"They're very quiet, my lord." Hammurabi kept the Emperor informed of the situation in that meditation chamber. Having stood outside it all this time, he turned and sniffed the air. He was the only one left here now. Master Hamir had sensed the work awaiting him and had long since gone off to consult with the many Arcanists in the various sanctums. As one of Kamar-Taj's most esteemed rooms, it naturally stood on the highest slope. No apprentices or ordinary Arcanists could approach it freely. Under normal circumstances, absolute silence was maintained here, lest stray noises disturb those old fellows resting within.
The Praetorian Guard raised his head and looked toward the sky, untouched by industrial fumes. Here, he could easily see the brilliant specks of the Milky Way stretching across the night sky. Ever since accepting his modifications, the Emperor had told him of his goals and the Praetorian Guard's mission. Their truly grand mission was to journey toward those radiant places. "I smell something scorched. Like burned human flesh." Hammurabi was familiar with the odor; he often smelled it when burning the corpses of certain Black Warlocks. "Should I put out the fire?"
"No need. I'm about to enter a Level Four restricted area. Radio communications will be cut off shortly," the Emperor replied calmly. "Prepare to transfer temporary supreme security authority, and keep hold of my key."
"Understood. The Dhaulagiri Anti-missile System is ready," Hammurabi said. "They operate around the clock."
Previously, in order to gather the prisoners from the Yugoslav Federation court, Latveria had carried out a special operation and directly assaulted The Hague Prison. Given his tendency to judge others by himself, even with tens of thousands of spells protecting this land, the Emperor had never believed Kamar-Taj in the Himalayan Mountains to be absolutely