Lo carefully poured the blue fluid into the vial, being incredibly careful so as not to spill any onto her hand. She was in a uniquely good mood. Nice breakfast, fresh dress, spent some time with Fengir, and hadn't been attacked by any monstrosities yet. And she was going to put on a show, something she enjoyed.

"Any idea how much longer we're going to be here?" Drake asked, glancing around. "I don't really like this place."

"No one does." She replied, corking the vial. "It's why we're setting them free."

"I thought it was because we'd either force some of their army to deal with some of the world's worst murderers running rampant in their main producer of food." He answered, as Lo pulled herself up. "Also the fact you're not wearing armour." He added to the list of things that had him on edge. He was wearing armour himself however. Most of it was plate, though there were certain modifications made to allow him to change form more easily

"That's because I have you." She stated, looking at herself. It was the most conservative of the dresses Lilith had gotten, her reminding her of a robe in many respects apart from a slight dip in the front and a split that went up to her knee. It was made of a purple material, not usually her favorite colour but it worked in this case. There was also a built in hood which she liked, protecting her from the cold and thinking that it gave her a certain air of mystery when she had it up. "And you're wearing armour."

"Couldn't we have brought more along?" He asked, to which she shook her head.

"Too many and they might spot us, and the others are preparing to attack the fort so you're the best option." Lo stated as she began her walk towards the nether gate, Drake following behind her and continuing his constant surveillance

"Could I not just fly us over?" He asked. "Save us double backing on ourselves?"

"I'd rather not see what happens when you change in this place. I can't cast any spells in this hole without hurting myself. I only wonder what happens when people who have passive powers come into this place." Lo finished, before dropping through the portal and appearing at a small village on the other side of the gate, Drake following shortly after. "You don't speak much, do you?"

"I don't need to." He answered, staying relatively close as she drew her hood up.

"You can learn a lot about people from talking to them."

"Maybe there isn't much to me then."

Lo shook her head. "Everyone has something interesting about them."

"Yes, I can become a dragon." He replied.

"That'll be useful for what we're about to do."

"Good."

Lo sighed. "Come on, there has to be something."

He shook his head.

"Where did you grow up?" She questioned

"Evernight." He replied.

"You're very much a solider, aren't you?"

"Pardon?" He asked, as they began their approach to the gate.

"You do what you're told and don't ask questions."

"I don't need to."

"I doubt that."

"I've heard you drunk. Been sitting on what I heard for a while actually."

Lilith paused and raised an eyebrow. "And what might that be?"

Drake scratched the back of his neck. "You said that you were really the overlord."

Lo let out a chuckle. "People say the stupidest things when drunk."

Drake shook his head. "That's what I thought." He stated, giving a long pause. "Then I noticed how when you were sick our progress in land stopped entirely. And the minions didn't help us at the defense of the gate. It's almost like when you're not around they aren't either."

Lo gave another smile. "Such strange coincidences."

"Of course." He replied. "Coincidences."

She'd have to sort it out later, right now though was time to give a display. They came upon the gate quickly. It was a massive structure, more of a castle for defense than a way for people to pass through, and the large grey bricks it was made from seemed to bleed back into the landscape.

"Get their attention." Lo half-chuckled, beginning to work on the small blue vial. Drake took a deep breath before shifting and letting a gout of flame out into the air, and having a group of paladins leave the fort and head towards them. "That worked well." She murmured as the group was almost a few paces away. "Gentlemen, we'd like to discuss the terms of your surrender."

There was no noise, no snort of derision or arrogant laugh. "We can't do that."

"Yes you can." She replied. "Just say you surrender and then do exactly what I say."

Instead of a reply she got a shoulder barge to the chest, the metal knocking her down to floor and winding her. "Drake, kill them all." She hissed, a sense of raw anger suddenly filling her.

Drake let loose a jet of flame, scorching one of them but the others managed to dodge out the way or raise a shield, throwing the molten remains at Lo who rolled out the way and delivered a bolt of lightning that made him flop to the floor. "Handle them, I need to throw the vial." She shouted, pulling herself up and moving towards the gate as fast as possible, and launching it through the air once she was close enough.

The abomination was faring well, semi hovering as he slashed and burned at the men attempting to take him down. Lo called him overing, seeing the vial begin to glow as she held up her arm and had him grab it before flying away as quickly as possible. "Faster."

"I'm going as fast as I can." He barked back, picking up his pace further and almost moving into a dive bomb.

There was a ripple in the air as the blast happened, the gate dissolving in a matter of moments and leaving the crumpled remains of the fort behind them, as well as the few survivng paladins. "It's done."

Drake let out a cough before dropping, both him and Lo rolling along the ground before stopping. "Are you alright?" He coughed.

Lo nodded, panting, pressing a hand to her cracked rib and healing it quickly. "Better now. And you?"

He shook his head. "I took a few blows." He shifted back, revealing a gash in his forehead as well as several gaps in his armour with blood running out of it.

"Lie still." She panted, before moving other to him and beginning to heal him, though he seemed to shift awkwardly. "I said still."

"I'm trying." He hissed, before she moved onto his arm, having to spend extra time to move the bone and ligaments back into the right place.

"Done." She said. "And fortunately, the other vial didn't break." She added, taking it out of her satchel. "We best move to the fort now."

He nodded, pulling himself up. "Nethergate?"

"Nethergate." She replied. "You can have the rest of the day off."

As they left Drake gazed back towards the gate, noticing a humanoid creature begin to move towards the line of men that had formed. It moved in a slow, macabre way, a noseless face twitching as a rush of fresh scents filled its nostrils. It let out a feral screech before charging, Drake no longer watching as it was quickly cut down. The cry had attracted others though, and eventually the paladins would grow tired, while the tide of madmen, murders, and monstrosity would continue.

As Lo passed through the gate the minions joined her, along with another set of abominations. "How did it go?" The Cannibal asked.

"Fine." She lied. "Just fine."

He gave a nod to that, but his eyes were less accepting. "Do you still have a vial?"

She nodded. "I bust the fort open and you people head in."

Another nod. "This should be easy."

"You can handle this without me, once it's open, right?" She asked.

"We should, yes."

"Good." She replied, still feeling slightly winded.

He seemed to notice that. "It did not go well, did it?"

"No." She murmured. "No it didn't."

"This is why I said you needed more than one person." He stated as the pair were thrown up by the nether gate Lo immediately beginning to work as the greens dashed forward and climber up a wall, moving silently bxefore they slashed an archers throat and began to move to the next guard.

"They caught me off guard." Lo hissed, almost finishing her work.

"Maybe you should have been wearing armour then, or not asked them to surrender." He then replied, maintaining his neutral tone.

She gave an angered look for a moment before passing the vial to The Huntsman who had moved next to her, with him attaching it to an arrow and firing it. She then moved back towards the nether gate. "Huntsman with me, now." She commanded as she stepped into the hole.

Lo went to her study quickly, sending a minion to go get Lilith who joined her at the same time The Huntsman caught up. She took a deep breath before explaining the new issue, the succubus responding with a smirk. "Clever boy."

"So, suggestions?" Lo asked, chipping a piece of a sample of blueish crystal from the cluster which had forced its way out of the container.

The abomination folded his arms and shrugged. "From you're description he's known for a while now, yet he still hasn't acted. Do nothing, and neither should he. He's clearly loyal."

"Exactly!" The demon declared, a smile on her face. "And in my experience, loyal men are few and far between."

"Might I ask where you're going with this?" Lo inquired, raising an eyebrow as she continued her work and giving a light smile as the crystal grew again.

"Instead of training you in close combat, how about a highly skilled, well armoured body guard. A champion, or perhaps a knight if you will." Lilith stated, choosing her words carefully to present the right image and noticing a subtle shift in Lo's posture, a certain alertness entering her manner.

"A bodyguard." The Huntsman stated flatly. "Try not to cover it in flatteries."

She seemed to ignore this though, and continued her proposal. "Huntsman dear, how skilled would you say the boy is in combat?"

He seemed to grit his teeth. "Some, but he needs work."

There was less than a seconds pause before she spoke again. "We have the 'Overlord' train him." The quotation marks around the title practically audible in her tone. "Surely a man with ten minds would be able to teach him quickly? And as he knows the truth there's no harm."

"Stop romanticising it." The Huntsman snapped briefly, before returning to normal. "A bodyguard does make sense, but maybe ask the boy instead of conscripting him into it."

"Go check with him." Lo stated. "Tell him he'll get better quarters as well."

He nodded but just before he left she called again.

"Fetch Anders as well, I've made a break through on his issue too." He left once she'd finished, though she then turned to Lilith. "You presented me with a very specific image there, didn't you?"

"I merely told you what you needed to hear to accept it."

"What I wanted to hear." The elf said flatly. "You knew exactly how to manipulate me."

Lilith made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a groan. "Yes, yes I did. A rather useful skill for my kind." She replied, before slowly walking towards Lo.

"But you only need to do that to men."

She gave a smirk. "A lot of men do not need manipulating. Or at least not for people like us."

Lo tilted her head. "Like us?"

"You're appearance is an asset, you've used it before, have you not, with the farm lord's son?"

"I suppose."

The succubus gently cupped Lo's cheek for a moment. "You're growing up quickly, soon you'll be a woman, and this is world is not kind to women. It's not kind to anyone without gold or an old name more accurately, but we in particular are undervalued. Use that to your advantage, and you'll always have an edge."

"I'm used to people underestimating me." Lo replied.

Lilith gave a a smile before moving back. "Anyway, our little spy has given us more information that you might find interesting."

"And that is?"

"It appears the prince and his band of merry halfwits will be going to another party. Apparently he's engaged."

Lo shrugged. "I suppose good for him."

"The main opportunity however, is that we'll have around thirty nobles all in the same place."

"How well guarded?"

Lilith gave a smile. "Mediocre. It's in Evernight, more renowned for its lumber than it soldiers."

Lo returned the expression. "How much would they pay to get their princess back?"

"That's another part of the opportunity. From some of the rumours my girls have found she has an, interest, in women as well as men."

"Is this the reason for you're little using your appearance speech?"

"No, a happy coincidence." Lilith replied.

"How long till that happens, and can you secure an invitation?"

"About six weeks, and I've already started making preparations for two formal invitations, and to slip people inside the servants."

"Good." Lo replied with a smile. "Worst case, we have living nobles, best case, we have thirty dead nobles and half a dozen wars for succession taking place."

A/N I say this every time, but I am trying to get back into the swing of writing this, but I have to revise for my A levels at the moment, and I'm working on my own none fanfiction project. Secondly a third Overlord game has been teased by Codemaster, so this fic may be irrelevant pretty soon in the future. If it turns out to be true, I'll be pretty excited, but technically I'll have to lable this as an AU which is a strange thought. Link to the article below.

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