Overlord Rising

A magic circle lay on the ground, written in what appeared to be chalk. The lines and symbols glowed quite intensely, causing the room to be illuminated with violet light. Although it did not make a sound, the vortex gave the impression that it had countless voices within it.

Uriel couldn't help, but frown and tremble. Trouble was the word she used to associate the circle with. She had come across similar circles quite a number of times in the past. Whenever she did, it often resulted with a monster or demon summoned to attack and kill her. Needless to say, Uriel immediately assumed this circle to be no different from the others.

As distracting as this enchanted drawing proved to be, it did not steer Uriel's attention away from the one possibly responsible for creating the circle.

Mycelia stood before the circle, feeding it with her own magic. Something seemed off about her, however. Mycelia looked haggard, her fine hair resembled messy strands of hay, rather than the usual smooth silk that Uriel often mistook it for.

"Mycelia, what are you doing?!" Uriel yelled, slowly approaching.

The elf turned her head and gave a sneer. Her eyes glowed under her mask. With a feral hiss, Mycelia turned her body and raised her arms. She uttered a few of her strange words and cast a spell. Chains of white energy emerged from the thin air and flew towards the Overlord with serpent-like speed.

Uriel's eyes widened for a moment. This caught her off guard, but it did not leave her helpless. Instincts kicked in. Uriel immediately drew her sword and struck the chains, slicing them into back into the nothingness they came from.

Seeing that she had just been attacked, Uriel raised her sword and took up a defensive stance. "What has gotten into you?!" she shouted.

At that moment, Uriel got a better look at Mycelia. Her hair wasn't the only part of her that changed. Her greyish skin had become even paler, if that were even possible. Her once smooth complexion, looked quite wrinkled and dried, as if she had been s.u.c.k.e.d of her blood and other fluids. Mycelia's nails had grown longer and turned yellow, whilst her teeth became sharp like thorns. Black veins appeared around her face and hands.

"W-what?" was all that Uriel could utter.

"It is good to finally meet you," Mycelia cackled like a witch. Another voice echoed behind hers, it sounded like a man's. "I have been wandering who this champion of the Ovoo may be."

Like the magic circle, Uriel found Mycelia's change familiar. From her change in appearance, tone and words, Mycelia seemed to have been possessed by a foreign entity.

"Who are you?" Uriel sneered, keeping her sword raised.

"Ah, pardon me, where are my manners?" the possessed Mycelia replied. "I am Keshrak, the head shaman of the Allosaur tribe."

The shaman directed Mycelia's body to bow. However, it appeared more like a motion of mockery, rather than a courteous gesture.

"You scoundrel!" Uriel sneered. "What do you want?!"

"What else do you think I want?" Keshrak hissed, as he looked down at the magical tome on the ground. "I was supposed to obtain this magical tome, but the Chamael refused to surrender the monster guarding it!"

"So that really was the reason you wanted the monster," Uriel huffed. "You will release Mycelia from your twisted grip, immediately!"

"Oh I don't believe I will," Keshrak jeered. "It took me many nights to build enough power, so that I may possess the Chamael shaman and destroy the clan from within. However, it seems I found a more powerful host to occupy. I must say, I'm almost a little jealous."

"Why do you even want that tome?" Uriel asked. "What ARE you after?"

A twisted smile appeared on Mycelia's possessed face. "Power and conquest," he replied, with a snide grin. "I plan to extend our territory and turn the Allosaur into a clan that would rise above all!"

"Quite an aspiration for a small fish," Uriel responded, twitching a respectful grin. "However, I do admire those with high goals."

"Of course I do!" Keshrak grunted, making Mycelia lick her lips. "I do not intend to live in such a small and isolated world. I will not be content with simply conquering the other clans. I know that other races exist out there, and they too shall bow before the clan and my power."

The grin quickly disappeared, as soon as Uriel heard these words. "As much as I admire one with aspirations, there are limits you have to take," she replied, hiding any traces of violence in her voice. "There are those you ought to not pester, lest you wish to have a much shorter life."

Keshrak scowled and glared at the overlord. "Ah, that's right," he coughed. "You are one of them, a human, I believe."

A nervous frown formed around Uriel's eyes. "You actually know about humans?" she asked.

Keshrak chuckled softly. "I know a LOT more than most believe," he answered. "I know this realm has been named as Ebonus, as well that it is filled with many dangers. I also know of the lands beyond and the many kingdoms in it."

"If you know this much, then you know full well NOT to provoke us," Uriel sneered. "We are a force to reckon with, especially in our own territory."

"Yes, I am aware of that," Keshrak hummed with a nod. "That just means I will have to truly build up my forces, so that I may trample upon your walls."

Uriel's frown sank deeper. "It seems your clan really is my enemy," she hissed. "Threatening the Ovoo and Chamael was one matter, but threatening my own people is an entirely different one."

"Do you really wish to be MY enemy?" Keshrak asked, as he began to walk about. "My power and knowledge is far greater than you realize. This will not end well for any of you, if you choose to continue challenging the Allosaur."

"I'll let the recent clash speak for itself," Uriel mocked, remembering the first Allosaur's first attack on the Ovoo village. "If I recall, none of your warriors survived. All that remained were fleeing Kompos warriors."

Keshrak gashed his teeth furiously, but slowly regained composure. "As amusing as this has been, I do believe it is time we cut the chatter," he growled, clenching Mycelia's fingers. "I have something important that I need to do."

"We both are in agreement then," Uriel replied.

The two stared intently at one another, for a while. Neither one blinked nor turned away. It had become frighteningly silent in the room. They heard one another's beating c.h.e.s.ts, the breaths that left their mouths, and even the slight gulps they made.

After moments of locking gazes, Keshrak made the first move. He raised his hand and quickly uttered a few words. Glowing chains appeared from the air, like earlier. However, the chains moved much faster, and appeared thicker.

Uriel expected this. She parried the first chain, and quickly dodged the others. The chains struck the ground, leaving large marks on the floor. A single one of these chains would have fractured Uriel's bones, if she allowed them to hit her.

Although she had evaded, Uriel did not waste a moment to remain still. More chains materialized from the air and flew towards her. Parrying all of these would have been impossible. Instead, Uriel ran around the room, warding off whatever she could, whilst avoiding the rest.

Spell casters were a unique enemy that needed to be taken out quickly. Dodging and approaching enemies with such and power was always difficult, but not impossible

Quick on her toes, Uriel gradually got nearer to her opponent. Eventually, she leapt off the ground and pounced on top of Mycelia's possessed body. She planted her feet on both of wrists of her opponent, and placed the edge of her blade under the chin.

"Return Mycelia's body," Uriel threatened.

Keshrak couldn't help, but laugh. "Or what?!" he asked. "You will kill me? I am sorry to say, but whatever you do to this body will only harm you friend, not me!"

Uriel cursed under her breath. The shaman had a point. She needed a way to free Mycelia of Keshrak's influence. She thought for a second, and came up with something.

"Mycelia, if you're still there, then you better ready yourself," Uriel grunted.

Uriel placed one hand on Mycelia's face. With one steady breath, she began transferring a great amount of power into the elf's body, fueling her with energy, and strengthening her magic.

Keshrak laughed. "You fool!" he cackled. "Do you have any idea what you are doing?!"

Suddenly, another set of chains appeared behind Uriel. Unfortunately, the overlord failed to properly respond, this time. Before even realizing they were there, the chains wrapped around Uriel's abdomen and flung her into the room, sending her crashing into the wall.

Uriel let out a gasp, as she felt a powerful smack against her back. Her sword fell out of her hands, leaving her defenseless. She g.r.o.a.n.e.d and coughed a few times, before weakly returning to her knees. Spitting a little, Uriel held up her head and looked at Keshrak.

"So much power!" Keshrak huffed, glaring at his hands. "I feel like I can call upon the lightning and level this entire village into ashes!"

"You can't, but Mycelia can," Uriel g.r.o.a.n.e.d, eventually returning to her feet. "A pathetic creature like you, who needed to possess one stronger, couldn't possibly do it by yourself."

"Oh, then perhaps I should demonstrate?" Keshrak said, as he turned back to the circle. "With this great power you've given me, I should be able to finish this circle and summon forth an army of demons to destroy this village!"

With a huff, Keshrak raised his arms to continue empowering the circle. To his surprise, nothing came from the fingertips. He tried again, but nothing.

"W-what's going on?!" he snarled. "I definitely feel powerful, yet why is nothing happening?!"

"Because this is MY body, not yours!" Mycelia's voice returned.

"W-what?!" Keshrak hissed, struggling to maintain control. "B-but how!? I took over you! How are you overcoming my magic?!"

"It is as you mentioned," Uriel smirked. "Whatever I do to Mycelia's body will only affect her. I granted her an extra dose of power. Both her body and mind has become stronger."

"N-no!" Keshrak howled. "I AM THE ONE IN CONTROL! ME!"

Mycelia stumbled around, holding her head. Two minds fought for control of one body. Mycelia's face shifted around from possessed to regular, struggling to keep one expression. Bits of her magic shot from her finger tips, like stray arrows flying from every direction. Uriel almost found herself struck by one.

Then with much difficulty, Mycelia uttered a single word. She weakly struggled to pronounce each sound, but eventually said it. Suddenly, black flames ignited around her hands. The flames burned violently, yet did not seem to emit any heat.

"GET…OUT… OF MY HEAD!" Mycelia snarled with her teeth clenched.

At that moment, Mycelia planted her palms right against her face. The flames began to engulf her head, as an agonizing scream escaped her lips.

"Mycelia!" Uriel cried out. She wanted to do something, but found herself at a loss. The overlord could only stare with her hand reached out, and her jaw dropped.

"No!" Keshrak screamed fiercely, as his voice gradually disappeared like an echo.

Mycelia dropped to her knees and fell to the ground. Before long, the black flames around her hands and face waned into embers, and then vanished entirely. Despite having her face struck by fire, Mycelia's face remained untouched. Not a burn or even meager scratch touch her face.

Slowly, Mycelia returned to normal. Her skin regained its smooth complexion, while her hair once again appeared smooth and silvery. Her nails shrunk to regular size and shade, while her teeth turned back smooth. The black veins shortened down her cheeks, eventually disappearing completely from her face.

Recovering some of her strength, Uriel limped over to Mycelia and inspected her. "Mycelia, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm in great pain, but at least I could still speak," Mycelia g.r.o.a.n.e.d. "It could have been much worse, considering what I just went through."

"What exactly did you do?" Uriel asked, inspecting Mycelia.

The Sightless Sister began to weakly push herself up. "I cast a spell to purge me of foreign presences," Mycelia answered. "You could say I exorcised myself."

"Well done," Uriel praised.

"Thank you," Mycelia replied, a weak smile on her face, as she struggled

"Don't push yourself," Uriel sighed. "Here, let's get you to the bed."

"My lady, that is not necessary," Mycelia m.o.a.n.e.d, her arms trembling like twigs.

"Don't argue with me, Mycelia," Uriel growled. "You've been through quite a bit tonight. It's the least I could do."

"Alright, but let me just do one last thing," Mycelia stiffly requested. "My lady, please sit me up. I would like to at least close that circle."

Uriel turned and saw the ritualistic circle behind her. Even without Keshrak fueling it with magic, the circle continued to radiate. Uriel had almost forgotten it was there. As much as she wanted Mycelia to rest, she knew that it would be dangerous to keep it active any longer.

"Very well," Uriel accepted.

She helped Mycelia sit, and positioned her to face the circle.

The Sightless Sister raised her arms forward and uttered a few words. She spoke in a tone too silent to hear or understand. Purple bolts zapped from the circle and shot into elf's hands. Mycelia gritted her teeth and expressed mild discomfort, but allowed it to happen. Soon, the circle's light faded. Mycelia's arms dropped, and she fell back.

"You may take me to the bed now, my lady," Mycelia panted.

Uriel gently took Mycelia into her arms, and the carried the elf to the bed. "Comfy?" she asked upon laying the elf down.

"It's not luxury, but it is better than lying on stone," Mycelia replied with some humor. "I cannot believe I actually allowed myself to get possessed! Never before have I suffered such a blunder."

"At least you managed to resist him and free yourself," Uriel replied, hoping her words would bring some comfort.

Mycelia grimaced. "My lady, if you had not empowered me that time, I would have most likely been still under that lizard's control," she lamented. "I was just lucky that you arrived to check on me. I am still quite weak."

Uriel frowned. "No, you aren't," she argued. "Time and time again, you have proven to be an invaluable companion under my company. I could count the many times we would have found trouble, if not for your insight and magic."

"But I need to grow stronger," Mycelia snarled, as she looked at her hands. "I need to better improve my trade for the coming battles ahead."

"We all do," Uriel agreed. "However, I am confident that we will get the Chamael, Ovoo and exiles into shape for the battles against the Allosaur clan."

Mycelia passed Uriel a rather bleak stare. "My lady, you do not understand," she wheezed. "While that lizard possessed me, I managed to gaze into his very core. Something is not right with him."

One of Uriel's brows raised, when hearing this. "Explain," she requested.

"That shaman Keshrak has a strange power that does not belong to him," Mycelia cringed. "It is powerful and beyond anything that shaman should be capable of. I even dare say that it is portion of something greater than my own."

"Surely you exaggerate –,"

Before she could finish, Uriel felt Mycelia suddenly grab her wrist. Despite the elf's visor, Uriel still saw a pair of large gaping eyes staring firmly at her with both seriousness and concern.

"I am not exaggerating," Mycelia interrupted with a huff. "This strange piece within Keshrak reminded me of master sorcerers back at home. That shaman did, or rather found something, and it is helping him get stronger."

The grip around Uriel's wrist grew even tighter. Uriel forced Mycelia's hand off her.

"When I was a young, a group warriors and I found ourselves fighting a chimera," she told the elf. "During that time, we had only fought people, not monsters. Still, we stayed and fought the chimera, eventually killing it."

The elf gave an incredulous glare. "Is there a reason you are telling me this?" Mycelia asked.

"We were inexperienced warriors, fighting against something above our payroll and expertise," Uriel elaborated. "The battle ended with all of us gravely injured, but in the end, we still survived to tell the tale."

"Again, is there a reason you are telling me this?" Mycelia repeated.

"Although our enemy may be greater and stronger than we are, chances of victory still exist," Uriel explained. "Do not be discouraged by the coming storm, but instead brace for it."

Mycelia took a deep breath, and then exhaled. "Y-you're, you're right, my lady," she said in a more calm and surrendering tone. "However, we will really need to prepare for whatever the Keshrak and the Allosaur clan may have in store for us."

"I intend to make certain of that," Uriel replied, pounding her palm. Suddenly, her stomach grumbled. All the commotion made Uriel almost forget her hunger. "I'll be back with some food."

"Yes, thank you, my lady," Mycelia smiled.

Mycelia rested her head back on the pillow, and watched Uriel leave the room. She waited for a few counts, before leering at the door.

"How long have you been there?" she then asked, sounding quite cross.

Jotun stepped into the room. "Just right after Lady Uriel carried you to the bed," he answered with a sheepish grin. "It looked rather adorable, quite honestly."

Mycelia rolled her eyes. "Is there ANYTHING that I can do for you?" she asked. "Or have you just come in here to relish my condition?"

"Oh come now, my dear," Jotun chuckled. He pulled a chair and sat beside her. "We're both Dark-Elves working under the company of the new Overlord. We should not bicker."

"Correction," Mycelia grumbled. "I am a Dark-Elf. YOU are a Drow."

Despite her words, Jotun kept a relaxed smile. "You really despise us, don't you?" he asked. "Us Dark-Elves living away from the empire, under our own rules?"

"I don't hate Dark-Elves who live away from the empire," Mycelia corrected. "I hate the Drow, exiles who have been banished for their treachery."

"Then I suppose you hate these lizard exiles that we just obtained as well?" Jotun assumed.

"They're different," Mycelia argued. "I have no idea what they've done, and am not sure if they've been banished for the right reasons. Considering how primitive these lizard clans are, they were probably banished for cooking a fish the wrong way."

"And I suppose you know the crime of every Drow?" Jotun continued.

Mycelia frowned. "What do you want?" she asked.

"I'm here to simply check on you," Jotun replied. "You seem to have had some trouble with your magic. It is most fortunate that Lady Uriel came to save you."

"Yes, it is," Mycelia grumbled, looking quite upset.

"You don't seem too happy about it, though," Jotun remarked.

Mycelia took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling. "Since you're hear, would you listen to some of my ramblings?" she asked.

"Well, I do enjoy stories," Jotun replied, sitting back.

The Sightless Sister rolled her eyes. "Centuries ago, I had companions fight alongside me," she began. "Each one proved to be strong and trustworthy. While they swore to defend me, I also promised that my magic would keep them safe from the fiends and horrors this realm had to offer. My word proved to be shallow."

"One by one, they fell against stronger and more dangerous foes," Mycelia continued. "Many times, my magic and power would fail me. I eventually grew stronger, but by the time my magic had truly developed, I was the only one that remained."

"Their deaths haunt you," Jotun assumed. "You feel that it may happen again with Lady Uriel. You worry that your magic would eventually fail her."

"I doubt it's something you would understand," Mycelia remarked.

It became a little harder for Jotun to keep smiling. He leaned forward on the chair. His hands trembled, while his fingers locked together.

"The Blood Crows and I have been surviving in Ebonus for centuries," Jotun announced. "We've fought many battles and overcome many obstacles. Despite our experience, we still find losses and casualties. If we've learned anything, it's that no matter how experienced you are, there is still a chance that we could die here."

Mycelia blinked, and then slowly looked over at the Drow. "You have a close bond with your warriors?" she asked.

Jotun nodded, his shaking lessened. "It can be quite difficult to find good company, when you become a Drow," he explained. "The Blood Crows are the closest thing I have to family. It can be very painful, when finding myself unable to save one."

Mycelia took a deep breath, and then sighed. "I'm… sorry for what I said," she apologized. She had difficulty saying it, but the remorse in her voice seemed genuine. "I may have crossed a line there."

"I am pleased you realize this, my dear Sightless Sister," Jotun replied with a nod. "We may have our differences, but as it stands, we are both currently under the banner of the new Overlord, Lady Uriel."

"Indeed we are," Mycelia agreed. "I will try to put a little more faith in you… Sir Jotun."

"I shall attempt to do the same…, Lady Mycelia," Jotun responded.