The Gear Hymn sailed toward the fortress like an ant crawling toward a boulder.
But the boulder slowly split down the middle, opening a door for him.
The fortress's outer shell opened at the center, slowly rising to either side.
Below lay an enormous opening. The ship sailed inside, into what proved to be a hollow chamber, and continued slowly forward, floating on the water.
Guided by the Machine Priest, Elliot left the cabin and stood at the highest point on deck.
Platforms surrounded him. Looking around, he saw countless soldiers and machines, seemingly waiting for his inspection.
Warships lined both sides. Between them stood large machines he could not make sense of, and beyond those were Mechanical Clerics, with soldiers standing in ranks behind them.
The Mechanical Clerics' buzzers emitted ticking electronic tones, as though machines were praying, while the soldiers behind them bowed their heads in unison as Elliot's ship passed.
"The Reforging Flame... Most of these people belong to the Church." Elliot narrowed his eyes slightly.
The Church had always been lukewarm toward him before. They obeyed only the head of the family.
It seemed the Old Duke truly intended to hand power over to him.
That only made Elliot find it all the stranger.
He could not even identify all the family's forces, yet they were about to be placed entirely in his hands.
From the Hearthfire District to the entire Sterling Family, the Old Duke was ceding more and more authority to him, with ever greater haste.
That urgency was itself a message.
The ship reached the shore.
"Young Master, we've arrived."
The Machine Priest beside him had intended to step forward to remind him, but Elliot was already moving. The metal scepter in his hand, bearing a coat of arms of gears and flames,