Arms Race

"Alright, word came back. Everyone passed Miss Godzuik's test. So let's get this over with and get back to work. Matthew, we'll start with the clothes first. Seeing as how there are only three items."

Though I knew getting our minds off of being pulled from our workshops was a ruse, I couldn't help but laugh at Ed's remark. For it was true. For three months, we've been creating tools and equipment for our future lackeys, and all we came up with for them to wear were three things.

One of them was two versions of the same thing. The symbol of the Legionary. A mirror of Amun's mark, it was. A great, leafless tree of black sitting alone atop a field before a rising, or setting sun.

Or moon.

The symbols were indeed inlaid, stitched, adorned, or whatever the means called for, with either silver or gold to distinguish which side a Legionary belonged to.

Important, but rather unimpressive.

Though the others were rather interesting.

"Name is a placeholder. For now, it's simply dubbed as The Uniform." I pulled the thick but light fabric from the mannequin and waved it around like a flag. "Standard issue for all members. Made of a bit of that kevlar and a lot of that carbon nanotube stuff, it's promised as an undergarment for Legionnaires and thus can be tailored to fit the needs of the individual. Tested to be fire, shock, water, and stab-proof. As well as corrosive resistant"

"And comfortable enough to make me toss my drawers aside!" Elsgril crudely added.

"Right." I gagged from the unwarranted mental picture. "Next item. Standard issue, the Noctis Cloak." I pulled an almost identical pair of cloaks from the next set of mannequins. Both were an almost mind-bending black, with beautiful inlaid patterns of woven silver or gold running up the chest piece and smokey frills to, again, distinguish members between the two sides of the Legions.

"And that's it." I shrugged meekly.

"Keep in mind, these are only prototypes." Ed stepped in saying. "Final approval goes to Giorno Nojo, Amun's tailor. Even then, they must be redesigned once enchantments come into the picture. So don't get too attached.

"Also." He began pacing towards the weapons racks across the room. "It was decided that equipment should be made for individuals by order, according to Class and rank of course. And preferably using the creatures they've killed."

"Right. First, and smallest on the list. Standard issue for Rogues. Or anyone else who wants one. The Talon." Chuckling, I picked up a small curved blade with a ringed handle and looped it around my little finger before slicing away at my undead partner's throat until he was a gargling mess on the floor. "Discrete. Quick. And deadly. Comes with a wrist-sheath in two variants, serrated or straight-edged. And a larger version that fits around the elbow.

"Next, an ordinary pair of knuckle dusters." I picked up the thing and again threw some jabs at my undead. "Variants include spiked, forked, and hooked versions for your fighting pleasure.

"A multitude of blades and blunt weapons follows." I swept my arm down the line. "We've made everything from bats and clubs to great swords. Too many to go through, there is, but they've all been thoroughly tested and approved.

"Explosives aside, we have the ranged weapons next!" I skipped over to the more excitable parts of the displays to grasp onto a toy-sized crossbow. "We have the Pocket Crossbow. Palm-sized. So small it can be stuffed in the pocket. And." I pointed to the drum of bolts protruding from the dorsal side. "Like the normal and heavy variants, it repeats!"

The fact that they were already aware of the features did nothing to steal my mirth. It was a fabulous invention. A re-creation really, considering it was of Amun's design. But that made it no-less fantastic in my eyes.

"Next, we have the accredited Jaeger Bow. As well as its short and longbow variants." I threw my chin towards the magnificent weapon. Another standard issue, but one of Amun's creation.

"As for tools." I reached for what appeared to be a palm-sized metal box with cracks and fissures seen on all sides of the device. "There's our beloved multi-tool!"

"I almost don't want to dive it away." Forgruna lamented. "I can only imagine the ways they'll abuse it."

"They'll get put to good use," Ed reassured her with a helpless shrug, doing nothing to ease her mind.

But I believed him. The palm-sized gadgets were shaped like a belt buckle and were indeed designed to be worn atop a Legionaries belt, of course in either gold or silver. Small and unassuming, they were, yet they contained any tool anyone could need in civilization or out in the wilds Scissors, shears, knives, and saws. Pliers, wire cutters, and files. Awls, rulers, cord-cutters, picks, glass breakers. It had everything.

And most fascinatingly of all, it had a carabiner. A simple metal loop that could be drawn out with the extensive lengths of 'paracord' and attached to objects to safely hoist or lower something or themselves to safety.

Paracord, it was yet another fabulous thing Amun casually dropped on us. One of many fabulous things.

"What about your little slingshot?" Els asked.

"My slingshot is for launching my explosives." I spun around to face the dwarf. "For my demolitions only!" For those were more fabulous things, given to me personally.

"Greedy bastard." He waddled off grumbling. "Don't let Bazz find out. You'll never hear the end of it."

"He's got enough toys to play with." I laughed at his back. "He's fine."

Speaking of fabulous things, however, I quickly turned back to Ed. "How are things progressing down below?"

"Steadily." Ed quickly answered with a sigh despite me facing the other way. "The undead has found a vast pocket of oil and gathered it in the complex below the lake. They're refining it into many things, including the nylon stuff this cord is made from." He waved a bundle of the fabulous cord around and tossed it aside.

"I'm told that some of the better tech has been invented by using magic as an aid." He meekly shrugged while pulling out a scroll. "But Amun has given me a road map to our goal. Proto-industrialization is where we began in Hill Base. Where a large volume of people creates a wide range of hand-made artisinal goods for export.

"What he calls the first industrial revolution followed." Ed continued. "The method is to use steam-powered machines to create products in our stead."

"Heresy." Elsgril and Forgruna both muttered under their breath.

"That allows more interesting things to be made." Ed glared at him, laughing. "Things like those multi-tools."

"And those big ass beams," I added. "Have you seen those things get rolled out?"

"Yeah." Ed snorted. "Anyway. Standardization was something Amun took care of months back. Examples of that include the rigorous testing of our creations and the safety regulations. Quite ironically, though, the mechanical hammers and lathes and electrical systems we're using now came before both that and the next thing, the technological revolution.

"Now, we're in the Machine Era. Down there." Ed pointed to his feet. "The undead are making things like electrical motors, gas turbines, combustion engines, and large-scale power plants. Things that will allow us to create the vehicles and flying ships Amun showed us. So, start making blueprints."

"What comes after that?" I eagerly asked.

"The Atomic Age." Ed bluntly stated. "Like Amun's magic. So that's only a matter of learning how to enchant or finding the proper materials."

"And the proper materials would be?" Els asked.

"Uranium or plutonium."

"Ura-what now?" Els squinted.

"Thought so." Ed snickered. "After that, we learn to make vehicles powered by jets and rockets. Like my magic." He proudly added. "Then comes space exploration."

"As in the space between us or the realm above?" I asked.

But Ed was quick to tease. "Both." He snickered louder. "But mostly the one above. However, that also includes materials science. Essentially designing and creating new materials."

"Now that's interesting," Forgruna smirked.

"The apple of our eyes comes after that. But that's not the cream of the crop." Ed winked. "The Digital age will give us those things that can run huge calculations in less than a second, computers. The time after that will be spent teaching everyone how to use this technology and shifting our existing infrastructure over to this digital stuff. Digital transformation, he calls it.

"The age of information comes next. And, as far as I understand, there'll be a hub or a library that we can access from anywhere using tablets or consoles we keep on our person. And some of them will let us… interact with stories."

"That makes no sense!" Els huffed.

"I guess we'll have to see it for ourselves." Ed shrugged in a way that implied he didn't believe it either. Or he simply couldn't imagine it, like me.

"Regardless, the point Amun's looking forward to the most comes after that. The age of automation, he calls it." Ed incredulously chuckled. "There will be machines that can govern themselves. Even think as we do. And move around on legs or move things with arms like us."

"I heard of something like that before," Els muttered as he tapped away at his chin. "And no golem either. What was the name….?"

He trailed off muttering under his breath after that. Or, he began to. He stopped upon hearing Ed continue, despite the scroll being stowed away.

"What he's most excited for are the implants he says can be placed in our bodies. Limbs or eyes, even, made of metals and ceramics that can access those hubs like the tablets. Those will be for our subordinates more than they'll be for us. The ones without magic. He says at that point, art and science will run the economy more than exportation would since material goods would be so abundant.

"Forget the multi-tools on our belts. We'll be able to have them in our fucking fingers! Imagine!" he slapped Els on the shoulder. "Having a set of tongs in your hands. Amazing!"

"But." Ed suddenly sighed deeply, shaking his head. "That day won't be for years to come. Not until we return to Maru, Amun suspects. Aside from that, though, He seemed excited about Lana's return from the Darkworld. He's due to speak with her after his communion. So, let's hope she has some dark metals in store."

***

"Let me out!"

"It hasn't been six months yet."

"This Twilight has grown to be meddlesome. The domain in which you roam is more to my liking. So, open the gate!"

I peered inward to my domain and saw the same sight as I had over the last few months. A pair of hateful eyes, staring at me through a mound of gold. Over time they had gone from red to violet, to the almost star-speckled voids I was currently staring into. Her voice, once a crackling hiss of ire somewhat like Ash's, was now like the hauntingly soft and regally smooth tone of a maleficent queen.

How curious I was, to see her in her entirety. So perhaps that was why I set my sights on the abyss beyond.

My umbral domain seemed so much emptier now that the Menagerie was out roaming the wilds. Mostly with the others, but some like Skoll and Hati prowled the Wilds for their own ends. I felt bad, leaving them cooped in this domain for years and years. Thus I was reluctant to force them back in once our time here was done. Instead, I would design a home for them. A park or a grove in which for them to run free.

Until then, they would continue as they were.

That left a void filled only with material things. Tons and tons of materials and the desiccated or dismembered remains of the victims felled by me or my undead.

A void of material I was reluctant to hand over to a greedy dragon. But if I wanted her to become the Exalted Gloom I knew her to be, I had no choice but to let her out.

She darted from the gate the moment it was unlocked. Took of racing, it seemed, to find the end of the endless domain. But still, I called after her.

"Don't touch my shit!"

Only the silence howled back in response, leaving me nowhere to go but down. Past my necrotic gates and into my other domain, I drifted down until I came to a gentle rest atop my throne and waited for the ancestor closest to my conscious stream of thought to materialize before me.

It didn't take long for him to appear with his neck craned to his zenith. Wherein they remained, planted upward until he felt whatever it was he was feeling for.

And then came his maniacal croak of laughter. "You didn't!"

"I did." I calmly nodded.

"How?!?" He dropped his gaze to me, shaking his arms pleadingly.

"She was a young red." I shrugged. "The same age as I, believe it or not. I only appealed to her interests. We struck a bargain."

"I'm assume you're talking about that draconic presence above?"

I didn't even need to look up to see the spindly hand of Corvus Cole resting atop my throne, her head craned upwards like Azrael's. "I am." I nodded once more.

"Is there anything you won't, or can't do?" Telman appeared next, sending wicked echoes of laughter rolling through my domain.

"Won't? Yes. Can't? Well." I snorted. "We'll find out eventually."

"You're still gonna find my crawler, right?" Henry suddenly appeared in mid-step to my throne.

"Most certainly." I chuckled. "Now, is there anything else you want me to do?"

"Not anymore!" Azrael croaked again. "I knew you could do it!"

"None." Telman calmly shook his head.

"Besides find the Crypt?" Corvus shrugged and let the shrug hang for a long pause. "I want to know what awaits you from here?"

"Well." I leaned into my throne. "I have three months until the ritual. In the meantime, I'll keep training my officers and making things. And, I'm about to send out a hunting party."

"Oh?" Telman suddenly stepped in with raised brows. "What are you hunting?"

"I was hunting mithral and adamantine."

"Was?" Henry snorted. "Finding those should be easy for you."

"Should be, but surprisingly it wasn't. Even with my Doppelganger." I sighed.

"Then what changed?" Corvus asked.

"I've recently come to learn that my undead has killed some Duergar."

"Oh." Corvus wickedly snickered. "That should make it easy indeed! They always have mounds of the stuff ripe for the taking."