"First order of business," declared the mind of Maxum Blunt. "What is my rank in this organization?"
"Rank?" asked the mage. "What is that and why do you need one?"
"Rank, it's a position in an organization," responded the soldier. "I think you are the mage in command of this collection of abominations, right? Who is your second in command? If you become unable to lead who takes over for you? Who do they give orders to and who replaces them if they are removed from the fight? Important to me were does my authority begin and were does it stop?"
"My child Scab is the one who normally controls the dead responded the mage. "My more beastly children all take orders from me directly then go about their business. They all have the decency to not eat each other without permission. I guess you could be second in command. Let me get bring Scab into this conversation."
"Yes father?" answered the mind of the head wight.
"Who is this how are we talking?" asked the mind of Maxum blunt.
"Mr. Blunt this is my child Scab," answered Albie. "Scab this is Mr. Maxum Blunt. He has agreed to help us put together a functioning army."
"Ah yes the man who would not die," responded Scab. Many of the minds we captured think very highly of you. From the craft minds and two or three soldier brains we have on hand all thought the world of you."
"Okay," thought the man out loud. "I will remind myself I am a disembodied head in a jar. Fine whatever why can I hear voices in my head."
"Oh well, Scab's heart is bloodstone made from my blood, "answered Albie. "You are a head floating in a jar of my blood. My blood is always part of me so all that have my blood in them are my familiars. All are a part of me in a way so I can connect all my children's minds and senses together through me. I hope that makes sense."
"This is all strange magical bullshit and I do not know what to do with the knowledge that I am trapped in a jar of your blood," declared the old man. "but are you saying you can sense what your children are feeling and talk whenever and wherever without anyone else hearing?"
"Yes," responded Albie. "Like this."
The mage shared his vision with the soldier. The man in the jar went from a world of perfect darkness to seeing pain hands with black veins holding ajar on a table next to what he thought her recognized as his own decapitated corpse.
"okay stop," declared Blunt. "I would rather not stair at my own dead body."
The world returned to darkness for Maxum. It was slightly disheartening but better than the previous view.
"So, you all can communicate instantly," declared the mind. "This explains how you have been able to command this madness despite a severe lack of structure. You think for almost half of your army. Scab seems to think for the other half."
"Scab has two siblings that help him named Pus and Tragedy," responded the mage. "there are also two pail stalkers and a wraith who act mostly by themselves."
The binding corpses are also controlled by a mind in a similar position to yours," admitted Scab. "most A mind that only barely survived the process but a mind in a jar none the less,"
"I feel bad about Rorke but you can't make porridge without boiling some oats," declared the mage.
"I'm going to ignore that," declared Maxum. "But aside from that we still need to figure out a chain of command. could you trust scab to lead in your absence?"
"No, I think Scab would eat all the living children," decided Albie. ���And I don't know if any of the beasts could lead the dead. Maybe one of the bee queens but they don't really understand my intent in all this."
"The living are unnecessary father," Declared Scab. "By the way Mr. Blunt we shall begin building you a construct so you may observe and help us more easily. We can use your old body to start. Do you have a preference in heads from among your subordinates? Or should we piece together something from leftovers. Do you want any extra limbs while we are thinking about it?"
"I will rake whatever head you have lying around as long as it did not belong to a cavalry man," declared the disturbed soldier.
"Dead men not needed," squeaked a new voice.
"Bags you useless vermin," screamed Scab. "Silence your mind! It adds nothing to the dialog."
"Scab is dialog," responded the rat. "And stinky."
"Bags stop bothering Scab," interrupted the mage. "Meat Maxum Blunt. He is going to teach us how to kill better. Mr. Blunt meet Bags my go to scout and mother or grandmother two about a third of the rats under my control."
"Bags has most best most big babies," declared Bags Proudly.
"What is this mess of an army?" asked Blunt.
"The best way I can think to describe them is my family," mused Albie. "I love them all dearly. But I cannot rest until her majesty pays for what she has done. And I can only call upon them to help me with this. I do not really know how this military thing works so as the expert what rank do you think I should give you Mr. Blunt?"
"you need an experienced advisor high up in the chain of command," explained the old soldier. "someone who can keep the children in line, be a force of discipline for everyone, and train all these brats in the ways of war. What you need is a mind thinking about this war. I would say you should make me your Sergeant of Arms, but I don't know if that tittle will work here. I think I should be the mind consulted in all things war. I should be your war mind."
"Will I still control the dead?" asked Scab.
"I do not think I could lead them better. Just ask me about the best time and place to use your troops," answered the mind. "I will have to look into your workings in moor detail soon but if only three minds control the hoards it is not my place to interfere. It's the beasts I'm more concerned with."
"Very well," declared the mage. "You can be my war mind. And welcome to the family."