//Long-ass-post time.\\
-"Bad feeling? HA! I've been a moth longer than you've been in that suit, by the looks of it, so you shouldn't be talking!"
Ein quickly morphed into his gigantic moth form. He flew up, and hovered above the group in the air.
-"See?"
He began to fly towards the end of the atmospheric bubble.
-"There is absolutely nothing to worry aboOOOAAAAH---!!!"
A sudden jolt whipped Ein up, as soon as he left the air-filled area. He was slammed right into an island above, then dropped back down.
-"Ugh..."
He morphed back into his human form.
-"Well, that's that... Hey, I've got an idea. Does anyone have any rope?"
He looked around at the group. In a moment, however, he slapped his head.
-"I'm getting old or something. I forgot that I always carry a nice coil of rope with me. Anyways, I'm thinking that I can tie the rope to the crossbow, and shoot it at one of those islands above. Perhaps that will be enough for us to advance far enough to find out what is causing these storms that Alex's been talking about."
--- --- ---
The army has been fully mobilized, and soldiers filled the streets of Kandarin, marching towards Jovil's large bay, to man the transports stationed there. People were coming outside to see the grand procession - some waved, others yelled. However, one peculiar thing: everyone seemed to be for the war, not against it. There was absolutely nobody in the crowds of cheering people who wasn't the least bit happy.
When the legions entered the ports surrounding the natural bay in Jovil, the transports stationed there opened up, letting the fighters inside. The transports weren't quite like anything - they were completely flat, balanced on two long cyllindrical cisterns, filled with air. A third barrel was installed on the deck itself. Below it was a small furnace, heating the air inside the barrel.
Once a squad was loaded into a transport, a small hole in the barrel opened - letting out a long jet of hot compressed air. The transports blasted away, similar to corks popping out of champagne bottles. Due to the transport's unique floatation device, there was very little friction with water. That allowed each "jump" to last quite long. Very soon, the transport armada reached the continent. All of the soldiers were unloaded, the total mass counting at around 20,000. There was a rather angry-looking general in the middle, on a makeshift stand.
-"LISTEN UP, YOU MAGGOTS! This is war time! You will be divided into ten subdivisions, 2,000 troopers each, and attack the nearest ten towns. Your superiors have already been instructed on your designation points. Now GIT LOST!!!"
The army erupted in a mighty cheer, and divided into ten equal parts, 2,000 troops each. The sarges and lieutenants were barking orders left and right.
-"Division Odin, direction: south south west!! Division Dva, direction: dead south! Division Tri, direction: north west! Division Chetire...!"
The huge mass of people quickly dissipated, with the separate divisions leaving to their own destinations. Drummers at the front of the divisions began playing, encouraging the fighters to walk faster. The heavy vacuum-action spearguns were somewhat slowing them down, but the powerful spirit of war was above all of the legionnaires, nearly making them run.
--- --- ---
"The chatter of my advisors about the war was somewhat making my head hurt, so I decided to do something else. None of my armies were at their targets yet, but they'd be rather fun to watch, anyway. Despite the advisors' somewhat angry but controlled protests, I left the Throne chamber.
The palace was somewhat empty at this time. That is, of course, if you dismiss my dead friends hanging above in the cages - at least SOMEONE in the palace has a decent sense of decoration... then again, the bottom floors that I was on were a bit untidy. The walls were made of bare brick, as were the columns looming high above the pathway I was on. The columns disappeared into the infinite darkness above.
As I was pondering on my artful place of habitat, I almost missed my destination. It was merely a circlular stone in the floor, with a radius of about one meter. It was different than the rest of the floor: instead of plain brick, it was made of white marble. A black silhouette of the Kandarinian symbol was outlined on it. I stood dead in the centre of the circle, and closed my eyes.
The air around me began to shift a little - I was being taken higher. If I were below the platform of my ascent, I would notice that its bottom was trimmed with bones. That is how I am able to lift it. I would have clockwork machinery installed there, but I just can't be bothered. It works, and I'm fine with it.
The platform continued rising, no longer needing me to sustain it. I opened my eyes, and looked up.
The blackness was still thick, but a small, bleak circle of light was reaching my eyes now. As the platform ascended, the circle got bigger. It was an opening - an opening to the upper floors of the palace. No one but me can reach this place, which is also a part of the reason why I didn't want to place machines to lift people up here. As long as only one Necromancer exists in Kandarin, my privacy here will not be disturbed.
The platform reached the next floor, elevating me into a large area, filled with light. This was very different from the floors below - all the walls were also made of white marble, and had tall windows in them. The lower level had no windows at all, it was lit with nothing but torchlight.
Most of the floor was decorated with a gilded red carpet, except for the hole that I entered through. Around me were display cases, filled with various objects. There was the Criss knife that the founder of Kandarin wore; over by the window lies the pendant of my father, awarded to him by the Kandarinian citizens for curing their crops of a deadly disease, restoring life to Kandarin - ironically, the very pendant I used to choke him to death. Alas, my father was not well. He believed that people should be given their own choices, and not ruled by a titanic power such as me. People are animals. Weak and pathetic. I am but a tool of the gods to bring order to them, to let them live as the gods intended.
However, this floor was still not my destination. The cieling above, beautifully painted into a scene from the Eon of Creation - when Skorn shaped Kandarin into its present shape - also had a small opening in it. After viewing these artifacts, I returned onto the marble platform, and was taken further up.
This time, I emerged in pure blackness. I searched the area around me, finding a chair-like object. Around it were all sorts of metallic gears, pulleys and levers. I pulled one.
The roof above me suddenly cracked into twelve lines of light, which getting wider. Gradually, as enough light illuminated me, I saw six doors opening up, revealing the pure sky above. When closed, the doors resembled a semisphere, which guarded the telescope from the weather.
Telescope? Yes. Around me was a gigantic telescope, as well as machinery supporting and operating it. The chair I sat in was the observer's seat - the telescope could be used from it with the most comfort, not to mention it was the only place it could be operated from. I peered into the telescope, adjusting it on the Crimson continent.
Therce were my armies - my warriors, marching to thier unsuspecting targets. There's the Sedmoi division, advancing upon a small village. The Dva, on the other side, was approaching to a smaller castle, probably resided by some sort of a lord. No lords but me must exist.
I continued scanning the area through the telescope, marvelling at my forces of destruction."
--- --- ---
The dismembered head of Horus lie motionlessly. Even its eyes weren't glowing. However, one of the smaller machines creeped over to Kerig and tugged his boot (?) with a small claw-like feature, near what appeared to be the mouth. It seemed to be trying to lead Kerig somewhere...
//Assuming he follows\\
The small spider crawled over the battered remains of Horus. A lot of the tubes and circuitry was already replaced and repaired; however, right in the middle of his gigantic body, square where his stomach would be, was a large gaping hole. Lots of purple tubes ended there, with liquid pouring out of them and melting the ground. The repair mechanisms were tying up the loose ends, so that the liquid inside stayed in place. The one that lead Kerig to it stopped and turned around, as if looking at him. The Converter was missing... Horus needed an alternate power source, at least for now.
