Chapter 1

I glared at the Nordbergian before me. He came at the request of the mayor to put a stop to a man who was Governor of Nordberg now. Borius of the "Glorious Empire" as they refer to themselves. His unwelcome visit got me thinking of the time I was a child there. I growled as they came uninvited to my mind.

I hated this village. The people, the snow, the town, traditions, speech, everything. Never mind the fact they deemed me a witch because of my eyes...and the magic. So their not wrong on that account, but does that give them the right to bully me? Maybe. The boys were especially cruel. Throwing snowballs, calling me witch-girl, a freak, even hitting me on occasion.

I suppose I shouldn't blame them. I mean my looks alone aren't human. My hair was blood red, same as my eyes. My skin was as white as the snow in Nordberg. My hands held claws, my fingernails were longer, about two or three inches. They were sharp and stronger than the strongest metal. I know this because I tested them out, I cut right through metal without a problem. But the thing that makes me different the most is that my teeth, though white and straight, were sharp and narrowed to points. I know what they were used for. Tearing and shredding. I was a living monster. A killer. So their animosity wasn't unfounded, only annoying. I did nothing to them, only existing. The only one who didn't treat me different and helped me get revenge one day was Kelda.

Kelda was my only friend. She loved spending time with me, causing mischief. Like one time at the Midwinters Eve Festival she helped me light fire to all the fireworks and burned down the giant decorated tree in the main courtyard of the town. We laughed for days remembering what we had done, me more darkly than her. So life at Nordberg wasn't all bad. Except when Kelda's parents came to collect her from me. My smirk (I found I could never give a genuine heartfelt smile) would always drop into an expressionless stare. But she still cared about me even then, she would always hug me despite her parents protests. "Come, Kelda. Get away from that demon. We're going home." Her mothers words didn't phase me I just watched as they walked away with Kelda in tow. Sometimes I wondered about my own parents.

I never knew who my birth parents were. According to the adults in the village I was left by the north gate of Nordberg bundled up in a fury ensemble to keep me warm. I never cried, I never smiled, I never even laughed. I think that's when it all started, I was unnatural they said, a witch, a demon. They were right. It was rather unfortunate of me to learn I could use magic, and I used it. Then "they" came.

Kelda and I were chasing the village kids, I was throwing small fireballs at them. The snow melted wherever my fire hit. She was throwing snowballs. The children were crying and running for their fort. We were laughing, just having a good time, until the screaming started. Kelda and I stopped our chase and got curious. This sounded more interesting than chasing a bunch of kids. So we made our way to the stone walls to see what the commotion was about. Outside the walls were many people garbed in what looked to me like dresses I snickered in their direction, shouldn't they be ashamed? Kelda giggling into my shoulder when I pointed out their attire. The mayor was talking to them, trying to explain that their was no one here who had magic. The dress wearing army didn't believe him and pointed to two cloaked figures on the cliff above him. "Our seekers know there is magic here, hand them over immediately!" The Mayor was going to protest again until he saw me. I stared back, and I didn't like the look he had in his eyes. Without preamble he grabbed and held me in the air.

"Actually we do have a magic user! This is her!" The he proceeded to throw me over the edge.

"Yoko, no!" Kelda screamed, I looked up in time to see her trying to jump to follow me, but was held back by her parents and the people on the wall. "Let go of me! Yoko!" She was screaming for me, tears in her eyes. I hated it when she cried. I clenched my tiny fists tightly. I didn't care if they hated me or shunned me, but they had no right to make Kelda cry. There was nothing I could do about it now though. If I were to try and get back in the men-in-dresses would destroy this town. That would make Kelda sad, I might even die too and that would devastate her.

No, there was nothing I could do so I ran. Several of the strangely dressed men got in my way to take me down, but in my fury I lunged at them, striking with my claws with a scream of rage. I cut right through them and kept running, my booted feet pounding against the snowy landscape. Sounds of pursuit could be heard behind me, but I didn't let up. I would make these humans pay for what they had done tonight, one day. As I turned around, distracted by the pursuit I failed to notice the edge of the cliff, before I knew it I plunged into the frozen waters below.

That was years ago. I was later found by a group of goblin like creatures known as Minions. They viewed me as their Overlord and pledged their service to me. They taught me how to control my magic, how to fight, to kill. Gnarl, my adviser and the Head Minion, told me of my upbringing and why I was chosen as their Overlord. He knew my father, which was their previous Overlord or The Third Overlord, Zane. Gnarl told me about my mother. Her name was Rose, daughter of the Wizard that my father killed. She was her Mistress, lover, and confident. A few years after finding Abyssal gates opening across the land, she became pregnant with me. My father didn't know at the time because he was trapped inside the Abyss. Whether he was dead or not no one knows. Either way I knew about my parents now, about my birthright. Now I knew why I had such sharp claws, sharp teeth, terrifying eyes and hair, incredible strength and speed, six times that of the strongest human warrior. I was the bringer of death.

I blinked and looked at the weak man before me. I sat upon my Throne in the Netherworld, where the first Minion and Overlord ruled from. It was towering fortress underground in the bowels of the earth. Lava rivers flowed like waterfalls down the sounds, it was a spectacular and intimidating sight. "Why should I help the people of Nordberg?" I asked. "Has everyone already forgotten that I was thrown over the side of the town walls! Just so the Empire doesn't destroy you?" I yelled at him from under my deep cowl. To those staring at me they could only see my glowing red eyes and my dark red hair flowing like rivers of blood out from underneath it. If I were to speak or open my mouth they would also see pearly white sharp teeth.

"W-we are truly sorry, Dark One." He apologized, rather poorly I might add. His fear betrayed him. He wasn't sorry, he just wanted his town saved and apparently they had heard about a new Overlord. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' so to speak and sent this sniveling little shit. I slowly stood, my cloak covering my body. Slivers of my armor could be seen underneath. I began to pace slowly in front of him, thinking, not once taking my glowing red eyes off his shivering body. "It was Lady Kelda who told us to find you and request your aid." That got my attention and I froze in mid-step. Kelda. The girl I was friends with for so long. This was her idea? Not the townspeople? I would do anything for Kelda even, dare I say, help people if it made her smile at me. For some reason this pissed me off more than it made me happy.

"Gnarl." I growled out.

"Yes, Dark One." He answered from beside the Throne on the right.

"Prepare my forces. We should pay Nordberg a visit." I sat down again. Folding my arms across my chest and crossing my legs. The black leather armor of my legs catching the light a little.

"Oh thank you, Dark Lady. You won't regret..." He began, but I interrupted him, grabbing him by the throat. His eyes widened in shock and fear. Understandable. To him, I was just sitting on my throne one second, then the next moment I was in front of him, glaring down into his eyes. Over the years I had grown, almost a full seven feet. I think it had to do with my genetic material. A powerful Overlord and royalty.

"Looks like you don't know what your dealing with. Enough of your thanks, enough of your talking...your giving me a headache." With those words I crushed his windpipe in my hand and dropped him to the floor. He was still alive, clawing at the ground and his throat trying to breathe. I just turned on my heel and sat back down on my Throne drumming my fingers on the arm rest as I waited for him to die, enjoying every second of it.

Once he suffocated to death I waved him away. A couple of my Minions grabbed him and threw him over the edge of the tower into the molten lava lake hundreds of feet below. "Truly evil, Master. Keeping him alive while he slowly dies. Marvelous." Gnarl approved.

"Are they ready?" I asked him bluntly, ignoring his ass kissing. Gnarl faltered under my intense glare then nodded. "Good. Let's see how strong the Empire is when someone is willing to fight back." I chuckled darkly to myself. This should be fun.