John Carr - Siege of Tarr-Hostigos

"He's ex-Strike Force, one of the few Team people with survival skills. He was their expert on pre-mechanical military science." Kostran hesitated. "I wonder if he was forced to try putting some of his skills into practice?"

"You mean, take an unscheduled field sabbatical?"

"Exactly. His cover is an artillery officer from Hos-Agrys and you can bet he won't break it by accident. If he catches Phidestros' eye, he may even be safe from the Investigation."

The possibility of owing anything to the man principally responsible for Kalvan's defeat rubbed Verkan the wrong way. Still, if Aranth had survived and was masquerading as a native, Verkan could only wish him luck.

It was time to return to Fifth Level Kalvan's Time-Line Depot to try and make sense out of this mess. No time for him to resume his cover as General Verkan; he'd have his Paratime HQ brain trust figure out a cover story that would convince Kalvan, if and when he had time to visit here again. With the political fallout this debacle threatened, it might be a while.

He suspected Kalvan would be so busy he wouldn't have time to send out a search party for missing officers, even friends. He wondered how Tortha was doing. Well, the old dog was a survivor and if anyone could come out of this disaster smelling like a rose in a manure pile, it was ex-Paratime Police ChiefTortha Karf

Word of Great King Kalvan's defeat and expulsion from Hos-Hostigos reached Agrys City by Styphon's relay riders two days after Kalvan's army was defeated at Ardros Field. It was trumpeted at the High Temple of Styphon's House in Agrys City as a great victory for Styphon and his followers. "The Daemon Kalvan is vanquished! Praise Styphon the True God!"

Crowds filled the streets, some in jubilation for the True God's victory, but most in anger or fear that an army was already on its way to punish Hos-Agrys for not contributing to the Grand Host. Others passed on rumors about the Investigation, which so angered the crowds that two of Styphon's House's lowerpriests in white robes were beaten to death in the city streets and a stone and brick throwing mob attempted to break into Styphon's House's Great Temple. In response Styphon's Own Guard had to post armed guards on the Great Temple both day and night.

After threats of retaliation against the High Temple of Dralm, Lord Vythos, who was the town's richest merchant and a follower of Dralm, put his personal guardsmen to watch the Temple portals. Inside the High Temple the priests were virtual prisoners as the city seethed with anger and fear. Riots and fights in the taverns and streets of Agrys City were a common occurrence; the followers of Styphon wore red armbands of Primacy, while the Dralm and Kalvan sympathizers wore blue. The underpaid and undersized City Watch was unable to control the crowds or stop the looting.

News from Hos-Hostigos was sporadic and often conflicting-at first, the Daemon was dead, next he had escaped the Great Host, then was said to be in exile. Other stories had him in Greffa assembling an army with the aid of King Theovacar, or returning to the Cold Lands for divine assistance.

Great King Demistophon was said to be hiding in the palace basement, for fear of Styphon's House's retribution. When the rioting got serious and spread to King's Island, Demistophon moved into Tarr-Agrys and called out the army, ordering a sunset to dawn curfew.

Xentos was praying in the rear chapel when he received word that a delegate from the League of Dralm had come for a conference with the Council of Dralm. Ever since Styphon's House had bandied the account of Kalvan's defeat, he'd been heartsick. In his mind he could already envision the tortured bodies of Kalvan, Rylla and their tiny daughter, Demia, named after Rylla's beautiful mother, who had been the love of his life. Had he been prince, she would have been his wife, not Prince Ptosphes'. Rylla was the very image of her mother, which was why they had all spoiled and protected her.

Xentos had his first spiritual crisis when Demia and her unborn son died in childbirth. Prayer and fasting had cured him of his soul sickness and given his faith a real strength, a resiliency he prayed would sustain him through this latest crisis and the doubts that assailed him. Was it possible all this would have been averted if he d supported Kalvan instead of putting the Temple ahead of his friends and home'? He would never know the answer to that question, but he was sure that he would think about it many times before he arrived at Dralm's Meadow.

There was a hesitant knock at the door. "There's a visitor to see you, Primate."

"Bid him enter."

A young and very big man, wearing his dusty riding cloak and riding boots, came stomping into his private chamber. His eyes blazed and his huge frame shook with controlled fury.

"Who are you?" Xentos demanded, with all the authority of his office. He asked knowing full well no enemy of the Temple would ever be granted entrance to the High Temple unless things were so bad that the Styphoni had breached the temple gates.

"Duke Mnestros of Eubros, Your Sanctity."

Xentos' memory identified the heir of Eubros at once. The son of Prince Thykarses, Mnestros was a young hothead who loved to fight and wench, and showed little reverence to the Temple of Dralm. "You're the one who accompanied Kalvan's Army to the Trygath in violation of the Covenant of Dralm!"

Mnestros sneered. "I was there as a volunteer. If you have a complaint to make, tell it to the League Council, I don't expect they'll be very interested at the moment."

Xentos looked away; the boy was right. After Kalvan's defeat, there was little stomach for the Covenant in Hos-Agrys and some were saying the strictures of it had aided Styphon's House's conquest of Hos-Hostigos.

"What you don't know is that I have just returned from Hostigos where I was fighting alongside your friends and overlord against the godless Styphoni."

"This is news to me! How are Ptosphes and Rylla?"

"Ptosphes is well, organizing the defense of Tarr-Hostigos against the Grand Host; I would imagine the Grand Host's siege guns will be at the walls within a few days."

Xentos winced. "How are Rylla and Kalvan?"

"They are fleeing Hos-Hostigos with the remnants of the Hostigos Army. Hostigos is a wasteland. Archpriest Roxthar and his Investigators are tilling the soil of Hostigos with the blood and bodies of its people. None are exempt-from the youngest child to the oldest crone. The Arch-Fiend Roxthar is determined to root out every trace of Kalvan and Dralm from every Princedom in the former Kingdom of Hos-Hostigos. And from all I saw, he is achieving his heart's desire."

Xentos looked down at the stone floor. "Why have you come to see me?"

Mnestros held up a huge hand showing all his fingers. "First, I want you to declare a Ban on Styphon. Next," he ticked off, "I want you to put the full weight of the Temple behind your friend, Kalvan. Then I want you to call a crusade to drive Styphon's wolves from Hostigos. Then, I want you to empower the League of Dralm-"

"Enough! You speak like one of the City's rabble-rousers. If I were to do as you ask, Great King Demistophon would have the High Temple walls pulled down around my ears!"

"Primate, listen to me! Right now if we act quickly we can hit the Styphoni while they are at their weakest, attacking Kalvan. We could separate the serpent's body from its head, and with its body gone-Balph is ours!"

Such is the rashness of youth, thought Xentos, act now, think later. It would take a moon or two, at least, to raise a sizable army and meanwhile the Grand Host would have Kalvan in its grasp, and his army wiped out. Then this victorious army would destroy the unblooded troops of Hos-Agrys. They would scatter then, with Styphon's House's blessing, and seize Agrys City and the High Temple of Dralm.