The Overlord Saga
Vol III. The Armageddon Prophecy
Chapter 6: Fate's Champions
The Overlord used to go to the library frequently to do research, but lately she found herself avoiding it. But upon re-entering the section of the Fortress she'd neglected for so long, she developed an immediate longing to stay. The crimson sky radiated through the large stained glass windows, casting an array of colors on the desks and shelves. The Librarian looked up from her book, then waved amiably at the Overlord, a smile on her face. "I haven't seen you in awhile!" She received a tackle-hug from the Soul-Keeper, then asked, "What are you two looking for this evening?"
"Do you have any saucy romance novels?" the Soul-Keeper asked before the Overlord could speak. The Librarian raised her eyebrows, chose to ignore the hyperactive Soul-Keeper, then turned to look at the Overlord.
"Any books you have regarding the End of the World would be appreciated," the Overlord said firmly, "And I'd prefer it if you kept it quiet we were looking at-"
"OVERLORD!" a unison of voices cut her off and the Overlord whirled around to see a handful of Overlings march through the doors, led by the Advisor. The Captain was looking better, but still seemed to be limping along. The Lieutenant was at his side- no different than before. The Evocator seemed like a dwarf compared to the two muscular troopers, and next to her was the Animal Tamer, cuddling a snow leopard cub with both arms, its hind feet dangling below. The Apprentice was in the back somewhere, a radio on her shoulder with Three Day's Grace's 'Riot' playing softly in the background. The Scribe could be seen as well, documenting everything with a feathered pen and a slab of paper. Belarus was notably absent, after being banned from the library for burning the entire collection of Stephanie Meyer's books. The Grasshopper was also not seen, but this came as no surprise to the Overlord- her apprentice liked to stay out of the Overling council affairs. She looked around for the Ninja-Lord instead, but found her surprisingly missing... Or just sneaking through the bookshelves to cut off an escape.
"You've certainly got some explaining to do!" the Captain jabbed a finger at the Overlord, who merely took his wrist in a pincer-like lock, glaring at the mass that had poured through the doorway.
"Be quiet, this is a library!" the Librarian tried in vain.
"What is the meaning of this?" the Overlord sneered, unable to erase the irritation from her voice.
"So, what? We're just not cool enough for you anymore?" the Lieutenant huffed with a shake of his head. "Rude, Overlord. Very rude."
"When did you plan on telling us that the world was gonna end?" the Evocator asked, her voice neutral.
"I... What," the Overlord blinked.
"The world is gonna end! And you didn't TELL us?" the Advisor declared loudly, her hands on her hips. At the moment, she had an incredibly angered expression- one that reminded the Overlord of a mother scolding her child. That thought only drove the Overlord to take an aggressive step forward, bristling at the Overling council.
"Who told you!?" the Overlord snarled, glaring them all down.
The Animal Tamer was the one to speak up, bouncing to the front alongside her sister, "Well, okay. Here's how it started..." She cleared her throat, "Underling Ke$ha saw the Soul-Keeper talking about it with you, and then he told TCUE, who told Ginger, who told Owl, who told Brainsucker, who told Germany, who told Wilma, who told China, who told Prussia, who told Russia, who told Sexist, who told the Ninja-Lord, who told Kunoichi, who told Belarus, who told me, who told the Advisor, who told the rest of the Overling council." The Overlord stared, blinked, then waited for the Animal Tamer to finish. When it became apparent that her ridiculous response was the correct one, the Overlord merely facepalmed. I've a bunch of gossiping idiots for an army.
"So you caught me. Now the entire army knows," the Overlord held up her hands, "But that changes nothing, that I didn't tell you. If it changes anything, it changes that everyone's going to be panicking now." She huffed a sigh, then added, "Guess it can't be helped now. If you know, you might as well help me fix this."
"And why should we do that?" the Ninja-Lord said from behind the Overlord. Not turning around, the Overlord scowled, her eyes flicking from the Animal Tamer to the left corner of her eye. "What else have you been hiding from us?" the Ninja-Lord asked, resting a hand on her katana's hilt. I knew she'd been acting strangely, the Overlord thought, Has she been spying on us!? Does she know that we're- The Theurgist shared her concern, but did not voice it. Instead, she felt the tremor of his heart, which she realized at the moment was her own heart, and exhaled loudly.
"We just found out today," the Overlord pointed out, "I would've told you eventually, but I didn't want to until I was certain."
"The Rift and a message from the angels isn't enough?" the Ninja-Lord countered.
The Overlord's eyes narrowed, "I still need to look into this. One way or another. You're to resume your duties. All of you. Pretend like nothing is wrong until I make an announcement as to when we're leaving."
"Leaving?" the Advisor asked, eyes wide, "But the Rift is HERE!"
"And if I'm right, the things that can stop the Rift from engulfing our Fortress are all on Earth. Which means we're not staying here," the Overlord declared, looking out at the group of Overlings, "We're taking the fight to the three monsters causing this mischief." She paused- for dramatic effect and because the Soul-Keeper sneezed and she felt it appropriate to tell him "God bless you".
"Three monsters? Do elaborate," the Captain remarked.
"If I must..." the Overlord ran her hands along the spine of a nearby book- the Encyclopedia. She began flipping the pages absent-mindedly, "Three monsters have been unleashed. One is of air, one is of land, and one is of the water. In order to stop the end of the world, we have to destroy all three. But it's a race. We have to do it before they've killed everything. And in order to do that, we'll have to leave. Because they're all on Earth." She opened up the page to a picture of a large boar-like animal, "This one is Behemoth. It's the land one. And the next one is Ziz- that's the air one." She pointed to an eagle on the next page. The next page depicted a large shark, "That's Leviathan. It's the water one." She exhaled loudly, turning the page quickly. Admittingly, she had a phobia of sharks- probably because they were big and had teeth. She'd not even liked the Animal Tamer's T-Rex after awhile, especially after Ginger called it a "land shark". The concept of "land sharks" were terrifying to the Overlord. Almost as terrifying as a giant spider, at least.
"So, we kill these monsters," the Lieutenant said loudly. Everyone turned to look at him, "I mean, okay, let's think about this. Zombie hordes have attacked this Fortress. A freaking Jabberwocky was here last time! And don't forget the Zilant!" There were murmurs of agreement. The Lieutenant shrugged, "So what- three monsters. Big whoop. We faced nearly impossible odds less than a year ago, and... Look where we are now. We beat DIB. We beat the Uberlord. It's not like this'll be any different."
"Wow, you're unusually optimistic," the Captain remarked.
"You know... He's right," the Evocator nodded slowly, stepping up alongside the Overlord, "This won't be any different. There will be long, hard battles. There will be victories... And losses." Everyone in the room grew deathly silent. Pain flashed in the Evocator's eyes for a moment. The Overlord's hand brushed her elbow, but she restrained the Theurgist from doing something stupid (and incredibly awkward). The Evocator continued quietly, "But we've always prevailed. That's just how we are."
"We're not the kind of people to give up easily," the Ninja-Lord said firmly, her teal eyes scouring the crowd, "We never have been."
"This will require massive amounts of preparation. We'll need rations. Weaponry!" the Advisor began, pulling out a feathered pen and a notepad. She began scribbling everything down, "We'll also need transportation! And, possibly, despite the fact that our recruitment rates have skyrocketed this past half-year, there's a chance casualties could be massive in combat against such creatures. We'll need more man-power. More soldiers! And if I'm right, we'll need at least a thousand more Underlings, possibly a few catapults, a ballista or five, twenty more T-rexes, and maybe even a bush baby."
"What's the bush baby for?" the Scribe asked, confused.
"Hey! It's always nice to have a bush baby!" the Captain interjected.
"Bush babies have been known to carry an unexplainable amount of magic. They're sort of like... Power enhancers," the Advisor explained, "I think it has to do with... their eyes."
"I'll need an iTunes gift card," the Apprentice said thoughtfully, "We're gonna need more Skrillex."
"And I'd recommend a boat. Especially if we're going after Leviathan," the Evocator pointed out. "Do you think Jamie would let us borrow hers?"
"Heck, she'd want in on the entire expedition. Which would help us get more troops. I could always contact the Twin as well, and... Maybe even..." the Overlord began, but trailed off, catching a glimpse of the Ninja-Lord's frown at the corner of her eye. She scratched the back of her neck, "Uhhh, let's not get ahead of ourselves! I'll send a message to Jamie and we can start from there!"
“So what are your orders?” the Ninja-Lord asked calmly, resting her hands on her hips.
“Order Pizza Hut. I want a large Hawaiian pizza, hand-tossed crust, and those cinnamon breadsticks. WITH the white frosting to go with it,” the Overlord said firmly, then turned on her heel, “I have important business to take up with an old friend. Until I return, the Ninja team should watch the Rift, the Animal Tamer should start finding a bush baby, and... the Zombie Headhunting team needs to continue resting for what’s to come. Evocator, I would like you to research as much as you can about places connected with any existing Ragnorak theories or Armageddon prophecies. Soul-Keeper, you help her and I’ll buy you those handcuffs you wanted.” She didn’t wait for a reply.
So we’re leaving?
Looks like it.
What you plan to do next, Overlord... I’m not sure it will succeed.
Hm. I have to try. It succeeded once before.
Those were very desperate times.
And these aren’t?
You bring up a valid point.
---
The Insurgents’ forest had adjusted to the shorter days, huddled around sporadic campfires that had been built over the old ANF campsite. Evening had settled in, the crimson skies dulled down with a central strip of overcast, blackened clouds. McCoy was sitting a log conveniently set by the fire, warming his hands. Mooka sat to his side, near his discarded machine gun, which was in proper need of cleaning. As light filtered through the branches, he caught sight of a few more Insurgents, returning from the woods to join him.
“Insurgent Leader has Foreigner in his tent,” Canada observed, “I heard she’s going to be a Captain.”
“Bow chicka wow-wow,” Tinkerbell retorted, plopping down next to McCoy. He was dangling a small bag, listening to what sounded like coins as they rattled. Grinning devilishly, Tinkerbell opened the pouch, pouring out a few pieces of gold into his palm.
“Oy... Tinkerbell... Where’d you find that money?” McCoy asked, eyebrows quirked out of interest. Mooka, immediately drawn to the shiny objects, was seized with a hand.
“A giant spider,” Tinkerbell said firmly.
“What?” McCoy asked, blinking a few times.
“You mean... You plucked that off a spider? How?” Canada shared McCoy’s confusion, reaching out to grab the pouch. Tinkerbell drew away immediately, clutching his gold in paranoia.
“I killed him.”
“Eh?” Canada asked, head tilted to the side.
“... And then I took it from his dead body,” Tinkerbell concluded his brief story with a smile.
“And how’d you manage that?” Idico asked, joining the group of Insurgents by the fire. He sat on the opposite side, his face illuminated by the firelight. Reaching out with a twig, he poked and prodded at the firewood keeping the flames going, stirring the logs.
“He had it on him!” Tinkerbell insisted.
“Don’t be stupid...” Idico retorted snidely.
“I’m telling you, it was on him when he died!” Tinkerbell put the gold coins back into the pouch, then pocketed it. He glanced at the other Insurgents, who all were giving him bizarre glances.
McCoy was the first to speak, being the most reasonable of the Insurgents, “How so? Giant spiders typically don’t have pockets... Or do they?” He stroked his chin thoughtfully, warranting an agreeable noise from Canada, who shrugged in consideration. Idico didn’t look terribly convinced, but merely stated:
“I once knew a giant spider...”
“It was more like a satchel,” Tinkerbell explained, realizing the more he spoke, the more insane he sounded.
“He was a greedy thing...”
“A satchel? Was he gay?” Canada snorted with laughter. He had, at this point, acquired a carton of root beers from a nearby Insurgent that was passing them around. He began dispersing them throughout the group gathered by the fire.
“A satchel! Of course...” McCoy inclined his head understanding, all the while continuing to question Tinkerbell’s sanity. The more he thought, the more he contemplated, even reminding himself of the Psych Ward that was being open somewhere in the Between. Cedar Run- or something like that. All he knew was that it was some form of institution that they were putting magic-infused madmen into.
“His name was Carl...” Idico continued, oblivious.
“I didn’t know him long enough to ask him about his sexuality,” Tinkerbell retorted, arms folded, “I mean, it wasn’t like it took long or anything. Just kind of... Saw ‘em, then killed ‘em...”
“Canada, don’t be absurd. Gay men don’t carry satchels. Indiana Jones had a satchel,” McCoy waved his hand aside, removing his hat and setting it down atop Mooka’s head, sniggering as it enveloped the ferret. Mooka let out a snippy noise of objection.
“Come to think of it...”
“What... are you guys talking about?” Agent asked, approaching the group with an odd, yet amused expression on his face. He snatched a root beer from Canada’s grasp, then swaggered his way into the gathering, settling down next to Idico.
“Ahhh, young Master Agent!” McCoy greeted him warmly.
“Carl had a satchel...”
“Has Norris reported back?” Agent asked, opening the lid of the root beer, then taking a swig of it.
“Not yet, sir,” Tinkerbell answered for McCoy, drawing his sword and looking it over. Taking a tattered looking rag, he began to clean the blade. Much to Agent’s disgust, there was a rather suspicious looking goop on his sword that looked like arachnid guts. McCoy’s smile faltered, altering into what appeared to be a grimace.
“YOU KILLED CARL!” Idico exclaimed, aghast and staring at Tinkerbell.
There was an unexplainable silence, the awkwardness overwhelming the entire campsite. A few heads turned, staring at the almost deranged Insurgent. Agent inched away from Idico, casting him a worried gaze. Continuing with just as much bravado as usual, Agent continued, “Anyways... Norris took Batman out for a scouting mission. They should have gotten back by now, but-”
Idico stood up, pointing at the darkening forest, mouth slightly agape, but moving as though he was trying to say something. McCoy grabbed his machine gun instinctively with one hand, his hat with the other. Tossing his hat atop his head, he checked his gun for ammo as Idico declared, “Look! Over there! Someone’s running at us!”
“Insurgents! To arms! Intruders in the forest!” Norris shouted, sword in hand as he sprinted into the firelight. Agent grabbed Norris by the shoulder, stopping him and looking off into the woods, his eyes wide.
“Alert the Insurgent Leader. McCoy! Take the gunmen around and circle to cut them off from the Wasteland. Tinkerbell, take the opposite side and don’t let them near the campsite. Idico, Canada, Batman! You’re with me! We’ll cut him off!” Agent ordered, taking authority at once. Snatching his handgun, he loaded it with a round and began into the woods. Idico snatched his assault rifle, Canada his sword, and Batman his handgun.
Agent kept to the shadows, his gun held with two hands. He peered around a tree trunk, catching brief sight of McCoy on the far end with his machine gun, Mooka’s silhouette visible on the gunman’s shoulder. As he moved stealthily through the trees, the intruder came into view, cloaked and unrecognizable from a distance. However, as the stranger- apparently a woman- stopped her trek through the woods and drew her scythe, Agent realized who they were dealing with. Instantaneously, McCoy came from the shadows behind her, gun barrel pointed at her. To her other side, Tinkerbell stepped forward, lance held in both hands defensively. The Insurgents circled around her slowly, but she didn’t make a move to strike. Agent made himself known by stepping into the dim twilight.
“It’s the Overlord...” he heard Idico hiss under his breath.
“We should check our surroundings. Her army might be here,” Canada advised, glancing over his shoulder in paranoia.
“Don’t worry,” the Overlord lowered her hood, bangs falling in her eyes. Glowering at the Insurgents as they surrounded her, she held her scythe comfortably in a hand, noticing the heavily-armed platoons that had encircled her loosely. She caught sight of Agent immediately, her green eye narrowed at the young Insurgent. “I’m alone. Your search is unnecessary, Insurgent Canada.”
“What are you doing here?” Agent demanded, handgun pointed at the Overlord.
“Don’t trust her. She’s never been known to stay true to her word,” Canada hissed, gaining an approving nod from Tinkerbell.
“I see you’ve collected a few of the Nemesis’ old dogs. Blondie...” the Overlord caught sight of the ex-DIB member among the swordsmen next to Tinkerbell. She felt a flare of anger course through her, her eyes flashing in the fading crimson light. Tinkerbell flinched visibly, his lance held firmly despite her intimidating glare. “And even some of my old dogs, too. How much does loyalty cost these days?”
“Don’t forget it was us that helped you get your stupid Fortress back,” Tinkerbell shot back venomously.
“Noted...” the Overlord turned to glance at McCoy, a frown furrowing her features. He’d have made an excellent Underling... she thought to herself, sad and a tad disappointed he had decided to revert back to his old ways. It didn’t matter though- or so she tried to remind herself. All of the Insurgents would belong to her someday. She turned her attention to Agent, vaguely aware that he’d asked her a question. “I’m here to speak with the Insurgent Leader. It’s important, so I would appreciate it if we cut to the chase.”
“Not a chance. You think I’ll just let you walk in there?” Agent sneered, talking a few confident steps forward. As swift as lightning, the Overlord moved, the scythe flying from her hands. Aimed in Agent’s general direction, the scythe landed, thudding into the dirt with the blade embedded in the ground.
“What do you need for me to do in order to prove that I’m not here to continue our stupid war?” the Overlord snapped, bristling as she glared at the Agent, “You’ll take me to the Insurgent Leader. Because this concerns him, too. This concerns us all.” Agent heard the malice and authority in her voice, wincing and falling back a step as he realized how serious she was being. “The rift between the Fortress and this woods...” the Overlord explained in a low voice, “It’s much more serious than you think.”
“Well? What do you want me to do?” McCoy called over to Agent.
“... Let her have her meeting with the Insurgent Leader,” Agent retorted, “Any funny business, though... And McCoy has my permission to fill you with bullets. Tinkerbell, take her scythe.”
“And I’ll expect to have that back,” the Overlord added sharply, watching the traitorous Insurgent as he fetched the scythe from the ground. McCoy stepped forward, gently grabbing her by the shoulder. The Overlord tensed, but didn’t strike, glancing at her former ally from the corner of her green eye. “This is a parley, after all.”
“You’ll have it returned to you,” McCoy reassured her gently.
“Good. At least one of you Insurgents has a speck of decency,” the Overlord responded vehemently, sending each of them suspicious glares as she did so. She allowed McCoy to lead her from the woods, towards the distant fires of the Insurgent campsite. Drawing in a deep breath, she tucked the rims of her hood closer to her neck, feeling the chill of the night breeze. A tension had settled in- and for that moment, she doubted herself. She doubted that she was doing the right thing.
“How’s Fish?” McCoy inquired lightly as they traversed the darkened woods.
“He misses you. I can tell,” the Overlord responded, her voice neutral, though McCoy could detect a hint of warmth in her words. He smiled to himself, then nodded.
“I miss him.”
Moments later, they had broken through the rim of the firelight that illuminated the campsite. McCoy’s gentle grasp on her shoulder only firmed when every set of eyes locked on them immediately. The Overlord’s jaw clenched, but she said nothing to the enemy footsoldiers. Years ago, she could imagine Sexist here as well. He was a perfect fit with the lot of soldiers glaring at her. But nothing was quite as smoldering as his glowing cerulean gaze. She noted Norris and a female speaking in low voices and looking at her. It was evident that the rumors were true about there being a new female in the Insurgents’ ranks. Foreigner... So that’s her... the Overlord thought to the Theurgist, who merely sent her a wordless wave of warning. Her head turned to the largest tent in the campsite, near the Insurgents’ flag that blew in the fell wind. A split second passed and the Overlord felt a strange pain shoot up her back, but said nothing and winced.
The Insurgent Leader stood, gloved hand still clasping the tent flap. Muramasa was visible in his hand, and his frame was outlined by torch in his tent. She could sense her younger brother’s dark glare, and set her jaw firmly shut, teeth pressed against each other in anticipation and tension.
“McCoy, Tinkerbell! Hold her,” He stepped down towards her, blade reflecting the crimson and orange flames that danced around in their confines in the wooded campsite. And it suddenly became evident that the Insurgent Leader wasn’t going to honor any sort of parley. Not with the Overlord, at least.
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