To Spree.

It was even worse than I had imagined. When I took over this place I was going to have to get some thornier plants in. Replace those sheep with some cows, especially some bulls, maybe some mares of Diomedes to really tie the place together. Either way, I was going to need to get rid of those sheep. Extending a tendril of power, I pulled five of the twisted little minions from their hives. They crawled out of a crack in the ground glowing a malignant brown. A casual mental command set them down to slaughter the sheep and bring back the souls to feed the brown hive.

Apparently, there were four breeds of minions, each one forged from a different color of soul: brown, red, green, and blue. It was only possible to do so if you had the corresponding hive, and the brown hive was the only one in the tower. Frankly, when Gnarl was explaining it to me I was just wondering what kind of soul he was made from. While the hives were limited by how many souls were supplied, I could only hold command over five minions at a time, though that would improve as I added power to my spire. For now I'd need to make do with what I have. Luckily that includes overtly evil plate armor and a battleaxe big enough to look like I'm compensating for something.

Even the sheep's final bleats were weak, cute and fluffy. Gnarl and I both shuddered at the sound as we strolled down the hill, watching the ruined shell of a tower as the browns finished their work. The addition of sheep carcasses strewn around the place helped make it tolerable, and a particularly artistic minion helped by festooning the walls with some of the sheep's intestines. Finally though, the last of the browns found their way back to me, carrying a luminescent orb composed of the sheep's soul. I hefted my axe and began to walk down the path leaving the meadow.

Before long we came to a truly amusing sight. A farmer bound to a cross, looking over a field of pumpkins. His eyes lit up as he saw us and he began to hop over, a panicked look on his face. "Kind sirs, are you here to help me against them halflings? Or even better, them pumpkins?" I wasn't sure exactly why these pumpkins were so threatening, but I sure as hell wasn't going to let the chance at leverage pass me by.

"We could be convinced to. What are you offering?" His eyes lit up in an excited fervor.

"If you could get rid of the pumpkin menace, I'll give you anything I own! If you got rid of the halflings that have taken over the farm I... well I suppose they took my daughter hostage, you can have her. Be nice to have some peace and quiet around here for once." The oppressive feeling of horniness came back in **** at the mention of his daughter.

Gnarl tapped on my armor and gestured for me to bend down. "Sire, I doubt that a farmer has much to give us. It may be more useful to ally with those halflings. Always good to befriend the local bandits"

"No." By now I was thinking almost entirely with my lower head.

"Sire?" Gnarl's voice was laced with concern.

"I'm taking that hostage"

Gnarl smiled in understanding. "I see, sire. We may as well clear out the pumpkin field as we go through. You never know when a farmer may be holding an ancient key to your defeat, for some reason." An annoyed look soured his face as he seemed to remember an old memory, presumably the fall of some ancient Overlord.

The minions began to swarm over the pumpkin field, carving them into mush as they went. They swept it to the sides, allowing me to walk through the field unmolested, while the odd farmer began dancing around in glee. Finally I stood in front of the door to the farmhouse, the five minions arrayed in front of me, and Gnarl found a particularly ugly rock to lounge against to watch the coming show.

The door was too small to pass through, so the first move I made was to carve out extra headroom. A few short axe strikes later and the door, as well as the wall above it, were kindling on the floor. The inside of the farmhouse was a mess. Sat around the interior were a group of three short, stocky men with scruffy hair and scruffier armor, who appeared to have been in animated conversation before my entrance. They had clearly been gorging themselves on the contents of the farmhouse, anything remotely edible having been shoved in their gullets. Bound to a fireplace was a woman. Her blond hair was down to the middle of her back, and her pale green eyes lit up with hope the second she saw the door chopped down. Despite the dirt and ash encrusting her face, her beauty was apparent. This, I assumed, was the farmer's daughter.

My focus was torn from the bound beauty by a war cry from the halflings. The minions immediately swarmed one, tearing through the straps holding the armor on and beginning to lacerate the flesh. Of the two left, one seemed to be sluggish, likely having eaten more than the others. I focused on the faster of the pair, whirling my axe around to attack. It caught on the low roof, however, and the halfling charged at me, drawing his sword. He swung, aiming for the joints in my armor, my chain mail underneath catching the attack. I managed to tug the axe from the ceiling, and swung it around in a low arc, sticking it in the halfling's side. He gasped in pain, ribcage having been crushed into his lung. I ripped the axe back around to aim higher, slicing his head off. His last act was to aim for my face, exposed but for the shadows of my helm. Unfortunately for him, my eight foot frame dwarfed him to the point that even with the reach of the sword he barely reached my ribs. A futile last act if I've ever seen one. I glanced over to the remaining halfing in time to see the minions swarm him. The issue taken care of, I began walking towards the woman tied to the fireplace.

I knelt down next to her. "I feel I should tell you that your father decided to give you to me if I saved his farm." She gave me a surprisingly measured look.

"And what do you plan to do with me?" Her voice was an odd mix of defiance and hope.

"I am the Overlord" her eyes widened a fraction, until she schooled her features back to the state they were in before. "Currently however, I am rebuilding the forces after my predecessor's defeat. I need people. As you will soon see, minions make rather poor companions. They lack something in mind and in... body." Her cheeks coloured as she realizes the implication.

"So, you're offering to spirit me away from a poor farmer's life to become a concubine in a castle, never wanting for anything again?"

"Now you're getting it." A smile spread across her face at my words.

"When do I start?"

"Now."