The Vantage Point
Kalyustar's mind strained to control the gheists flittering around Kaptain da Leeva and his lieutenants. Keeping them from attacking the orruks and rather only pull and tug at the needles of their two aetheric compasses was essential for his plan to succeed. Through the gheists' witchsight, the necromancer could sense the Kaptain's mounting frustration."It's no good scribbling and squinting at that device", the massive orruk bursted out. "We have to get up high and have a proper look at our surroundings. There's no other bearings that matter" he grawled. "I have an idea where we can go."
As predictable as any animal! He would now head to the nearby skydock with all his wretched crew.
'And why do you need them there, Exile?' came the mind-whisper of the Shadeglass Skull. 'How does that serve the Master?'
"He is nowhere to be found after his trip to Hysh", Kalyustar snapped back. "But it serves me that the Rotmoon waste the night at the skydock".
'Yes? And how?'
"Something stirred in Hysh after the Master fell, something He was unable to see and enslave to His will. Something that I will bring to the Harrowmark and enslave to my will!"
'You never stop to amaze me, Exile...'
Evening winds swept the skydock platform as Kaptain da Leeva and his crew approached it. Tollich and a handful of skeleton were ready to welcome them.
The two parties advanced, squaring up to each other across the skydock courtyard.
Kalyustar threw his bait at the orruk captain, approaching from the south while the party led by Keinrich came in from the north-east.
As the necromancer had hoped, Da Leeva responded in kind, calling forth the rest of his crew to deploy mirroring the Cursed Company's approaches.
Da Leeva ordered the deckhands nearby to hold off the skeletal swordmen while he climbed up the inner stairs of the skydock.
A first swordmen fell to the orruks' crude blades just as Kalyustar reached the edge of the courtyard, infusing Tollich with unnatural vitality.
The Seneschal rushed up to the platform, his barrow zweihandler biting deep into Da Leeva's chest. The Kaptain staggered back but kept his footing on the edge of the platform. His return blow smashed through Tollich's guard.
Kalyustar puppeteered one of the halberdiers up to the platform, keeping up the impression of a hard fought battle. Again the orruks took the bait, Bortagno rushing to the side of his Kaptain and toppling the skeleton down the platform.
As the halberdier's bones plummeted to the courtyard, the final ray of sunlight faded and the dark night of Shyish claiming the Harrowmark. With a smirk of satisfaction under his mask, Kalyustar called for a retreat, leaving the deckhands to join their officers inside the skydock. The Rotmoons can keep their 'vantage' point now that darkness made it useless. As for him, the losses would be easily replaced. It was now time to move undisturbed to the real vantage point, the Haunted Gate.
There, the Necromancer forced the gate to open upon the Lux Umbra of the Prime Dominion. From there, a royal figure stepped through, clad in ancient verdigrised armour.
"Who dares disturb Alti's Hand?" the rattling figure's voice sounded imperious and yet baffled.
"Silence!" boomed Kalyustar "A masterless Hand has no right to challenge me, Kalyustar, Soulchemist of the Harrowmark, formelry of the Gilded Hand. You will bow to me, Grellem Vallkern!"
The Wight King's will strained against Kalyustar's, but the recent demise of Mithridates Alti made him weak, just as the Soulchemist had expected.
Slowly, the knee of the royal skeleton bent, his armour joints creacking. His voice came out in a whizzling of resignation.
"Grellem Vallkern serves you, master".
'So that was what you had in mind, Soulchemist!' came the voice of the Shadeglass Skull 'Just remember, my friend, everything and everyone serves the Master in the end'.
"I haven't forgotten that"
"Yes? Is this why you enjoyed so much being called by the title that is only His? Master..."
***
Saul's side of the story is here.
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