Overlord Rising

The scent of boiled meat and vegetables streamed into her nose, reviving her senses. Uriel slowly opened her eyes and saw the sky. Dimness still dominated much of it. Turning her head to the side, she gazed at the horizon and saw rays of light stretch out. Although the sun had yet to rise, there was enough light to faintly reveal the distance.

Stretching her body, Uriel sat up and inspected her company. She first noticed the golem. It stood quietly and almost perfectly still. A wagon rested beside it, filled with a number of shields and spears from the armory.

Bringing the other golems would have been a tremendous advantage in battle, but it would have left the citadel unprotected. In the end, Uriel decided to bring only one of the metal hulks to aid in battle, as well as pull the wagon.

The lizards sat and hastily ate their breakfast. Manners seemed to be foreign to them. These lizard folk grunted and snorted aloud, as they gobbled and licked everything out of their bowls. How Uriel did not wake up from the noise was a mystery. Bits of stew splashed out of their bowls, while crumbs of meat and vegetables stuck on their faces. They had the table manners that only a mother would love.

"More food!" one Ovoo barked, as he held up his bowl.

"Hold on," Mycelia g.r.o.a.n.e.d. She took the bowl and poured another serving. "You lizards eat too much."

"You eat too little," the lizard replied, as he snatched the bowl back. "How can you survive on such small amounts?"

Mycelia frowned and shook her head. She soon noticed Uriel awake. "Ah, good morning my lady!" she greeted. She took a bowl and poured an ample serving. "Here's breakfast… which is enough for anyone with a regular appetite, if I might add."

The lizards simply ignored her and carried on eating.

"Thank you," Uriel said, receiving the bowl. Before she took a bite, she scanned the Ovoo warriors, until she spotted Ragosh in the bunch. "Ragosh, how much farther until we reach your village?"

"We will arrive there before sun is at its highest." he answered, as he slurped the bowl clean with his tongue.

"Before midday," Uriel hummed, as she tapped her bowl. "Good. I'm quite curious to see what the village looks like."

"I'm also rather interested," Mycelia agreed. "I have studied and opened these lizards over the past years, but I never had the opportunity to see them in their environment."

Uriel raised a brow at Mycelia's remark, but chose not delve any further into the topic. Taking her spoon, she scooped the stew and ate it. The flavor danced on her tongue, making her sense of taste giggle with delight. As always, Mycelia's cooking was something to be commended.

Time passed quickly. Although the stew was finished, the lizards were not done eating. Unsatisfied with the portions, they pulled out scraps of meat from their satchels and snacked as if they had not yet been fed, while Uriel and Mycelia gathered their belongings and prepared to leave. After a few more minutes, the company was finally ready to leave.

Ragosh and lizards led the way. For the past two days, they travelled through large valleys. Patches of turgid grass covered the ground, while trees stood in lonely groups. The hills took on odd forms. It looked as if a giant pair of hands grabbed the soil and twisted it into random shapes. In the far distance, pillars of light beamed into the clouds, like a spear piercing the heavens.

"What are those lights?" Uriel asked occasionally.

"I don't know myself," Mycelia said. "The Dark-Elves have seen these lights many times, but never actually reached them to inspect."

The mysteries of the Dark Land grew. Uriel's veins pumped with the need and d.e.s.i.r.e to wander aimlessly and explore the unknown. She wanted to venture straight towards the pillar of light and discover its origin. However, she currently had other matters to attend to. Steeling her mind and reining her curiosity, Uriel continued to follow the lizards.

They travelled miles and miles, until Ragosh came to a stop. Lifting his head, he flicked his tongue and tasted the air. Finally, he gave a quick sniff and announced, "We've arrived to our forest home."

Uriel found herself in a forest of redwood. The trees made Uriel feel like an ant. She had seen many large trees, but none as big as these. In her youth, she climbed many tall trees for fun. However, she dared not even think of scaling these giants.

"How close are we to your village?" Mycelia asked.

Before Mycelia could receive an answer, swift movement brushed around the forest. The bushes and leaves rustled, while a choir of voices hissed and snarled around them.

Suddenly, a handful of lizards jumped out from the shadows and bushes. Uriel and Mycelia readied themselves for battle, but soon found themselves surrounded. These lizards steadily pointed their spears towards the group. Even the Ovoo lizards were not spared from the threat.

One of the lizards stepped forward. He wore the hide of a bear like a cape and decorated his arms with trinkets made from sharp animal teeth. Red paint smeared his face and c.h.e.s.t, while old scars and scratches ruined the alignment of his scales.

Ragosh and the other lizards bowed their heads. "We have returned, Guard Chief Torgan."

"So you have," Torgan replied with a flickering tongue. He held up his hand, which commanded the surrounding lizards to lower their spears. "Ragosh, you know full well that you do not need to call me Guard Chief."

Ragosh grinned. "I don't need to, but prefer to."

The two lizards tightly took each other's wrists. They then pulled one another and slammed their c.h.e.s.ts together with a loud thump. A gesture of camaraderie, no doubt.

"I am pleased you have returned soon, old friend," Torgan said, as he patted Ragosh on the shoulder. "Have you brought the Stone Witch?

"I have. And much more," Ragosh said. He stepped aside to reveal Uriel, Mycelia and the golem. "I have brought the Stone Witch and her master."

"Her master?" Torgan repeated with mild surprise. "Is her power greater than the witch's?"

"I believe so," Ragosh nodded. "Her fighting skills are also great. She bested me in combat."

"You?!" Torgan raised his voice and gazed with wider eyes. He looked past Ragosh and inspected Uriel from head to toe. "This small creature bested you?"

"Perhaps you'd like to test her?" Mycelia interjected c.o.c.kily, only to receive a rather unpleasant glare from her master.

"There is no need," Torgan replied, waving his hand. "Ragosh greatly prides his own fighting skills. If he admits his defeat, then I believe that your master is strong."

"Then we have no quarrel," Mycelia snorted.

Torgan could only give an amused laugh. "You must all be exhausted from your journey," he said. "Come, our village is close by. We will gladly serve -!"

Suddenly, a loud horn blasted in the air. The lizards raised their heads to the sound, as silence returned for a moment. Just as they were about to relax, the horn sounded a second time. The lizards then turned their heads back, while their eyes gaped with alarm.

"What is it?" Uriel asked.

"The village is under attack!" Ragosh replied hastily. "We must go!"

Torgan didn't say anything. He simply turned and raced back to the village with his warriors. Ragosh and his companions followed after. Down on all fours, they dashed away like regular lizards. Although they lacked grace, their speed made them appear quite the menace.

"Let's go," Uriel said. She gripped her sword and chased after the lizards.

Arriving at the village, Uriel found a battle already taking place. Loud screeches and cries broke out, as a few houses caught on fire. Ovoo warriors gathered the defenseless behind them, while attempting to ward off a horde of attacking lizards.

Unlike the Ovoo, these attacking lizards appeared smaller and more slender in stature. They had scales of light lime, and black stripes. They had beady yellow eyes and three large claws amongst their five fingers. Skulls sat on their heads like helmets, while primitive spears and daggers rested in their hands.

Despite their size, these attackers showed ferocity to be both admired and feared. They pounced upon their foes and struck with every intent to kill.

The Ovoo warriors stood their ground and protected their village from the invaders, but Uriel was not about to just watch and wait for the fight to end.

"Mycelia, you wouldn't happen to have any spells to help, would you?" Uriel asked.

"I have several, but I cannot use them," Mycelia replied, as she pulled out a sword. "The Ovoo are in the way and may get caught in my spells."

"Then we fight as we normally do," Uriel said, as she drew her sword.

Without a trace of hesitation, Uriel leapt right into the chaos. She swung left and right, striking down any foe unfortunate enough to enter her line of sight. Five lizards soon fell victim to her blade. They dropped like uprooted trees. None of them managed to comprehend what had just happened, or even identify the one who ended them.

Mycelia joined the battle as well. She picked her targets carefully and then landed quick blows. While she did not display the same level of skill or technique as her overlord, she still proved to be proficient with the sword.

The golem did not sit idly by, either. Forgetting the wagon, it raised its massive sword, it cleaved any foe it confronted into two. The golem's mobility was proportional to its weight. Being a hulking figure, it could not evade any of the swift attacks launched at it. However, this didn't prove to be a problem. None of the stone weapons managed to penetrate its steel hide.

Soon, the battle came to a close. Although many foes remained on their feet, there was no denying the damage done to their numbers. Seeing many of their own turned into corpses, the attacking lizards turned tail and fled as quickly as they could.

The Ovoo lifted their hands and chanted over this victory. Although it had ended, one person was not quite finished. Mycelia raised her hand and targeted the fleeing lizards. Sparks of light jolted from the tip of her fingers.

"Shall I finish them off, my lady?" Mycelia asked with an excited smile. "I won't get them all, but I can promise that many won't get back up."

"That won't be necessary," Uriel coughed, as she pulled out a rag and cleaned the blood off her blade. "Save your magic for another occasion."

"Very well," Mycelia grunted with a hint of disappointment. The sparks vanished, when she lowered her hand. "This battle wasn't too difficult. I expected much more from a greater clan."

"Those weren't the Allosaur," Ragosh joined in. Smudges of dirt covered his face. He had a few cuts and bruises, but still appeared well. "Those were warriors of the Kompos; a clan sided with the Allosaur. They must have been ordered to take us out."

"So rather than doing it themselves, they send others to do it," Uriel grunted. "Either they're afraid of you, or they don't think you're worth their time."

"Or that the Kompos are hoping to gain favor," Ragosh suggested.

"Regardless of their purpose, this clearly won't be the last attack," Uriel said, as she stared off at the distance. "Your clan will be attacked again."

Ragosh growled. A firm grimace twitched on the side of his face. He didn't like Uriel's statement, but he very well agreed with it.

Before the three could linger on the topic any longer, an Ovoo lizard approached them. His scale's pale color and rather droopy eyes hinted his age. He sported a toga made from pieces of leather stitched together and a necklace of colorful feathers and beads. A staff shaped like a serpent acted like a walking stick.

"Father," Ragosh quietly addressed, as he bowed his head.

The Ovoo acknowledged Ragosh with a nod and then turned his attention to Uriel and Mycelia. "So, you are the ones my son have brought to aid us," he spoke in a raspy tone.

"We indeed are," Uriel admitted. "I am Overlord Uriel, and this here is Mycelia of the Sightless Sisters, or whom you call the Tower Witch."

"I am Enoch, chieftain of the Ovoo," Ragosh's father introduced himself with a short bow. "We are most grateful that you have come to aid us in our time of need."

"Your son and I had a few heated words," Uriel said, casting an eye at Ragosh. "However, after some persuasion, we came to an agreement."

"I can tell," Enoch laughed. "With your assistance, we will be able to defend ourselves from any attack and resist the Allosaur."

Uriel crossed her arms and coughed a chuckle. "We will be doing more than just defend you," she said.

"Oh?" Enoch uttered with interest.

"Father…," Ragosh hesitantly spoke, as he held Enoch's shoulder. "We need to talk…"