In the South Zone of the Abyss, sounds of yells and suffering were heard everywhere. But there were some places there where the sound was unheard. One of these places was a large stone chamber excavated on stone, with some jails excavated there. In front of them was a large empty armour with a large halberd, moving around and watching the three only occupied jails of the chamber. One occupied by Isadel, sitting on her knees; other occupied by Ahya, walking from a side to another; and other occupied by Unor, striking the cell's bars trying to get free, which do for an hour at least.
Then a door in the chamber opened, and the armour got firm, when Orlox came inside the room, alongside for what seemed a skeleton dressed as a butler pushing a food cart with a large steel cover.
"Give up, my dear," Orlox said to Unor. "You see the marks on the stone? They were done by something much stronger than a Taumin, so relax, at least for the good of your child.
"I will relax once I am out here and together with my mate I ripped your soul out and fed it to the worms!" she snarled at him in her native language, knowing he understands him.
Ahya rolled her eyes and looks at Orlox "For somebody who holds high regard keeping deals, you got an odd part on that."
"You just got here because you were in the way, my dear. I just ordered to my men to kidnap these two, but you just attacked them when they were to capture Isadel." He replied and looked at the Taumin. "And that will never happen. If I want I can make your mate's tower to fall down with him inside."
"Correction. They tried to kill me with arrows, and that's why they got attacked by me" said Ahya
"You are working for him?" asks Isadel in shock
"No. We have a running deal." she answering "And he is right now hindering me fulfilling my side of the deal." then she turns to him "Speaking of which, my side is put on hold until I am out of here, right?"
"Deal." He said at her, but then noted the eyes of the other two. "Come on, don't look at me. At least I came here to serving you something." He opens the steel cover, revealing lots of food there. Good looking food for their surprise knowing where they are now.
"Who says you aren't poisoning us?" asks Unor punching the cage "Demons have no honour in most cases!"
Orlox laughed at her. "Well thought, but you're wrong. Look, your Overlord and I have a deal, and the only reason he will accomplish his part of the deal is that if he doesn't do that, you would stay here forever, and not in these cells, but with the rest of 'residents' out there." He explained. "And if something happened to you, I doubt the Overlord could do his side of the deal. As you see, you are gold for me on this deal."
"I take it is because he managed to trick a student of yours?" asks Ahya and put the fingers together with a sigh "You are aware that Mephil was always an idiot? I mean I managed to get an audience with YOU by giving him a cow soul. He never reads the details of the contracts"
"Yes, yes, I know that. But this is by principles. If I allow everybody to fool my students and workers, where that could take that to us?"
"You making sure that your students reach a better level before they leave your school lessons" she simply chuckles "Sorry but it would never happen if you had taught him to read the fine print. Not to mention he cheated everybody who sold him anything. Why else would Rodin use the OVERLORD to capture him? His bill is legendary, even my people heard about it"
"We're talking ABOUT Mephil. We both know that even with elite knowledge, he can't do two and two with that topic."
"And the fact he wasn't planning to pay back any debts which didn't include you somehow?" wondered the Naga "He is hated by half the Abyss for that. I am almost betting you're the only Abyss lord without a bounty on his head."
"Well, I would have thrown him to the Suffering Pit for five years or more as a lesson." He said and looked at the Taumin. "You don't know it? Just imagine the worst torture that you can suffer, for around 1000 years. And now compress all that on a second. You will have now an idea of how works the Suffering Pit. And you will end there faster than you can say 'mu' if you don't stop to hit the bars, for 1000 years! They cost me a lot for made them!"
She glared at him, grabbing the bars instead.
"She's a Taumin." sighs Ahya "What do you expect? And might I get my staff back? As I cannot escape here as it is powered by a drop of your blood, it can at least keep my life a bit more comfortable. And tell my people that… the plans are derailing a bit."
"Sorry, but I can't. You know the reasons."
To that, she crosses her arms "I would like to do a reference but you're the wrong species for it."
"Meh, sorry." He said and then looks at Isadel. "And you? From the moment you came here you didn't say a word."
Isadel was just staring, unable to say anything without breaking her own mind.
"Evidently not the talkative type. If wasn't by the Taumin, this could be the quietest place in the Abyss." Orlox shrugs and he was hit by an iron cup… must be left by one of the previous 'guests'.
The taumin was just grinning "Never said something about hitting cups."
"Look, I'm holding all you here because I'm being nice. If I wanted to break your mind, I would simply put you outside with the yells and tortures.
"Orlox… are you trying to REASON with a pissed, pregnant Taumin?" asks Ahya with raised eyes "Even I know that is quite a foolish thing. It's smarter to put her somewhere where she doesn't try to rip open the wall with BARE hands. No matter how futile it is."
"Look, I'm having enough with THIS type of residents outside here with the tortures. And these walls can resist the rage of a creature called the Balrog, and this thing could destroy cities with his bare hands," he said. "Trust me, before die, he technically reduced the population of a giant underground dwarf city to 0."
Isadel was suddenly in the corner of the room hugging herself, while Ahya was visibly nervous.
Unor simply glared at him with very, VERY clear intentions.
Then Orlox sighed loudly. "You know what. Do whatever you want, I'm trying to be a gentleman, so eat your meat and be good girls." He said and left with the skeleton butler, leaving the cart with the food near their jails.
Overlord: Rise of Darkness
"I cannot believe that I am doing that..." muttered the Overlord as he sat on the table of his study room, waiting. Waiting for a cursed dwarf with no sense of time it seems.
"I shouldn't sit here waiting for an ambassador to speak to me." and stood up "I should be out there, storming that damned fortress, get that stupid orb, take revenge on Steadfast and get my girls back!"
Gnarl stood in the near and fingers a bit on an object the Overlord has no clue what it was supposed to be. "Patience Milord. I am sure he will be here soon for the negotiations." Thought the Gnarl could understand. Even the old Minion was holding back the fury that his master is showing. How could that demon dare to simply appear in the tower, kill half of the guards and kidnap the dark elf and the Naga? Not to mention as they later learned the Taumin Misstress was kidnapped as well and the ransom is to get something from Steadfast.
"Cursed demon" muttered Gnarl and shakes his head. It was quite a pain with the mess. Restocking the guards, getting the Naga's calmed down and the promise the Taumins by the Overlord's honour to get the girls back. At least the second in command of the Naga's managed to keep the others in line. The Taumins were a bit difficult but once they were pointed at the source of the offence (including a few well-placed words of truth and hold back information) they are more than eager now to storm Steadfast's place.
"I would rather right now plan the downfall of this cursed knight right now." muttered Gnarl further while narrowing his eyes "Then to wait further for this fat, and drunk dwarf."
The old minion was already playing with the thought of executing Friendfist for "insulting" the overlord... if it wouldn't sour any relationship between the Overlord and the dwarf and have them retaliate with force. And right now having to fight another force would be fatal as everything they have is bound right now. And even after the war, they cannot afford another war until they're stable.
Then the door was crashed open as Friendfist came in. From the movement, both Overlord and Minion knew that this small guy punched the door open... and the damaged door and flatten minion behind it were only confirming it.
"Gnarl... get this minion a treatment... he survived." whispered the Overlord. Gnarl saw that his master was right and took a mental note to find out how he survived... a better surviving minion is a minion that destroys more.
Friendfist took a seat and laughed "Now we can finally begin with our negotiations! Took long enough!"
The Dark Lord raised an eyebrow "As far I got it, you have made US wait and not the other way around."
"Details, details!" laughed the dwarf "Now get the beer!"
The Overlord and Gnarl looked in surprise. Sure Dwarves love beer... but normally they are sane enough that they don't drink it during politics.
At least not since under the Dwarf King Ambert the Drunk, the entire council plus Ambert's wife and not specific members of the different dwarf guard factions got killed after they looked too deep into the cups.
Gnarl happened to know because one of the killed council members happened to be one of the long lines of masters the minions ever had. The original plan was that the Minions rush in, kill everybody and that unnamed Dwarf, as single survivor becomes king by default.
That a drunk guard killed him first wasn't considered beforehand... not to mention the domino effect afterwards. Gnarl didn't know if he should cherish and laugh at this idiocy, or simply cry because work of half a century went down the drain just like that.
"I thought Dwarfs don't drink beer during political stuff ." mused the Overlord, trying to hide the smile under his helmet, recalling the told story.
"Without a good drink, this place is too depressive to really think straight! Not to mention we are talking about the involvement of elves as well!" was the dwarfs reply and hits with his fist the table "now get it here while I use that little bit of ability to think straight to tell you why I am here: "My Clan Master Bloodthorn is proposing a cooperation! She allows your filthy dark elves to pass her territory to get to you, and you use a considerable number of your army to help her become the Dwarf Queen!"
The Overlord put the tips of his fingers together "That is the basic outline of your propose." Then he waves at Gnarl who nods knowingly and moves to order some minions to get a barrel of beer... and that they shouldn't dare to drink it themselves. Bad enough that the Dwarf made the consummation of it explode, the minions shouldn't add to that more than they already do.
Then he looks back at Friendfist "The question is only... what are the details. And what are the expectation of your Clan master? What is considerable? And how fast does she expect it?"
Friendfist laughed and waved with his pointing finger "Nice try boy! But you cannot simply ask things from a 100-year-old dwarf! But to humour you: 600 000 Minions. As fast you can after your little war is over."
Both Overlord and Minion Master stared at the Dwarf in disbelieve. Then Gnarl stepped forward "Let me recap: For allowing us to move troops from the Dark Elves to our lands, you demand over half a million minions to fight a civil war for you?"
"And carry all cost of their upkeep and damages they cause without permission." Added Friendfist with a grin "As well paying us a fee per elf that passes through our territory. Lady Bloodthron thought of a gold statue having at least the same weight as each of the elves, fully equipped, plus anything they use to transport their belongings like horses or carriages"
The Overlord raised up "Gnarl... give the beer to the Minions. I am NOT willing to finance such a street robbery!"
"Hold right here!" shouts Friendfist and hits the table again "The route through our territory is the fastest one and you need to take the lands of Steadfast to use the other route! You need us to get your previous Elves!"
"Correction... I don't need you to get them anyway. Only to get them as fast as possible." was the calm reply of Gnarl who also sports a grin "Even if we sign today until we got the news to the Dark Elves and them getting all organized to send their troops to us, the civil war is over. And they can comfortably come over one of the longer routes."
The Overlord added "The northern routes are controlled by two different kingdoms. While they also ask for a fee of passage, it is on levels we can accept. Not to mention as it is also an important trade route, you have to make a bloody war to control that route. A war you cannot afford to have because of your own civil war." Then he leans on the table "I admit I don't know how much you need OUR troops and OUR money to get further. Properly you just want to make it easy to win for you AND have a good financial grounding to rebuild through us, thinking we need the elves desperately."
"While we want them as soon as possible." added Gnarl "We're willing to wait for a predictable result and then wait until they come the longer route, as letting you robbing us. So we're leaving now. Until your Lady is willing to make a better offer." and the two leave, the Dwarf remaining alone in the room.
Friendfist stared after them and once they are out of hearing reach, he said "Fuck. So much for my dream to get a golden mansion out of it."
Looking at his fist he groans "Lady Bloodthorn will not be happy with me for trying to bargain more than she ordered me too."
Overlord: Rise of Darkness
Lying tired on a spot near a small river, the wolf queen was resting from been used as a mount for these crazy minions, her pack was hunting to get some food together. Which the minions also took their share... sadly. Now the three the debating among themselves, which she didn't mind
"At least it would take a while until they got the idea to either route around that mountain range or climb over it... that gives us a chance to get strength back." whispered the queen to herself. It was a wonder already that none of her remaining pack didn't die from exhaustion, hunger or thirst while taking that forced run towards that place.
"I say we blow mountain up!" told Bomber with a maniac laughter, balancing one of his bombs on his head "Then we simply walk to green!"
Sinker slapped Bomber's head "No! Might catch greens in the boom." then raised his club "Swim to green!" and points to the river.
"Blowing mountain up!"
"Swimming in river!"
"NO! Boom!"
"No! SWIMM!"
And the two minions of the Chaos clashed their
heads together, staring at each other and the sky darkens, the deep growls of an incoming storm were heard as electricity was sparking around the red and blue minion, one holding bombs, already lit, while the other raised his club, ready to bash the other while the wolves only heard "BOOMSWIMBOOMSWIMBOOMSWIM-" and so on.
"Did they only let me and the remaining pack alive for watching them killing each other and kill us in the process?" sighs the wolf queen and laid her head down in resignation "So much for my adept to return the glory of my line."
Then Orez hits the two of them on the head and as fast as the dark clouds appeared... as fast they were gone. Even the bombs are no longer lit. Bomber and Sinker rubbed their heads in pain and the brown declared "No boom! No Swimm! Me cut mountain. Making tunnel for us to use!" and proudly raised his green sword.
"Cutting a tunnel into a mounting with a green tainted bronze sword? Yeah... that is totally working!" mused the Wolf Queen and had to hold back a laugher as she doesn't know how these crazed minions would react "I wonder why every two-legged being insisted on using pickaxes and other tools if cutting with a blade is the easiest solution"
"Thanks, Wolfie!" called Orez over, making said female wolf wonder how the hell this guy could hear her before running to the closest wall of the mountain and raised his blade high with one hand.
"FOR THE OVERLORD! FOR THE MASTER! FOR THE GREENS!" shouts Orez and strikes down. Seemly not even touching the wall. Turning around he raised his arm in victory and laughed... while to his sides two heavy stone plates fell down from the sides, revealing a tunnel, which seems to be made by dwarves due how symmetric it was. Like a transport hall through a mountain which was forgotten and sealed by growing a mountain wall in front of it.
Which is unlogical, unreasonable, impossible and beyond any chance that this minion found it by chance. Let alone open it with a single strike.
Did we also mention the tunnel was lit by perfectly lined up lamps like they were just enlightened? And not a single corn of dust visible on anything.
If the Wolf queen were a snake, her jaw would hit the ground and remain there for gods how long until her shattered sense of reality got put together, and her brain getting the much-needed reboot.
Thankfully she was a wolf so it was just hanging in the air, still attached to her head.
The other two minions cheered for their leader and Bomber shouts "Ride through mountain! Best option!
"And fastest!" agreed Sinker "once Wolfies back and all have eaten, we ride wolfies through the tunnel."
"perhaps Master waiting behind tunnel!" cheered Orez "Then giving him Wolfies while we search greens! Finding green brother!"
The queen groaned loudly as her mind was taped back together and laid down, front paws over her head. This was too much for her! And to think that she might see more of this weirdness with their master... she wishes her mind would simply shatter and remain that way. Or better she dies. Then she wouldn't have to bear with this craziness anymore.
Which deity or god did she piss off to deserve this?