Stunned at the what She had just said, Athena couldn’t help herself from asking the standard question.

“How is it that the Demon Lord has forgot her name?”

I wish I had an answer for that myself! I mean, come on! I remember everything else about my life. The nameless maiden wondered in disbelief. After some thought the maiden said.

“It must have gotten lost or some when I was zapped across the universe or whatever... or maybe I forgot it as a result of getting this new body and becoming a demon lord... might be a side effect to make whoever becomes a demon lord, so that it encourages them to forget there old life and be more comfortable being in the position of demon lord.” It was a sound theory! The nameless maiden praised herself for her cunning and deductive reasoning.

But at the shake of Athena’s head, her conjecture came crashing down around her.

“Athena is afraid that is incorrect Demon Lord. All previous Demon Lords have been selected by the Shard of God. Never have they come out from it.”

The maiden sighed in disappointment at having her brilliant deduction turned over on its head.

“Athena, I literally know nothing of this world. And am more then willing to listen to you and learn anything and everything I can at this point, will you help me?” She lifts one arm up, then let’s it drop and hit her side in frustration as she asks for help.

Athena clears her throat and suggests.

“It is a long story and it involves the tales of the previous Demon Lords. Athena suggests we wait until lunch to tell this story and we worry about letting Athena make the great one some new cloths.”

The maiden looks down at herself and acknowledge that she really does need to get the cloth she is holding made into a proper attire. Sighing again, the maiden concedes to Athena’s plan.

“That sounds like an excellent idea Athena. But while you’re working on. Why don’t you give me the TL:DR version of the story.”

As Athena reaches for the cloth to take it from the Demon Lord, her hand freezes and she looks up at the Demon Lord. She then just smiles and shakes her head. Nit understanding at all what that just meant.

“Athena assumes that the Demon Lord wishes for Athena to give her an abridged version of a thousand years of history?”

The maiden winces at the fact that she feels called out for her careless choice of words.

“Yes... This nameless fool would like nothing more then if Athena could explain as best as she could while she makes me a dress... sorry about that, I will be careful from now on, with how I speak.”

Athena giggles and as she takes the cloth from the Demon Lord.

“All is well, O’ great nameless one...” She teases.

“Hey!” The maiden protests in mock outrage. Even as Athena laughs and walks towards a stump, to use it as a chair.

 

---

 

Else where across the lands of Astaria.

 

---

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T TRACE IT?!” The king of the Devlin empire shouted at his subordinates. The eight other winged figures around the table flinched at his anger and outburst. A cloaked figure with a golden staff and a purple orbed gem that was embedded into the head of his staff. He had a fading blond beard, that was nearly all gray. He stood to  before his majesty accepted his failings.

“I am sorry your majesty. I have tried and tried again. But all signs within the crystal have shown that it is indeed full of null energy. And that all the power that raced across the night sky was subsequently erased by the null energies. Making tracing where the crystal’s power has gone, completely impossible.”

Angry at the news and hearing his archmage make excuses for his incompetence, just angered him further.

“I do not wish to hear the reasons you can’t Lak’ridin. I want to know what you are doing to secure our races’ chance of getting the power of the Omega Demon King!” Though it was framed as a question. There was no doubt in anyones mind that he demanded an answer.

The cloaked figure named Lak’ridin decided to take a chance with what he could. Because all other options were certain death at this point.

“While we cannot trace the crystal’s energy by magical means or by following the traces of null energy. Because that would be just fruitless and pointless. I have decided to go with an old style of tracking my lord.” He reached into his satchel and brought forth scroll which contained a map of the Devlin empire. He then added another scroll, over laying it with empire’s with the alliance races’ territorial map. He then looked up and pointed at the area of Castle Sal’tine.

“From what witness have seen and described,” He paused to look around the room at the other faces to confirm they were listening before returning to the king’s gaze. “That after the crystal’s energy shot out from itself and blasted through the roof of the castle, it traveled south.”

*SLAM*

A fist was hovering over a hole where a part if the table had used to be. It being reduced to nothing but splinters.

“DO NOT BORE ME WITH DETAILS OF WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW!” The king of the Devlin empire screamed in fury. Another man at the table, across from Lak’ridin stood up.

“My Lord please, Lak’ridin has vital information. My spies have been searching for all information on where the energy has gone and when you hear what we have to report Lord Kel’l-!”

His voice came to an abrupt stop, as his head was reduced to nothing but a smear on the back wall of the room. The king of the Devlin empire had his hand raised in the direction of the now headless body of his spymaster. The headless body fell back and slumped back into a the chair they had been occupying just a moment before. Not a person in the room made a motion or response for the blatant murder of the man their king had killed. Except for one person. Who, at the sight of the pulsing blood coming out of the nub of what was left of the spy master’s neck, screeched.

“KYEEEE~!” They then lunged and sunk their teeth and fangs into gaping neck wound that was spurting blood with every beat of it’s dying heart. Another adviser repulsed at the sight of her fellow Devilkin feasting on the corpse.

“Disgusting...” She murmured, mostly to herself. She then lifted her own wine glass to her lips, taking a sip of the crimson life essence to quench her thirst that had just popped up. The king then turned towards his other advisors.

“NEED I REMIND ANY OF YOU, THE CONSEQUENCES OF UTTERING MY FIRST NAME!” He yelled with a rage that made more then half of the room fearful of their lives.

“No Lord Kore’anos.” All but one of the advisors said in unison. Most of the advisors knew to fear for their very lives in the presence of Lord Kore’anos. The only one not fearful to an extent was the one currently feasting on their dead ex-fellow advisor. King Kore’anos turned towards his top assassin and training partner.

“Merr’dock!” He spoke forcefully but without yelling, towards the advisor who was feasting on their associate. 

The advisor in question popped their head up off of the spurting neck wound. Their eyes dilated as if they were on a high. They then jump up and over, doing a twirl in mid air spraying blood across the room, before they landed on their feet, without even bending their knees when they landed. They then bent at the waist with a flourish. A flourish that would have been better, had they not been covered in blood. Groans could be heard from some of the advisors who were sprayed with blood

“Yes milord, how may this one serve you.” The king rolled his eyes at the theatrics of his assassin, who was ignorant of the fact that they had just gotten blood almost everywhere when they did their stunt.

“You are not strictly needed at this meeting, you are free to go, and take... your snack, with you.” The king informed Merr’dock.

Merr’dock got a sinister smile on their face before once again bowing before their king.

“Oh thank you my wonderful and generous king! I shall relish every moment I am feasting. And I will be thinking of you the entire time, wishing it was you~!” Merr’dock said with their tenor or soprano like voice. The king slams his fist on the table again, breaking another piece off.

“Get out! Just leave already! We need to finish this meeting!” The king suggests forcefully.

Merr’dock nodded their understanding, they went to the dead spymaster to grab his cold dead, lifeless hand, then pulled them up towards themselves. 

“Come darling! We are about to have such a good time together!” Merr’dock then started to dance a waltz with the dead limp corpse of the spymaster. Twirling their way towards the doorway and out the door, before the door closed They gave a small wave with their fingers towards the king, before sinking their fangs back into the wound on the spymaster’s neck.

As the doors slammed shut, one of the advisors spoke up.

“Why is it Lord Kore’anos, that you keep that... thing! Even amongst other Devils, they give us the creeps!” She shuddered at all the things that happened just a few moments ago.

King Kore’anos waited for a moment before he answered that. “It is not that I keep them here for my use. It is to keep them from out in the wild. If not for me, they would be out there roaming around the countryside wreaking untold havoc... and in case you forget this, they are second only to me in combat. I keep all the scars they’ve given me, instead of rejuvenating them, as a reminder of my need to be stronger.” He folded and interlocked his fingers together and rested his head on his hands above the table. “And I would rather have Merr’dock on a leash, then at my throat... I fear no creature in this realm... but Merr’dock scares me. Let that sink in for all of you.” It was not that Merr’dock was stronger or more skilled then Kore’anos, it was that they adapted quite quickly in their fights. And the fact was, that they were only getting better and stronger. The only reason Merr’dock followed Kore’anos, was because he could bested them in combat. If ever the day came that Kore’anos lost his edge, would be the day Merr’dock took his head.

The lady advisor closed her mouth and refrained from speaking of this subject again. All of the advisors knew how strong Lord Kore’anos was. He had just blow and smeared the head of his spymaster with nothing but his raw strength he created with wind pressure from the swing of his palm. No spells. No strength enhancement. And it is not as if he did not have those things. Every advisor knew that their lives were on the line when their was trouble and a meeting had to take place.

But it would seem that the remain six advisors were in luck, because after his kill. Lord Kore’anos seemed to have significantly calm down. He looked over to his minister of magic and his archmage with his hand and said.

“I do apologize to everyone here for the interruption... if you would continue where you had left off.”  Not shock. Not stunned. Not even surprised by his change in attitude. The archmage was used to these kinds of mood swings. The only thing he felt at this moment was relief. He cleared is throat and stood and began where he left off.

“As I was trying to say before. I have had to resort to some old fashion investigations to attain where the energy had gone...” Looking down at his now blood soaked maps, he let out a sigh. But he still pointed at where the castle should be. “As we saw before, it shot south of the castle... I know we all know that, but this is important milord.” He lifted his hand to forestall any interruptions.

“As it travelled south, witnesses have all said the same thing that puzzles me to this day and very hour. After in headed directly south, it turned sharply east.” He used his finger to make a jagged line through the blood on the map, which actually help emphasize his point. That the beam of energy had some how turned at a ninety degree angle and started heading east. The king look at the map with a frown then asked.

“How is this possible?” Because as far as his training in magic went. It shouldn’t be possible to curve a beam of light and or energy of that scale. At least not without some sort of reflector involved. And the fact remained that the beam had been so large and powerful, that no mere simple mirror would have been enough to reflect it.

The minister of magic just simply shook his head.

“As I have said. This still confounds me. I have no idea as to how it was possible. But my information does not end there.” He trailed his finger still over the map and through my on the spymaster’s blood. After trailing east for a bit he did another sharp turn south. Then west. Then north. Across the great plains and then sharply back west again, where the map was dry and he now painted it with his blood soaked finger. Having it trail west towards the alliance races territory.

“This was the last know sighting of anyone from our territory had been able to follow what direction it had taken...” Lak’ridin look back up and saw the astonished faces of all his peers. His king being the most baffled. “I have no knowledge on how or why the beam acted so eradicably. My only guess. Is that the beam itself had the will of the Evil God inside of it. And that it changed its coarse to confuse any means to track it.” He gave a helpless shrug. “It is also why I theorize, that the crystal of the Shard of God now lay dormant and gray, and filled with null energy.” The king was sitting inhis chair stunned and unmoving for a good length of time just pondering what had been said before he finally spoke.

“What other races are over there in alliance territory that we know have a God Shard.” Again he framed it as a question that he expected an answer. This time the lady with the wine glass half full of crimson stood up and said.

“As far as trading goes for those areas. The only ones I know of are; the dark elves, the lizen folk, the beast-men tribes, the orcs, and goblins.” She the shrugged. “But I only have trading relations with two out of the five aforementioned races. And that doesn’t include any of the alliance’s races.” The king waved away the mention of the allied races.

“The allied races are not worth mentioning at this time. Even if they had obtained a crystal, it wouldn’t select one amongst them.” He said dismissively.

“Can we be so sure of that your majesty?” A skinny and well tailored man spoke before standing. “What of the prophecy mentioned of the alliance-“

*SLAM*

The kings fist goes through another portion of the table. Shaking it to the point that the wine glass of the woman before spills over, adding yet more blood to the table.

“I WILL NOT ENTERTAIN THOSE SYCOPHANTS AND THEIR FALSE PROPHECIES! The king shouted in anger. Then visibly calmed quickly and leaned back in his chair. “While there is a chance there prophecy holds weight. It has only just come out and was announced in the last eight mouths. And the timing is to capricious for it to have any sort of truth. They only made such a claim as to ward off the fear in their own citizenry to quell the masses from panic of the Omega Demon Lord’s raise.”

Most of the advisors nodded in agreement. Except the lady who’s wine glass had been spilled.

“Are you sure you want to dismiss it the casually milord. You do remember what the prophecy said correct?” She chided him gently as to make sure he understood that even a small possibility was worth being cautious.

“What is there to take from it?!” The king demanded. “”That a hero will raise unite the alliance races to quell the evil races of the evil god” BAH! Absolute shit!” The king said disgruntled and annoyed. The lady narrowed her eyes towards the king.

“That is not how their prophecy went your majesty. “A being will be chosen and brought forth, who will lead the people and unite different races under their banner and remove the need for the borders of the children of the evil god”.” The lady quoted.

*CRACK*

The king stood with an armrest from his chair in his hand, pointing it towards the lady.

“DO NOT QUOTE TO ME THAT HERESY SHIVA’NIA! OR I WILL IMPALE YOU WHERE YOU STAND!” The king shouted in outrage of his subordinates abstinence. Shiva’nia shrugged.

“Don’t say I never gave good counsel or tried to worn you to take every threat seriously milord.” She said only with a slight snark and a bit of cheek. Then sat back down with a flourish only befitting of a lady of her status The king then put his arm rest on the broken table and sat back down in his broke chair.

“So we can probably deduce that one of five aforementioned races now holds the power of the Omega Demon Lord.” The king reiterated to get the meeting back on track. Nodding the minister of magic then stated.

“Yes milord, that is a fair assumption. But an assumption all together.” He pointed out. “Because of the beams erratic movements. It is actually nearly impossible to be one-hundred-percent certain that they have it. It could have gone to one of our citizens at the outskirts of our territory. Or have very well gone to our neighbors next to our territory.” The king frowned at the mention of those beasts.

“We should be cautious on the side of error for this.” The king said, surprising most at the table. Lak’ridin nodded in approval of his former pupil. Shiva’nia just gave a smirk. “Scour are lands and see if any of our people have obtained the power of the Omega Demon Lord. After that, as discreetly as possible, investigate the lands and people of Mordrina. It would only do more harm then good if those beast have obtained the power.” He paused to look around the room at the faces of his advisors. “We can not let this power rest in the hands of those who no nothing of its true value and strength.” It was apparent that the meeting would soon draw to a close, so Shiva’nia tried to make one final point.

“Your majesty, what of the other races?” She stood and tried persuade him in the direction she wanted him to go. He snorted at her mention of the other races.

“What about them?” He questioned. She sighed at his blatant contempt for what he saw as inferior beings.

“Should we not also go and investigate them as well? Any of them obtain the power, it could very well spell out the end of all the evil races.” Her worries were something everyone of them had been frighted of,  including the king himself. But he waved her comment away.

“Shiva’nia, we have scouts out there watching them now. If anything untoward or unusual happens then they will report it. But don’t forget that those races, minus the dark elves, are deep in alliance race territory. Even if we could go to investigate them freely, which we cannot, the allied races would be on to us well before we got close to them and that might put the Demon Lord in jeopardy.”

It was a well thought out conclusion that Shiva’nia had thought of as well. But didn’t think the muscle head of a king would have thought of it himself. Maybe he does learn from his lessons. She thought to herself.

“Very astute milord. I withdraw my concern, it would seem you have thought all of this through.” She conceded as she sat back down. He lifted his hand in dismissal.

“It is just the natural coarse of action. We can only investigate so much, and we can’t go across the border and risk an all out skirmish with the alliance races without the Demon Lord in out corner. Also...” He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “Call it a hunch, but the odds of the Omega Demon Lord ending up in the hands of an inferior race is just absurd and I will not even tolerate a suggestion of it... at least not without proof.” He looked around the room at his remaining advisors. “Is there any other reports and subjects of concern?” At the head shake of most and the nays from others. He rapped his knuckles against the remaining armrest of his chair. “Then I call this meeting adjourned, you are all dismissed.” He then got up and left through the door stationed behind his chair that lead towards his private chambers.

Unbeknownst to all in the room. The blood that was spilt from the advisor spymaster and the wine glass met and circled a mountain area on the alliance territorial map. But for some odd reason, that area remained dry of blood.

 

---

 

“Wait... wait... WHAT?!” Exclaimed the maiden in shock. She felt herself reeling from the shock if what she had just heard.

“You’re telling me there are fourteen different races on this world?!” Athena nodded her head.

“That is correct O’ great one. You had heard and counted correct, I listed off fourteen different races.” Athena confirmed for the great one.

“That is completely nuts!” The maiden put her hand to head. Trying to assuage the overwhelming feeling of what she has been told. And that prophecy... she pondered to herself.

“I am going to have to write down the names of them all if I am going to want memorize them. Athena, will you please bring me some paper and something to write with?” Upon hearing this. Athena stiffened and fidgeted in place. Seeing her distress, the maiden asked. “What’s wrong?” 

“A-Athena will not be able to acquire any sort of parchment, O’ great one.” The maiden sighed. I guess I should have expected this. Goblins from fantasy weren’t known for being a technologically advanced in any sort of way.  But before she could say anything. Athena asked. “D-Does the great one know how to write?”

The maiden looked at her with a blank expression. But then... I guess that might be a legitimate question. Considering the setting and circumstance. The maiden nodded her response.

“Yes,” She stated. “I can write and I can read as well...” Then she thought about it. “At least I could back on my world. I won’t know until I see the scripts of languages here...” She said more to herself at this point then towards Athena. Athena smile brightened a bit.

“When the great one ask for scripts, she is talking about scrolls and books, yes?” Wondering where this question might take her, she stated the obvious.

“Yes, scrolls, parchment, books, and heck! Even a stone tablet or tapestry would work. As long as it has some sort of scribing writing on  it. I will be able to tell you if I can read it.”

“But what if the great one cannot?” Athena pointed out. That was a good question. And one the maiden hadn’t really thought about.

“I am going to assume since no goblin can read or write, that they don’t have any sort of own version of writing?” The maiden asked.

Athena shook her head.

“No, O’ great one. Goblins have no sort of writing, or written history, or anything of the sort tools to write with.”

“Hmm... I suspected as much.” The maiden commented.

“But!” Athena interjected. “The shaman has books and parchments she has collected over the time of her life.” The maiden’s smile widened.

“Excellent! I don’t suppose you can go and borrow them for me could you?”

Athena thought about it for a second before nodding.

“Of course, but Athena doesn’t think she can keep this a secret from the shaman herself, if we are to borrow her books: she has been waiting for an opportunity to learn what they say all her life. She will want to come and listen and learn from you O’ great one, that is if the great one can indeed read.” After hearing the conditions for this, the maiden nodded her ascent.

“That will be fine. The only thing I wish to be kept a secret Athena. At least for the time being. Is your name and the fact that I was once human.” She shrugged then. “If you trust this shaman enough you may tell her, at least as a last resort to getting something with writing on them.”

Nodding her understanding she got up and laid the clothes she was working with on the stump she was just sitting on.

“Then Athena, also known for the time being as this one. Will return with books! But the great one should expect the shaman to be with me.” She nodded towards the finished clothes. “These are all ready for you, O’ great one. Please try them and let Athena know if they are comfortable.” She then made her way to the stone room’s entrance before turning around. “This one will return in a little bit!”

And as Athena skipped away, the maiden was left alone with her thoughts.

Well alright then! That escalated quickly. She gave a chuckle at the reference and blow out a melancholy breath. Ah! References... how I will miss the. She thought of her home for the first time in hours. At least I have Athena to keep me company... all the maiden wanted to do was curl in on herself and give into another cry.

But she knew she should get up and get dressed. As she got up and walked over to the stump, she looked at the teal green dress shimmering in the faint light. And after she held it up to get a good look at it. She felt even more blessed for having Athena at her side at this time. She was an extremely talented young lady. Thought the maiden. It was a shame she was...

But she shook her head of such thoughts. I am not human anymore. I need to stop thinking such prejudice thoughts... she chided herself. Knowing she had to change her way of thinking. She really didn’t think of Athena less for being goblin. It was just that, as cute and as talented as Athena was. Her chances to make use of them as a goblin were slim. And with their society as it was, and with the races so divided. She felt bad that Athena might never be able to reach her full potential.

Unless someone does something to change things...

Then her thoughts turned towards the quick lessons that Athena was able to impart on to her about how this world was structured.

Ten-thousand years ago. The gods had condensed themselves into a crystalline form. It was an attempt to capture the evil god and imprison him for his crimes against the people of this world.

But the plan had backfired and the evil god was more cleaver then the other gods gave him credit for. He reversed their spell, and imprisoned them, with himself, inside their crystalline form. 

Why had he done that? No one knows. Apparently that was one of the things that made the old evil god so dangerous. No one could predict his movements or plans, or even what he would do next.

But the creations of the good gods; the humans, the elves, the dwarves, the dragonkin, the gnomes, the avinians, and the fae. They all came together to help heal the crystal and to chisel away the dark gods taint from their gods new form. After a long time and trial and error. They had succeeded in separating the the old gods dark energy with the good gods holy aura.

But it was also their greatest folly as well. Because their old gods had been keeping the evil god contained in their crystalline form.

They were powerless to help or to intervene themselves. But now separated from their jailers and  prison. The old god called upon the creatures he had twisted from the good gods creatures, to take a shard for each of their races. The shards would from then on, be referred to as the Shards of the Evil God.

From there, after fifty years of lying dormant, gaining power, the evil god’s energy manifested then bestowed his energy to an individual of the Devil race, and thus the first Demon Lord was born.

He went on to conquer the rest of the evil races, the devils, the orcs, the dark elves, the beastmen, the lizen, the minotaurs, and finally the goblins. Then he used them as a army to march against the holy kingdom of the alliance. To sack and destroy the Crystal of the Gods. His plan failed because the alliance had used the Crystal of the Gods as a catalyst to summon a hero to this world, to face off against the evil of the first Demon Lord.

Her thoughts coming back to herself as she finished her review of what she had learned.

And I am supposed to be some sort of Omega Demon Lord, that is supposed to be the literal reincarnation of the evil god... YEAH RIGHT! She screamed to herself in her head. Am I supposed to believe,  that I am some sort of Evil God, that has come back from the dead to rule and destroy the world?! Again I  say, YEAH RIGHT!... but her thoughts turned reflective. But... here, I am... I guess there might be something to all this... but I refuse. REFUSE! I will not be apart of this game of conquest and subjugation and war. I will not let the this world dictate how I live. If these people, the goblins. Wish me to lead them to some sort of war and fight, they can kiss my ass! 

She filled herself with determination. 

But She had another thought. But if they will listen to me, and listen to the plans I have... then maybe...

She smacked herself across the face. Listen to myself! Thinking I can change how things have been running for a thousand years! I am so full if myself! I can’t even remember my own name! And I am starting to think I can lead a people to betterment? Get a grip myself! I am just an American Otaku who used to be an accountant at an HR firm. What the hell do I know...

The maiden fell into a self depicting depression, she reached up to clutch at her chest in worry. Huh? What is that? she pulled down her dress a little and saw she had some sort if sliver of a red stone running from the center of her collar bone to her sternum. Huh... you think I would have noticed that before. But before she could get anymore introspective, she saw movement by the entrance.

It was Athena with a procession of goblins behind her.

“This one would like to introduce the Chieftain of the goblins, to the great one, the Omega Demon Lord.” Well then. The maiden thought. I guess there is no rest for the wicked after all.