**Author's notes: Part of the reason I don't favor this site for publication is that sometimes (for whatever reason), I can't easily go back and edit some chapters with a mistake or a typo. Some chapters in this fic now have issues that I can't fix because this site keeps throwing up errors when I try to go back and fix them. This is annoying. I now prioritize ao3 for publication (account name: Architect_of_Fate) because that site seems to work most of the time, and I can easily go back and edit any problems if I catch them later without difficulty. Because of this, this version of this fic is definitely "rougher" than the version on ao3, but I'll still keep posting here. Thank you for reading!**
After a quickly devoured meal prepared by Zok in the galley, my crew and I began to plot how we would go forward now that we had trouble staring us down on all sides.
We made our way back up to the bridge for another formal meeting, which I wasn't looking forward to. At the very least, the Divine Retribution was fairly certain that we'd be okay for at least twelve hours, but that after that, the hereteks and the Dwemer were in danger of showing up, so we'd need to be ready.
But, just how ready could we all be against everything when the Divine Retribution was still so gravely injured? Assuming we could get Jinnicky's army down here, we at least also had a few fighters and some psyker firepower. I felt that we still needed to be stronger, both now and in the future. While I was pretty strong, I tended to overload and have literally died from having too much wizard fun. While my staff was great, I realized that I was still woefully inept in wielding the Nemeses Argentum. The artifact was still a pair of scissors that operated as a dagger, but one day, it would become two swords. If the Emperor could wield his huge sword, I should eventually be able to use my blades in combat. It was a shame that some master swordsman with a healthy soul wasn't just showing up to kill themselves for me so I could instantly learn swords via consumption. I needed to learn how to fight in this universe.
"I wish things could be easy," I said, sitting back down on my throne and hooking myself up to the vessel again. Power rushed pleasantly through me. The central holographic screen flickered into existence again, and we could now see a map of the Ix system along with the Anguished Epiphany as it trundled ahead. There was now an estimated countdown until the evil vessel's arrival, which was currently sitting at 11hrs 01mins.
I sensed both Rasputin and Alberich sitting on their respective thrones, but they weren't properly "connected" right now. The rest of my crew walked ahead before my throne. Jinnicky wandered around, quietly chattering to himself in a nonsensical tone. Both Skitarii followed him, letting him meander as long as he didn't cause problems.
"So," I began, my voice amplified. "What we're doing is this: We're sending Jinnicky over to his tower, and he's going to hike back here with his army, am I hearing that correctly?"
While Jinnicky didn't even seem to notice that his name had been mentioned, Null responded with "That is correct," with a nod. The Tech-priest walked up to stand ahead of me on my throne. Jiminy, the mantis drone, was perched on his shoulder, and his new servo skull floated eerily nearby. Null pointed upward toward a line of large text on the right side of the display that detailed the unpleasant weather outside. "I must confess: I am somewhat concerned. The Horse of a Different Color isn't built for more severe weather if she's carrying a heavier load, and the weather outside is most foul for flying. I would advise that we limit our weight, and only take Magos Jinnicky, myself, and a psyker for the trip."
I glanced over at the Magos, who continued to obliviously chatter to himself. "You and Jinnicky don't really seem to be getting along lately. Are you sure you can do this?" I asked.
The Tech-priest's animated green eyes smiled toward me. "I believe that the influence of the sight of the Omnissiah can metaphysically cleanse away any... confusion," Null answered me while emphasizing the word "sight". Oh, yeah, I could just use Sight to change the crazy Magos' perception. I wasn't all that thrilled with using Sight on Jinnicky again, and I still felt somewhat bad for brutalizing him earlier, but he would probably not cooperate with Null if forced to ride in a small flyer with him. I bit the inside of my lip and turned. Jinnicky was currently puttering around near the left eye window while singing a mad little tune.
"Alright," I began, standing up from my throne. I took a breath, and I allowed the strange power of Sight to fill me with fire. My Corona surrounded my body in a soft glow as I began to levitate. I could tell that my eyes were glowing as I floated over toward the Magos, who had turned around and frozen. Okay, don't overdo it this time, I reminded myself. Don't break him anymore.
Behind me, I felt the pleasant sensation of awe radiating from my crewmembers as they also witnessed my radiance. I sensed that they were almost basking in my presence, and I even perceived that Lian had mouthed the word "Empress." I found myself smiling as I floated a meter above the floor toward the Magos.
"Magos Jinnicky," I began before I reached more cautiously into his soul or the tattered remains of what remained of it. "You will obey and defer to Null when you are not in my presence. He is an Archmagos, your superior. He is not your enemy." I turned and gestured back toward Null, who began to walk over to stand beside me.
"Omnissiah. Blessed holy avatar of the divinity of the machine!" the Magos whispered as he fell to his knees before me, and his battered body began to shake. He clasped his remaining hands together and looked upward in a pleading gesture. "Forgive my ignorance, divine one, but I worry so. I have been having visions. Please screen me for taint when this conflict is over, and dispose of me if you find me inadequate. I'm afraid that I hear Immaterial whispers that Kelbor-Hal is alive. I must be confused or tainted. I-I know you would never leave such a revolting traitor alive. I must be confused," Jinnicky said, shaking his head. "I-I feel he is nearby, almost. Listening to us! Looking to gain trust before enacting some diabolical plan!"
Null now stood beside me, both sets of arms folded across his chest. Tension radiated from his soul. A sudden bright image of Horus laughing beside a monstrous Archmagos seared like a brief brand into my fire, causing me to flinch and briefly glance at Null. Thanks for putting me in this situation, omnicidal heretek-in-recovery buddy.
I took a deep breath and spoke to the Magos in a warm voice, "I assure you that no one will hurt you, Magos. I will screen you for taint myself after this conflict is over. Simply treat this Archmagos with respect as I command." I found myself reaching down to touch Jinnicky's left shoulder as he trembled and chattered to himself under his breath. As soon as my hand touched his shoulder, the Magos calmed.
"Yes, of course. As you wish," Jinnicky quickly replied.
"Good," I responded with a smile before turning around and floating back to my seat. "Loyalty will be rewarded with great honor to those who follow my allegiance." A feeling of satisfaction washed through me, and I observed my crewmembers as they gaped at my beautiful gold form. More of that, and less fighting, I thought before sitting back down on my throne. I then realized what I had just said. I was momentarily unnerved until I remembered that Null still had my bloodstone. Oh.
"Magos Jinnicky, I'm sending you back to your tower so you can activate your army and walk it back here in the snow, presuming that is something that you can do, like you said," I announced. I remembered that Horse of a Different Color wasn't a very happy horse when she flew near her weight limit through the snow earlier. Null was right; the shuttle couldn't handle too much weight in this weather. We'd figure something out, I assured myself. "Magos, do you think you'll be okay in the snow walking down from the mountain?"
"Yes, of course!" Jinnicky cried out before rushing over to stand with the rest of the crew. Virgil shot the crazy spider guy a nasty look before briefly flickering. "With the blessings of the Omnissiah, all things are possible!" Jinnicky vociferated before falling to his knees again with a loud clunk. "You're right here! Ah! I still can't believe it! The future is noble and bright!"
"Alright, we all need to cooperate," I added, with a gentle prod of Sight to coerce Jinnicky into being more agreeable. "Now, listen, everyone..."
After some tense discussion, it was decided that Null would have to go with Jinnicky back to his tower. My Tech-priest was needed to pilot the Horse of a Different Color. Since he weighed the least out of all of us and was somewhat experienced in telepathic communication at a distance, Rasputin was drafted as the Horse of a Different Color's "astropath" so we could keep in touch. The Russian now wore two robes along with a spare overcoat that had been discovered in our supplies along with his customary big creepy smile. Null promised me that he was getting around to installing some kind of short-range communication system that would interface with the Divine Retribution so this wouldn't be an issue in the future.
Afterward, we were now gathered in the shuttle bay. Zok stood over the Horse of a Different Color cooing over its beautiful detailing with a clawed blue hand. The Horse, maybe sensing this, turned a bright happy pink, which was cute to see. Null walked to my side, and sneakily passed me my bloodstone, which I promptly put back in my jacket pocket.
"It will take me only fifteen minutes to activate my gravel men and automata! But, repairing Snappy may take some time, I estimate around two hours at least. The snow is difficult but I don't feel the cold like any shabby fleshling," Jinnicky happily informed us as he clambered his heavy metal body into the back seat of the Horse of a Different Color, which immediately turned a dirty yellow color in response. Rasputin took one look at Jinnicky, and climbed into the front passenger seat instead of the back seat, obviously not wanting to sit next to the Magos. Nearby, Zok's beak was low, and the old beastman seemed despondent as he stepped away from the flyer.
"And you definitely can hike down the mountain in the snow?" I asked, feeling nervous. The weather was rough outside.
"With the Omnissiah's blessing, I can do all things! I will lead my people down the mountain trail and to this valley as soon as I am capable. The glory I will see, oh blessed Machine God! With your mighty martial prowess, I will be happy to die in service to you!"
"That's great," I replied, not knowing how to respond to such a weird statement. My earlier experiences with my bloodstones got me thinking. I remembered that Jinnicky had a whole bunch of these jewels back at his tower, or at least lesser bloodstones. I got the sense that I would need more of these stones. Maybe I could eventually find a big clear stone like the one Spoiled Prince had on his crown. For now, taking all of Jinnicky's stones was a step in the right direction. "Magos, I have a special task for you," I began, heightening my Sight gently so that I could force him to agree without difficulty. "You will take all the little red rubies, the bloodstones, and you will bring them to me. I need them for a project."
"Of course, my Omnissiah! I will gather them all up for you!" Jinnicky nodded vigorously.
"I'll make sure everything works according to your specifications, Inheritor," Null quickly offered. The Tech-priest then climbed into the front seat of the flyer, which then began to darken further. The Tech-priest inserted a thin mechadendrite into the center console of the driver's seat and went to key in the ignition.
Click...
"The last flight was difficult with Lian's weight," Null quickly excused as he removed his appendage, and briefly investigated it. "Something must have been knocked loose." The Tech-priest jiggled the key ignition with his mechadendrite and said a brief prayer under his breath. He then tried again, and once again, the Horse refused to start. I now noticed that the flyer was completely black. Null swore under his breath, and tried a third time.
"Uh, Null..." I started.
"It's fine. I'm sure it's nothing, and I-"
"She's not happy," Zok's deep voice interrupted Null. He was pointing at the flyer. "Turned black. Look. She's unhappy."
"Nonsense," Null barked, climbing out of the car. Almost immediately, Horse slightly brightened to a dark blue. The Tech-priest began to quickly examine the flyer with his many mechadendrites while speaking what appeared to be prayers under his breath. "The issue is clearly mechanical, so I must have time to examine her now. I've done all the consecrations necessary for an appeased machine spirit. This isn't a blasted daemon that requires sacrifices!"
"She's beautiful," Zok answered simply. "Sensitive. Maybe her feelings got hurt."
"Did you upset the machine spirit, Fabricator-General? No surprise from you," Jinnicky sneered.
Null immediately bit back with, "You will not disrespect me, Magos! May I remind you that-"
"What the fuck did I just command earlier?" I interrupted them both before they started fighting again.
"If you'd excuse me, allow me to fly her, Captain," Zok quickly offered with a bow and his fist over his heart before I could get more irritated. "I'll respect her."
"What? You?" Null growled, his mechadendrites rearing up defensively over his head. "You have no idea how to pilot such a piece of equipment! You're a mutant! This machine, it is sacred."
Rasputin was now also climbing out of the car, shaking his head. He then took another drink from his flask. The rest of my crew watched this confrontation. Lian stood over us all with his armored arms folded over his chest like a giant disappointed dad, and Virgil shook his head with an angry glance at Null. Did Sebastian have to put up with crew chaos like this? Maybe when I got stronger I could just use Sight and brainwash everyone into compliance.
"Excuse me, but that isn't true," Alberich interjected cautiously. "Zok is an excellent driver. I hold witness to this when he aided in our escape from Evna," the German psyker offered, gesturing toward me. I nodded in confirmation as Alberich continued. "He took this splendid flying car with very little charge and drove her across the city to the port. We even went airborne once!"
"You don't have the proper interface to pilot it!" Null insisted. "I'm certain this is just a few loose bolts from our last journey!" The Tech-priest looked toward me with a pleading expression, but I didn't say anything.
"Offer. Skitarii unit Rahm holds experience in piloting," Rahm said of himself in the third person in his grinding, nails-on-chalkboard voice.
Zok shook his head and touched the dark blue hull of the Horse again. At his touch, the vessel warmed again to a brighter, more saturated blue. Where his fingers made contact with the car, a small area of purplish pink could be seen. I turned toward the Tzaangor. "Zok, are you capable of flying the Horse? Could you fly her in the snow outside?"
"You need to keep the weight beneath 400 for an effective flight with her in bad weather. You always have to be gentle with the Horse, from all that I've read about her. I've also flown many similar flyers back and forth between the planetary governor's palace and the ports of Evna to pick up special food deliveries. I can fly her, and I think she's beautiful."
The Horse changed to a dark pink color.
"But, you still don't have any way to interface a flight path with her," Null scoffed, gesturing aggressively toward the mutant with one of his tentacle-whip mechadendrites. "How can you path find in a storm when you can't see the land before you?"
"You don't need to be a red coat to pilot her," Zok responded dryly. He walked up to Horse's driver's side and leaned over to fiddle with something on the console. Before our eyes, a complex display opened up beside the steering wheel. It displayed a topological graph, and a few statistics such as barometric pressure, temperature, and other figures. "You can just do everything manually here. You can either plug in a flight path or do it this way. Ignition can work with a code." The old Tzaangor smiled before us, his eyes twinkling with just a hint of smugness.
I snorted a laugh. "Null, he's got you there," I said with a shrug.
"But, he-"
"I want to see if he can start the Horse. We're kind of strapped for time here with everyone coming for us," I said. "Zok, get in the Horse. See if you can get her started. Everyone else, stand back."
Null groaned with frustration. Zok grinned again as he stepped into the driver's seat. The rest of us stepped away from the flyer and watched expectantly.
Of course, the minute the old Tzaangor keyed in the ignition, the car rumbled to life. Horse of a Different Color was now a pretty gradient of soft blue and pink, making the car look especially magical. He then turned the vehicle off and observed us all with a sense of pride.
No one said anything for a moment. "Are you having a mutant fly this vehicle?" Jinnicky asked pointedly as the beastman began to tinker with some of the console settings, his grin never leaving his beak.
"He's fine. I had him, uh, sanctioned," I quickly dismissed with a chuckle. "Are you certain that you can fly the shuttle, Zok? We need to be safe here. There's a snowstorm outside."
Zok nodded, and replied, "Of course, captain. Many of Horse of a Different Color's functions have to do with her machine ghost. She deserves adoration, as she is beautiful. Like what you saw before, I am experienced in her handling."
Null watched me with pleading eyes, but he didn't say anything. I asked Zok. "How much do you weigh? Do you know?"
"110 kilograms, last weight a week ago. Probably lighter now since sawing my horns," the Tzaangor reached up to touch the stubs of the horns on his head.
"Jinnicky?" I asked.
"147, weighed only a few hours ago. But, I have lost some attachments recently, so..."
"Alright, so both you and Jinnicky together are around 257 kilos. And, Horse can take up to 400, so we can still fit another person, but we probably shouldn't push it," I said, thinking aloud. I turned toward Rasputin, who grinned at me as he prepared to climb into the flyer again. The mad monk then briefly stumbled. How drunk was this guy right now, I wondered. Was it really a good idea to ship this guy along when he was inebriated? I needed to make sure that I got those bloodstones (and anything else I could plunder from Jinnicky's tower). It was a shame that we didn't have a lot of time, because I would have loved to have just spent a day exploring that simulation room at the tower. Maybe there was a fighting sim that I could use to train, or something, and...
"Oh!" I explained, realizing something. "Hey, maybe I should go with Zok and Jinnicky. There's that simulation room in the dig site, the one behind the arch. When I was in there, time didn't pass!"
"What reason do you have to visit the simulation again... er, if I can ask?" Null cautiously questioned.
"When I was in there, I saw fighting simulations. I could train in there so I can finally learn how to fight, and no time will have passed out here!" I said, very happy. I removed the Nemeses Argentum from my pocket and held it like a dagger. I then opened the scissors, displaying both shining blades. "Maybe I could even take a few days in there to learn, or maybe even longer! One day, this will be two swords, and I want to be able to use them."
"That is an excellent reason, I must say," Null mused. "I can also determine from the cloud of ethanol around Rasputin that his astropathic skills are likely lessened since he has generously imbibed. You are the stronger psyker, and you can interface with the Divine Retribution to speak with us remotely."
"Russians..." I heard Alberich hiss under his breath as Rasputin coughed a laugh.
This sounded like a good idea. I could squeeze in some time learning how to defend myself and also have a nice vacation away from my bickering crew before disaster strikes. "Okay, it's decided. I'm going with Jinnicky. I'll keep him under control."
Null spoke a brief screeching code, and I watched as Jiminy launched himself off his shoulder, and fluttered over to me. "If you are doing this, I humbly request that you kindly allow my homunculus to monitor the simulation room and act as a backup remote communication device, which may or may not work, considering any interference from the dig site. It is a shame that our time here has quickly become very dangerous, as I very much would like to study the technology around that chamber."
"Sure thing," I said with a nod. The metal mantis landed deftly on my shoulder, its metal claws pinching my skin. It made an adorable cheeping noise.
Zok was now climbing out of the vehicle. When I looked at him in confusion, he announced, "If I'm going, I need better clothes."
The rest of us remained in the shuttle bay for Zok to grab better weather-appropriate gear from the ship's stash of spare clothing. Both Rasputin and Zok didn't have any changes of clothes, but it was lucky that Nimmie Amee had supplied us with a good amount of spare Imperium-styled clothing of various sizes. At this time, I watched as Virgil and Null had some kind of serious conversation in a corner; the holographic psyker appeared angry. Lian stood tall above everyone, his green eyes watchful and attentive. I watched as Ennoia and Morai approached the Skitarii, and appeared to try to introduce themselves. The Skitarii, being as they were, simply stood and watched the two Blanks with their emotionless glowing green eyes. Rahm reached out suddenly with a heavy shoulder mechadendrite to touch Ennoia's gold mask, and she stepped back. Jinnicky remained in the flyer, mumbling to himself and probably oblivious to the present.
"So, the plan is this now:" I began as Zok reentered the bay. He was carrying what looked like a small backpack on his left shoulder. "We're going over to drop Jinnicky off at his tower, and Zok and I will head back here without wasting too much time. I want to engage in some training inside the simulation room over there, but since time doesn't pass in that space, that shouldn't take long. Null, since you are monitoring the position of the hereteks, contact me if anything happens. Everyone stay alert, and you guys should prepare yourselves. I heard that the Divine Retribution has a training room, so if you can fight and you're not a psyker, go there and practice. Alberich, I want you to attach to your throne and use the ship's functions to monitor the local area, and whatever else you can do with the ship if I'm not there. Virgil, Rasputin, you both stay on the bridge in case you three need to contact me with your choir thing."
"Thy will be done," Lian quickly offered with a salute. Virgil vanished in a small flash of light, likely headed back to the bridge. The two Blank witness ladies stood beside Lian, and the Skitarii walked to Null's side. Somehow, I could tell that Rahm was secretly disappointed that he wasn't chosen to drive the cool flying car.
"Also, you're banned from drinking more today," I growled in Rasputin's direction. The Russian groaned with great disappointment. Zok climbed inside the Horse again and began to prepare for flight.
"Come on, Russki," Alberich said, dragging Rasputin away as Zok began to fiddle with different switches and controls on the main flight console. The rest of my crew departed the shuttle bay, and now, Jinnicky and I stood waiting for Zok to fly the Horse. I lounged back on my seat, and removed my bloodstone in my pocket, observing its dim ruby fluorescence in my hand. This jewel felt strange to hold, almost like it was both freezing and burning at the same time. I'd have to figure out just what this object could do, and what its limits were. Spoiled Prince, I remembered, had a whole crown of these, so it stood reason to believe that I'd need more than one. Hopefully, Jinnicky had more cut bloodstones at his tower, and if not, I morbidly hoped that the Dwemer actually would roll up to start a fight with us so I could take their leader's big clear bloodstone.
Mess with me and you'll all be gone from yet another universe, I thought darkly.
Behind us in the back seat, Jinnicky continued to happily mutter to himself. At least he wasn't ranting and raving anymore.
The Tzaangor hummed as he typed a few inputs on a small keyboard beside the main steering wheel, and the display refreshed. It displayed a regional weather map that revealed thick bands of frozen precipitation reaching down from the north. At the very least, the snow wasn't forecasted to be all that heavy down here in the valley. We only really had to worry about the wind, which was now being estimated at "60kpm + 80kph gusts" according to the model. However, the weather further north was going to see heavier snow within a few hours, and that included Jinnicky's tower. Zok saw me observing the small display, and said, "Weather's bad, but she'll be okay. She's a good flyer."
The car turned a rich blue.
"Hopefully we won't be up there long. I don't think time passes at all in the simulation space up near the tower, so we'll only spend a small amount of time up there before we turn around and head back here," I added. "I don't want to get stuck up there."
The Tzaangor looked at me thoughtfully and reached down toward his feet. He then displayed the small backpack I had seen him with earlier and handed it to me. "Brought you some rations. If you're going to a place where you'll be training for days, you'll need them." He handed the backpack to me.
"Oh, thanks!" I said, holding the backpack on my lap. From what I could feel, the Tzaangor had picked up some meal rations along with a few large waterskins. This was very thoughtful! If I was going to the simulation room for a time, these rations would tide me over.
"You're welcome. Someone's gotta think of the essentials on this crew," he said with a slight backhanded smile as he went back to tinkering with the console.
"A wise and sanctioned mutant, I see," Jinnicky abruptly added from the backseat. "You are lucky, tainted creature. Ever so lucky! But, you must be on your best behavior, for with one glance, the Omnissiah can shred your bones with his divine sight!"
The Magos was ignored, and Zok continued his preparations.
After a few minutes, Zok turned to me, his ears low. "Excuse me, Captain. How do you launch from this bay? Can't see any external launch commands here attached to the vessel."
"Null knew how to do it, but I can just tell the ship to open up for you," I said.
I closed my eyes and requested that the landing pad swivel to point us forward, and the ship obeyed instantly. I then commanded the shuttle bay door to open, which it did. A blast of windy snow struck us, and I opened my eyes with a gasp.
"Putting the shields up," Zok declared. The snow immediately stopped blowing on us, and only a slight wind could be felt.
With a heavy "rev" of whatever engine made the Horse go, we charged forward and took off into the sky. I could tell that we were flying against the wind and that the vessel was pushing extra hard. We dipped and dove through the sky, which was now just a curtain of white. While this was scary, I felt better when I turned to look at Zok. The old beastman didn't seem all that worried, but he did appear highly alert. Horse of a Different Color seemed to be enjoying too, as she was now a bright gold color.
The trip back to Jinnicky's tower took longer this time. The spider Magos didn't cause any problems; he simply sat in the flyer's back seat and continued to talk to himself. I noticed that he repeated the words, "She's coming, she's coming, she's coming..." over and over again interspersed with screeching mechanical noises. Luckily, Jinnicky was able to pause his insanity for long enough to direct us to land in the ruined coliseum near his tower. "Fear not, my defensive armaments see me, and they won't strike me. You don't need to climb those rickety stairs on the mountain!"
After a few scary passes, we slowly began to descend, and within a few minutes, we had landed. We were now parked in the area where I had seen Jinnicky's Sweet Song shuttle earlier. The invisible shields fell, and the three of us got blasted in the face again with wind and snow. I quickly put the backpack on my shoulders. Not wasting any time, we all jumped out and followed the Magos as he rushed forward toward the entryway of his tower, his torn robes fluttering behind him. There was about a hand's length of snow on the ground already, and the snow was falling more heavily here than in the valley.
"You remember what I ordered you to do, right?" I asked as the mountainside doorway ground open before us.
"Yes, blessed avatar. You wish my stash of bloodstones and my army! I will be happy to give you anything you require! Follow me! Upward and onward!"
Jinnicky led us to the round room at the base of the tower where his servitors continued to labor in organizing bits of rock and gravel. A small locked chest that I had missed earlier sat hidden on the floor, and the Magos reached down to open it with a key on one of his mechadendrites. He removed a small dark velvet bag filled with many tiny clinking objects. He quickly handed the bag to me before collecting the loose bloodstones on the table into another bag.
"I have a special one of these," Jinnicky clucked happily as he gathered the red stones. "I suspect that these jewels are similar to Aeldari spirit stones. I think that they have a kind of spiritual protection effect. When the xenos assaulted my tower, I salvaged an especially large stone from their lead sorceress. I will get it for you..."
"Do you mean this one?" I asked as I heightened my Sight. I reached into my pocket and displayed the greater bloodstone in my palm. It glowed with an eerie dim red light. "You gifted it to me already, Magos."
Jinnicky paused, his remaining eyes blinking in confusion.
I felt a certain Chaos God grin with delight at hearing my willful lies, which immediately made me feel gross, but I didn't say anything.
"It appears I may have forgotten, Omnissiah! I've been so confused lately, but I trust you, my lord. All is well, and everything in my tower is, of course, yours." Jinnicky laughed as he placed the second bag in my hand. "And now, you will be going back, yes?"
I placed the bloodstone bags in my backpack, and the larger stone in my pocket. "I need to get into the room with the arch, Magos. The amphitheater place you showed us earlier."
Jinnicky nodded vigorously and motioned for us to follow. "Yes, of course! Right this way!"
We walked to the other side of the wide room, and the twitchy Magos began his long string of gestures and utterances which caused the secure door to open. "Do you need me to attend you, Omnissiah? I must begin initiating my army post haste. Snappy will take some time to repair."
"Please just keep this door open," I said before quickly walking through the doorway, not wasting any time. I shouted backward, "If you have any other items that you think might be good for someone like me to have, give them to Zok here if I'm not immediately available."
"Very well! I will begin preparations for war immediately! Praise you, avatar of the machine!" The crazy Magos shouted happily behind me.
"Not all there, is he?" Zok quietly whispered as we walked down the corridor.
"Yeah, but he has an army, and we need it," I stated.
"What do you need me to do, captain?" the Tzaangor asked as we reached the open amphitheater area. Jinnicky had sent some sort of signal which caused all the servitors to stop mining. The mindless altered creatures seemed to be idle, awaiting further instructions. They all stood completely motionless at their posts, their pickaxes and other tools discarded at their feet. It was very creepy.
"Nothing, really. Just wait here, and don't leave without me," I said, walking toward the softly glowing portal inside the arch. The portal's surface shimmered like molten pearl. "This is the entryway into the simulation room I mentioned. From what I understand, no time passes outside when I'm inside, so for you, you'll just see me come right back after I go through. I'm the only one who can walk through it on account of my soul being alien to this universe. I'm hoping that maybe I can at least learn some fighting techniques before trouble shows up outside. So, I guess just wait. And here, just in case!" I tossed Zok a ration, and he nodded.
I stood before the shimmering portal of the archway, and I reached into my pocket to retrieve the Nemeses Argentum. The supernatural silver of these scissor blades was almost unreal; the artifact gleamed beautifully with the reflected light of the portal. I needed to get much stronger if I was going to survive my trip to Molech. With a nervous swallow, I vowed that I would endure whatever trials my new life hurled my way. While I was a mess, I was a survivor, at least. Training would help me endure more of the terrible events I kept running face-first into as I traveled through the galaxy on my way home.
With another deep breath for bravery, I stepped forward into the portal.