The Albie could sense a fellow moon touched. The rat was young its mind far younger than its body thanks to the mages growth spells. Hopefully, the young rats mind would mature quickly.
"I name you Milled Bags," declared Albie. "From now until I pass you are my student in moon magic. Learn all you can I will not be around for long."
The building started to rumble and shake beneath the mages feet.
"Father," whispered Scab in the mages mind.
"If this is relating to work address him as commander or Scourge or anything more nonpersonal," interrupted the war mind.
"Scourge," hissed Scabs voice. "Pus has completed its task. Shall we begin our march?"
"Yes," declared the Pail Scourge. "Begin the march on the capital. Puss shall remain behind to assemble more forts and wagons. War mind can you help organize the rats in loading and steering supply wagons?"
"Yes Pail Scourge," spoke the War mind. "But first I would like to ask. Why is the hospital walking?"
"Puss was commanded to reinforce the base of the hospital ang give it enough legs and a shattered mind so it could walk to the capital," responded Scab. "If you need a more detailed explanation its like the colossus just bigger."
"how many corpses did you use to make such a thing?" awed the War mind.
"A few hundred?' responded the wight. "We honestly stopped counting after three hundred."
"Are there still corpses left in the city?" asked the war mind.
"Bodies aplenty," responded Scab. "We simply repurposed the broken bodies of the corpses you destroyed in your escape tempt. The bones might have been broken but plenty of muscle and sinew remained unscathed."
"Your efficiency is terrifying," commented the War mind. "The rats are loading the wagons with as much scavenged food and ammunition as we can find. I shall devise a marching order for the beasts but stops must be made or the living troops will tire before we reach the capital. Scab how do you plan to move your horde. They seem likely to eat our living ones if not well supervised."
"The undead shall begin marching now," replied Scab. "They need no rest only to satiate the hunger. We should be able to save some prisoners if we devour every blade of grass between here and the capital."
"The dead seem to move slowest," commented the War mind. "I don't know if its good or bad that they set the marching pace. Whatever you do don't march them so far away in the night that the beasts can't help them fight the next morning."
"Should we be worried about meeting an army between here and the capital?" asked the mage.
���I can't say for sure," replied the war mind. "It wouldn't surprise me to meet a force sent to retake Yourz from the Brand between here and there. Also, it hasn't escaped my attention that some mages can see the future. It's not unlikely someone like that is in the capital. They will definitely see us coming and they have weeks to prepare a force to meet us."
"The traveler did mention a rival," agreed the mage. "someone not as wise but able to see events before they happen."
"If they can see what's coming, they must be shiting themselves right now," commented the War mind. "Our vanguard is horrifying. If I knew what was coming, I would be gathering sun mages and planning an attack in daylight. Scab I cannot stress enough for the need for you not to get to far from the rest of the scourge."
"I understand," thought the wight. Meeting an army of sun mages in the day would decimate my forces. We move faster under the moon than in the light. I also don't know if I can pull reinforcements from Yourz aside from the walking buildings. Perhaps I could use wagons to cart more bodies from Yourz without having to sustain them."
"That might work as long as you can raise the wagons quickly," answered the War mind. "I have rats to drill and wagons to organize. I leave the talks here Scab if you would like to learn how to organize musket and cannon formation you are welcome to observe."
"I shall watch eagerly," declared Scab.
Albie was left alone with his thoughts and Milled in his lab. He looked back at the large pail rat. He pat its head and resumed work on another project. learning how to not breath. It was a lot simpler than it sounded. His solution was to use life force to sustain himself in place of breathing or eating. It required being nearly dead. Impossible for anyone other than a very powerful moon mage with near limitless access to both moonlight and human life force or blood stones. The advantage was he could better resist the unlife that was now spread throughout his entire body. It could be seen in black streaks following his veins and muscles from his head to his tows.
As he did, he spoke to Milleds mind. The young mind began to learn words from the mage as well as how to control moonlight. If the mage was lucky he might be able to pass on the healing arts and Moon Enchantment to his apprentice before his time ended.