Thanks for the good comments so far. For now I intend on relativly short chapters detailing the fall of each area, number of chapters dedicated on how big or well prepared a area is. Also as the story progresses Zechs will have alot of Minion fightng with him since he isnt bound to game mechanics. ill try to update alot but these next few months may be hard to make it a daily thing, but definatly weekly. Also for now im leaving the lands of Dark Legend out since i never played it and so cant get a good feel for it.


Chapter 8: Not so Mellow Hills

Overlord Zechs stood infront of the newly rebuilt Town Hall with his arms crossed. Most of his new subjects now slavishly worked to raised animals for food and lifeforce, cutting down trees to either be used in the forge fires or be sent to the Netherworld, and to make new equipment for his Minions. Even now Browns walked around in metal armor and helms carrying swords, axes or maces. Reds where wearing protective metal as well. Greens wore less noisy leather and besides their claws had daggers. Blues had daggers and mixed armor. Wolf mounts near Mount James had been armored, but Zechs hadnt wasted time on all the winter packs since their only real use was in Nordberg. During this time he had finally taken over that cavern to allow safe passage between areas and wiped out the elves there. Then he had fortified Nordberg incase the White Fange or Holy Dominion tried anything. So far it seemed they werent even aware a free town had fallen to a new evil. This worked fine since Zechs needed to experiment on a new transport system. He had hoped for a magic tunnel system connected to the Netherworld, but for now Vanitas said that was not possible. So Zechs tinkered and found another, perhaps better way. He had built what he termed a Tower Gate, a stone circle half ringed by standing stones and connected it to the Tower Heart. He could build more Gates across the lands, able to teleport to a domain in moments. Since it relied on the Heart they could be used without the Netherworld, anywhere so long as the Tower Heart worked really. Already he had created so much, and the world was barely aware of him. As he looked at the Nordbergians, victims of his Evil Presence mind control, he imagened all the raced bowing down and praising him. He rather liked the idea. Which brought him to his next conquest, the Mellow Hills.

Entering the Hall the First Minion unrolled the map. Mellow Hills was Halfling territory and was part of the White Fang's tribunal of the slave market. The village of Spree was used to feed the Halfling slavers and be used as slaves themselves. The elves were constantly attacking it in the name of the Dominion but so far the Halfling King, Gibby Smoothblade, had not lost much land beyond the forest. Zechs talked to Vanitas over the Overlord helm.

" The only human settlement is Spree, with slave camps all over the Hills. We take Spree on the same basic idea of Nordberg, Minions sneak in and open a gate, we rush to fortify it before Gibby or the elves know what happened. From there we use it as a base to destroy the camps then strike at the Halfling village. With the King dead the White Fang's hold on Mellow Hills will break."

"The high and mighty elves and the rest of the Dominion wont exactly be pleased to see one tyrant replace another, especially one they arnt prepared for. The could attack the moment you take Spree." Zechs nodded.

"I will have Reds and Greens hide in the forest connecting the Hills to Evernight. Any elves that try to cross will be ambushed. Heaven's Peak is too far to send troops intime, the Golden Hills are dealing with the Ruborian Raiders, and there is no sea for Everlight to send elves in. No one is expecting or aware of us, and the Mellow Hills cant hold out long."

Two weeks later the Overlord and about fifty Minions stood on a hill overlooking Spree. The land was much different then the mountian terrian of Marquise or the snow of Nordberg. Just hills, rivers, the Evernight forest border, and slave camps. Zechs pointed at the top of the hill and the Minions dragged a large stone circle to the top. Once it was placed and one of every Minion stood on it Zechs reached out with the magic. The stone on the gauntlet glew and the circle responded. The four Minions turned into lifeforce and flew into the stone. A semi circle grew out of the ground and the Tower Gate was activated. Four Minion Gates formed as well from the essence of the sacrificed Minions. Channeling his will through the gauntlet he called more Minions from the Spawning Pits in the Netherworld. Gathering about eighty Minions he sent them to the forest to hold off the elves. Gathering ninty behind him he waited.

The men of Spree looked up and whistled at the woman walking toward the gates. The whistling was cut off by Halfling whips and they returned to slave duty. The sentry at the gate was more professional.

"Welcome to Spree. State your business or by the power given to me by King Gibby I will turn you away."

"I just want to buy some White Fang slaves. I hear the Halflings provide the best outside Marquise." The sentry was about to deny the woman with the odd voice that hid behind a hood, but the Halfling watch captian threw a rock at him and told him to stop getting in the way of business. So the gate opened and the woman walked in. Apparently lost she wandered toward the main gate facing the odd fire that flared in the sky for a moment. Just as the captian was about to direct her to the slave pens the woman fell to pieces. The First Minion and five other Browns jumped the captian and stabbed him. Halfling rocks bounced off their armor and the Minions yelled in bloodlust. The First beheaded a sentry and cranked the gate open. With a yell Zechs led the charge into Spree. The Browns crashed into the gathering Halfling guards and allowed the Reds to get to the top of the walls and throw fire on the back lines. The Overlord sliced through the guards, splattering the area with blood or leaving a burnt smell. The battle seemed over, the Halflings were used to cowering peasants, not well armed Minions and a lightning flinging human. Some tried to run toward the gate to their village, but the Greens cut them down and secured the gate. Vanitas' voice echoed in Zechs' head.

"Overlord, a elf force tried to break through. The Minions are handling it but a human got through and is heading for Spree." Zechs was about to ask what kind of human when said person jumped over the walls. He wore black armor trimmed in copper with a yellow cape. His sword was capable of either one or two handed combat. Its blade also looked like a curved angel wing. Zechs knew the human from reports, a Sky Knight. Paladins with magical talent they were Sora's elite warriors, though the copper trim signaled this one out as a relative newcomer. If the Overlord was slightly surprized to see a human in elf forces the Sky Knight was shocked to see a tall armored warrior with glowing eyes and his demons killing Halflings. The Knight raised his sword in defense while he thought if this newcomer was an enemy.

Zechs spared him the trouble and fired lightning at him, followed by a rain of fireballs. The Knight ran through the volley and charged the angel blade with magic to cut through the dark one. Zechs kicked a Halfling at him and grabbed a Minion. Shaking it he supercharged the Brown and sent it running at the Paladin. The enemy cut clean through the Halfling and was caught in the exploding Minion. Getting up he was kicked in the face by Zechs and sent to the ground again. Gasping in pain the Knight made a final effort to stand up before Zechs electricuted him. The village went silent as the last Halfling died the Minion army marched on Castle Spree. The domination of Mellow Hills had begun.