Everyone adapted well to Sindra being Mistress, and she wasted no time in using her newfound authority. Taking over the training of the next generation of kights and getting the minions more involved in the sparing. This helped to train the knights in taking on groups at a time and helped train the minions as well.

"Ah, I remember when that Sindra was just a little welp of a thing. Even then, she could take an ear if you weren't careful!" Gnarl mused as he took his place beside Brann's throne.

"That reminds me, she has requested a suit of armor and a sword made from the same alloy as my equipment."

"I would advise against it, sire. We have a finite supply of Infernium to work with. Perhaps something of Arcainium for the little lady?"

"I'm pretty sure that if I say no, she is just as likely to kill me and take my place as Overlord as she is to sulk about it for a week."

"An excellent point, master. I will have Giblit see to her ladyships needs, at once! Also, a Nordbergian has requested an audience."

"Well, send him down then." At his command, the claws of the teleporter unclenched and dropped a Nordbergian villager down. The moment he got up and started dusting himself off, he made his intentions known.

"Forgive the intrusion, but your visit to Nordberg had not gone unnoticed. The empire is trying to dig through to the Netherworld. I sneaked out to tell you! I, er, thought after you've dealt with Borius, you might see your way clear to perhaps rewarding me for this information... By maybe, um, making me mayor of Nordberg once you conquer it? You know, when your not busy, your magnificence... Maybe, just on, er, Sundays? Sunday afternoons, maybe?"

"Aw, so the empire commanders in the area either don't know I already killed that fat fucker, or there covering it up. Lovely! But firstly, how did you know to come here?"

"My, er, wife is a part of your little, information gathering mission. She said to come down here and give you all the stuff they gathered and that you would... How did she put it? Enlighten me as you did her. No idea what that means, but I hope that my contribution to the cause is noted!"

"Indeed it is, now... Allow me to... Initiate you!" Brann then used his evil presence spell on the poor yahoo, making him yet another mind slave.

"Now, my minions will take whatever information you have gathered, and you can go back to your wife and continue to serve me well... Mayor."

"Thank you! I can't wait to start my mayoral duties, in your name, of course, master!"

"A rather clever thing of you to do, master. The more people on our side, on the inside, the better! Now let us look over the scribbles that peasant ga-" Out of nowhere, Jill flew in. Looking as happy as can be.

"BRANN! I have the best news!"

"Jill, and I don't want to sound mean, but I'm working, so it better be good."

"I just got a mental transmission from Impella!" Both Gnarl and Brann were taken aback by this information.

"Then she got out of the Infernal Abyss! But how?" Gnarl said as he stroked his goatee.

"Scorch summoned her. I knew being divided by dimensional barriers would mean nothing to their love!"

"So she can tell us where the red minion hive is? Go on, woman, spit it out!"

"That's the best part, Gnarl... They're in an elven Sanctuary!"

"Welp, that's as good an excuse to conquer the one next door as I need. Let's get going! I can't wait to meet my ante." Brann then stepped from his throne and teleported to the outskirts of Nordberg. As he gathered his minions and made it to the bridge, Florian, of all people, was standing in his way.

"Halt! Don't think you can find refuge in our Sanctuary... But.. Hum, what was that? Come, soldiers, I think I hear the sounds of a mildly distressed badger!" The elvin commander said with a spin, Brann was thankful that the empire started firing at him to drive him off. He followed the fleeing elf back into the Sanctuary Cave, finding the Netherworld rock from before growing in the shape of a claw at his approach.

"Ah, that Netherworld shart is pulsing to your evil presence, lord. It may allow you even greater access to your dark powers."

"Worth giving a poke if nothing else." Brann then focused his dark powers onto the shard. A minion, almost on instinct, jumped on top of it as the rest danced around it. As he used his wicked magics on it, he found himself in a body not his own, but the minion who was on the stone.

"You're... You're... In the body of a minion, sire. How unseemly... I hope no one is looking. Still... Minions are smaller than you, lord, so perhaps you can use your newfound form to sneak up on that Dryad!"

"Well... When life gives you lemons..." Brann said to himself, not liking how his voice sounded out of his minion's mouth. He indeed found a path only accessible to minion-sized individuals. He used it to sneak up on the tree bitch, killing her body easy enough, but that was not the end of it.

"Good, sire. While she's healing herself, smash the now open pod. It's the only way to kill her!"

"THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU HOLD YOUR LIFE FORCE IN AN EASILY DESTROYED OBJECT!" Minion Brann yelled at the top of his lungs as he smashed the stupid flower, causing the main body of the Dryad to wither and die.

"Now the way is clear for your imposing magnificence to enter!"

"So how do I get back to my-" Brann was cut off by his mind going from the minion's body back to his own. He had to shake off the weirdness of it all rather quickly and move on. As he entered the Sanctuary proper, Gnarl couldn't keep his prejudices to himself.

"Hmmm, too many creatures of light magic around here for my liking. That's the good kind. Not like yours at all. Light magic occurs when the magical energies all around us is absorbed into nice creatures. Ones who use it for noble pursuits like saving things and tinkling and shining and baking lentil cookies!"

"But they do seem to have a use. Look at these magic crystals growing everywhere! We could use them in the foundry." He then willed his minions to retrieve the pink glowing crystals from the ground and give them to him. Brann then absorbed them like he does when they find gold. Soon they came across what Brann thought was a ghastly sight, two fat fairies floating about like beach balls of blubber with tits to match. And worse still, they were rude.

"We don't take kindly to your types here! You just make trouble. Throwing fireballs and scaring the wildlife! Just like those little red devils!"

"Come on, Petunia, let us leave this riff-raff!"

"I doubt you'll get such a... Warm welcome from the other creatures here!" Gnarl said as Brann moved on. Soon finding another Dryad sealing off his path but chopping it down turned out not to be so easy.

"It's no good lord. That secant Dryad is keeping the pod closed while the other heals. You're going to have to find another way through."

"Fuck, I hate this place." Brann then butchered his way through fairies and killer plants until he came across some Gnowms. Squashing them was all well and fun, until they destroyed the only path over water his browns could fallow.

"Shit! Ok, guys, head on back to the Netherworld. I'll summon you when I can." The browns nodded and did as Brann told them to do. He soon found his path blocked by red thorns, the gnomes taunting him about it. That is, until red minions came by and light the tiny fucks on fire and cleared a path for Brann. They were just as described in his school books, looking like browns, but with horns instead of ears, and overall looking more demon-like. He walked into the area they set aside for themselves, and the cute little things rejoiced.

"The master?"

"Yaaaaaaaaaay!"

"We burn for the master!"

"He's come!"

"Burn! Burn! Master!"

"What excitable little scamps! Now, where is your hive little buddies and the nice lady who helped let us know where to find you?"

"Mean elf things take my Impella away! And the human breeders we had, along with the hive! Scorch burn elf things for the master!" One of the red minions screamed as he took charge and was the first to join Brann's horde. Nine others soon followed his lead. The rest simply cheered on their chef and new master.

"Then fallow me, to freedom!" Brann yelled as he leads his new minions onward. They soon spotted their prize on the other side of the river on what looked like a pear of sorts. The red hive looked like a wasp nest mixed with a hot cole, and in chains next to it, a woman that looked similar to Jill but just different enough that she must be her sister.

"Look, boys. If you wanted to chain me up and have your way with me, all you had to do was ask~." She said, blinking seductively at elves guarding her, making them clearly uncomfortable.

"They must be trying to relocate the hive. You must stop them, master!" Brann nodded to Gnarl's command, he would beat him later, but now he needed to save the hive and Impella. Brann slashed and gashed his way through the forces of good as fast as he could. Soon finding himself back where those two Dryad's were. Killing them was easier, and he could get browns to balance out his horde. As he made his way deeper into the Sanctuary, he soon had the misfortune to run into Florian again.

"It's you! You don't belong here! Get out this minute, or you'll ensure the wrath of-" Brann then willed his reds to pelt the pompous elf with fireballs, screaming and covered in flames, he tumbled down the cliff.

Hopefully, we will never see that twite ever again." Brann then rode the elevator up into the elven village, at which point, Gnarl felt like giving advice.

"Careful, sire. Red minions aren't as tough as browns."

"I learned all of this in school, Gnarl. Keep the reds in the back. At range is their best attack."

"Oh, right. Sorry master, I'm a bit of a back seat driver."

"I noticed." Brann soon cut down all of the elven warriors, leaving over two dozen elven men, women, and children at his mercy. The evil presence spell was turning out to be very useful. Every elf he made a mind slave was another hand to help round up more innocent people to subjugate. Soon Brann had more slaves than he could count. As he was enslaving elves, he noticed a massive statue of a beautiful woman with somewhat elvish features.

" Hmmm, that Fay is a nice looking wench... Pity she's a fairy!" Brann ignored Gnarl being racest and continued the subjugation of the elves. He then came across a waypoint gate, along with some empire soldiers. He did not question how they got there and killed them.

"Ok, slaves! Everyone get onto the waypoint gate! I'm sure we will find a good use for you sorry lot back at the tower." The slaves walked mindlessly back to the dark tower, then after using another possession shard to help get the elevator back up, he continued on his rampage. Killing some Dryad's and bringing down the statue of Fay. He soon was in touching range of the massive light magic crystal the statue was holding.

"Yuck! It's covered in light magic fairy nonsense. Show it a bit of evil presence, sire, and bring it to the dark side!"

"With pleasure!" Bran said as he then used his new spell to begin turning the light blue crystal dark, cracking, then shattering it, revealing a manna upgrade hidden inside of it. As he collected the magical shards and the Netherworld object, the world began to shake around him. The sound of teleporting made him turn to see the fearful sight of queen Fay herself.

"You have stolen our spell stone intruder and defiled this shrine, bringing darkness to a place of light. Suffering be upon you!" The moment she teleported out, the entire cavern began to shake even harder.

"She's trying to bring the entire Sanctuary down around us! Quickly, we have to find the hive!" Brann yelled as they rushed over the statue of Fay and onto the docks, there they found the elven guards meant to keep the hive, and Impella under control was under hers.

"Took you boy's long enough! Come here, Scorchie!" Scorch then broke rank and ran into the arms of his beloved. And they shared a passionate kiss, the likes of which you only hear about in fairy tales.

"As much as I don't want to break up a happy reunion, THE BLACE IS CRUMBLING DOWN AROUND US!"

"Oh, relax, kid. My new boy toys have a boat we can get out of here on. Though I suppose, I should have called you master instead, right?"

"Indeed, now let's get out of here already!" Brann and his merry band of minions then set sail out of the Sanctuary and made it to the Hunting Grounds. There it was, a quick trip back to the Netherworld. All in all, it was a very productive day.