MEMORIES OF AN OVERLORD
by Victar (vctr113062 [at] aol [dot] com)
Victar's Archive: https://www.vicfanfic.com
"I felt like I'd killed them myself. It's not like I said or did anything to stop it from happening."
Chapter Fourteen
Memories of an Overlord: Awakening the Holy Brand
Cedric's teleportation bead transported him and his three companions to the entrance of the most sacred place in all of Kreisia - the shrine where the Holy Brand Aldea slept, between turns of the cycle.
Still crumpled on her knees, Laminah groaned in pain and struggled to stand. Anemos returned her halberd; she used its haft as a brace to push herself upright.
"Your mother is so much like you," the bard sighed, soothing Laminah's injuries with a healing bead from his vest.
"Anemos, how many of those do you have left?" Cynthia asked, worriedly.
"Do not be concerned; I have brought plenty," Cedric cheerfully reassured. He opened his satchel and efficiently distributed a variety of magical supplies. The final items he withdrew were another rainbow-colored teleportation bead, which he tucked into his sleeve pocket, and three silver rings. "Each of you should also wear one of these rings. I am wearing one as well. They have been crafted to defend against sleep spells, bindings, and sorcery that entangles the body and mind."
"Three permanent, simultaneous wards against different major spells?" Anemos mused, donning his ring. "That is unheard of. Only temporary wards against major spells can coexist with that type of permanent ward. Wearing a different enchanted ring on each finger annuls the magic."
A knowledgeable twinkle gleamed in Cedric's eye. "There has been a research breakthrough in the art of enchanting. The people of Kreisia have not remained idle for ten years; we have prepared extensively for Overlord Yusis Orzand's reign of terror."
Cynthia put on her ring and regarded Cedric with a concerned look. "Yusis kept his own mind. He doesn't want to hurt anyone."
"I am aware," Cedric returned, sympathetically. "I have read Overlord Yusis' obelisk writings. One of my final royal orders was a command for libraries throughout Kreisia to record transcripts of those writings; I am carrying one such transcript. I presume that all of you are familiar with what Overlord Yusis has proclaimed."
"Yes," the priestess affirmed. "Yusis gave us a book, and put the same information on shaped obelisks all over the world. We've read the book."
Anemos added, "Yusis refused to entertain any questions about his writings, saying that he was 'under pressure' from what he calls 'the Rules of the Overlord Orzand'. He insisted that we teleport away from his domain, and warned us against initiating any further contact with him. He is uncertain of how long he will retain his Savior mind."
Cedric nodded once. "Overlord Yusis has risen in slightly less than ten years, and his obelisks have shocked all of Kreisia. He does indeed have an affinity for 'moving fast' and 'getting the advantage of surprise', as I predicted. Yet, by choosing to publically announce his ascent, Overlord Yusis has willfully discarded the opportunity for a preemptive strike. This is evidence that his writings are not a deception; he has indeed retained his Savior mind, at least for the present."
Cedric paused, then added, "I did not anticipate that Overlord Yusis would explicitly describe his own battle abilities. That information proved quite helpful for commissioning these rings."
Laminah raised her eyes from the jewelry on her finger, and quietly said, "I can confirm Overlord Yusis wields the three powers that these rings are designed to counter, my king."
"Laminah, I have abdicated. I am simply Cedric, now. King Lamton Thor is the lawful representative of Kreisia."
"My uncle is the lawful representative of Kreisia. You are my king."
"Perhaps this is a discussion best continued at a later time," Cedric sighed. "At the moment, I must ask you - do you still feel any compulsion to return to the Royal Capital?"
"I am not certain that I was truly compelled. Yes, I had to see my mother at midnight, but I did not feel as though I would die."
"And now?"
"I am content, my king."
"Laminah-! No, we will address that later." Cedric cleared his throat. "Dear Anemos, dear Cynthia - you two feel the drive to revisit your former homes, do you not?"
Cynthia touched her fingertips together. "I guess I would like to? It's not as if - um, how do I explain. Cedric, Anemos used his last teleportation bead to bring us close to the Royal Capital, because we wanted to ask for an audience with you. We didn't know you had abdicated, and then Laminah wanted to see her mother again, and, well, you know the rest."
"Let us travel to Ascendance City last," Anemos softly suggested.
"Itinerary scheduled." Cedric flashed his charming smile. "We shall set out as soon as we collect the Holy Brand."
Laminah spun in place, raising her halberd before any of the others noticed a change in the atmosphere.
Upbeat banter sounded in the air about them. The words fluctuated between the unremarkable tenor of Kreisia's most unlikely Savior, and the harrowing darkness of Kreisia's current Overlord.
"Hey, everyone! Don't set this monster free just yet. %I can't network with your minds like I can with monsters,% and I can't cast long-distance communication spells like the Royal Mages can. For some reason, the Overlord can't use mind-related magic other than sleep spells or %taking control of people who pledge obedience,% so I'm trying out this power instead. I call it %Monster PA.%"
A large undead wolf, jet-black fur blending with the nighttime darkness, bounded out of the shadows and paced around the four comrades in a wide circle. Its yellow, slit-pupiled eyes shined with a sickly glow, and its jaw worked in tandem with the Overlord's speech.
Oppressive waves of dark magic radiated from the wolf, making it shimmer in the moonlight. An excess of miasma vapors poured off of its fur. With every step the wolf took, the grass underneath its paws withered, curled, and died.
"I maxed out %Monster PA% so I can use it to relay my words or thoughts in real-time, instead of just making monsters repeat a short message. %How cool is that?% Laminah, Anemos, Cynthia, I can't see or hear you, and I don't know who else might be with you. If anyone is with you other than %the next Savior,% then %this monster can't come too close.% I figure %the next Savior% hasn't been summoned yet, anyway.
"I'm really hoping %the next Savior% gets summoned quickly, because %I can sense where my Primary Servants are, anytime.% Just like %I can sense where any monster is% if I focus. Which means that %Orzand can easily target you, after what's left of 'Yusis' is erased.% I should have warned you about that, should have put it in the book. I also know where %Aldea% is at all times, not sure why.
%The Holy Brand Aldea... I hate it...%
"Did I forget anything else? %I feel like I've forgotten something important. Like it leaked out of my head.% If I remember what it is, I'll use %Monster PA% to tell you-"
%THE OVERLORD MUST PROTECT KREISIA FROM ALL LIFE.%
A gigantic black panther materialized from the darkness. It towered over the wolf, and its vicious yellow eyes burned with contempt as it declared its searing mandate.
"Yeah, okay, %this is messed up,%" the wolf muttered, lowering its head. "Looks like all my thoughts go through %Monster PA.% Including %Orzand.% Yeah, that's who the big cat is. I'm sure you can see it.
"%Orzand% knows you're there just like I do, but since I can't see or hear you, it can't see or hear you either. It can't do anything to hurt you. It's an illusion. That I'm casting right now. Because %what's left of 'Yusis' is not very sane. Even the original was sort of a wreck, on the inside.%"
%IF YOU RESIST THE RULES, THEN YOU WILL BE ERASED,% the great black panther threatened, bringing its head closer to the wolf and exposing its curved fangs in a wicked snarl.
The wolf snapped its jaws open and shut a scant distance from the panther's nose. "I'm not resisting, and I know you can't erase me until I do! I've been working on this %Bend time around monster% ability, so %I can summon an undead minion into a holy place% and keep it there. %Bend time around monster% doesn't even cost power, any more than a regular summon does, and its first test is a success! %No Overlord has ever desecrated Aldea's holy grasslands before!%"
%YOU MUST PROTECT KREISIA FROM ALL LIFE. YOU MUST SEND A MIASMA FLOOD TO DROWN LIFE.%
"Yeah, you know what? That's exactly what I'll do, and I'll do it in a way %no Overlord has ever done before.% I'm sending a miasma flood to %drown the grass surrounding Aldea's shrine!%"
%THAT IS THE MOST SACRED PLACE IN ALL OF KREISIA. THE GREATER SEAL CANNOT UNLEASH SUFFICIENT POWER TO DROWN IT.%
"You've never had a Time Mage Overlord before. %You can't wrap your head around what I can do, or how I can do it!%"
%SEND THE MIASMA TO DROWN A VILLAGE. PROTECT KREISIA FROM LIFE. DESTROY LIFE, AND RAISE IT INTO UNDEATH!%
"Destroying %this disgusting shrine% is way better than drowning a village, and you know it. I will %make Aldea feel the pain of losing something precious,% no matter how much power I have to borrow!"
%YOU ARE STRAINING FOR ANY EXCUSE TO USE AGAINST MY RULES.%
"How do you expect me to accomplish anything, if you keep interrupting my thoughts like that? %I'm flooding Aldea's shrine - you know how much I hate Aldea-%
"-oh yeah, everyone? I know you're still there. Now that you've arrived to %wake Aldea up already,% I'm done %putting off my revenge.% My %Miasma flood% has a cast time of forty hours, once I figure out how much power I need to use it in %Kreisia's most holy place,% but you should go see %Aldea% now. So you can tell it %how much I hate it. And that its shrine is going to drown.
%I'm going to destroy Aldea's shrine... yeah, I really like the sound of that. Aldea's shrine will drown in miasma. If only I could see the look on its bird-face-!%
The great black panther's mouth curled into a vicious sneer. %THAT IS WITHIN YOUR POWER.%
"Oh yeah, that's right! %I can use this monster to do a remote scan!%"
Cedric directed, "Friends, we must eliminate that wolf." He snapped his fingers, calling forth radiant holy magic chains that wrapped about the wolf-monster.
Laminah charged, bolstered by a burst of Anemos' bardic magic. Cynthia cast a fiery spell that burned the wolf-monster's eyes, blinding it. Laminah's halberd sliced into the undead beast. The wolf strained against Cedric's binding spell; it moved enough that Laminah's halberd only carved a wound instead of cleaving the wolf in half.
The wolf's fluctuating words escalated into frantic exclamations as it desperately tried to fight back. "Wait, what? %Stop that!% I haven't started the remote scan yet! Come on, %Bend time around monster% counts a lot more toward %my summon limit,% and time magic can't make my limit recharge any faster! I really want to %see Aldea freak out-%"
Laminah sliced off the wolf's head. As miasma plumes burst from the wolf's dissolving form, the Overlord's communication abruptly cut off, and the great black panther vanished into the darkness.
"We must hurry," Cedric stressed, briskly leading the way into Aldea's shrine. "We do not have 'forty hours' to spare against a Chronomancer Overlord. Aldea is in extreme danger, as are we. Anemos, if you please?" The golden-haired Lunarl quickened his pace to a run, then to a sprint. His three companions matched his stride; Anemos invoked a chord of bardic magic to hasten the movement of the entire group.
Cynthia trilled, "But Cedric-! Yusis wouldn't flood the shrine while we're inside. He just wouldn't."
"You must trust my king's wisdom," Laminah admonished. "If he says there is danger, then it is so."
Anemos darkly added, "'Yusis' would not flood the shrine while we are inside, but 'Yusis' is clearly losing control over far more than the illusion that disguises his voice."
The four companions swiftly reached the innermost chamber of Aldea's shrine.
Cedric panted from the strain of sprinting. He eyed the Holy Brand in its pedestal, took a deep breath, let it out, and cleared his throat.
"Cynthia dear, please be prepared to conjure as strong a holy barrier as you can, to shield all of us," Cedric instructed. "Anemos, Laminah, stand ready to aid her in any way you deem best. Let us hope we can persuade Aldea to evacuate before the situation becomes dire."
Cedric withdrew Aldea's three pommel stones from his satchel. With a flick of his fingers and the lightest dash of sorcery, he sent the pommel stones into their slots within Aldea's hilt.
Cedric adjusted his stance to brace himself. He gestured with his left hand and shaped holy magic to anchor his footing. Then he reached for the holy sword with his right hand and seized its hilt.
Cedric announced, "Holy Brand Aldea. As one who has resolved to protect Kreisia with all my heart and soul - even if it costs my life, even if it costs more - I call on you to awaken now!"
Holy static danced on the golden-haired Lunarl's skin and fur, puffing out his tail. A crackle wracked his body, and an invisible blast of force buffeted him. He kept his hand on the hilt not only with physical strength, but also by concentrating upon a flashing, magical barrier around his palm and fingers. "You must rise from your slumber, Aldea! Your shrine could drown in miasma at any moment! We must leave here at once!"
*What madness is this? Collecting my pommel stones and destroying the Lesser Seals they imprison are trials to strengthen the Savior's soul. I may have to devise replacement ordeals, when the Savior comes.*
Aldea's hilt melted into holy fire, slipped between Cedric's fingers, and erupted from the pedestal. The flames reformed into a brilliant, hovering phoenix with golden wings, blood-red talons, and white-slash eyes that transfixed Cedric with calculating scrutiny, even as its chastising voice resonated without sound.
*Noble scholar, no longer a king. Your will to protect Kreisia is genuine, but you are not an off-world Savior. You must leave me to my repose.*
"The cycle has turned, Aldea!" Cedric shouted back, even as the holy magic he had shaped vanished into white sparks. "Overlord Yusis Orzand is about to destroy your shrine with a miasma flood!"
*No Overlord is capable of desecrating this holy place.*
"He is a Chronomancer; doubt him at your peril! We have very little time!"
*An Overlord with the power of my creator? Impossible.*
Anemos firmly rejoined, "It is true. Overlord Yusis wields Yumarac's power over time itself. We are living proof."
The firebird's white-slash eyes fixated upon Anemos, Laminah, and Cynthia. *Why are the Lesser Seals here? How can they be here?*
"They were not derelict in their duty, Aldea!" Cedric declared. "Kreisia's ten years of peace were a blessing, but now-"
*No - what madness is this - how do you three live? Why do you have no miasma?*
"We are in danger!" Cedric stressed. "Explanations are best done in a safe place!"
*THIS CANNOT BE!* shrieked the firebird. *The Lesser Seals are meant to redirect a vast quantity of miasma into themselves! Their conduit funnels miasma into three fonts after their destruction! All of that dark magic now FLOWS TO THE CURRENT OVERLORD!*
Laminah contemplated, "That must be the true reason why Orzand chose to bargain with Yusis for our lives."
Cynthia piped up, "Um, everyone? I feel something really bad in the air."
"As do I," Anemos affirmed, with a grave frown.
"Even I can feel it," Laminah stoically stated. "It is the press of an unworthy death."
Cedric crushed the magic bead in his sleeve and moved next to his companions, shouting, "Cast your barrier, Cynthia! I will help you strengthen it! We are all teleporting!"
Cynthia spread her arms and surrounded the group with a shimmering, dome-shaped barrier. Cedric put one hand on her shoulder and thought back to his years of studying holy magic, how the dedication to protect life could combine individual spells into a greater whole that was far stronger than its parts. He felt reverberations of Anemos' bardic magic supporting him and the priestess, magnifying their connection to holy power.
*What madness is this - what madness is this-!*
A small hawk-monster, enveloped by dark magic, flew into the room. Its keening cry shaped into a panicked voice, oscillating between a shaky tenor and malevolent oppression.
"I - I screwed up - %you need to get out of here now% you can teleport right? %Forty hours cast time became forty seconds Aldea% can you teleport them? %Aldea! MIASMA IS FLOODING YOUR SHRINE NOW!%"
"Aldea! For the sake of protecting Kreisia, come into our barrier at once!" Cedric called.
*How can this be happening?* The firebird dimmed and reverted to the shape of a hovering sword.
Laminah calmly stated, "Holy Brand, you must join us now." She stretched out her halberd, hooked the midair sword in the curve of her weapon's blade, and pulled it within the barrier reinforced by the combined will of Cynthia, Cedric, and Anemos.
Cynthia quivered from the pain that strong holy magic caused her. Laminah withdrew healing beads and used them on the trembling priestess.
A roaring torrent of boiling, jet-black poison surged into Aldea's chamber, dissolving its structure. Chunks of the walls smashed to the ground; one bounced off the holy barrier, and then the roiling liquid surrounded the dome completely.
Aldea's sword-form melted into golden fire that formed an inner layer underneath the holy barrier. Cynthia, Cedric, and Anemos strained to keep the dome solid, to stave off the hissing, hideous substance that brought death and worse than death. Splashes of jet-black bile ate through small cracks in the dome; the Holy Brand's golden flames surrounded and contained the liquid before it could touch any person's skin.
The teleportation bead that Cedric had crushed took effect.
The group materialized in a grassy clearing. Cynthia gasped and collapsed in a heap. Cedric fell to his knees. Anemos remained standing, but swayed unsteadily. Laminah vigilantly surveyed their surroundings, and relaxed only slightly upon seeing no immediate threats.
The Holy Brand's fire coalesced a short distance away, reforming into the shape of a hovering sword. Liquid miasma dripped off of it and splashed on the earth, instantly killing each blade of grass it touched.
Lights flickered up and down the length of the hovering sword. There was a haphazard, jarring inconsistency to the display.
"Aldea, has the miasma injured you?" Cedric cautiously inquired.
Aldea's flickering lights momentarily froze in a checkered pattern.
*I can restore the damage I have sustained, but if I had been asleep when the Overlord flooded my shrine...*
"Our timely arrival was not by chance," Laminah remarked to the Holy Brand. "Overlord Yusis waited for us to awaken you."
Aldea's radiance dimmed to a faint glow.
*An Overlord with the power of my creator has risen. He has destroyed the shrine where I must sleep between turns of the cycle. Is my function to protect Kreisia doomed to end in failure?*
"The power of Yumarac..." Anemos somberly reflected. "If Overlord Yusis loses the remainder of his Savior mind, then yes, I believe Kreisia will be doomed."
"We have all escaped with our lives," Laminah resolutely declared. "Let us claim what victories we can."
Cynthia slowly lifted her head. A long moment passed as she gazed upon the surrounding clearing, the rough-hewn wooden cabin nearby, and the overgrown trail leading into the forest beyond.
"This is where the teleport took us?" she whispered.
"I was not concentrating upon a destination," Cedric sighed, weakly climbing to his feet. "I only wished for us to arrive somewhere safe. Was this place in your mind, dear Cynthia?"
"This is where I summoned Yusis to Kreisia." A single tear spilled from her eye.
A small rabbit-monster hopped out of the shadows.
"Aldea, do not destroy that monster yet," Cedric requested. "Overlord Yusis knows we are here, and he can use it to speak to us."
*What madness is this...*
The unremarkable tenor of Kreisia's most unlikely Savior came from the rabbit-monster. It was a wavering sound, wracked with anguish.
"...I can't summon any of you...
"...it's not... it's not because of my summon limit. I can't teleport you across the smallest bit of space.
"...it's because... you're not monsters.
"...you all... must have... made it out alive. Aldea's with you, too.
"I really screwed up... I hated Aldea so much I started the spell while all of you were inside. I thought a 'forty hour cast time' would be long enough... I didn't think about how Aldea needs its shrine for the next cycle... can it make a new place to recharge? I... I wish..."
%THE OVERLORD MAKES OBEISANCE TO NO ONE.% The gigantic black panther-illusion of Orzand materialized from the darkness, and sat next to the rabbit-monster.
"...right... apologies are useless, anyway."
The Holy Brand flashed and became a blazing phoenix. The great cat and the great firebird locked eyes. Shadows and flames danced about one another. Palpable tension pervaded the night air.
*Orzand. You appear precisely as my creator once described.*
%YOU APPEAR IN THE FORM OF PREY.%
"...wait, what?"
*Your threats are meaningless. You are an illusion that can do nothing. You cannot so much as see or hear the others, but you can perceive me. Know that I am awakened.*
%YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN YOUR SHRINE AND ACCEPTED YOUR FATE.%
"...what's going on out there...?"
%THE CYCLE IS NOW BROKEN IN MY FAVOR, HOLY BRAND.%
"...I'm only hearing Orzand's side of this... somehow, Orzand and Aldea are talking to each other..."
%EVEN IF YOU DESTROY THE CURRENT OVERLORD, YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO RENEW YOUR FIRE FOR THE NEXT.%
"...I need to tell you... all of you need to know that... %Empowered miasma flood% took not only all the power I have, but also all the power I will have for two weeks..."
%YOU HAVE SAVED NO ONE. YOU CAN SAVE NO ONE. YOU WILL SAVE NO ONE.%
"...I can't move right now. Not enough to stand up. I can't cast any major spells. I can still summon monsters, but that ability has limits..."
%I WILL PROTECT KREISIA FROM ALL LIFE!%
"...Orzand will take complete control when I resist its rule to destroy all life, but it won't have any power for two weeks either..."
%YOU HAVE NO SHRINE, NO SAVIOR, AND NO HOPE!%
"...I know you're at the summoning station where... never mind. I thought the next Savior hadn't been summoned yet... is he with you now? I'm not doing any scans... I'm not letting Orzand learn anything about him..."
%GIVE UP NOW. SPARE YOURSELF MISERY.%
The phoenix's fire burned brighter, beautiful and luminous, lighting the area as intensely as a small sun.
*No. I will not despair.
*I will not abandon my function. I will never yield.
*I will NOT give YOU the satisfaction.*
The phoenix stretched out one, flaming wing. The tip of its incandescent pinion brushed against the rabbit-monster. Golden sparkles danced about the creature, then faded.
"...what...? What was that? Aldea, what did you do?"
The great black panther swivelled its head toward the huddled rabbit-monster.
"I remember, now. 'The Overlord must prepare to confront the next Savior in a battle to the death.' How did I forget that?"
The panther's mouth twisted into a menacing snarl. It rose to all fours, looming large over the rabbit-monster.
%YOU HAVE NO POWER, BUT YOU CAN STILL COMMAND MONSTERS.%
"I really do think miasma is 'hatred of life'. I think I had so much that it washed stuff out of my mind."
%SEND THE MONSTERS NOW. SEND THEM TO ATTACK THE ROYAL CAPITAL.%
"Orzand, I'm literally helpless right now. Monsters are my only defense if the next Savior comes. I have to prepare for him."
%THE OVERLORD MUST PROTECT KREISIA FROM ALL LIFE!%
"Preparing for the next Savior takes absolute priority, over all other rules. I have to think of as many ways to prepare for him as I can. I can't afford to think about you, Orzand."
The great black panther disappeared.
"Cynthia, I said I'd work on not doubting you so much. Or myself. Aldea, I won't doubt you either. Not anymore. I'm taking you seriously. I will... I will prepare for you. Above all else. I will prepare."
The fiery phoenix swept its wings forward. The rabbit-monster lunged to attack in response; an eruption of holy power instantly consumed the undead creature in mid-leap, leaving only miasma plumes drifting in the darkness.
End of Chapter Fourteen: Awakening the Holy Brand