Zaak continued his work in the tiny machinations. He re-molded, re-oriented and replaced the parts, one by one, bit by bit, piece by piece. Throughout the proceedings, there was a constant rhythmic thrumming that emanated from within Ashlotte's steel interior. As he approached completion, counterpoints and harmonies began to weave around the true beat, until a glorious symphony of clicks, clacks and reverberations cascaded from within. That was, until he reached the last piece.
Both Zaak and Jason leaned in, and saw a tiny glass-like box filled with beautiful gears, each no larger than a grain of rice. It was rattling about, like a beast in torment; the juxtaposition of this beautiful piece and the horrible, staccato, discordant, syncopated death rattle it produced was heartbreaking - for a mortal at least. But neither Zaak nor Jason had a beating heart, and thus saw the piece as pitiful but simply one more thing to be corrected. It's position was crucial however - affixed at the base of what could be approximated as her spine, it joined the vast majority of her mechanisms to an internal power source. To be corrected, it would need to be removed, and during that period she would be effectively dead. What was worse was that there were multiple power sources, each aiding particular areas of the machine. These would continue to turn her gears, which would grind against the fixed ones, causing disruptions all along her body. They would have to work quickly, or she would wear herself to pieces.The risk seemed huge, but the alternative was worse. The piece would only degenerate, and eventually would shatter entirely. It could happen any time, and then there would be very little that could be done to save her. It was now or never.
After a brief discussion of what was necessary with Jason, Zaak steeled himself and wrenched the part out with his mind. A terrible screech, like a thousand fingernails on Tzeench's blackboard, erupted from within, a memento to signify the potential future cataclysm. Twirling fingers faster than mortals' eyes could see, Zaak manipulated the inner workings of the glassy nexus as Jack laid enchantment upon enchantment over the rest of the body to protect it from itself. Working against the clock, Zaak's loose but clinical mind furiously worked to solve this puzzle. Suddenly, an unseen facet appeared to him. With a click of his fingers, the pieces slid into place nicely.
He moved back down to the area where it needed to be transplanted. Jack worked over the area, priming it for the delicate process of re-inserting the piece. As it slid in, a cog somewhere flew into the air. Muttering, "No, no, no, no, no!" under his breath, Zaak smoothly but swiftly replaced the piece. Strands of golden fire erupted from all of Zaak's digits, filling the room with a wondrous, honeyed haze. Lashing around wildly spinning cranks and taming burning wheels, the fiery whips reined in the monster that was her body. A wave of violet shimmered down their lengths, mottling the room with color. A few sizzles, bubbles and clicks were heard, and then the fire went out. There was silence. Deathly silence.
Zaak struggled to perceive what had gone wrong. The entire body had simply stopped - mechanically, there was nothing wrong with it, and the network of magic that ran through her had been duly corrected by Jason. Suddenly worried that he may have killed his patient, he ran over her entire frame with his eyes and his mind, searching for the flaw. Then he saw it. A tiny silver gear had become dislodged, and was now freewheeling without any connection. Sighing deeply, a beam of purple light seared from Zaak's palm towards the error. The gear sidled its way into place, and the silence was broken. Ashlotte came awake with a start, and her body began once more to thrum and rumble happily.
Slowly passing his hand over her split skin, Zaak sealed it together once more. The heart-shaped window seamlessly fused into her metallic carapace. As the feminine figure sat up, Zaak lowered her blouse and aided her to her feet. "The operation went fabulously. You're functioning at peak efficiency. And kudos to your creator; you are a masterful work." Smiling wryly, he nodded to Jason before speaking through his surrogate in the Council room. "Our work here is done. We will be joining you shortly. Zaak out, ha ha!" The wraith there bowed before drifting through a wall. The couplet in Zaak's vicinity canceled the visual link and followed after the shirtless vampire as he began to lead Ashlotte to the location of the meeting. Mechanical maiden in hand, Zaak proceeded slowly towards the other vampires. Since he had discarded his marred armor he had gone without any covering on his torso, exposing his musculature for all to see. If his companion had been crafted of flesh not steel, no doubt she would have felt some attraction to him. As such, she took no notice of his natural allure as they entered the meeting room.
Within, the remnants of the council stood around as they had appeared to the wraith. Arranged in a rough circle, they stood sheepishly with the occasional comment. They clearly lacked cohesion and, more importantly, leadership. He discerned that his previous statements had been mostly ignored. Ensuring that Ashlotte was alright, he strode towards the group, bold as brass. He burst his way into the group, nipples on display, and declared himself. "Now that we're all adjourned, let's get one thing straight. I have no idea who any of you are, nor do I know if your intentions are, nor do I have any idea what is going on right now. However, I think our most vital goal at this juncture is, quite frankly, to not get our heads chopped off and stuck on a pike. Admittedly, this could happen in amongst ourselves, again I don't know you, but I think the von Carsteins are a bigger threat. On our own we have no hope of defeating them because they're big and we're small and that's it. Not to impugn upon your honor or insult your skill or anything like that, but frankly they're better. As such, I don't think we have any other options than to regroup.
"We need a new Council, although I think the name could do with some work. The League of Extraordinary Vampires perhaps, or instead maybe something alliterative involving a compliment and our number? That's not important right now. What is important is that unless we do work together, whether to fight or flee, we cannot hope to avoid the head-pike scenario. As such, I think some acquaintances are in order. I have already introduced myself as Zaak the Uncanny, summoner extraordinaire and craftsman of magical gimmicks, trinkets and weapons that destroy massively. I know this is Ashlotte, the lady of steel; this is Jason, still mostly a conundrum but adequate at enchantments; and Peter, who's allegiances still lie unknown to me. I can feel your power from here, milady, for it hangs upon the air like a pungent odor." He spoke this looking directly at Lesa. "No offense, of course. But I know not your name, nor those of any of the rest of you. So please, tell me what the hell is going on?" Zaak stopped here, took a step backwards to join the circle, and awaited any shred of explanation.
