John Carr - The Fireseed Wars

"Kill the Daemon Kalvan! Kill the Daemon Kalvan! Kill Kalvan! Kill Kalvan!"

Grand Master Soton was in his headquarters, a former manor house, when the Archpriest Grythos, still in rags, slunk into his private chambers. Soton shook his fist in anger, shouting, "Where are my Knights, Grythos?"

The Archpriest just shook his head with a crestfallen look on his face.

He had trusted Grythos with the most important task in Hos-Agrys, outside of the siege itself, and the Archpriest had failed. It appeared that too much high living and political in-fighting had spoiled the former Knight Commander for work in the field. If it hadn't been for Styphon's Voice's order that Grythos was to be the new Agrysi regent, he would have sent him slinking back to Balph.

Grythos, whose left arm was bent outward from a poorly-healed sword blow, pleaded, "Grand Master, I did my best. We must have fought every outlaw band in Hos-Agrys. Someone had spread the word that we were Investigators and every farmer, serf, peasant and townsman's hand was raised against us! If you should blame anyone, it would be Roxthar."

"The Investigator is a dagger buried between my ribs, but he is not responsible for every failure that Styphon's House encounters."

"Grand Master, it would have taken a real army to reach Salis Village. I myself took a bad head wound and my arm was broken in two places; the bones had already grown back together before I could find a healer."

"That is the price of battle. But you didn't just fail to reach the heir; you lost all of the other heirs to the Throne of Light! Do you know what that means? Now, we may have to let the traitor Demistophon continue his rule because we don't have a legitimate claimant. It's only Lytris' Own Luck that the Agrysi haven't figured out what we were up to."

"I never thought the Agrysi were capable of fighting like Kalvan's wardogs!"

"It's not all their fault, Archpriest" Soton said, with open contempt. "You knew better than to fight unknown opponents on a battlefield of their choice. I heard all about it from one of the survivors, one of your sergeants. You came to them not knowing who they were. It's very possible they were Hostigi deserters or mercenaries in the pay of Duke Mnestros, an outright Dralm-lover and Hostigi ally. Now, your incompetence as a commander has left me no choice but to leave the siege and lead an army into Hos-Agrys to fetch the boy you couldn't capture."

"I could command the siege in your absence, Grand Master."

"Grythos, at this point, I wouldn't trust you to guard the privies of Roxthar's Investigators!"

The Archpriest looked so down-in-the-mouth that Soton almost felt sorry for him, that is, until he remembered how badly he'd failed at what should have been a routine snatch and grab operation. Now he was going to have to delay the siege and use six thousand men to do the job of three hundred.

"Are you all right, Your Majesty?" Captain-General Demnos asked. "Your face is as white as fresh-fallen snow!"

Great King Lysandros shook his head, saying, "No, no, no. While we have been sitting here, waiting for Kalvan to present himself for us to slaughter, my own Kingdom has gone to Regwarn!" He paused to hold up the parchment he'd just removed from its leather tube. "This is a missive from Chancellor Lyphannes regarding the rebellion in Harphax City.

"Here, let me read from it:

It is my considered opinion, Your Majesty, that the rioting and lawlessness that have made the City streets unsafe for anyone without their own armed band of bodyguards will soon break into open rebellion. Already there are reports of lawlessness and open discontent in the Princedoms of Arklos, Balkron, Thaphigos and Harphax. There are also rumors that Prince Phidestros may bring his army into Harphax City to restore order.

I plead with Your Majesty to return to Hos-Harphax with all dispatch while you still hold the Iron Throne-

"That doesn't sound good, Your Majesty," Demnos said. "But it is possible that Lyphannes has overstated the problem. He's an alarmist and fearful of a small mouse. What has Duke Kaphros to say in his report?"

"Kaphros is dead. He died of the coughing fever."

Demnos jaw dropped. "We knew he was ill, but this is terrible news, sire. He was your only real loyalist in Harphax City."

"I know." Lysandros realized now that he should have never left Hos-Harphax. My Queen and this weak-in-the-knees Chancellor are all that are between my Throne and disaster. My arrogance and desire to best Phidestros as commander of the Grand Host may have cost me everything.

"Then the Kingdom is in real trouble, Your Majesty. Didn't the Chancellor's last letter tell of former Prince Selestros' growing influence over the lesser orders in the Kingdom, and that the High Temple of Dralm had put its full support behind him and his supposed visions?"

"I should have torn the High Temple of Dralm down before we left and killed all the priests!" Lysandros' voice was rising. "And might well have done so, if Archpriest Phyllos hadn't commanded me to do it; I don't take orders from underlings. A curse on all priests and their minions! Yet, if I leave Thagnor now, I will face an open break with Styphon's House. Grand Commander Aristocles has all but threatened me with the complete loss of the Temple's support! Without Styphon's gold to pay my soldiers, my Kingdom is truly lost."

Demnos shook his head. "I do not believe that Styphon's House will renounce you for the following reasons: firstly, Aristocles is stuck here in Tnagnor laying siege to Thagnor City; secondly, Grand Master Soton is in the middle of besieging Agrys City preparatory to conquering all of Hos-Agrys-a formidable proposition, even for 'Styphon's Hammer'; and finally, the Temple's power is threatened by a former Prince who claims to have seen Allfather Dralm in a vision and is currently spreading the seeds of revolt throughout Hos-Harphax.

"Styphon's Voice does not dare withdraw support from their only real ally in the Northern Kingdoms. If Harphax falls to the worshippers of Dralm, then they will come to the aid of their brethren in the League of Dralm, which would put Soton and the Host of Styphon's Deliverance at risk on two flanks."

Lysandros nodded, thanking the gods for this wise counsel. Now he knew why he relied so heavily on the commander of his Bodyguard. "Thank you, Demnos, for your considered words. Tell General Tythos to prepare the Army to return to Hos-Harphax. Tell him to do it quietly under the guise of an attack. I don't want to reveal to Aristocles what my plans are until it's too late for him to stop us. Also, we will need victuals and other provisions for the march over the Nyklos Trail. I want to be fair about it; we will only take half of the Host's supply train with us. Have Tythos send enough men to see that it is done, even if it takes the entire Army!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Meanwhile, I want you to take the King's Pistoleers and two thousand light cavalry and go to Nythros City where you will remove half the treasure that the Host's accumulated."

"Only half, Your Majesty?"

Lysandros laughed. "I would take it all, but that would bring Aristocles barking at our heels."

"That is wise, Your Majesty," Demnos said, with a nod.

"I've been considering this course of action since my last dispatch from the Queen. Trust this, Demnos, for your loyalty and wise counsel, you will find a suitable reward waiting for you when we return to Harphax City."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"What is the meaning of this, King Lysandros?" Grand Commander Aristocles demanded, as he reined his big charger in, stirring up a small dust cloud. "I have received word that you and your army are about to retire from the Grand Host."