Chapter 65. A Place Among the Stars

After leaving the colosseum below, Abe circled their new base. The guests mostly cleared out after he announced his takeover. Seizing a few dozen Astral vessels was tempting, and their owners weren’t particularly strong, but he didn’t need to risk pissing off any more entities from across the planes. 

There was even accommodation built into the subterranean compound. Some of the more daring guests decided to stay in and wait to find out how at all boiled over. And since they were paying, Abe wasn’t one to argue.

There wasn’t much above ground. The towers had been saved, thankfully, and Abe had his zombies man them. He placed a couple of ghouls and skeletons beside them for protection, but there was no need to waste good soldiers on the ballistas. Sure, the ghoul's faster twitch reactions would make them more effective, but as long as they could hit an Astral vessel, they were good enough for now.

A smallish ravine cut into the earth through the center of the floating island. It didn’t look like much from above. But several caves led from it into the island's heart, where the colosseum dock lay. 

Most of the timber piers were small and anchored tiny ships. This little backwater of a colosseum didn’t see great talents and, therefore, didn’t attract powerful spectators. But a couple of larger spots had space for Abe’s new ship.

Gathering up the rest of his zombies, Abe ordered them to chop and prepare trees. Once they completed that task, they were to build a wall around the towers linking to the cave entrance above. His defensive strategy wouldn’t differ much from his predecessor. They were right to want to stop an enemy before they landed. But that didn’t mean his ground defenses didn’t have room for improvement.

Outposts would also be constructed around the island and manned by the banshees. Some telescopes would be useful, but he would need to find a means to purchase or steal them. For now, the banshees would provide an excellent early warning system against would-be attackers. They might not be the strongest creatures in the Vale, but having the gift of flight gave them unique advantages over many. It was an ability that was usually reserved for the strongest stages of evolution, but some lucky races among the dead and dreamers received flight at the earliest stages.

Gurgle and his abominations would provide much-needed manpower, but Abe needed to know he could trust them first. For now, he had most of his ghouls and skeletons guarding and patrolling the Colosseum. Providing him with somewhat competent eyes in the back of his head in case the former master of the island decided to try anything.

Once the more cautious guests had fled, about half of the island’s accommodation had been left empty. Abe handed this over to the banshees as a reward for their efforts. Finally, providing them with a new home. But it was only partially out of charity. Abe knew they would make for more reliable allies if they had something to fight for. And since they were desperate for a home, why not give them something worth fighting for?

He let Gurgle keep his residence within the Colosseum. If the seedy corpse surgeon played ball, he intended to keep him around anyway. And he may as well reside where he worked. But that left Abe without a residence for himself. 

The harbor master’s watchhouse was overlooking the dock. The docks were a four-story structure mostly built into the rock, with timber board piers and walkways extending the natural surfaces. At the very top of this was the watchhouse. A timber walkway led to a door at its side, and another door at its rear led through the rock into the Colosseum. The half-hexagon watchhouse itself was mostly windows, overlooking the docks. This was what Abe decided to take for himself.

He liked being able to keep watch over everything. And with the decreased traffic, he didn’t really need anyone managing the comings and going just yet. And when that changed, he figured he could let a zombie sit here and managed the job without too much disturbance.

Over the next few days, Gurgle seemed surprisingly amicable. His main concern seemed to be restarting the fights, and he wasn’t too worried about whatever Abe was doing. 

Abe was happy to restart them since he wanted to produce an income for this place anyway. But he also requested that Gurgle produce an excess of abominations he could recruit into his forces rather than just letting them all be destroyed on the Colosseum floor. The corpse surgeon was fine with this, but his work required corpses. And the better their quality, the better the constructs he could craft out of them.

This was a minor predicament. There was a reason Gurgle used his own constructs to fight. It was cheaper. They could kidnap masterless undead from across the Vale, but they would earn a name for themselves doing that, and the more they took, the harder it would get. And paying undead or dreamers to come fight would soak up all the profits. 

If Abe wanted stronger abominations and to make money from the island’s illicit activities, he would need to find a source of bodies himself. 

He sat in his new chair, overlooking his harbor; Abe sighed and swirled. He wanted to take it easy for a while, even if his goals hadn’t changed. His endless fighting sent a weary shiver down his spine. But now it seemed he would have to head back into the thick of it.

Only days ago, he asked Viara to send out some of her banshees in search of any information they could gather on Miss Nia and the domain she had ruled. There were a few welcoming shardworlds nearby, though none even half the size of Lantern that they could ask questions in. And Abe had hoped he could leave it all to his minions for a little while as he rested.

But that thought seemed reckless now. He was strong. But the island was still lacking in defenses. Unlike Gurgle, Abe didn’t have any powerful entities backing him up unless Miss Nia could be found. And that meant he was far more vulnerable to greedy vagrants hopelessly wandering the Vale.

He could rest a little once he procured some quality corpses for Gurgle. And collect a few more lieutenants he could rely on.

At the center of his room, a deathly orb swirled with energy. Reluctantly, Abe made his way for it and hovered his hand over.

Channeling his energy through the orb, Abe sent his mind traveling across the endless darkness of the Vale. 

He searched for signals of power—the right amount of power—a fight that would challenge him but be winnable.

Delving into every depth, he scoured the empty void of death and dream until he spotted something intriguing. Power fluctuated in pulses—an unusual power. 

Abe’s brows rose as he tried to interrogate the violent source of energy mentally. It was powerful, but not like a lord. Not comparable to what he had felt when around Miss Nia.

“What are you?” He mouthed as his eyes filled with white, and he probed further.

An echoing scream filled his senses, sending him reeling backward and grasping at his ears. It hadn’t liked his little evasion. But it didn’t matter; Abe had seen enough.

Charging through the door, he slammed it open with his palm and found Viara partway through an adjoining corridor, providing orders to some of her kin.

“Collect a party,” Abe said without pause as he clicked his fingers at several ghouls.

“What are you planning?” Viara said, fluttering her wings to catch up.

“I found something. Quite a peculiar energy source. I want it.”

“Do you have any idea what it even is?”

Abe shook his head.

“Maybe your fast growth has infected your head, but that’s not a good reason to charge off into the Vale. Who knows what it could be?”

“Most of my time as a dead man has seen me being thrown into bullshit without much choice, and somehow I keep surviving. Now, I get to make the decisions for my power. And I’ve got a good feeling about this one.”

“Do you, now? Men,” Viara groaned. “I’d almost forgotten what you kinda are like. And now I find myself under you.”

“Under me?” Abe smirked and bounced his brows.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Viara scowled. “I’ve got enough soft flesh around here to entertain me for many lifetimes.”

“Your loss,” Abe said, clicking as they passed a couple more ghouls. “So, are you coming?” he added, turning to Viara as they approached the ship.

“What do you mean, on your little trip?”

“What else?”

“As much as it pains me, yes. Someone has to keep you from doing stupid stuff. And I don’t want to deal with Gurgle’s patron, whoever the hell that might be, alone.”

“You sure it’s not because of this pretty face?” Abe stroked his chin.

“I wish people would stop telling you that. It's mincing that little brain of yours.”

“Oh, I know you got a soft spot for me. Alright, everyone, mount up,” Abe twirled, waving his ghouls toward the ship. “We’ve got some corpses to collect.”