The Fireseed Wars

One of the Hostigi ships was rammed by a burning Greffan galley and it too caught on fire. Suddenly the powder magazine went up and the two ships disappeared in a cloud of gray and black smoke. When the boom reached the tower, it almost knocked her off her feet!

Rylla couldn't even imagine what it must have sounded like down in the harbor.

"The Grefftscharri are in full retreat!" shouted Admiral Herad.

She knew that Herad had been a lifelong naval officer for the small Ulthori Navy; all his life Grefftscharr had been the naval power to be reckoned with. Now it was getting the stuffing blown out of it along with all former preconceptions about the naval world.

The Grefftscharri ships that were still afloat were now out of normal cannon range and probably thought they were home free. Unfortunately, for most of them their only home was going to be the bottom of Thagnor Harbor. About half their Navy was on fire, sunk, captured, tangled up and about to go up in flames. Eighty to ninety ships were trying to make their way out, but she doubted less than half would make it. Theovacar would long remember this day!

The rifled cannon were beginning to make their mark on the fleeing Greffan ships. All four rifled cannons were now firing in unison and always at one target. It usually only took two salvos to take out a ship. Had they had a dozen such guns, not a single ship would have escaped their bombardment.

II

Kalvan was in his temporary quarters at a former banking house, going over the map of mopping-up operations in Greffa City, when he was approached by Vanar Halgoth. "Your Majesty, I have a delegation of Greffan nobles. They have asked to speak to you in person."

"Let them in, Vanar." So far things had gone surprisingly well during the sacking of the City. The soldiers had, for the most part, acted in a disciplined manner, limiting their rapine and pillage to the outskirts of Greffa in the low-rent district. The City itself was almost intact except for the Companions' barracks where the Guard had fought to the last man. He'd had to set the barracks on fire to take care of the last holdouts; no sense in wasting the lives of valuable men to kill fanatics who would not surrender.

Halgoth nodded and Kalvan noticed his two Tymannian Guardsmen perked up instantly.

He checked the priming on the pistol he kept close at hand on his desk. After two days of occupying Greffa, there hadn't been any assassination attempts, but there'd been others in Hostigos Town and Thagnor City. In fact, many of the Greffans had acted as if the Hostigi were liberators rather than conquerors, which didn't say much for Theovacar's rule.

The delegation of six was led by a tall man with a lantern jaw and sad eyes, wearing a somber burgundy doublet and matching breeches. It was obvious from their bearing and the richness of their apparel that they were members of the Greffan nobility.

The tall man opened with, "Your Majesty, my name is Duke Ruffulo." He made a sweeping bow.

Kalvan nodded in return. He felt grubby in comparison with his un-trimmed beard, battle-scarred back-and-breast and stained breeches. "What can We do for you?"

"Your Majesty, I have been delegated by the Greffan Assembly of Lords to meet with Your Majesty to offer you the Throne of Greffa."

Kalvan picked up his pipe and started to load the barrel, in an attempt to keep from showing his surprise. Why would they offer me the Iron Throne? Do they hate Theovacar that much, or are they afraid that he will blame them for the loss of his capital? Since they're going to die anyway, maybe they'd rather be called traitors than die as bunglers.

"Why, may We ask, do you offer me a City We already have in Our possession?"

Ruffulo straightened his back. "Great King Kalvan, we ask you to rule our City because we have heard of your fairness and good rule. Theovacar is a ruthless tyrant and a murderer. He rules over all of us as if we are his personal chattel. He uses his Companions to enforce his will. If we complain or resist, he puts us and our families in the Great Dungeon, from which no one ever returns.

"Up until now, no outsider has been strong enough to actually take the City. Instead of seeing this as a tragedy, we have decided it may be our best and only opportunity to free ourselves from Theovacar's yoke."

Kalvan nodded thoughtfully. This is no time for dissembling, perhaps something lasting will come out of this. "In actuality, I was planning to loot your fair City; then blow the walls down and destroy the entire City as a warning to your King. My engineers are laying out the charges as we speak."