Overlord Rising - Chapter 35 Retaliation

Keshrak viciously snarled. His fists clenches, as he continued watching the battle unfold, at a safe distance. How could this be happening? How could this meager union of lesser and weak clans obstruct him and his army?

For several weeks, Keshrak had traveled across the land. With an army of empowered Allosaur at his back, he hunted down and absorbed some of the fiercest and mightiest clans. None could stand before him and his growing army. All seemed like ants for him to be trampled upon.

Despite this, his forces now found themselves struggling for victory. Even with his magic now flowing through their veins, they could not achieve the goal immediately. Keshrak may not have been losing yet, but victory still seemed so distant.

“How?” Keshrak sneered. A spear of electricity started forming in the palm of his hands. “How is this possible?!”

With those words, Keshrak flung the spear of electricity towards the walls. It flew with great speed, only for it to be deflected by that spell caster named Mycelia. With her own powers, she stopped his magic from dealing immense damage.

This failed strike only angered the shaman even further. Fire lit in his eyes, as his patience continued to dwindle. He refused to accept the insufficiency of his power. To struggle in this battle would mean to struggle even more in the battle against the humans.

“How are they still standing?!” Keshrak hissed, walking back and forth. “How can these weaklings still stand so strong in the face of my power?”

The sapphire in Keshrak’s chest glowed a few times. A short and brief explanation radiated from the glow, and entered his mind.

“It is that Overlord, isn’t it? Is she using her powers to ignite them into battle? Is that the secret?”

Again the sapphire glowed.

Keshrak redirected his attention to the wall, where that elf sorceress stood. “Yes, if I obtain that tome and use its magic, surely I will succeed!”

The sapphire glowed again.

Keshrak’s expression sunk a little, when an unheard idea entered his mind. “Sacrifice them?” The shaman looked at the company of warriors that protected him. “Y-you cannot expect me to do that!”

The sapphire glowed, clearly arguing with him. It spoke to the shaman, telling him that sacrificing his warriors wouldn’t be a problem, as they were already good as dead.

This revelation struck Keshrak like lightning. Only now did he truly realize the weight of his actions, and just what he had actually done to his clan and to several others. It may have been difficult to swallow, but Keshrak could not deny how he had damned his own clan.

Soon, Keshrak found himself drawn back to the wall, where he found his enemies desperately trying to hold their own against his forces. Keshrak did not know most of these clans personally, but he recognized them as weak, lesser clans of little to no actual prestige.

At this moment, Keshrak finally began asking himself. Why was he doing all this? Why did he want to defeat the Overlord, as well as the humans that he feared so much? Wasn’t it to save the lesser clans from them? If so, then why is he leading his forces to kill lesser clans?

Guilt and dread began to fill Keshrak’s chest, as a few of the enemies’ spells flew towards his path. They almost struck him, only missing by a few feet. However, Keshrak did not really care. The shaman questioned his actions and his motives, as despair crept in.

“W-why am I doing this?” the shaman asked himself, falling to his knees. He held his face, as his eyes beadily stared at the dirt. “I-I don’t want to do this! W-we must stop!”

Again, the sapphire glowed. It spoke to him; played with his emotions and conscience. This mysterious gem reminded the shaman that he had already made many sacrifices and that many had already died because of his actions. If he stopped, all those sacrifices would be for nothing.

Unfortunately, this stirred Keshrak’s heart. A part of him began accepting this reasoning and logic. A part of him did not want all that he had done be for nothing. He had killed and damned so many lizard folk. All of his actions must have some sort of justification. All this death, all this madness, everything must have been worth something good.

These thoughts now lingered within Keshrak’s mind, as the sapphire deepened its hold within the shaman’s chest. With a deep sigh, Keshrak nodded.

He turned to the ones he once called brothers. “This is all to rid ourselves of the monsters beyond our land.” Keshrak held his hands out to a few, and finally swallowed these feelings of remorse. “Your sacrifices shall not be in vain.”

Keshrak quietly uttered a few mystical words, and clenched his hand into a fist. From that, Keshrak recalled the magic he had poured on several of his warriors. It did not stop there, however. Aside from the magic, the shaman took more, or rather, he took everything.

One by one, a number of his warriors dropped to the ground. The markings disappeared from their bodies, and so did the life in their eyes. Only empty husks remained from these once proud warriors.

As soon as he had drained enough, Keshrak turned to another set of his warriors. Instead of taking, the shaman gave them his power, as well as the life and energy that he had taken away. It fueled these handful of warriors, making them grow into larger and fiercer monsters.

Several of them turned into massive creatures that would have rivaled ogres in terms of size. The markings on their bodies became more elaborate and complex, while the expressions on their faces grew more savage.

It took the lives of five warriors, to create one monster. Before long, Keshrak had made about ten of these new brutes. Each one stood tall and hungry; eager to do their master’s bidding.

“Break through their defenses,” Keshrak then ordered. “Make them understand fear.”

The ten howled and roared. They raced towards the city walls. Rather than running, they stomped and hopped forward, making loud tremors with each landing. Many arrows struck these monsters, but they proved as effective as the grass that they trampled upon.

Before long, they reached the gates. They shoved everyone aside, and took the battering ram. With incredible might and strength, they soon brought down the massive doors and allowed their army to step enter the city.

Seeing his forces now gain a foothold, Keshrak led the remaining company inside to search for the head of the overlord, as well as the tome he originally sought after.

Despite having broken through the walls, Keshrak’s enemies still put up a very fearsome fight. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Keshrak almost found himself rather impressed with how they continued fighting against terrible odds.

The battle spread throughout the entire city. His warriors scattered everywhere, attacking all their enemies, and securing as much ground as they could.

Keshrak calmly walked about, looking for his targets. It did not take him too long to find his first. He spotted her through a large blaze of fire that consumed over a dozen of his own warriors, including one of the giants he created.

The elf named Mycelia stood her ground, with a handful of warriors fighting alongside her.

“Slay these vile wretches!” Mycelia commanded, her hand raised forward. “Do not permit them to defile these sacred sanctuary any further!”

In the midst of all this, Keshrak found the tome hanging on the side her hip. The shaman’s eyes gleamed, and his mouth salivated with excitement. At long last, the tome that started this entire conflict appeared right before him.

Without sparing another moment, Keshrak cast a spell. He spewed a breath of scorching flames. Anything caught within the flames would have been incinerated. Unfortunately for him, the sorceress immediately erected a magical barrier to protect herself and those around her.

“So, the demon shaman has finally stepped into the battlefield,” Mycelia sneered, flourishing her staff twice. “I have yet to pay you back for attempting to possess me those few months ago.”

“Fret not, by the end of this day, I will make sure I succeed in doing so!” Keshrak hollered. He raised his hands and performed another spell.

Both armies clashed ferociously around the city. Weapons swung and thrust, while claws and fangs hacked. Warriors fought savagely to the bitter end. Out of all the battles that took place, Mycelia and Keshrak’s fight stood out the most.

When they did not engage each other physically, they would cast their magic and create a grand spectacle that appeared both wondrous and terrible. Their exchange of spells created a colorful scene of destruction that could only be done by the magically adept.

In one instance, Keshrak found himself flying a few feet into the air, and crashing into one of the old buildings. If not for his newfound magic, he would have lost consciousness, and broken a number of bones. Even with the protection, however, the shaman still found his body aching and bleeding in a few places. The sorceress proved to be very capable.

Keshrak crawled out of the rubble, groaning and mumbling with frustration. He waddled a few steps, trying to keep his balance.

“Surrender, fiend!” Mycelia demanded. She stepped forward, with her staff raised. She had a few burns, bruises and cuts around her. “You are no match for my elven sorcery!”

Keshrak could not deny Mycelia’s power. Without a doubt, she knew a greater array of magic, and had far more experience than him. In spite of this, Keshrak refused to relent.

He did not use words to speak on his behalf. Instead, the Allosaur allowed his actions speak. From his fingers, Keshrak unleashed jets of darkness to entangle the sorceress. They lashed all around her, yet Keshrak’s eyes locked on a single target.

Mycelia immediately warded them off, preventing the magic from restraining her. “Is that all you can do, shaman?” she taunted. “You possess unique and powerful spells, but you do not have the power to use them to your full potential.”

“I accept that,” Keshrak huffed, as the streams of darkness returned to his fingers. “However, perhaps this will provide me with the advantage I need.”

Keshrak raised his hand, revealing the mystic tome in his fingers.

Mycelia gasped. She gazed at her hip, realizing that he had used his magic to steal the tome, rather than to attack her directly.

“No!” The sorceress raised her staff. She attempted to cast a spell, but found herself a count too slow to react.

Before she could take another breath, Keshrak once again unleashed the darkness upon her. His magic coiled around her waist, and flung her a few feet away. It would have not been enough to kill her, but at the very least, she wouldn’t be an immediate bother.

“I finally have it….” Keshrak glared at the tome. His fingers tenderly felt the leather cover, as his mouth salivated with delight.

Carefully, yet also keenly, Keshrak opened the tome. He gazed into the great and extensive knowledge of magic that hid behind its pages. The sapphire had already revealed to him much, but this very tome opened up a variety of possibilities and ideas that he could not quite dream of.

Even with all the carnage and noise around him, Keshrak could not tear his eyes away from the pages. Each word practically shimmered like gold before him. This tome proved to be more valuable than any treasure or object that the clans cherished and worshiped.

Eager and willing to cast a new spell, Keshrak looked through the tome. So many powerful spells that could have caused devastating damage, and even end this very battle. Sadly, a number of these required much study and an incredible amount of raw power, neither of which Keshrak had at the moment.
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Flipping through the pages, Keshrak eventually spotted a few interesting rituals, which did not demand vast understanding or immense power. No. It required something a little more. It required him to cross a line, which he already had done.

Looking about, Keshrak summoned forth a number of his warriors to his side, particularly those currently not engaged in battle. They obeyed and circled around him. None of them wondering or questioning his motives, simply following because he called for them.

Raising his arms to the side, Keshrak formed a magic circle beneath his feet. His eyes glowed, while a purple light gleamed from the circle. A current of electricity sparked around him, whilst power circulated around the sapphire embedded in his chest.

“Let us bring an end to this,” Keshrak whispered.

He began to quietly recite the mystical words from the tome. As these words escaped his lips, the warriors he had gathered slowly drifted off into darkness.