Leader then began walking over to the Overlord. The Insurgent Leader nudged the Overlord with his boot, then flipped her over. She stared up at both of them, right side of her face covered in crimson blood. For a moment, she didn’t seem to recognize them, their voices silent completely, even as they spoke. Instead, she heard another voice.
‘It’s not your time. You can’t just give up and die here, you know. There’s things you have to do. Battles to be won. People to meet. Places to go... You can’t leave the world like this!’
And finally, it hit her who the voice was.
“Theurgist?” the Overlord spoke the word, staring up at the Insurgent Leader in confusion. She lurched forward suddenly, the numbness giving into the pain.
“Do you surrender yet?” the Insurgent Leader asked, leaning over her with his sword sheathed.
‘Brother... You’re my brother,’ the Overlord wanted to remind him. But she couldn’t, not with Eric standing there. She rolled over onto her side, dirt and dust clinging to her clothes. “This isn’t a battle,” she pushed herself up feebly, “This is torture.”
'That's right! Get up, Overlord, I know you can do it!'
The Insurgent Leader sighed and placed a finger on the back of the Overlord’s neck. She stiffened, her eyes widening. The Insurgent Leader pressed the finger harder into the back of the Overlord’s neck, making her squirm. Eric shifted his weight uncomfortably then bent over and began to tie her hands together, “Back to the Nemesis with you,” he said, but something seemed different about him. His voice cracked and he looked away. The Insurgent Leader began to lift her up, but didn’t move his hand from her neck.
“Oh no you don’t,” the Soul-Keeper’s Apprentice declared, staff in hand. She ran forward, shooting a fireball at the Insurgent Leader. As the Apprentice charged, the Animal Tamer and the Grasshopper followed, swords in the air. The Grasshopper jumped into the sky, katana colliding against Muramasa. The Insurgent Leader pushed the young Overlord apprentice away, throwing the semi-conscious Overlord to the ground.
The Animal Tamer's blade locked with Eric's sword. Throwing her back into the blow, she fought against the much taller Insurgent. Ducking beneath Eric, the Animal Tamer turned and whacked the traitor in the back of the leg with the flat of the sword. "You betrayed us!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, whipping around in time to see him turn to hit her. The swords clashed once more, sending a shower of sparks. The Animal Tamer leapt back, angrily digging her heels into the dirt. The Apprentice was standing a few yards away, Muramasa embedded into the handle of her staff. As she shoved him away, she turned and smacked the Insurgent Leader in the chin with the end of her staff, then slammed the tip into the ground. A series of quakes sent both the Insurgent Leader and Eric tumbling to the ground.
"She's alive!" the Grasshopper had halfway picked up the Overlord, her katana sheathed.
"NO!" the Insurgent Leader screamed, pointing at the Grasshopper. As a spiral of dark magic spurted from the Insurgent Leader's arm, the Grasshopper glanced up, eyes widening in horror. Paralyzed out of fear, she merely clutched onto the Overlord, watching as the magic seemed to be in slow motion as it approached her. The Animal Tamer leapt in front of them, sword altering to some metallic staff. Slamming the metal staff into the ground, a shield emitted itself from the jewels lining the rod. The Apprentice helped the Grasshopper lift the now very unconscious Overlord from the ground, glancing at where Eric had pulled the Insurgent Leader away from his own spell as it rebounded from the shield. The Animal Tamer pull the staff from the ground, glaring at the traitor and the Insurgent Leader angrily.
"You can't hide! You might as well give up now!" Eric pointed at the Animal Tamer.
"I thought you were nice!" the Apprentice yelled at him, "I thought you were the nicest person I'd ever met! You liar! You traitor!"
"I might be a traitor... But at least I'm not a slave like you!" Eric laughed insanely, sword pointed at the Apprentice, "And still, you've nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. You might as well just hand the Overlord over to us now."
"No. Never," the Grasshopper said firmly, "I don't... associate myself with backstabbers."
"That was rude," the Insurgent Leader remarked.
"Yeah, and... So is this!" the Animal Tamer jumped up, the jewels in her staff glowing blue. She twirled it around and lifted the head of the staff to the sky. As she came down, she stabbed the dirt with the butt of the rod, creating a temporary shield around the underlings and the Overlord. A cocky, cheerful wave later and the shield disappeared- taking the Overlord with it.
The Insurgent Leader and Eric exchanged glances. Angrily, the Insurgent Leader sat down, scowling at where the Overlord had once been laying, "So close." They were always so close to winning before someone pulled some underhanded tactic to save the Overlord. He gritted his teeth, angrily kicking at a rock. 'I should've seen this coming. There's always something that goes wrong in my plans! Why!? Why does this always happen to ME!?'
"It's sad... that I expected this," Eric nodded, his voice rather light and careless, "I'll report it in to the Nemesis. He and the others will be waiting for us..." He sheathed his sword and began to stride back towards the halfway frozen-over Fortress.
"No. I'll go," the Insurgent Leader stood up. Glancing up at his taller commander, the Insurgent Leader grinned deviously, "It wasn't a horrible loss, though. At least you're free. It's good to have you back... General Eric."
"It's good to be back..." The Insurgent Leader took note of how his general's voice seemed to die away, staring off at the Fortress in a daze. Perhaps it'd take him time to realize that he was free from the Overlord. But that didn't concern the Insurgent Leader, at least, not so much as the resentment in his freed general's eyes. 'Is that... regret?' the Insurgent Leader asked himself, casting a glance at the bloody ground, 'We did what was right. Isn't that satisfying enough?' But, even then, the Insurgent Leader had to admit that something felt wrong inside.
No comments:
Post a Comment