The Fireseed Wars

Demnos nodded. "Is it fair that most of this gold will find its way to the Great Treasury of Balph?"

"Not by my leave. I swear by Galzar we will not leave this miserable land without half of all the gold we have collected."

"But, Your Majesty, Styphon's House will never release it to you."

"Even though it was won by Our leadership? Are We not strong enough to take what is Ours? But enough of these questions, we need to celebrate this victory! Small as it is. Do you know of any taverns that haven't been burned to the floor boards?"

Demnos nodded. "I put men to guard over one such for our use, sire. It has a picture of a one-eyed bull and a bunch of scribbles in their foreign tongue."

They wound their way down the tower passageway and through the old castle until they were back in the streets of the city, where they picked up a squad of silvered guardsmen. The stench of death and smoke was overwhelming and Lysandros was glad that the wine shop was only a block away. Drunken soldiers careened through the narrow streets, some carrying booty, others dragging young girls. Most of the older women had been released or killed by their rapists.

Sacking towns is a bloody business, Lysandros thought to himself as he stepped over the dead body of an older man, who'd been stripped naked of clothing and possessions with only his slashed boots left behind-too tight to remove. From his gaping mouth it was obvious he was the owner of a full set of teeth, which meant he must have been a rich man. Some soldier was now dressed as a nobleman in clothes that wouldn't last the campaign. Yet, such actions were good for morale: besides, who was he to stop the boys and their fun?

Inside the tavern the air was clear of any smoke but tobacco and the stale but clean smells of spilled wine and ale. Lysandros was on his second goblet of wine, when his co-commander entered the tavern.

"There you are! Celebrating already?"

"Don't be so glum, Aristocles. We won!"

"Maybe, maybe not."

"What do you mean, 'maybe not'?"

"Our scouts have just returned from the Thagnor border. The Hostigi are turning away the refugees by the thousands."

"They're not taking them in? The very Sky-Palaces must be in danger of falling!"

"No, it's not by the Usurper's orders. It appears that Kalvan is not at Thagnor City, but Queen Rylla rules the kingdom in his stead."

"Oh, that one," Lysandros said, nodding knowingly. "She has a heart of ice such as my own. This Queen ordered the deaths of everyone in the Phaxosi princely line, including women and babes in arms. She'll not care a crabapple for some Ulthori ragamuffins. If I didn't have her twin as my bride, I'd take her to the marriage bed after Kalvan has been beheaded and her brat put to the sword!"

Aristocles shook his head in disbelief. "It's a good thing Roxthar is not around to hear you speak such."

"We are all better off for his absence."

Aristocles nodded.

"What I want to know is: where in Ormaz's name is the Usurper Kalvan?"

"That, Your Majesty, is the question of the hour. We will have to set additional scouts out to see if they can find his Army. Leave it to him to come up with some ruse or trick that will give him the advantage of surprise."

"Then we will be twice wary. He would not have stripped Thagnor City bare of soldiers, leaving his wife and brood at our mercy. Not if I know that man. At most, he may have an army of some ten thousand strong. With all the trees leveled for twenty marches around Thagnor City, there is no place to hide an army large enough to do us damage. Nor can he move by sea as the Grefftscharrer Navy holds the straits of Thagnor in the north and we have sacked Baltor Town. Our alliance guarantees that the docks of Morthron Town will soon be ours. Kalvan will have no haven for his Navy; they will be tied up at Thagnor City until we torch every ship and boat. Like Port Ulthor, Thagnor City will be burned to the ground."

"Do not count the Usurper out, Your Majesty. He has made pacts before with barbarians and with the aid of one of their great warlords almost sacked the Order's headquarters, Tarr-Ceros. What if Kalvan returns with a barbarian horde of half a million or more? Such things have happened in the past."

Lysandros sneered. "We will scythe them down like weeds in a garden with our guns and muskets. Once we have his City in thrall we shall destroy it and kill everyone inside. The memory of their terrible deaths shall be a warning to usurpers for all of time."

FORTY

But, Your Majesty, how could you refuse these poor wretches sanctuary behind our walls?" Prince Phrames pleaded. "You must know how badly this will end for most of them."