TOS - Vol 2, Pt 2, Ch 24

The Overlord Saga

Vol II. Versus

Chapter 24: "Firebrand"

There was a field, though, the Evocator was unsure as to where ‘there’ was. The Overlord was already up and walking when the Evocator had sat up, touching her forehead delicately with a hand. A few paces away was the peak of a hill, tipped with a few wildflowers that danced with the wind. The Overlord, who stood in a pile of particularly bright daisies, brushed a twig of dark brown hair back, staff in hand as she looked out across the rolling hills. The Evocator joined her, hands on her hips as she looked at the speck in the distance.

“That our guy?” she asked, glancing at the Overlord, who merely smiled and nodded before putting her staff away. The Evocator’s brow furrowed as she shielded her eyes from the sun, watching the horseback rider as it came closer into view, “Holy crap, that horse is HUGE!”

“Yep,” the Overlord nodded, “Just like in the legends.”

“Legends?” the Evocator inquired lightly, but the thundering of hooves distracted the Overlord from answering. A turn of the head and the massive red horse was galloping straight for them, its armored rider brandishing what looked like two lances wielded together to form an X. Two massive crimson plumes trailed after the rider, the feathers attached to his helmet. As the huge horse leapt over both the Overlord and the Evocator, a deep, echoing war cry could be heard.

The horse landed a few few away and turned deftly, its rider leaping from its back. “And where do you maggots think you’re going?” The rider’s voice was deep and threatening, almost as intimidating as his height. Towering over the Overlord, he was probably ranging at almost seven foot in height, glaring down at the dark-haired girl without a speck of warmth. Returning the cold glare, the Overlord fought the urge to grab her staff, but instead flashed him a smile.

“We’re but humble travelers,” the Overlord knew that she was losing awesome points for using such a cliche phrase. The Evocator was clearly biting back a snort of amusement at the Overlord’s feint amity.

“Travelers that trespass in other people’s lands?” the rider demanded, his stature very barbaric. The Overlord cringed inwardly, mind thinking at an insane pace.

“You’re right. It’s wrong of us, and we apologize. We have not been truthful. We’re magicians,” the Overlord shrugged, glancing at the Evocator from the corner of her eye, “And we’d be happy to perform for a powerful warrior such as yourself.”

“Magic?” the rider remarked, “I am the fearsome Lu Bu! Magic does not enthrall me, you little worms!”

“Oh, he’s a lovely chap,” the Theurgist remarked. The Overlord immediately moved to elbow where the Theurgist was standing behind her, but her elbow merely passed through him. Disgruntled, the Theurgist remarked, “Missed.”

The Evocator snapped her fingers together suddenly, sparks flying through the air. As they shimmered around Lu Bu’s head, the Overlord watched his expression eagerly. The mighty warrior swatted at the sparkles, his expression unchanging from its typical angry look. The Overlord held up a hand and blew gently over it, a few flames pouring out and spilling forth. Lu Bu startled, brow furrowed as he watched the two “magicians”. The Evocator summoned an Aqua spirit, watching as it danced around the entranced Lu Bu as a see-through, light blue doe before turning into a fish that swam through the air. The Overlord contributed by adding a secondary flame that turned green in the palm of her hand.

“So you can do tricks,” Lu Bu stated, a smug gleam in his eyes, “You two are both clad as warriors. So tell me you can fight like one.”

“You’re a rather belligerent guy, aren’t you?” the Overlord glanced at the Evocator, nodding ever so slightly. It was time for a new plan. ‘I should’ve known... This guy was definitely not known for his negotiation skills,’ the Overlord thought grimly, though did not draw her staff even as the Chinese warrior dropped into his battle stance. “No matter...” the Overlord’s voice was calm, and matter-of-fact, “You will bow to me eventually.”

“Bow to you? The Great Lu Bu bows to no one!” Lu Bu roared angrily.

“Oh, but you will bow to me. I am the Overlord,” the Overlord replied, standing fearless as the Chinese warrior charged at her. The Evocator hopped back, closing her eyes, “Seraph, Invoke!” the Evocator yelled and a flash of blinding light filled the area. Lu Bu continued charging, his dual lances spinning over his head. The Overlord’s eyes remained open even as the Evocator’s summon took to the fray, a white-armored maiden wielding a golden bow. As her blonde hair whipped around in the gale, two massive eagle wings sprouted from her back, beating heavily. Drawing a pure golden arrow, she notched it to her bow, aimed, then fired, striking the enemy with relative ease. As the arrow pierced through his armor, it vanished, leaving behind a mere blur where it had been previously.

Lu Bu fell to the ground, though rolled and got back up again, still holding onto his weapon as he did so. The Overlord had back-flipped and had cast a fire ring around the battlefield, grinning sinisterly as she did so. Lu Bu threw the two spears, watching as they spun like some deadly boomerang at the Overlord. She crouched down, then leapt into the air, catching the middle of the X that the two lances formed, a red glow lightly radiating from the weapon as it cycled back at its owner. Lu Bu ducked to the side with shocking speed, grabbing the weapon and dodging another one of the golden arrows at the same time. The Chinese warrior’s other hand grabbed one of the spears, dislodging them from each other. Swiping at the Overlord with both spears, he found that she was too fast for him to hit, ducking and dodging under each blow. She flashed her opponent a smile before jumping at him, grabbing the dual plumes on his helmet and yanking them back cheekily as the Evocator sent light magic square into the warrior’s chest.

Sending the warrior down to the ground, the spells dented his breastplate considerably. “Infusion!” the Evocator called and the Seraph spirit flew at her, wings enveloping her. The Overlord tossed her head back and laughed as Lu Bu tossed the crossed blades at the Evocator, an orb of swirling crimson flames forming between both of her palms. A set of shimmering wings unfurled from the Evocator’s back, shielding her from the blow. The Overlord spread her hands apart further, the orb expanding to form a pillar, then finally exploding. Lu Bu was sent flying back, staring up at the sky, dazed.

The Overlord glanced down at her hands, catching sight of blood. “Did he hit you?” the Theurgist’s voice inquired, edged with anxiety. Shrugging the question off, the Overlord wiped her hands on the grass next to her, wincing as she looked at the small cracks that had formed in her palms. Tucking her hands into her pockets, she walked over to the stunned Lu Bu, leaning over him.

“What do you want from me?” Lu Bu asked, breathless for the first time in his life.

“Fight for me. Kill for me. It’s a dance you know quite well...” the Overlord replied, voice laced with a sinister tone. “... My friend.”

---

The Insurgent Leader was many things, but above all, he was cold. Having been wandering the woods for days, he was freezing, starving, and he was hearing voices. They whispered as the wind raged, creaking against the bare branches and casting odd shadows over the lost Insurgent Leader as he staggered in the snow. It fell up to his knees, which, he assumed, meant that it probably didn't even come past the Overlord's shin. But still, the Insurgent Leader plowed onward through the snow, Muramasa laying somewhere on the other side of the wardrobe he'd been cast into. Weaponless, his paranoia had driven him to the edge, each stir of bushes an unseen enemy. And this unseen enemy was later dubbed as Bob by the Insurgent Leader.

Bob could be anything, the Insurgent Leader reasoned, such as a drifting snowflake, or a cloud, or a lamp post. But there was definitely a sinister aura about Bob. No- Bob's mien was typically gleeful and cheery, the Insurgent Leader figured, so that Bob could therefore lure him in to play catch with missiles- and we all know that playing catch with missiles is simply a bad idea.

And then the Insurgent Leader became very much aware of how insane he had become.

Glancing down at where the snow caked his boots, the Insurgent Leader drew his cape in around him, huddled under the dead canopy. His teeth chattering, he cast a wary glance to each side of the snow-covered path, catching a glimpse of something moving in the bushes to his left. Dropping in a fighting position, the Insurgent Leader’s heart began thumping harder, the mark on the back of his hand glowing in the dim sunlight. His eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, the Insurgent Leader gritted his teeth, shots of adrenaline coursing through his veins. He trembled, twitched, a maddened glint in his dark eyes as his curled fist drew back as the entity approached, slithering through the bushes sneakily.

The leaves and branches parted to reveal a bushy head, topped with goat horns. Appearing as some sort of hairy man, the creature stepped from the shadows, his lower half resembling that of a goat. “Son of Adam?” the goat-man asked, quirking an eyebrow. His tail twitched, though not so much as the Insurgent Leader’s eye.

There was one word uttered, one single word whispered under his breath before he made a run for it. And that word was, “Bob.” Watching the deranged Insurgent Leader sprint away with much difficulty in the snow, the goat-man merely tucked his scarf further around his neck, nose twitching in amusement as the Insurgent Leader let out a horrified cry.

---

The Ninja-Lord knew that they were close to the Overlord’s Sanctum when the trees began looking familiar. Sliding down a slope and nimbly hopping into a tree, she was a few yards ahead of the Maverick, who was much slower due to her elaborate cloak. Glancing back and down at where the hermit was making her way through the thick branches, the Ninja-Lord couldn’t help but grin at the difficulty that her rescuer was going through.

“Almost there!” she called, swinging from a branch and landing in another tree. “I think I see the campfires up ahead!”

“About time,” Maverick mumbled under her breath, leaning heavily on a gnarled piece of wood that she’d been using to support herself. The Ninja-Lord hit the ground running, using her katana to cut a path for the Maverick. A quiet “thanks” could be heard under the hermit’s breath as she staggered on, clearly not used to walking so much. The Ninja-Lord did not wish to wait for her rescuer, but knew she had no choice- she didn’t want to risk angering the maddened woman.

What seemed like ages later, the Ninja-Lord broke through the veil of trees, standing on the ridge of the ravine and looking down at the campsite. Already, she could see the Advisor attempting to cook something, though had caught it on fire and was attempting to blow it out with a gust of wind, which only enraged the flames. Sexist, much to the Ninja-Lord’s surprise, was the one to put the fire out, summoning an orb of water over the burning plate. A large T-rex was scratching itself with a hind leg, mimicking Nard. Elwell somehow had gotten a TV to work (though, no one was quite sure how), and a group of Underlings had crowded around her and were watching one of the many episodes of Glee. McCoy was polishing his machine gun in the corner, whistling and tapping his foot rather casually. Overall, the Ninja-Lord was baffled.

“I’ve missed a lot,” the Ninja-Lord decided aloud before sliding down the side of the ravine, sending a shower of leaves onto where the Sabotage Team was sitting in a circle playing Go Fish. Immediately, everyone looked up, completely bewildered by the Ninja-Lord’s appearance.

“Whoa... Wait...” the Soul-Keeper stammered, pointing at the Ninja-Lord. “Wait... Wait, just wait a second...”

“Ninja-Lord?” the Animal Tamer’s eyes grew wide in shock, “Is it...?”

“Hey guys...” the Ninja-Lord said awkwardly, waving a hand.

“You’re... Alive?” the Advisor gasped, dropping whatever burnt food she was cooking and taking a slow step toward the Ninja-Lord. “But... But how? You were dead...”

“Is it bad that I’m alive?” the Ninja-Lord frowned, bracing herself as the Ninja Squadron rushed towards her. Kunoichi flung her arms around the Ninja-Lord, embracing her as Llama approached as well. Shinobi combined nearly knocked the Ninja-Lord off of her feet, causing her to stagger back into where Maverick had finally managed to get down the slope. The Animal Tamer joined in the group hug, followed by the Soul-Keeper.

“N-no, it’s just...” the Advisor was staring at the Ninja-Lord’s arm, speechless, “We all thought... We all thought you’d died!”

“They found your arm...” the Scribe explained, glancing up from his laptop, “It was quite the mess.”

“And... What did you guys think happened to the rest of my body?” the Ninja-Lord asked with a frown.

“Er... We thought the Insurgent Leader must’ve eaten it?” the Soul-Keeper asked, letting go of the Ninja-Lord as the Lieutenant and the Captain both ran over. Ducking out of the way, the Soul-Keeper laughed as the two picked the Ninja-Lord up, hoisting her onto their shoulders.

“Where’s the Overlord?” the Ninja-Lord asked, “There is a lot I need to tell her.”

“Yes. The Firebrand. Where has she disappeared to this time?” Maverick whispered, casting her dark eyes across the quieted-down site. She leaned against her staff, tutting softly as she swept her gaze about the ravine. “Maverick does not see her old friend or roses. And this troubles Maverick.”

“Maverick...?” the Soul-Keeper quirked an eyebrow, staring at the hooded woman while tilting his head to the side, “Who...?”

“I... have a lot of explaining to do, I guess. But, first, I’m hungry. So... Let’s fix that problem first,” the Ninja-Lord nodded, then pointed at Sexist, “Why is he here again?”

“Eh-hehehe.... A lot’s happened in your absence, O Ninja-Lord,” the Animal Tamer remarked, “And it’ll take awhile to explain it all. So... I say food first, explanations later!”

“Eh, sounds good to me,” the Soul-Keeper nodded in agreement.

---


The Theurgist was nagging the Overlord, and had continued to do so even after receiving word that the Ninja-Lord was alive. Stalking insistently behind the Overlord, the transparent spirit muttered, “Let me see your hand. What did you do to yourself? Are you okay? Why are you not telling me something?” Throwing the occasional elbow or two in the Theurgist’s direction, the Overlord pushed her way out of her tent, glancing around the nighttime for the Ninja-Lord. As she approached the massive campfire that the Sabotage Team had created, she caught a glimpse of her friend sitting next to Jamie and the Twin, a thousand different emotions raging through her mind. She felt relieved, but the fear of losing the Ninja-Lord still plagued her, though she hated to admit it. ‘I’ve turned into such a softy’, the Overlord thought bitterly. Stepping toward the light of the fire, she tilted her head and watched the Ninja-Lord silently.

After a few moments, the Ninja-Lord caught the Overlord’s eye, a smile playing about her lips as she rose from the ground. As the two approached each other, the Overlord felt a stinging tear in her eye, though tried to brush it aside. She wrapped her arms around the Ninja-Lord, holding her tight for a moment before letting go, whispering, “Don’t ever do that again.”

“What? Scare you like that?” the Ninja-Lord grinned from ear-to-ear.

“Yes...” the Overlord replied shortly, a half-smile lighting her features.

“Um, hello, YOU’re scaring me over here, Overlord...” the Theurgist waved his hands about, but met only a cold shoulder.

“I think it looks sort of badass,” the Ninja-Lord held up her arm, letting the Overlord take a gander at its shining form. The Overlord touched it gently, wincing as she did so.

“That must’ve hurt,” the Overlord remarked, looking into the Ninja-Lord’s eyes, “We’ll make him pay.”

“Aye,” the Ninja-Lord nodded, “So we will.”

The Overlord nodded to the Ninja-Lord, but froze, her eyes widening as she stared at the figure on the far side of the firelight. “No...” she murmured, hand straying to Kagi, which hung at her side. As she took a small step forward, the figure greeted her with a simple nod of the head. “... Maverick,” the Overlord’s chin lowered to glare at the hooded woman meaningfully, lip curling in a smile. The hermit moved around the fire with surprising grace, staff in one hand.

“And so the Firebrand’s path crosses once more with Maverick’s,” the Maverick cackled, “Maverick hears you have made a name for yourself. And she wishes to join your faction and lend her abilities.”

“Firebrand would be most pleased to have Maverick in her faction,” the Overlord inclined her head respectfully, “I know you can help us... I’ve seen you fight before. And it’s quite..... Fearsome. Fearsome enough to aid us in fighting DIB, I’m sure.”

“Maverick wants roses. Lots of roses,” Maverick added sharply, her free hand clasping her hip bone stubbornly.

“Firebrand will fetch Maverick many roses,” the Overlord smirked, holding out her hand, “I promise.”

Maverick giggled gleefully, “Good, good!” She clapped her hands together, then grabbed the Overlord’s hand, squeezing it tightly. Leaning forward, Maverick’s eyes glittered in the torchlight. Unsure, the Overlord tried to pull out of the Maverick’s grasp, but did so discreetly. However, the hermit’s grip was like iron, and the Overlord felt her heart begin to thump faster. Was this a trick? The Overlord’s hand rested on Kagi’s hilt, just in case. ‘This woman was always unpredictable... She better not be working for DIB!’, the Overlord thought in a slight panic. The Maverick’s free hand clasped the Overlord’s collar tightly. Pulling the Overlord closer so that she could whisper into her ear, the Maverick grinned toothily, “Maverick knows what even careful eyes do not see... For she has seen it, your secret. Your sin.”

Fear rising in her veins, the Overlord’s eyes darted to where Sexist was watching the two at the very edge of the fire’s light, partially concealed by shadows. The Overlord watched his eyes, as they stared at her, they seemed to glow against the darkened backdrop of the ravine. His arms folded, he brooded silently, pale eyes unblinking. She shuddered involuntarily, reminded of the Nemesis’ cold, malicious eyes. Maverick’s voice dropped even further, “Inconcessus ars.”

Jerking away, the Overlord dusted herself off, adjusting the new set of gloves that shielded her hands. In silence, the Overlord turned on her heel and merely departed back for her tent, casting a wary look over her shoulder at Maverick. The hermit cackled, then added under her breath, “Reckless as ever. You have not changed...”