The Fireseed Wars

Sirna felt herself relax, exhaling the deep breath she'd been holding. "There was a Grefftscharrer Captain with the name of Aranth, who was one of the Foundry Guard captains and matches your description. He was also quite helpful in the Foundry and seemed to know a lot about artillery guns. It was his responsibility to test-fire the newly cast cannon. At the foundry, he had a full head of hair, but it might have been a wig. There was some talk that he had been picked by the King because he was knowledgeable on such subjects, maybe a former artillery officer. I understood him to be a reliable guard and not an oath-breaker."

Phidestros nodded, as if her words confirmed his own thoughts. "Do you know how he escaped the Foundry sacking?"

"Yes, I believe it was Aranth I heard slip out the back door of the former farmhouse we used as our common area and sleeping quarters. He left after the Red Hand blew open the doors and came in shooting. I was surprised that he would escape without giving warning to the rest of us, but he obviously had more experience in those matters than myself. Now, having seen the Investigation at work, I believe he did the prudent thing."

Phidestros gave her a mocking grin. "But not the gallant thing, My Lady?"

This time she refused to let herself blush. "No," she said, "I do not think many men would leave their comrades behind, while they alone escaped. Although, in Aranth's defense, he was not treated as an equal by the Foundry Masters. They may have been Masters at casting and making guns, but they were fools when it came to the world of war and being men."

This time Phidestros did all those pipe-filling and flint-lighting things that all the men she knew on Aryan-Transpacific did when they wanted to gnaw over a line of thought without being obvious about it. Meanwhile, she waited patiently. Maybe I should take up knitting?

"It's too bad he didn't take time to save some of these Masters-I could use them now. However, thanks to your words, I believe I have a better measure of the man, and for that, I thank you, Lady Sirna."

She felt like standing up and curtsying, but instead she said, "You're welcome, Captain-General. Do you have any idea as to how much longer we're going to be cooped up in this place?"

Phidestros shook his head. "No, it's a Dralm-blasted curse that we're still here! But, without a single leader, there is no one man in charge of the Host."

"I thought Great King Lysandros was the head of the Grand Host."

"True, he created it and claims it's his to command. However, it's not that simple. Styphon's House pays the bills, which leaves Grand Master Soton as co-commander. Lysandros can make decisions, but without Soton's and Styphon's House approval they may not be funded or obeyed. Since Lord High Marshal Zythannes, commander of the Ktemnoi Sacred Squares, was killed in battle along with his successor Prince Leonnestros, Prince Anaxon is now in charge of the Ktemoni troops. He's in favor of disbanding the Grand Host, or at least the Ktemnoi contingent. Were it not for the Grand Master's intransigence on the subject, Anaxon would already have departed. Presently, the Prince is awaiting further orders from Great King Cleitharses."

"Ohhh. I didn't think it was that complicated."

"Oh yes, My Lady, it is-and it gets worse. Great King Lysandros, by virtue of the fact he is Great King of Hos-Harphax-the Kingdom most harmed by the Usurper Kalvan-believes he should solely command the Grand Host. Of course, it doesn't appear to matter to him that he's never commanded an army this large or fought against Kalvan, who has advanced the arts of war more than any man since King Simocles of legend.

"Meanwhile, it is Styphon's paychests that are paying our salaries and providing all our supplies and fireseed. The Archpriest Roxthar-due to Styphon's Own Call (which only he has heard, by the way)-believes he should be put in sole command to do Styphon's Will, as he puts it. Of course, he has neither military experience or proven leadership qualities. In the meantime, he wants to Investigate every Hostigi in Hos-Hostigos to see if they still believe in All-Father Dralm. However, when those who clearly do not-mostly knaves and cutthroats-tell him they do not, he doesn't believe them and is well on his way to completely depopulating the entire Kingdom!

"Lysandros, who should care, doesn't. He's either too involved in his own machinations, or is just too frightened of Roxthar-and who can blame him, if he is?-to stop this madman before he kills every Hostigi within three hundred marches. On the other hand, Grand Master Soton, who does care, acts as if he doesn't, for some deep purpose of his own or the Inner Circle's.

"Meanwhile, as Lysandros' handpicked commander, I spend my time smoking and drinking Ermut's Best in a bordello, wondering if and when I'll ever be allowed to do the job I'm being paid to do: Which is, quite simply, find Kalvan, force him to fight and then destroy him and all his armies."