The Return

The sun rose slowly over what had been a battlefield, now transformed into a scene of tranquility. The ground that had once been torn apart by war was now adorned with verdant plant life that hid away the bones of fallen soldiers. No longer were there any corpses littering the field, as if the earth itself was trying to forget the horrors that had transpired on this once-bloodied ground.

The Dark Lord's castle was once a grand and beautiful sight to behold, towering high above everything else in the surrounding area. Its sturdy walls and imposing structure made it seem impervious to any assault. However, time had taken its toll, and the castle now appeared close to crumbling. Deep cracks ran through the walls, and two of the towers looked like they were about to collapse at any moment. Even the vines and vegetation had started to reclaim the Dark Lord's home, creeping up the walls and encroaching on the once-mighty fortress. To any who stumbled upon this scene, it would appear as nothing more than a desolate relic of a bygone era.

Unexpectedly, a flicker of light shone through the castle's windows. Inside the throne room, a small black orb began to pulse, almost like a beating heart. The orb grew brighter and brighter until it suddenly stopped, then began to expand in size, pulsing with eerie energy. Rats scurried away in fear as if sensing the danger ahead. When the orb grew to a size that even towered over a grown man, it began to shift and change shape.

It began to take on a humanoid form. Arms and legs emerged, and soon bare feet touched the ground. The figure that had once been a pulsating orb now stood tall, towering over any ordinary person. His skin was a deep shade of purple, and his black hair fell in unruly waves. Two ivory horns protruded from his skull, curving upward towards the sky. With his long and pointy ears, he would almost resemble an elf. His eyes were a fierce shade of red, and his nails were pitch black. In addition to his striking coloration, he was completely naked, his muscular physique displaying a defined and powerful build. The man stood still as if taking stock of his surroundings.

He was the Dark Lord. And suddenly, everything made more sense.

"Huh? I'm… Back?" He asked himself while looking at his hands. He was certain Cyrus destroyed him completely with Drulla's light. That was something even he couldn't come back from. Yet… He was alive.

"My Lord. How I have waited for your return…" A voice interrupted his thoughts.

The Dark Lord turned his head to see who was addressing him. An old man kneeled before him, draped in black robes. His face was heavily lined and weathered, bearing the marks of a long and difficult life. The old man's hands were barely seen, but they seemed to be only skin and bones. The old man's face wasn't familiar to Dark, and he could say with certainty that he had never seen it in his life. However, he still knew who it was. How could he not recognize one of his most trusted and loyal retainers?

"Iden… Are you the one that brought me back?" Dark inquired as Iden nodded with glee.

Iden belonged to the Shapeshifter race and never revealed his true form unless it was necessary. Over the years, he had taken on many forms, but no matter how much he changed, the Dark Lord always recognized him. Iden had been by his side for as long as he could remember.

"Indeed, my Lord. I have watched your fight against that despicable hero and his party in case something went wrong," Iden started only to quickly raise his hands in a panic as he realized what he had insinuated. "Not that I thought you would ever be defeated, my Lord!" He assured nervously while Dark waved his hand to encourage him to go on. "When the hero struck the final blow, I snatched away every bit of essence you had left before it was completely destroyed. I barely got enough to save you," He explained while Dark nodded along.

"I see… Thank you for saving me, Iden. But I vividly remember telling you to go to the battlefield and aid my generals," Dark started in a soft voice before speaking in a low threatening tone. "You disobeyed my orders, didn't you?"

"Well… Yes, I did. But you must understand, my Lord!" Iden started sweating nervously. "I stood by the previous Dark Lords' side for generations and had to do the same for you. I couldn't leave you alone with the enemy!" He explained while Dark sighed.

"Forget it. I'll forgive you since you saved my life after all," He said to Iden's relief. "Now give me some clothes because it's really starting to get chilly down there," He commented as Iden nodded and grabbed a pile of folded clothes that he had placed nearby. "I see you've been expecting my return…"

"Of course, my Lord," Iden replied as Dark grabbed the clothes. A dark aura was emitted from his hand before he waved it over the clothes, making them disappear. A second later, the clothes appeared on him. He was taken aback to see that the garments were, in fact, a sleek and costly black suit paired with matching shoes.

"Why am I wearing this and not my armor?" Dark inquired in annoyance as Iden looked nervous again. "Since I'm back, it's time for a surprise attack! Cyrus and Drulla aren't expecting me to have survived. Call the generals and assemble what is left of our army! We will launch a direct attack on the humans' kingdom!" He ordered while the shapeshifter was rubbing the back of his head.

I don't think it will be possible, my Lord," He responded, and before Dark could even ask why, he continued. "Cyrus died a long time ago. His party did, too,"

"What?" Dark widened his eyes in surprise, before smiling smugly. "Then that's perfect! It's a shame I couldn't kill him myself, but it will make our invasion even easier!"

"No, my Lord. It's not just Cyrus. We lost our entire army. Even if they weren't all killed that day, all our men are dead today," He explained as the Dark Lord started putting the pieces together.

He looked around in a panic, his eyes widening as he took in the sorry state of his castle. The once grand and imposing fortress was now broken and pathetic as if it would collapse any second. Looking out the window, he could also see that his marvelous city was gone and replaced with vegetation!

"My castle! M-My throne! What did they do to my throne?!" He asked out loud, anger building up inside him while a piece of his throne fell off. "Everything is ruined!"

"As I said earlier, my Lord, your essence was nearly wiped out. The little amount I've saved was just enough to keep you alive. Because of that… It took you a thousand years to reform," Iden revealed as the Dark Lord paced. "When that cursed hero killed you, he and his party exited the castle and announced your fall. Their troops gained morale and strength while ours lost it. They achieved victory and killed most of our troops. After that, Drulla spread her light all over the world and freed the nations we conquered of your corrupted magic. I suspect she might have done even more if your remaining essence wasn't still in the world. They also took your sword and the remains of your armor,"

"So that's why I've been feeling weaker… I thought it was only my imagination!" Dark grumbled while holding down his screams. Suddenly, he faced forward and outstretched his right hand. "[Raise Undead I]," He chanted as black smoke was summoned out of nowhere and started changing shape until five identical skeletons were standing in front of him. All unarmed. "Five? I could summon entire armies of skeleton warriors, and I can barely summon five standard ones?!" He shouted in rage before slamming his arm forward and destroying three of the skeletons with only one swoop, then kicked the other two to death.

Iden looked at the bones collapsing on the ground while thinking of how he should announce the other bad news.

"I can't believe this… Where is my harem? If I don't get some relief from my consorts, I will do something I will regret," Dark Lord said while trying to stay calm.

"Unfortunately, without your magic, they all died of old age, my Lord," Iden replied as Dark rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Of course… What about Glys? A succubus such as her-" He started only for Iden to cut him off.

"Killed in action. Like the other generals, my Lord," He stated as his master looked in disbelief.

"What kind of joke is this? You mean to tell me all my servants died except for you?! How am I supposed to have my revenge with that handicap?!" He stomped on the floor in annoyance."No offense," He quickly added in Iden's direction. No servants, no armies, no castle, and no women! At least, the sword he lost wasn't that important or powerful, but it still would have been something!

"None taken, my Lord. However, I am not the only one who survived the war. Jenna did, too," The shapeshifter said, bringing Dark's spirits up.

Jenna was a female human mage. While most humans were worthless and pathetic creatures in his opinion, she was a prodigy. She was like a diamond among cockroaches. She was one of the strongest mages he ever met, and her talent was such that she even managed to make herself eternally youthful without his magic. She was one of the first servants to join him as well as one of the first consorts. Still, she had always been strong-willed and short-tempered.

"Thank Myself, someone other than you survived! Where is she? We need to make plans as soon as possible,"

"It's complicated… You see, she had to flee the battlefield when she learned of your death and went into hiding. I kept an eye on her but never came into contact because I needed to hide and protect your essence. She lived for several centuries but was found out and killed a hundred years ago by another of Drulla's champions," Iden explained, which immediately crushed Dark Lord's hopes.

He actually had a liking for Jenna and held her in high regard.

"So she's dead then! What was the point of telling me that story?" Dark rubbed his eyes in annoyance. "If you say anything as foolish again, I just may have to-"

"It matters, my Lord because she had plan in case this happened!" Iden quickly added before his master could threaten him. "She felt that her time was coming and that Drulla's clutches were closing on her. Jenna never truly believed you died forever, even if I didn't tell her. So she bore a child she could pass on her knowledge to until you come back. Jenna's great-granddaughter is her only descendant, and I have been observing the village she currently resides in," He reassured the Dark Lord as his master held a hand to his chin, then smirked.

She didn't mind that Jenna found another man since she did it to keep her legacy alive. All so someone could welcome him back into this world. The fact that she had a great-granddaughter piqued his interest. He absolutely needed a mage at his service. Finding one wasn't hard. The real challenge was to find a powerful one. The mage would need to be worthy of being one of his generals, and if that woman wasJenna's direct descendant, then she could only be a prodigy.

"How old is she? I don't need a child in my army," He questioned.

"In her late twenties, my Lord," Iden replied while bowing his head.

"Good. Then take me to this village,"