AN: On the "Popular This Week" tab, this story is #136 on page 7. Don't know what to say about this, to be honest, other than thank you for reading and following along. It may not be the best in the world, but it's up there. :D

Anyways, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, let me know down below.

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The remaining tribe had been gathered together, and forced to drink the tinctures. They were surrounded by a barrier of stone-like vines the undead mages had created as they did so. Of course, one had to be made an example of when it tried to escape, and the cries of children could be heard from within the caged group. Yes, I had subjected their own offspring to further my whims. For you see, they had refused to integrate themselves with the gaggle. Therefore, in my past self's mind, they were free to experiment with.

Yes, I should have separated them, erased their memories, or anything other than what I did, but I desired to know what would happen.

We stood above the group, watching as most drank the tinctures. There were a few that refused, but it did not concern me, as the others began to show some signs of my physical magicks beginning to alter their physique in some way. There were eighteen in the remaining group, and of those eighteen, only fifteen drank from the vials. These fifteen, each, had their hide and hair transform into the same shadows as their elder, albeit without the flames.

However, three of the group, two being children, had the same silver-gold horns appear in the centre of their foreheads. These three, as it would turn out, are the direct descendants of the transformed elder, and even began to exhibit the same aggressive attitude. By which, I mean they attacked the three that did not drink from the vials.

They were butchered, plain and simple. Even the others, who had transformed into shadowed horse-like beastmen, participated in the slaughter of the untransformed. I witnessed this in silence, becoming my kobold self once more. No laughter came from my throat, no smile was etched upon my lips. No, I only felt cold at what I had created. This chilled my entire being, but alas, I did not care, and ordered those present to bind the shadowed horse-men. They did so, and were welcomed into the ranks of my thralls.

"Now then," my voice rumbled as the horse-men were being led away to their new quarters within the castle, "Death, what news do you have of our dear torturer?" Death bowed his head towards my person, as the barrier of stone-vines began to sink back into the ground.

We moved off towards the only living space in the building, which was the same room the mages came from. Once inside, he began to pull out various rolled up parchment from a hidden pouch within his robes, and placed them on the main table in the center of the room. Each was a detailed, day-by-day account of what the torturer had done since day one. Looking through them, I had noticed something odd.

"The first few days he began frequenting a tavern, then a decrepit tomb on the outskirts of the city. Hmm," I mumbled to myself, as I read a report of the human knowing he was being tailed, and appeared with various other who looked similar to himself. "How odd." Looking up, I found Death and Child playing a game of dice on a smaller table near the bed.

"Death. Child," the pair immediately stiffened up, and turned their heads slowly towards my person. "Now is not the time to be playing games, as I have questions for Death." The pair gave an expression of an exaggerated sigh, stood up, and walked towards my person.

"Have you sent anyone to this tomb outside of the city?" Death shook his head, which caused my person to give my own version of an exaggerated sigh, "Then do so. I want to know what is going on over there. Take Child with you, as he'll need the experience." To this, Child became elated, the bones in his skull rattled with what could only be portrayed as glee.

"Go," I rumbled, pointing towards the door, "Only return with news of what it is."

They left my presence, eager to prove themselves to my person. Once they left, however, I retrieved a different piece of parchment, one that infuriated my being. Do you remember the messenger of the Grand General, and how he looked upon my person as though I were some naive child? Well, it seems the general, in all his wisdom, decided to go against the queen's order that was derived by my suggestion of a ceasefire.

Instead, this "general" continued to wage war against this world's "demons". The human believed it was a divine messenger of their god saying to kill those I sent, and continue with the war. Whoever this "divine messenger" was, they and the general had to die so that I may continue to enjoy my new home.

For you see, my dear audience, once the "Demon Lord" is dead, then I will be forced to leave the world called Terra. I would leave behind everyone and everything that my person had worked hard to create. Once this lord is dead, and I have been whisked away to Azzarath, it is quite possible that all within the castle will be killed off, erasing my presence and works in their entirety.

Unfortunately, whoever that may be will be denied. Because in the morning, I had heralds go about the city to see what the general consensus was for the war between humans and "demons". What I received in answer was, to be honest, surprising. The young children and young adults desired an end to it all, whilst the widowers and widows had mixed feelings. I did not bother asking the nobles, seeing as how nearly all wanted to keep throwing warm bodies upon the spears and swords of the "demons" whilst they stay safe and fat behind closed doors.

Many of the nobles' children, on the other hand, desired a chance to fight against said "demons", while a few practically begged their parents and the recruiters to take them to the battlefields. They were denied, of course, and a few became a cliché. They left and joined the armies in secret, much to the horror of their families. I did not care for any of them, even less so when a few of the collared nobles begged me to help them bring their children home.

"You disgust me, human," I had said to one bothersome, and uncollared human. He came to my human form's side just as I left the throne room with a random meeting with the queen. The noble gripped my arm, and demanded I retrieve a son that ran away to join the war. "I do not care for you and yours," I rumbled angrily, snatching my arm away from his grasp.

"You are the hero," he shouted at me, "Go rescue my son!"

"I am not a hero. At least, not one to humans such as yourself."

He was infuriated by my response, "I will make you listen to me," he growled, "If I have to steal something precious from you to make you listen, then I will."

I sighed into his ear, causing his entire being to jump. "Poor human," I grinned with eyes glowing a fierce crimson, "I cannot let you live. Too bad. I would have enjoyed using you and yours even further."

He had four armed men with him, and they leapt to the aid of their lord, only to be cut down by Nox who had been walking past us. "No one will harm Father," he growled, as shadows began to condense around his entire being, hiding his entire form. His eyes were glowing a brilliant crimson, and the claws upon his pawed hands and feet seemed to double in size.

What was truly curious was him howling for a few heartbeats, and silhouettes the same size and shape as he began to appear from the shadows. Although they had only a brief outline of Nox's form, they were still quite deadly, as they began to rend and tear apart the fearful nobleman who dared to run from him and his pack. I had smirked as I witnessed this, then frowned once I noticed armed guards that were not my Undying, rushing towards the dying noble.

"Nox," I called out to him, and he appeared next to my person. "You did well, son, and I am proud of you." He had an odd expression of joy upon his features, and barked happily. "However, you must leave this place before those humans are upon us." The hybrid that I called son turned his head towards the approaching guards, and growled a low and fierce growl. "No. I need you to flee. This human desired to make my person comply to his demands by stealing away something I deemed precious. Who is to say he did not order a kidnapping for one of the children?" His eyes grew wide at this, and dashed off towards the garden where nearly all of the children reside.

A few of the guards had reached the scene, and began to treat the annoying nobleman. When all had gathered, I counted approximately twenty heads I did not recognise. A few of them then decided to chase after the "monster" that tried to kill the noble, but I barred them with my human body. "Sir, we are just doing our duty. So, please, step aside and allow us to slay the monster."

"No," I rumbled slowly, to which a few of the guards withdrew their swords, and advanced upon my position. "Ah, that would be a mistake." Four skeletal creatures dropped from the ceiling above us, landing gracefully near my person. Another in tight fitting, dark clothing dropped behind the guards, and began slashing and stabbing them whilst the four before me began to chant in their melodiously haunting voices. Flames started to condense before them, which caused the other to retreat just as said flames leapt flew forward, burning all in their path.

When the flames died down, however, there were outlines of the guards and fallen noble all over the hallway. However, there weren't any scorch marks within the hallway, which baffled my mind to no end.

"If you are curious as to why the fires did nothing to the hallway, it is because we spent a fortune to prevent such a thing from occurring," I turned around to find RS in a blood red and violet striped robe walking down the hallway with a trail of a dozen Undying behind him. He gave an exasperated sigh, then put away the wand he had been carrying into his left sleeve. "It was done so for just this sort of occasion." His eyes then drifted over towards the skeletons, and raised an eyebrow, "I thought you couldn't have children."

This caused my body to snort in response to such a reaction towards them. It went further, as I began to laugh, finding the whole situation quite humourous.