Author's Note: With the lack of a computer, please don't expect daily updates. I think that two or three a week is fair. Enjoy the chapter!
YuyaYunka: Welcome back. As I have said before, don't be so shy. It's the internet, and nobody knows who you are.
littleking9512: Indeed….
Xtenchix: as amusing as that would be, I can't have the Overlord use artillery. :P
Overkhryak: I agree, I will try to avoid eclecticism in the future.
Disclaimer: My characters are mine, Overlord is someone else's.
Chapter XXVII: Let the Love Games Begin!
(A/N: this has absolutely nothing to do with the Hunger Games.)
Hanson arrived at the Dark Tower by dawn, when the pale rays of light had just emerged from the ring of mountains that surrounded the Tower. The light bathed the black in light pink and reflected off of the Overlord's armor. Hanson strode up to the gates and raised his left arm.
The power from his gauntlet infused with the gates and a moment later, the arcanium doors opened to reveal Gnarl.
"Sire, you have a visitor," the minion master said with a bow. "If you would follow me, I shall take you to him."
The Overlord followed the aged brown up the various stairways and passages until the duo reached the throne room. Hanson looked around for the visitor, but was unable to find him. The Overlord looked down at Gnarl in confusion, but the minion master simply grinned and pointed at a patch of shadow.
Garrett emerged soundlessly from the shadows and produced the First Overlord's sword from beneath his dark cloak.
"Here is your order…Overlord," he said in a low voice. Despite the joy welling up in his heart, Hanson couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong. After a moment, it hit him like a thunderbolt.
"And Assira?" He asked, fearing the worst. "She was captured by paladins just as we were about to escape," the master thief replied. "The paladins do not know that we came for the sword. With her quick thinking, Assira disguised our true intent and allowed me to escape."
The Overlord's heart started to beat faster. "Is she dead then?" He said, claws of ice gripping his heart. "No," the thief replied as he looked at Hanson. His mismatched eyes seemed to bore holes through the Overlord's helmet and look straight into his soul. "She is imprisoned in William's dungeons, awaiting trial by the paladin council."
"When shall this trial take place?" Gnarl butted into the conversation. "In a week or so," the thief replied, now looking at Gnarl. "It seems that fate is offering us a unique opportunity sire…we can be rid of the paladins and rescue your…female friend in one fell swoop."
The Overlord began to comprehend the minion master's plan. "We must accelerate our plans then. I will inform Chojash that he must be ready in three days, in exchange for thrice the original rewards. If I can cause enough of a racket in Evernight, the paladins and their over-inflated sense of pride will be more than happy to delay the trial in favor of aiding their allies."
Garrett nodded his agreement. "I shall depart then." He turned towards the stairs, but the paused and removed his hood to look straight at Hanson's glowing eyes. Despite his grey hair and lined face, the thief was still very imposing. "Take good care of her or you will regret it terribly. You won't be the first all-powerful being I brought low," he said with a half-smile and a distant glint in his left eye. The Overlord did not doubt the thief, and had a feeling that the strange right eye was somehow involved.
"I will," Hanson vowed. The thief simply nodded and raised his hood. The Overlord looked down for a moment, pondering the future and when he looked up once more the thief had vanished.
Assira sat inside her cell in the White Tower, the tallest building in the Capital City, pondering her fate. The cell was simple, but still comfortable. There was a bed with actual sheets as well as a table with a chair and a bookcase. Meals were brought three times a day and an hour of exercise in the yard outside was permitted.
The paladins had done nothing to mistreat Assira, or even search her for that matter. She wasn't sure what awaited her, but she doubted it was anything good. The sound of approaching feet broke her out of the reverie and she looked up to see three white-armored paladins outside her cell door.
The one in the center had a short brown beard and brown hair flecked with gray as well as dull grey eyes. His bulging belly was barely contained by his armor and Assira swore she could hear the rivets threatening to pop. The two paladins that flanked him had their hoods raised so all that could be seen were their mouths.
"So you're the one that attempted to steal the guardian crystals," he said, his voice as hard as the walls of the prison tower. "Yes I am," she said, meeting his eyes defiantly. "You are then hereby charged with thievery. Your trial will take place in a month and the High Court of the Light shall decide your fate then," the paladin said pompously. Assira grinned to herself as she thought of what Gnarl might say about the paladin. Pompous fools who only look to impress others with their so-called piety, men who relish the opportunity to demonstrate to others how they are caught in their heretical ways and to lead them towards the "true path."
"Does something amuse you, heretic?" the paladin said, trying to look as threatening as possible. Needless to say, he failed miserably as the only threatening thing about him was the possibility of him falling on top of Assira belly first.
The paladin continued to glower for a bit and then began to tramp back down the hall, his accomplices in tow.
Assira leaned back in her bed and stared at the ceiling of her cell. Wherever you are Hanson, I hope you're coming to get me.
The Overlord sped through the forest in the guise of Lord Osst towards the Thieves' Den, his thoughts focused on Assira. "You know sire, I'm sure that she is quite alright," the minion master said as comfortingly as possible. "The paladins strive for their prisoners to repent and convert to their religious scam. We have plenty of time to free your future mistress."
While Gnarl wasn't the most trustworthy type around, Hanson was still comforted by the minion master's words.
Before long, the familiar shapes of the bandit camp came into sight. This time, the men at the entrance simply stood aside and let the Overlord rife straight to Chojash's pavilion. The camp was in a state of high alert and the various bands were grinding themselves for war. Weapons were being sharpened on grindstones and makeshift armor was being assembled from various bits and pieces.
Hanson dismounted and entered the pavilion, nodding briefly to Chojash and his mother. "I am afraid that we have been somewhat compromised," he said. "We must accelerate our plans. I shall provide enough arms and armor for your men and thrice the original promised reward for you to be ready to march in three days."
Chojash pretended to think carefully while he inconspicuously looked at his mother, who gave him a slight nod. "What a mama's boy!" Gnarl exclaimed. "I'm surprised his slaves don't spoon-feed him his honeyed porridge."
The Overlord smiled slightly as Chojash said "I accept your offer Lord Osst, we shall be ready by your new deadline. When can we expect these arms and armor you so graciously have chosen to equip my men with?"
"Now." Several horse-drawn carts emerged from the main road, guided by some villagers from Spree. The carts stopped in the middle of the camp and Hanson walked out of the tent to watch the assembling bandits. Chojash managed to extract himself from his chair and followed.
"Men," the bandit lord began in a weedy voice. "We live well enough now, but this man has offered us the opportunity for a better life. A series of armed rebellions shall drive the three great realms into becoming one massive empire. For the part we play in this unification, we shall be awarded with the realm of Evernight and many elven…associates," Chojash trailed off, allowing his underlings to grasp what he was saying. It was clear from the grins appearing on the faces of the bandits that most of them understood what their lord was saying perfectly.
"Gather in front of Evernight in three days, fully armed with rations and torches. Begin the attack at dawn, and use fire to deal with any problematic elves. I shall ride to the Capital City and take control of the army and the court. You can count on aid coming to you from the opposite end of the forest. In a few days, your combined forces shall meet in the middle, crushing all opposition," the Overlord said.
He mounted his horse and rode from the camp, his cloak blazing behind him like fire. In three days, the alliance shall fracture, and their realms will burn, he thought vengefully as the forest flew past.
Three Days Later
The Overlord, in the guise of the knight Ryrin, rode his horse at a gallop towards the Capital City. The guards at the gates only stopped him for a few moments until they recognized the face of the winner of the King's Tourney. Then, they parted and let the knight continue his full-pelt gallop to the keep.
Upon arriving at the keep, Ryrin dismounted and tossed the reins to the nearest stable boy before rushing up the white marble steps to the throne room. The guards took one look at the three-day beard on the knight's face as well as the travel-stained clothing and let him pass.
The king was holding court with his daughter in tow when the Overlord burst in, feigning tiredness and alarm. "What is the meaning of this?" a fat lord, probably the master of coin intoned. "Guards, remove this man!"
"Calm yourself Lord Iros, this man is a well-respected knight and possibly my daughter's future husband. Whatever he has to say, I'm sure it is important. Why else would he have dragged himself here in such a state?" William said.
Hanson bowed before the paladin before relating his tale. "The bandits you sent me to deal with are much more organized than we first believed. They have united into one large band and have slaughtered many villages before turning their eyes to Evernight. Even now they are burning their way through the forest." The King and his ministers stared at the Overlord in shock while Elizabeth's hand went strait to her mouth in fright.
"My men held them off as long as they could. They sacrificed themselves so that I could escape to warn you in time. My lord, I beseech you to send aid to the elves."
"Sir Ryrin, please come up to our private dining hall. The rest of you, this meeting is adjourned. Call Lord Leandros to my private halls as well. We have important business to discuss," King William said before rising from his throne and swiftly walking up the stairs, Elizabeth and Hanson in tow.
Once they trio had reached the Royal residence, the king turned to face Ryrin, gripping him by the muscular shoulders. "I understand that the loss of your men must be painful. I myself had once lost all those under my command and I know what you feel. However, you are no use to us half-alive. I command you to wash, eat, and rest before we begin our meeting."
The Overlord nodded and turned to descend the steps. "I think it would be appropriate if you used a room here. After all, you might be king one day," William said.
I will be king one day paladin, but not in the way you believe, Hanson thought as he turned. "Come sir knight, I'll show you to your room," Elizabeth said as she took the Overlord by the hand and led him up a further flight of steps to the Royal apartments.
As she guided him through the various halls, Elizabeth kept turning to smile her dazzling smile at the Overlord. As he followed the crown princess around the palace, Hanson couldn't help but note how beautiful she was, closer to an elf than a human.
"Here we are," she said as she stopped in front of one of the many rooms. "I'll have clothes and a tub brought up for you. Afterwards you can eat with us downstairs and then rest until the meeting begins. I'll come get you," she said and planted a light kiss on his cheek.
Then she turned and walked back towards the stairs, leaving the Overlord in a state of confusion outside of his quarters.
Author's Note: As always, please make comments and suggestions! ~R. Overlord~