A/N: Wow. It's been a while, hasn't it? Fear not, I am here. I will finish this story off soon enough. We are , in fact, witnessing the final moves of the game. Stay tuned and enjoy. :)

Chapter XXXVI: One Step Closer

"I'll keep it," the Overlord said after several seconds of consideration. "Very well sire," Gnarl said, pleased with the decision. Domination tended to have a longer life expectancy than their Destruction counterparts. The minion master was pleased his young sire had the wisdom and foresight to plan ahead. "Nevertheless, I'd suggest you explore the area for the projection tower that crystal is implanted in."

Hanson nodded and set out towards the resort's rear gate. As he walked past, minions specially summoned for garrison duties bowed to him. While he walked towards his next objective, the Overlord pondered the future. Revenge was close, the pieces were falling into place for his rule of the known lands at last. At last, the armored warrior arrived at the rear gates of the resort and thrust them open. The dried reeds, more decorative than protective, easily gave way to reveal a trail leading upwards into the mountains. "Elves were never particularly subtle about hiding their artifacts. I'd bet at least three delicious beetles that the projection tower is somewhere along that path."

Shaking his head in disbelief at the simplicity of the elves, the Overlord pressed onwards. As Hanson and his minion horde continued through the jungle, the atmosphere grew noticeably thicker, as if the plants themselves were leaning in. The trees' thick canopies blocked out the sun, shrouding the forest floor in shadow. The sounds of nature receded until all that was audible was the pitter-patter of the minions' feet and the dull thumps of the Overlord's armored boots. As he passed through the jungle vegetation, Hanson became aware of a presence observing him from a distance. The Overlord loosened his sword in its sheath and moved on.

Soon, the jungle receded and Hanson found himself blinking at the bright sunlight. As his eyes adjusted to the light, the Overlord saw a stone tower rising out of the mountainside. "There it is!" Gnarl said excitedly. "If my mind serves me right, these types of towers have external staircases due to the various magical instruments that occupy the interior." As the Overlord and his horde closed in on the tower, external stairs became evident. The air became charged with the passive magical energy. Making the hair stand on the nape of Hanson's neck.

It was when he was standing at the base of the three hundred-foot tower that the Overlord realized that the sun had not moved at all in the sky since he had first set foot in the resort. "It seems the maintenance crew has run off. Pity, I would have liked to figure out how such artifacts operated. Oh well, it seems the only thing one can rely on an elf to do these days is run away at the first hint of trouble," Gnarl said.

While the minion master was sunk in his own thoughts, Hanson was eyeing the seemingly countless stairs that led to the top with distaste. After an afternoon of trekking through the jungle, the prospect of climbing hundreds of steps appealed little to his tired feet. "Unfortunately, the minions are not strong enough to carry your imposing presence around sire," Gnarl said. With a lopsided smirk, the Overlord began the climb.

Ten minutes later, an exhausted Hanson stood at the top of the stairs. The tower's spires reached inwards, similar to a flower that had yet to bloom. In the middle of the platform, a statue of the Mother Goddess cradled a jewel so bright, it could have put the real sun to shame. As the Overlord walked closer, he shielded his eyes from the glare to closer examine the jewel and that action saved his life. An arrow imbedded itself in Hanson's left hand, easily slicing through the Arcanium plating.

"Dark One, I will not allow you to claim this gift from the Mother Goddess for your evil intentions!" A mysterious green-clad figure cried as it appeared. "Ironic, considering that jewel is clearly of human magework. Our elven clearly should have checked the etchings on the side," Gnarl sniggered. The elf dramatically threw off his hood, revealing the archer to be none other that Oberon himself. The elf king raised his arms, muttering ancient incantations. "See how the power of nature triumphs over all!" Oberon declared as the Overlord and his horde were surrounded by treants that appeared out of thin air.

"Oh and he's off again. Elves are very prone to theatrics. I suggest you kill him quickly and end his monologue before he talks you to death sire." The Overlord freed his sword from its sheath and swung at the nearest offending treant. The blade bit deeply into the wood, but to Hanson's amazement, the wood regenerated, trapping his blade inside. A few fruitless tugs later confirmed that it was stuck fast. Giving up on the hopeless pursuit, the Overlord abandoned the melee to his minions as he searched for the root(A/N: pun so absolutely intended) of the problem: Oberon. The elf fired off several arrows at his armored opponent, but they were neutralized with quick puffs of flame that incinerated them in mid air. As Hanson closed in, the elf tossed aside his bow and drew an elegant saber before shifting into a fighting stance. Unfortunately for Oberon, his fighting style was designed to hold off opponents armed with bladed weapons. The Overlord had nothing so elegant in mind as his armored right fist connected with the elf's jaw. Hanson followed up with a right hook that threw Oberon further off balance and knocked him away from his position near the statue. The elf rolled out of the way and swung out with his blade, catching the Overlord in between the plates on his left arm. Oberon easily dodged Hasnon's next attack, as the young warrior had only working arm.

The Overlord decided it was time for a change of tactics. He rushed forward, ignoring the elf's blade as it scored numerous superficial injuries. The elf realized too late what Hanson had in mind as his back hit the side of the tower. The Overlord grabbed Oberon by the collar and smashed his armored head into the elf's nose. Blood spewed and the elf king reeled, momentarily stunned. Using the elf's confusion to his advantage, Hanson lifted Oberon as high as he could and flung him over the edge. The elf screamed all the way down. "Yet another ruler falls before your Dark Majesty! Your dominion over Evernight is finally complete. Now wait until I can open a gate for you," Gnarl said over the psychic link. The familiar blue circle appeared seconds later and Hanson gratefully stepped on the waypoint.

The Overlord stepped out of the tower portal, his wounds sealing themselves instantly. The arrow imbedded in his left arm clattered to the ground before it turned to ash. Hanson made his way across the red carpet to his throne before sinking into it with a grateful sigh. He stretched out his legs while Gnarl, Assira, and Elizabeth stood at a respectful distance. "Some refreshment sire?" Gnarl inquired. "Perhaps some freshly roasted unicorn and a mug of dwarven ale? You need to keep your strength up after a hard day of smiting things!" "Skip the formalities and have dinner brought up here," Hanson said, removing his helmet. The stresses of fighting for his life were becoming evident on the young man's face. Deep shadows were emerging under his eye sockets while the eyes themselves were glazed with fatigue. As minions hauled dinner up to the throne room, the mistresses excused themselves and vanished upstairs.

"It may not be my place to advise you on the private matters of your...social circle sire, but I believe you should spend more time with your mistresses. Happy mistresses means a happy Overlord," Gnarl counseled sagely, stroking his beard. "I'll keep that in mind Gnarl. Now, let me hear the atest reports." "The forest of Evernight is now wholly under your control. Those elves that escaped the human armies or your own dark majesty have fled to the Golden Hills to ally themselves with the dwarves in their quest to bring William to justice." Gnarl produced a flask from inside his cloak and took a quick swig before continuing (herbal essence he told anyone who asked. In reality it was his private stash of firewhiskey from the time of the fourth Overlord over three hundred years ago. It had aged remarkably well).

"The paladin generals are marshaling their hosts to meet the dwarves' advance from the Golden Hills and the elven raids. There has been a rise in pro-human sentiment and most non-humans have fled the kingdom. Both sides are convinced the other is the aggressor, thus assuring a prolonged conflict. As such, I suggest you move to take the Golden Hills next while the majority of the dwarves are distracted." "It is a good plan, but how will I sneak past the border patrols?" Hanson inquired. "Let me worry about that sire. I suggest you get some sleep."

A/N: Review please, and as always, voice your suggestions/ideas. Until next time.