"Raise." The Supreme Commander spoke with a smooth baritone so, Septimus really didn't know how to describe it... Human and unlike his soldiers' monotonic voice, that he could pass off perfectly as a living man if his eyes weren't dark, empty sockets set in a mask.
Ulysses straightened himself, but keeping his head bowed as a sign of respect as Deacon climbed the steps up the dias to return to his proper spot next to the king's throne: to the Commander's right loomed a titanic clockwork in full body armor in the colors of black and red, his mask the standard bauta style worn by the Marines though elaborately decorated around the eye sockets with gold. His weapons too were the classic set wielded by Marines-a shield and a halberd… Who else could that be other than Grand Marshal Rooke, Kane's trusted warlord?
His eyes drifted to Kane's left, where another clockwork stood at attention. He was dressed in the standard robes of a Plague Doctor and mask, holding a staff topped with three bronze gears as his bespectacled eye sockets barely held in the madness that marked him as Bishop, the Armada's chief engineer and scientist, known to most others as Kane's "Mad Tinkerer".
Finally, there's the one resembling a jester who sat on the steps leading up to Lord Kane's golden throne. He twisted his head with a short click, showing off the contrasting black and white sides of his mask and long, crooked nose: compared to the scowl contorting the black 'persona', the white side had a what Ulysses could even call benevolent smile... That would be none other than Phule, leader of the Black and White cadres...
"You were wise in your decision to join our ranks, Baron Septimus."Kane gave a slight nod of approval, "I suppose you know who I am already."
"Ita vero, Lord Kane."Ulysses had to put to use every ounce of will to not grin like an idiot, which would be no doubt moronic and at the same time embarrassing. "It is my honor to have been chosen by you, Lord; I guarantee I shall serve you with utmost loyalty, and where others fail, I will not."
"Bene."The Supreme Commander remarked flatly, unimpressed. "General Rooke, lead the baron to the Council Room, I will join shortly, after I've spoken with Deacon."
Rooke snapped to attention, speaking with a deep and rather gruff voice, "As how you command, Lord Kane."
The Council Room was, as Ulysses noted when he first entered, just a chamber with a large table in the centre that had multiple seats around it(with the throne-like chair at the head being no doubt the Supreme Commander's)and a large holographic projector set inside it, which was being constantly updated to show the locations of the legions of the Armada, casting a ghostly blue glow across the dimly lit room.
"Baron Septimus."Ulysses turned, his eyes locking right into Kane's void-like ones as the Supreme Commander entered.
"Lord."
"Have you ever wondered why I offered you the commission?"
Ulysses bowed his head as the clockwork king sat down in his chair at the head of the table; he never really considered about it until now. "Negative,"he said truthfully, "if you can, glorious commander, tell me."
"I could use your skills as an assassin in carrying out the Grand Design: you, Baron Septimus, ARE the assassin Altair after all, are you not?"Kane's voice turned questioning, like he didn't believe the young Valencian was the legendary assassin.
" I am willing to pledge my sword to your cause, Commander, if you may give me the honor to believe my skills and give me a chance."Ulysses, on normal conditions, was someone who would draw his Hidden Blade and jab it right into the back of whoever dared to question him. Not this time, no, he respected(maybe even WORSHIPED) the Supreme Commander too much to do anything that stupid.
Kane gave only a slight nod, and began to explain:
The Grand Design, according to the Supreme Commander, was a series of flawless plans that would allow the Armada to effortlessly take over the Spiral.
However, there's where the hitch comes in-
Valencia really doesn't have the resources to allow the Armada to carry the plan out.
That's where El Dorado comes in.
Also known as "The Island of Pure Gold", El Dorado was rumored to contain wealth innumerable by humans, and knowledge-two things that when combined equals power unpreceded by any thus opening a easy path to tearing down the Spiral-and rebuilding it later in perfection-for Kane and his Army.
But… The stormgate to El Dorado never opens at the same place, which means it is nigh impossible to get there, unless one had in possession the map leading there, made by the famous Valencian explorer Marco Pollo.
Pollo, though, tore the map into seven pieces in a way to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
It didn't stop Kane, obviously, and he was able to obtain a piece of it without effort several weeks ago, from Pollo's tomb in Granchia.
"Six pieces are still out there,"Kane leaned toward a holographic map of the Spiral, "we know their locations, but…" He pointed a distasteful finger at Skull Island, "the piece that was here was taken just five days ago by a band of four PIRATES... Four pirates that was supposed to be executed..." He didn't allow anger into his voice, nonetheless, Ulysses could sense it just as well as Rooke's presence in the room.
He didn't admit it… But Kane scares him, in the way he is scared of Dominatus.
Steeling his nerves and racing heart, he spoke with a indifferent and respectful voice, "Explanation, please my lord?"
Kane drew a deep intake of air before he was calm enough to speak again.
"Last week, about two hours after you executed Lucius Superbus, Baron Septimus, four pirates by the names of Adrian Devereaux, Edward Teach, Cyrus Chamberlain, and Wolf Hawkins escaped from the ship carrying them to Stronghold A3, where they were due to be executed…"The Commander growled, "They all, as you may have figured out, Baron, have reasons to hate me, hate my Armada… They would have posted no threat to the Grand Design, until that old fool Horace Avery told him everything, including every piece of information regarding the map… And I trust you are intelligent enough to figure out the rest, Baron Septimus?"
"Ita vero, Lord Kane."
"Bene, your mission is as follows: find and capture, if you could, all of the pirates, along with the map."The Supreme Commander made it clear in his voice he would take nothing other than a yes for an answer. "I will not tolerate failure, and you are to leave tomorrow, CAPTAIN Septimus, with the crew of 'The Colossus', stop them at the outpost in the Isles of Doom"
"As how you command."Ulysses smiled mentally, even though the thought of Skull Island, of the lair of the lawless pirates made him sick(how could such… thing exist?!): if he want to prove himself to be worthy of Kane's respect and that choosing him was right, what speaks for him better than completing a dangerous quest to the very heart of enemy territory?
Clad in his crisp new Armada officer's garbs-black long coat that gone down maybe three inches below the back of his knees, breeches, gloves and leather boots of the same color, a white shirt under his coat and sable colored tricorn with gold laces and an ostrich feather decorating it-Ulysses walked briskly from his chamber in the large estate toward his private docks, adjusting his stark white mask over his face.
There, waiting for him was the frigate he was about to take command and his crew.
Ulysses noted, pleased, that the frigate was rather well armed with her medium plating of gold colored Valencian alloy and maybe twenty eight 30 pounder guns. It would be a fast ship too, judging from the taut sails and powerful looking rudder.
He also noticed his crew: he counted about twenty musketeers, thirty marines-armored warriors armed with shields and large halberds-and ten Dragoons, vicious fighters resembling Grand Marshal Rooke, but not as elegant in appearance, armed with titanic claymore swords paired with a huge handheld cannons.
Good, a decent crew and a ship. This should be easy.
"Prepare to set sail."He commanded, the years he had spent leading the Valencian Assassins finally proven useful, "chart a course for the Isles of Doom in Skull Island."
He will need a second-in-command as well now that he's given it a thought, but that can wait.
Until he get to his destination.
