"We have our orders men," the sergeant whispered, slowly drawing his blade.

"But, sir. Aren't we meant to be protecting these people?" One of his men asked.

"We protect the land, and unfortunately the best way is to deny resources to the enemy, and decrease the strain on our own. Only one survivor managed to get away to inform the rest of us, the Overlord's minions are spawned from the life force of those he slays. Kill any man that cannot, or will not wield a weapon, anyone over the age of sixty as well." And with those final words the massacre began.

Khalenhad leaned against the doorway. He hadn't forgotten what had led him to the elves, and then there was a whole new set of questions ready. The king hadn't been told about the Overlord stealing the possible future queen of the elves, surely that would motivate everyone to get her back more if they'd been informed. Oberon wouldn't give him any answers, he knew that much. But he knew someone who thought they were cleverer than they were and was likely to slip up.

"Mirah." He said, giving a slight nod before following her as she walked out of the guest wing of the castle.

"What do you want halfbreed." Mirah hissed.

"I need to know a few things."

"You don't need to know anything apart from to drink, eat and where the bathroom is."

"Fine, I want to know a few things."

"If you learned anything else your head might explode."

"Fine then, I'll just point out a few obvious things that no one else seems to have noticed."

The elf stopped and turned to face the paladin, fighting the urge to go for her sword. "And what might that be?" She said through gritted teeth.

Khalenhad gave a slight smile at her annoyance. "How about the king falling I'll just as your people arrive? Or how you said there was another group of your people coming but there's been no sign? I think the first one has the most effect, don't you?"

There was a slight growl from Mirah. "We had nothing to do with that."

"Now, I don't know that, and I don't think the king would see it that way."

She took a slight pause before starting to smile as well. "Your people perceive what they want to. All of them apart from you want to see us as morally incorruptible, what makes you think they'll stop just because of you?"

"What makes you think they won't?"

"Your people are naive."

"And yours arrogant. All I want is the truth."

"The truth is different to everyone."

"No, the truth is always the same, people's perception of it is what changes,"

"Why not ask Oberon then? Surely he would be more likely to talk."

"Talking is different to telling the truth."

Mirah started walking again, heading for the castle training grounds. "The truth, so many sides to it. Do you know what the third Overlord did to the village of Spree?"

"History does not remember small villages."

"Oh, but only by looking at all sides of the truth can you know it. He gave them their food back, it had been stolen by the fallen hero, Melvin Underbelly, formerly known as Melvin the small."

"And your point is?"

"I haven't made it yet. The city that we're standing now, do you know what he did here?"

"He tore it apart, killing citizens and destroying buildings."

"Wrong. It was during an attack by the Kahn the warrior that the city was ravaged."

"So?"

"Next, Evernight, tell what your history books say?"

"He attacked the elves, taking slaves and unleashing monsters."

"Both wrong, the dwarfs attackers the elves under the command of Goldo Golderson, another fallen hero, the monsters were caused by the Oberon , and you'll never guess what he was."

"Another, fallen hero." Khalenhad sighed.

"And what do you think of the truth now?"

"You could be lying to me, I don't know if you told me anything that's correct."

"Fine then, go check your little history books, and bet all of them will tell the story the exact same way, using the exact same words, they only show the truth the king wants you to see."

"And your people let you learn these things?"

"Why wouldn't they, we aren't cattle waiting to be slaughtered, it is our own choices that we make, not the one others choose for us."

"Then why haven't your people joined the Overlord?"

"Why haven't yours?"

"We'd rather die fighting than live as slaves."

"My people actually believe that and don't just say it."

Ash and bone and charred flesh lined the spot that Lo recognised as the town at the crossroads in the jungle. She could see the buildings in the spot where they used to stand and the blackened planks that now lay in their places. They'd seen the glow on the horizon yesterday but thought nothing of it, but this, this?

"What happened here?" She half whispered.

"You're father" Lo heard Lilith's voice ring through her helmet, "it was a common tactic of his during the war. To fight a fire in the jungle you cut off its fuel, since minions come from life force, he sees it as necessary."

"Who would have been killed?"

"Anyone too old to wield a sword, or those that won't, and possibly those too young."

"Why?"

"I just told you."

"I mean why is that bastard allowed to live in a estate while the people who I was supposed to rule signed my death warrant, and I was then sent to a living hell. I know people say the gods are cruel but at some point they just take a joke way too far."

"Your ladyship," Gnarl said politely, "if there's one thing you should learn is that there are no gods, only demons."

"I want to get way from here as soon as possible, I want to get this over and done with."

Emily drew her hood up before walking out of her room, she disliked the fact that she was having to sneak at night. She hated the secrecy, or more that secrets were being kept from her, but the girl had been right. She wasn't a noble, she knew that, but there was a certain arrogance to her, Emily didn't like people who were arrogant, herself not included of course. She had liked Lo, she was certainly right about the heeled shoes, compared to the more comfortable ones she was wearing now, they were hell, and she liked the lack of clicking.

It took her about five minutes to find her way to the kitchen, and another two to walk to the stables where she was supposed to meet her contact. She was on time as usual. Her guest was a girl with dark hair, slightly older than herself and always wore white. It was strange that someone who was supposed to be skulking about to be wearing such a distinctive colour in the darkness.

"Your ladyship," her guest said, giving a slight courtesy, " it is wonderful to see you again, I trust your brother has returned to court easily."

"Cut the crap. I want to know how you knew what he'd do, and who you are."

"Very direct for a royal, not very polite either."

"I don't care what you think, I want to know who told you this."

"As expected, follow me please."

"Can't you just tell me here."

"I can't, we need to meet her."

"Who?"

"Just follow me."

Emily bit her lip before following the girl. "A name would be nice."

"My name is Velvet."

There was a silence between them until they arrived in The Commons, a seedier area of the city. After that they went down a series of streets and alleys, winding and twisting for what seemed like an eternity, but Emily had only counted a few minutes. Left, left, right, straight, left. Emily thought, recalling the directions she'd taken in case she needed to find a way out.

It was when the girl walked to a barred door about four and a half foot high that led into gave a huff as the girl unlocked the door and gestured for her to step inside.

"Now, you must be careful, she is rather old and can be a bit paranoid at times."

"Who?"

Velvet led the royal to yet another door, this one made of darkened wood with a silver knob in the shape of a minion's head. She knocked on it two times before opening it and walking inside.

"Grandama, I've brought her to you."

It surprised Emily that the room was well furnished, a large be resting in the corner with an elderly lady lying in it. "Sit her down, get her something to drink."

"Yes, Grandma."

Emily was given an uncomfortable wooden stool which she thought was highly unsuitable for someone of her position. "What's going on here, who are you?"

"My granddaughter is named after me, so that's my name sorted out, but there is a long story to go."

"Give me a quick summary."

"My sister was the third Overlord's mistress and mother of the fourth."

Emily was surprised by both the woman's bluntness and the statement she had said. "And who is your sister?"

"Your godmother, you may not have met her for a while, her name's Rose, she should be returning to the capital soon enough."

"Okay, slow down."

Lo, The Prophet, The Huntsman looked at the fort. It was a building of grey stone with all trees cut a hundred yards from all sides and several groups of archers patrolled the wall. It was well designed. Apparently her father had become more paranoid since the death of her mother, and the gates seemed to reinforce this as they had large iron bars across them. She'd left Fengir back at the garrison, he'd been hurt in the fight for the town by a few arrows, and he disliked the heat here even more than Heaven's Peak, but Lo admitted that in her armour the heat was sweltering.

"Are you sure this will work?" The Huntsman asked.

"According to him it should." Lo replied, pointing to the other abomination before taking out a vial of blue liquid. "If he's right, then if I can change how this releases its energy."

"Have you ever done anything like this before."

"I don't think anyone has." She squeezed her eye's shut and the light from the fluid slowly faded. "How good's your shot?"

The huntsman grabbed the vial and tied it to an arrow then drew his bow. "Adjust for wind and extra weight. Where do you want it to go?"

"Try the wall."

There was a slight twang as he let go of the string and it sailed through the air before hitting just below the wall. Then nothing. "You shouldn't trust The Cannibal."

"Wait." The other man's voice rang through his helmet. It took fifteen seconds until there was a blinding pure light, then when they looked back, the wall was still there.

"I told you."

Lo slapped her hands together before giving nodding towards the gate. "Looks like we're doing this the old fashioned way. Prophet, you're going to be leading the charge, I'll try and bring down the gate before following and keeping control of the minions in the middle, Huntsman, you and the reds are going to try and keep the archers pinned down. Everyone understand?"

There was a nod between the three of them and they moved into place. The attack began as The Huntsman released an arrow, hitting one of the patrolling guards in the head and causing his partner to start shouting before he received a similar treatment.. Lo took a deep breath as a huge block of ice began to form in the air before her, with another gesture it went into the gate, not breaking but making the wood and iron buckle.

Then they heard the bell, ringing from inside, the signal they were under attack. A large group of guards appeared on the wall, all of them armed with bows and releasing volleys of arrows at The Prophet who was dashing across the open ground, doing his best to duck and weave in the heavy overlord armour.

Then it happened. The vial or blue liquid flared once more, and the ground shook as everything nearby was destroyed.

N/A Sorry this chapter jumps around a bit, OK a lot, but the next chapter should be more focused. Sorry it's taken a while to update, but I've currently got a huge case of writers block.