The Fireseed Wars

He had a new Royal Foundry under construction, a new glassblowing facility for making brandy flasks and a new Bank of Hostigos being built. Mytron was overseeing the building of several temples to Allfather Dralm. In his copious spare time, Kalvan was working with Captain Nathros on a new road system and semaphore station layout to go from Thagnor to Rathon City. He'd made General Klestreus his Chief of Staff and put him in charge of setting up the new Thagnor food depots and collection stations; he had a real gift as an administrator and bean-counter.

Master Ermut, here-and-now's first scientist, was the new Dean of the University of Hostigos, while Mytron, the former rector, was the realm's new Chancellor-now that former Chancellor Chartiphon was King of Rathon-and head of the Temple of Dralm. Both men were busy overseeing the cataloging and accounting of the materials and equipment that had survived the exodus from Hostigos. Unfortunately, too many valuable and irreplaceable items had been abandoned, destroyed or left behind in their haste to leave Hostigos.

"All the walls are stone, Your Majesty," Guildmaster Varianos said, his breath blowing puffs of fog into the air. "Good construction, too."

"It's even bigger than the original building that was the foundation of the University of Hostigos," Chancellor Mytron added. "The grounds are quite large, with two large barns for the laboratories." He pointed out the window. "Over there we could raise up another classroom."

"I don't like the fact that it's right up against the City's second wall," Kalvan said. "I'm certain we'll see a Styphoni siege in the spring and I don't want to have to rebuild the University again if they bust through the outer wall."

Mytron shook his head. "We've been all over the center of the city and there are no abandoned buildings big enough for our purpose. We'll either have to buy up a block or two of prime commercial property or demolish several blocks of townhouses and apartments, which will prove both costly and unpopular."

"Dralm-damnit, I know," Kalvan said, throwing out his arms in frustration. Everything seemed to take more of his time and cost more money than anyone could have predicted. It wasn't easy rebuilding Hostigos Phoenix-like out of the rough materials of Thagnor.

"That may not be a problem, Your Majesty." Ermut paused long enough to bring a soapstone out of one of the pockets in his brown robe. The Dean appeared to keep all nature of things, from fruit to meteorites, in his oversized pockets. "The Army engineers have finished the outer wall and have just started working on shoring up the second wall."

While Ermut was making his drawing, Aspasthar asked, "Your Majesty, does this new University you're building in Thagnor mean we may not be returning to Hostigos?"

"That's a good question." Kalvan started to knock his pipe bowl against one of the walls to dislodge a plug of burnt tobacco and ash. He stopped in mid-swing, instead striking the barrel against the heel of his palm. Pipe barrels were not as sturdy as the ones back on otherwhen. They didn't have the French briar to make bowls here-and-now, so he'd had his own personal pipemaker experiment with burls of different woods. Black Walnut burl was the best they'd come up with so far.

Reaching into his tobacco pouch, Kalvan put some fresh flakes into the bowl, tamping them down lightly with his golden halberd-headed tamper. His fingers were half-frozen from the cold, making lighting his tinderbox a fumble-fingered affair. When the pipe was drawing well, he inhaled.

"You want the truth, Aspasthar," Kalvan said, after expelling a cloud of tobacco smoke. "I don't have an answer. Right now, without divine intervention from Dralm, it doesn't look as if we'll ever return to Old Hostigos."

Kalvan ignored the sudden whitening of Aspasthar's face. The boy had lost his father, Harmakros, and his home in the space of a moon. Yet, he'd still had the courage and forthrightness to organize the cadets at the Military Academy in the defense of Hostigos, delaying the Grand Host's siege of Tarr-Hostigos by several critical days. The bodies of almost a thousand cadets had been left behind to fertilize the soil of Hostigos. He deserved an honest answer.

"I believe with a little time and good fortune we can hold Thagnor against the Grand Host; this place is much more defensible than Hostigos ever was. And a lot farther from Styphon's House's base of operations. How long we can make a stand here without some help in the form of allies is another good question. And another one I don't have an answer for. A lot depends upon King Theovacar, as well as our own steadfastness. The best I can tell you is that I don't plan to leave Thagnor City on two legs unless we're returning to Old Hostigos."

Highpriest Mytron made a circle with his right forefinger around the white star on his blue robe. "May Dralm Bless Your Majesty and the Hostigi People."