A/N: Well, this is my first story. Any constructive critisism will be greatly appreciated.

Son of the Overlord

By: RussianOverlord

Introduction

The Overlord stood on the balcony of the Dark Tower, staring out at the beautiful sunrise that was appearing over the mountains. How utterly disgusting the prettiness of nature is, he thought to himself. It makes me want to go beat Spree's sheep herds on the head with a flaming torch again. The Overlord took a sip of rowan root tea he held in his hand and sighed deeply. Despite all the destruction I have wrought, the lives I have shattered, the civilizations I have brought under my heel, I am still too human, he thought moodily. His age was really starting to have an effect on him. No longer could he cleave men shoulder-to-hip as he had done ten years ago. In fact, just wearing his Arcanium armor was taxing and swinging a mace one-handed was out of the question. The Overlord sighed again. He needed an heir, and fast, before he died and the Tower fell into ruin once more to begin the never-ending cycle of the rise and fall of the Overlords. No! He thought. I have worked too hard and spilled too much blood to build my Dark Domain to have it fall apart to a few wannabe heroes after I am too weak to fight.

"Master?" A voice said behind the Overlord. "Do you require my service?"

"Yes Gnarl," the Overlord said. "I need an heir to my throne and a way to find a suitable candidate."

"I have been thinking about this problem of late as well master," Gnarl said, clapping his clawed hands together. "Shall I begin scouring the lands for suitable females who shall, in time, produce the next Overlord?"

The Overlord chuckled dryly. "Gnarl, I think you're underestimating how old I am. It's so easy to lose track under all this armor, but I am, in fact, seventy years old as of last week." Gnarl saw the world swim before his eyes; he felt a bit dizzy and slumped down on the cold floor of the Overlord's private quarters.

"Seventy?" He gasped. "I thought that the continuation of your line would have been a top priority Master," Gnarl said after recovering from his shock. "After you brought the world to its knees, I thought that the question of an heir would be resolved quickly, especially with so many willing candidates only waiting for you to ask," he said.

Gnarl sat down on the floor once more and cradled his head in his hands. "I believe I may have found a solution, Master," Gnarl said after a few minutes of concentrated thinking. "It would be fitting to hold a tournament in which the tasks will be similar to the challenges a real Overlord would face. The one who wins will become the new Overlord and rule in your stead, thus preserving your Dark Domain."

"Very well," the Overlord said with a sigh, "but how are we going to find suitable candidates for this tournament?"

"I will send out minions to search for citizens of you Dark Domain with a potential for great Evil," Gnarl replied.

"All right Gnarl," the Overlord said with a trace of humor. "Just no trolls."

A/N: Review please! I'll upload the next segment soon.