AN: Updated 18/8/13. I intend to update the third chapter soon, and if my writer's block is gone I will hopefully get chapter 4 out soon there after.
Mortis lead his fellow elder Minions and the Overlord down into the towns centre, it took nearly three hours for them to reach it since they regularly had to stop so Gnarl could catch his breath and mutter for the umpteenth time "I'm too old to be in the field, why did you drag me here Sire?" This was always met with silence. The fact that the other Minions actually doing the attacking would run up to their master with offerings of gold and other items they deemed worthy regularly didn't help with there time, and during these processions of gifts the Overlord was reminded how simple minded the majority of the Minions were. Calling out in childlike voices and throwing on any scraps they found as armour or clothes, at least one brown ran past wearing a teapot on their head like a helm.
Finally reaching the village centre the four elder Minions stood with their lord before a small stone prison. The Overlord sent a questioning look towards Mortis who merely motioned for the armour-clad man to enter the prison.
The Overlord swung his war hammer into the wooden door causing it to shatter, and stepped forth into the prison. No candles or torches lit the area, all was dark within except for a room at the back that had a faint blue glow emitting from between the cracks in the oaken door. He strode forward and as soon as he touched the door it collapsed inwards and a jolt of raw mana knocked him back a few steps before it rapidly died down. The Overlord gazed in confusion at the young boy chained to the back of the room, a kid that could barely keep his eyes open and was starved, appeared to be the source of the glow. A mere child with enough raw mana to rival a 3rd year apprenticed mage.
"Oh boy," came Pyre's raspy voice. "That kid's magic is as untamed as a fire"
"Indeed the child is strong. He could rival most master Wizards before he's twenty if given the right training," answered Mortis.
Gnarl chuckled evilly and began talking excitedly "Oh! Imagine all the delightfully Evil things we could do if we forced the boy to use that power against our enemies." He began rubbing his chin in thought. "So much work we coul- God Damn It! I'm going to dunk Grubby in boiling oil for shaving my beard! I can't concentrate! It took seven decades to grow and groom into that perfect goatee for contemplation!"
Pyre and Snake exchanged a look before the red, handed his green brethren some gold as Snake gloated, "told you he'd complain about that brown'ss prank again."
"Gnarl! Be silent!" Commanded the Overlord. "Now child, can you hear me?" The boy did not reply. He waved his left gauntlet and the small yellow gem inlaid within glowed as it did its job in sending a mental summons directly to any minion he wanted. A moment later three blues rushed into the room and began using their natural ability to cast healing magic on the boy.
As the blues worked there magic the child's mana receded, allowing the room to be lit from the fires coming in through the door and the healing glow coming from the hands of the blues.
The Overlord took in the boy's appearance as best he could. Probably between six and eight years old, short for his age, scrawny, underweight and very little muscle mass. He was skin and bones mostly. Lank and brittle hair that was an off and unhealthy grey, whilst the half-lidded eyes were dull yellow and his skin was a sickly grey. As the Overlord finished taking in the boys appearance the blues finished weaving their magic around the boy and after asking Pyre to break the chains at the anchor points on the floor and wall began conversing with Mortis.
The Overlord watched as Pyre drew raw heat into his hands from the glowing fiery core that all reds had. This granted them the unique qualities of being able to create and absorb fires, and they were naturally fireproof because of this. Pyre took his super-heated hands and began melting the chains at each anchor point.
"Sire," Mortis's gurgles drew his attention. "My tribesmen have done what they can. The child's mana is dangerously uncontrolled and as you can tell, his health is poor, Zap, Aqua and Toad have done what they can to stabilize the child. However, the child will die if he's not looked after. So, my Lord, what should we do with the child?"
The meaning of the question hung in the air like an unwanted cloud. Kill the child, leave him to rot, send him to someone and risk him using his magic against them in the future, or do they take him in? The Overlord thought hard about what to do when the decision was made for him. He felt the same loneliness and anger in the boy which his own Grandfather, the Overlord who conquered the Glorious Empire and was know only as 'Witchboy' during his childhood, and also the child's own weak voice begging. "H-help…me-e… "
Once the town was razed to the ground and all but ash and scarce memories remained, the Overlord, Master of the Minion Army, Conquer of Cities, took an orphan boy deep into the bowels of the planet to what was commonly called the Netherworld and gave him a home within his own, the Overlord's castle. the 'Netherworld Tower'.
The Tower had a new resident in the orphan, who threw away everything he once was and slowly over the years which he spent with the Minions and the Overlord became the unofficial heir to the throne.
Unknown to all, the child's name quickly began being whispered through the threads of fate and destiny. Soon the name Victor Magus, would be feared.
