The Royal Foundry of Sanctum had always been a place of heat and noise, usually reserved for shoeing horses or repairing plowshares. Today, however, it looked like the anteroom of Hell.
The roof had been torn off to let the air flow, but it was still stiflingly hot, with heat mirages shimmering everywhere. Thick, black smoke, carrying a hint of burnt angel's blood, billowed into the grey sky.
Mirabelle stood on the catwalk above the main floor. She wore a simple linen shift, having set aside her heavy velvets because of the heat. Her hair was tied back tightly, and sweat shone on her collarbone.
Below her, the work of desecration was underway.
The corpse of the Titan had been dragged piece by piece into the city. Massive plates of Star-Metal, inscribed with holy runes, were piled high like scrap lumber.
In the center of the room stood the Great Crucible, a massive iron vat that usually held molten copper. Today, it held the leg of a monster titan.
And heating it was Revas.
