The Citadel of Obsidian hovered ten thousand feet above the mortal plane.
Lucifer stood in the center of the main courtyard. The initial spatial lock had torn the mountain from the earth, but it was just a brute-force levitation.
The massive island of black stone, iron, and ice was draining his Archmage core to stay aloft.
To turn a floating rock into an unstoppable sky-fortress, he needed to make the flight permanent.
"The ground is too small for us," Lucifer stated smoothly. His voice carried across the silent, packed courtyard.
Thirteen million mortal soldiers stood at attention. The fifty thousand Glacial Wyrms roosted on the high, black-stone battlements.
"Celeste," Lucifer commanded over the comms rune. "Secure all loose assets. Lock the heavy transport wagons to the courtyard rings. The acceleration is going to be violent."
