A/N: I do not own Overlord series, I only own my original characters and designs.
Chapter 04
Thomas awoke to the sound of laughter somewhere downstairs. It was muffled by the floorboards but loud enough to be heard even in the upstairs room in the otherwise calm morning. Slowly sitting up, he recalled the fight during the last day, and how his body had acted on its won. His body was gettnig more firm and muscled, his mind sharpening, the feeling of magic burning in him to be released also growing stronger. He was definitely changing, and the night's rest had allowed the effect to grow more apparent.
With a small sigh he got to his feet and dressed again, feeling refreshed after his slumber. He had expected to wake up hungry, but actually the feeling of magic coursing through him seemed to sustain him at the time being. He was fairly certain he could still eat and drink, just that the magic pouring into him was making it a choice rather than a necessity. Thomas briefly wondered if that was just part of the changes going through him now, or if it would be a permanent change. Either way, it did mean he could just head on out back towards the castle he would make into his stronghold.
Walking downstairs he saw no signs of the elf, the lad might have already left to go hunt for the wolves then or he might be upstairs sleeping as well. Thomas didn't really care, returning the key to the counter before making his way towards the town gates. He had a feeling he might stop by to ask the captain of the guard for the payment for the returned goods but it might not be ready just yet. Deciding to stop by later, he simply made his way out of the gates, beginning the walk back to the castle.
His sword at his side and the chain-shirt over his chest seemed to make him seem more like trouble than easy pickings for any possible bandits, allowing him to pass through the wooded hills unhindered, the dawn's light still warming his skin as he marched along. He wasn't paying too much attention to his surroundings, wondering about the changes he had gone through, and testing his stamina. He was marching at a brisk pace after all, and had been for close to an hour. He didn't see much sense in trying to run the whole way, but this brisk march wasn't tiring him out at all.
"Ahh, sire I am pleased to see that you have taken up testing your new body slightly. Don't worry, your body's old limits have been lifted and your capabilities enhanced by magic, and they will continue to grow as you gain power. For now though, I am pleased to see we are on our way back to the Castle. Once you are there you can begin creating your first minions, as no self-respecting Overlord should have to march alone. You will see, the Minions can be of great aid, and help you begin."
The thoughts from his 'advisor' were worth hearing out, but Thomas hummed briefly at the time and simply shrugged while marching along, looking at the tall hill in the distance, the castle's ruin standing atop it, overlooking the countryside. Castle Highwatch. Not particularily imaginative, he'd have to change it eventually, but it did describe what it was for. Watching the countryside near the two towns, and in the past it must have had the necessary forces to keep a fairly large area safe. With some work, it would do so again.
Regardless, he had to get to work, and rising his pace to a swift jog he began to rise up the rough path towards the hilltop, the road along the rough, steep side of the hill reminding him why he thought of the place more as a small mountain than as a proper hill. He had a feeling the place wasn't naturally formed, but created with the intent of making it hard to approach except by a twisting path that left any approaching group open to archers from the towers long before they would reach the castle's side.
Reaching the courtyard and looking around at the decrepit state of the castle walls and towers, Thomas could only sigh heavily at the thought of how much work this place would take to get in order. Still, it was better than building a lone tower that would have to house everything. He wanted to expand this place, build it up into a fortress, and to dig deeper as well, to lay the grounds for a grand dungeon that would serve as a fitting base for the future.
Given what he knew of the Overlord world from the old games, the 'Dark Tower' would allow him to eventually travel vast distances in mere moments given the use of magical portals, but to reach that point he would undoubtedly have to first gather the necessary power to fuel such arcane devices. For now, the gauntlet was changing and charging him, but he had a feeling that a lot of power was building up within him as well. Power meant to take over this world. That likely meant that for his counterpart there was a building power to burn this world to ruins as well. Domination and Destruction would waltz through this world, and if he wanted to live he would have to grasp this realm by its throat and declare it his.
"Alright, I am here and I have the lifeforce to begin crafting my minions. How do I do this?" Speaking seriously while looking around at the castle, there was a short pause before he could hear the familiar voice speaking to him again. Although he was fairly certain nobody else could, even if there was someone else around.
"Shaping of minions is fairly complex but I'll help you out with it. You need to answer me a few questions as we got through this, and we'll get moving from there. First, do you want to make your minions beastly, monstrous, or near-human?" The question made him wonder, he had a feeling that the original minions would be considered 'monstrous', but if he had an option he knew what he would choose.
"Near-human. Definitely near-human." That would make it so much easier to calm the populace that his minions weren't that different from them. The original, goblin-like minions would be ideal for causing chaos and mayhem despite their small size, but near-human ones could give an aura of order and presence. That thought made him wonder what kind of minions his foe would create. Only time would tell.
"Splendid, sire, that's a rather common choice actually. I imagine you want a whole amazonian all-female race to serve you in every capacity?" The question actually had Thomas blushing, as he briefly considered it but found himself more embarrassed than amused. "Common choice? I guess that this kind of thing has happened before then?" He wondered mostly to himself, only to be met by an amused voice once more.
"Oh yes sire, many promising young disciples have been taken in by the power of Overlord along the years, but many prove unable to control their power, and perish. Given the near infinite worlds, there is always room to expand though, and Evil will Always find a way." The way the voice replied had a small chill rise along his spine. There was such glee and sadistic amusement in it as it spoke about those 'disciples' there.
"Well, in anycase I don't think that an all-female race is a good idea. How about half and half, like humans generally are, half of them men and half of them women?" His words were met with some thought before there seemed to be a silent sigh he could hear in his mind. Apparently his advisor would have preferred the all-female option.
"As you wish sire. Though you might wish to change that later on if you so choose. Now in the meanwhile, I need you to focus on the traits you wish your warriors will possess. Your first minions will be the ones that will follow you into battle, that will face the duty of fighting for you, so please consider the traits most important for that."
Closing his eyes and focusing, Thomas let his mind wander. The elemental aspects rose to his mind swiftly enough, only to be replaced by the thoughts about the human races, wandering briefly. In his mind he saw the warriors of the vast savannah, the proud and fierce folks that fought to protect their own and to destroy their enemies. The people that would dare to take on lions with little more than bone daggers if need be. The people that would walk with him as his warriors. The ones with the strength and resilience of stone, and the loyal, unbreakable will that would recognise only him as their superior.
As he was focused, a golden glow in the gauntlet emerged, his hand raised by the metal as magic gathered around him, and he could feel the throb of energy around him. Opening his eyes, he felt the magic waited to be given a chance to take form. Walking into the castle's ruined throne room, he lay his hand against the floor while kneeling, whispering something he didn't quite understand, a language both arcane and ancient, something that came from the knowledge the gauntlet carried.
"Rise, my Warriors, awaken the sons of stone, daughters of steel. Hear my call and let the Hyperborean spirit take shape. Hear my call and answer, my Minions!"
The glow in the ground began to settle into a circle with warding symbols floating around it just above the stone, the lines within the circle forming the eight-pointed star. As the magic danced through those lines, a materialization began. Black crystal began to arise , with magic building within as it seemed to grow. The fatigue began to build within him, but he knew it was not physical exhaustion as much as magical. He was spending what energy he had to fuel the materialization process, and without the gauntlet's aid it would have not been even a fraction of what he needed. The fact remained that through the gauntlet's power this was possible, something that only went to prove to him just how insane the power of the gauntlets could be, even if in very restricted uses.
As the glow died out, he saw the black crystal brimming with a faint light seeming to turn some parts of its surface to ashen gray rather than pure black in brief passing, before a reflection showed his face. Silently resting his hand against the crystal, he poured the life-force within its confines, the newly created minion hive seeming to pulse with the given life-force and then begin to reshape it.
The eerie glow grew nearly white, dancing along the crystal alighting runes in the black material to bright crimson for a moment, before the transparent shape of a warrior began to take shape, and then another, and another. The ten life force he had harvested from those wolves was now reshaped into the core of these beings, his first minions.
As the glow began to dim, he could see the transparent figures solidify, and though his eyes still felt blurred by the shine he could see the figures kneel before him, recognizing his strength and the fact they would not be without him. The loyalty instilled by both the gauntlet's magic and the faith they held in their creator. As his eyes slowly began to recover, he saw he was looking at a group of ten dark-skinned warriors, five of them men and five of them women. Their skin colour reminded him of dark chocolate, their towering height and the muscles showing in their arms reminding him of their strength.
"How can we serve?" The first voice to spoke belonged to the woman directly before him. Black, silken hair reached down the middle of her back, her head kept low and right hand clenched in a fist she held to the ground while leaning ahead in that kneeling bow. She would undoubtedly stand a fair bit taller than him once she'd rise up, but even then he did not feel intimidated, as he could feel the sincere loyalty.
"Stand by my side, and help me unite this land. I need your strength and bravery to conquer this world, and add it to my dark domain. Storm approaches, and those who don't stand together, will die divided."
He spoke with convinction, knowing the other Overlord was out there and would bring this world to destruction if he didn't lay down his own claim of domination first. In his eyes being meek and unable to fight would only get him killed and cause the death of all those that lived in these lands. Thomas wasn't sure he could bring peace by waging war, but he could at least take lands in his protection against the raging madness of the usurper, the false heir to the throne.
Somehow the way his words were shaping was disturbing him, and at the same time he considered it another adaption he would need. He would have to change, in body and mind, in outlook and morals, to be able to survive this test. Thomas would have to allow the part of him that lived a peaceful life to die, and the part that would rule as an unquestioned emperor to be reborn from those ashes.
"We swear our oath to serve you, Overlord. I am Ruska, the firstborn of the Clan." The warrior woman spoke seriously as she stepped closer, and he found himself leaning his head back slightly to keep looking at her face. She was a tall woman, and a powerful woman at that, with long flowing black hair surrounding the chocolate shaded face, and the shade of darkest earth within those strong eyes, their gaze on him piercing and unrelenting. Even if she was a minion, she was born a leader, and he knew this instinctively.
"Then you will be my General, and second in command. All that will follow me shall answer to you, and together we shall lay our claim upon this land." He smiled, offering her his hand. She looked at it and him curiously, but took the hand and shook it firmly. The grasp she had would have crushed his fingers if he was still as weak as he had been, but ever since the fight with the wolves he felt his body was getting far stronger. He had a feeling that if Ruska could have fought several armed and trained men and won, then when he was done changing he would surpass even that. The powers in the Gauntlet were frightening, yet oh so tempting.
"Very well. Right now, I don't have a proper tower to call my home, but I have made this castle my base for the moment. See if you and your clan can clear out some room and live comfortably here for the time being, I will need to hunt and help your numbers grow." As he was still speaking she reached ahead and grasped on his shoulder, a firm look on her face. He briefly hoped she didn't take offense at his words, and the fact he had little to offer them.
"You are the Overlord, we are your minions. We shall do what we can to clear the surroundings, we shall hunt for food, and in time we will begin rebuilding this place. The Clan is not just warriors, we are proud people and we can rebuild this place, though I think in time it would be wise to simply replace it." She spoke seriously, and sincerely. There was no real malice to it, she made the offer openly and advised him as she should.
Sighing heavily as he came to realize just how much he would have to rely on others since he was still changing, Thomas nod his head knowing her idea was for the best. Ruska turned to give some orders, leaving the other four women to work on clearing some room in the castle along with two of the men, as she and the remaining three men headed out to hunt. Looking over the people, Thomas could tell that they owned little, cloaking their form in leather and fur, but they were not complaining, just working hard. Each one carried a sling at her side, along with a wooden club. Not exactly impressive weapons, but these were what they got as freshly spawned minions.
He silently decided to see about arming them with at least spears as soon as he could, probably bows and arrows as well. Swords would have to wait, the price to acquire that many blades would be prohibitative until he could acquire a source of wealth to support such pursuits. Still, as he sat down on a large boulder in the courtyard and thought Thomas could feel the gauntlet throbbing with power.
Instinctively he closed his eyes and focused on it, hearing Ruska's voice. "-me chief? There's some bandits attacking a caravan not far from here. More than there are of us, but they seem like thugs not warriors. Chief?"
Thomas considered the matter and grimaced. He didn't want to expose himself so soon, especially his minions, and they were different enough that the folks here would be curious. Yet he couldn't just leave the caravan to die. Sighing heavily he focused on sending an answer, whispered words that reached his General's ear despite the distance, a gift of the gauntlet.
"Attack them but fight defensively, I will send the others and join them in the rush there. Keep the bandits back and we shall join. If any of them are stupid enough to charge you though feel free to kill them." A grim thought occured to him and he decided to add something more to his wind-whispered words for her. "If their death releases life-force then try and grasp and preserve it so that I may add people to the Clan afterwards."
Whistling loudly to get the attention of his other minions, Thomas gestured for them to follow. The warriors seemed to instinctively know what he had in mind, but he chose to clarify still. "Someone's attacking a caravan nearby, and Ruska is moving to help them. We're going to go as well, and destroy any that dare to stand in our way. Leave none of the thugs alive." There were a few grim, solemn nods among the people there, none of them would hesitate to kill those who would attack members of the clan.
As Thomas lead his forces down the hill in a rushed step he felt no fatigue, his body's steps carrying him at a small rush downhill, the folks behind him running at a similar seemingly tireless pace. What a frightening force they would become, he mused to himself quietly. Yet he would not turn their strength upon civilians, he would see to it that when they fought they struck down enemy soldiers without mercy, but they would not cause misery to those who didn't choose to grasp a weapon and fight them. So the attack on the caravan annoyed Thomas and left him ready to claim human lives to add to his minions life-force. The bandits had just declared themselves as beings that should be harvested.
Once they reached the road he could see smoke-pillar down the road to the direction he had not previously explored. Leading his forces that way to where he felt Ruska and others were, he saw at least ten bandits fighting with Ruska and her men, the bloody bodies near the wagons telling him enough of how the fight had been going that far. He saw several others seeking cover behind the wagons, a couple of them holding bows but too afraid to use them it seemed.
"Forward my Brothers, We shall Know NO FEAR!" His voice rose and with it a surge of power rushed through his minions. It was instinctive use again, but he could feel his magic depleting a fair bit, yet the crimson glow in his minions eyes told him enough. The blood curling warcries rising to the air might have made a few bandits soil themselves as they suddenly found themselves under attack by these strangers.
Thomas watched with a wicked grin on his face as the bandit he was facing tried to frightenedly strike at him with a longsword, only to have Thomas slash across the bandit's body with force, the blood splattering the ground and the look of shock and pain on the bandits face forever burnt to his mind. He had killed a human being the first time, albeit a murderous bastard of a bandit. He knew he should feel shocked, perhaps even disgusted with himself for it, but at the same time, Thomas knew he would have to kill many more before his journey was over.
The frightening thing was he didn't feel bad at all, the moment he decided these people were pests that would just prey on other people he had shed any empahty he might have against the bandits. So as he and his Clan fought, the caravan's survivors could only watch in shock and horror as the bandit ambush was turned into a bloody slaughter.
By the end, only their saviors stood alive, some of them showing arrows still stuck in their arms, legs or sides, but none of them had fallen. Several clubs showed blood dripping on them, and the man that stood before them was wiping a bastard sword clean of blood into a dead bandit's scarf before turning to look upon the survivors.
OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO
Alright, 4th chapter is here. I will be working on my Zerg story chapter(s) next. I have a lot of wild little ideas and I gather some of them together for thought here on FF as well, but they're just ideas, maybe 1 chapter's worth of text per idea, I will not focus on them more for now. I am thinking of adding a Syndicate, and a Dungeon Keeper idea to the other thread eventually, for thoughts.
I won't pick up any additional 'full' stories though, I have a handful with Swarm Patriarch, Overlord War for the Gauntlet, and XCOM Broken Mirror.
On that note, I asked a friend of mine that does beautiful artwork to make an image out of the Overlord and his four Minion Leaders. I might consider sharing a link to the image once its ready, but the said image request is at discussions and scetching phase anyhow so it won't be here for a while. I am not sure still, the image is mainly for my own inspiration anyhow, so we'll see.
(On another note, it would also contain spoilers, such as what each of the Minion Leaders will be like)