The Fireseed Wars

FIFTY-ONE

he twenty-one members of the Inner Circle assembled in the Great Council Hall were all the Archpriests in Balph. This was the first Temple emergency since the Daemon Kalvan had been driven out of the false Kingdom of Hos-Hostigos. Unlike the last years of former Styphon's Voice Sesklos' reign, there was no table talk or gossip; the new Styphon's Voice on Earth ruled the Innermost Circle with an iron gauntlet.

Supreme Priest Anaxthenes, seated at the apex of the triangular High Table, longed for the counsel of someone with a real military background. Unfortunately, Archpriest Grythos and Grand Master Soton were still overseeing the Siege of Agrys City and were unavailable, while Knight Commander Orocles, who had recovered from his amputation, had returned to Tarr-Ceros. Still, with this latest crisis, even the most naive priest could see disaster was on the horizon.

After Archpriest Neamenestros called the meeting to order and performed the ritual invocations, Styphon's Voice rose to his feet. "As most of you have heard, the nomads are moving across the Great Mother River again. They are moving in numbers as large as they did when they attacked Tarr-Ceros! We believe this is the work of Warlord Ranjar Sargos, who has recently returned from the far south where his armies defeated those of the Mexicotal."

There was an audible gasp of breath from the assembled Archpriests. It was only in the last century that the fierce warriors from the far south had crossed the Great Desert and made incursions in the Sea of Grass, reaching as far east as the borders of Xiphlon. They were rarely defeated in the field; however, it was also true that they had never faced mass musket fire or artillery. Still, they had reigned supreme in battle over the disparate Urgothi clans and Ruthani tribes that filled the Sea of Grass. Only the fierce warriors of the southern Numunuu had kept the Mexicotal from adding the southern portion of the Great Desert that bordered the Sea of Grass to their domains.

"This Sargos is the same Warlord who allied himself three winters ago with the Daemon Kalvan, chasing Grand Master Soton and his Knights from the Trygath back to Tarr-Ceros. There they besieged the Order's great fortress for several moons, almost taking it. There is good evidence that these nomad attacks against the Order's castles are being orchestrated by the Daemon himself."

Archpriest Dracar rose, his face pale from anxiety. "The Daemon Kalvan, as I have said many times, has a very long reach. We must stop the barbarians before they cross into Hos-Ktemnos! If the clans pass through the Sastragath and into Ktemnos we will lose our support among the peasants and serfs."

To say nothing of the nobles and princes, thought Aristocles. It had been over two hundred winters since the last major barbarian incursion had flooded over into the Southern Kingdoms. That was when Menistophon the Great, Grand Master of the Order of Zarthani Knights, had ordered the Great Wall of fortresses to be built along the Great Mother River from Tarr-Syklos in the south to Tarr-Ceros along the Lydistros River in the north. From that time on, most of the major tribal onslaughts had gone farther northeast into the Trygath or Middle Kingdoms. Now, if the barbarians broke across the southern marches, it would be the Order and Styphon's House who took the blame. And, with most of the Sacred Squares of Hos-Ktemnos off fighting in the west with the Grand Host of Styphon or in the east, besieging Agrys City, there would be no army big enough to stop the barbarian hordes before they reached Balph herself.

This was what worried Anaxthenes the most. "I have just received news from Knight Commander Orocles that Tarr-Pynros has been taken."

This was news which the assembled Archpriests hadn't heard and brought open consternation. An Order fortress hadn't fallen to the barbarians in two generations.

"How did they breach the walls, Your Divinity?" one of the Archpriests asked.

"They had artillery and all the fireseed they needed," Anaxthenes answered. "More evidence that the dark hand of the Daemon Kalvan is behind these attacks."

"But the Grand Host of Styphon is busy fighting the Usurper's army in the Upper Middle Kingdoms," Archpriest Dracar said. "How can the Daemon be in two places at once?"

"He isn't. Sargos is one of the Daemons close allies. As far as we know from the survivors' accounts, there was no sign of any Hostigi at the Siege of Pynros. However, one thing is clear, the nomads were using Hostigi fire-seed and guns against Tarr-Pynros. And now Tarr-Marnos is under siege."

Archpriest Timothanes jumped up. "These attacks must be put to an end, Your Divinity! The very walls of Styphon's House are beginning to crumble!"

Anaxthenes smiled to himself. These fools are playing right into my hands. For a moment he almost missed Archpriest Roxthar-but only for a moment.

He arose and raised his arms towards the ceiling. "It is time to temporarily end the fight against the Daemon Kalvan until this barbarian influx is ended. I have already drafted orders to Grand Commander Aristocles to abandon the Siege of Thagnor City and move his men back to Tarr-Ceros and the western marches."

"But won't that allow the Daemon Kalvan to rebuild his army and attack us again?" Archpriest Dracar asked.

"The siege has fared badly. The Daemon and his army arrived in Thagnor by ship long before the Grand Host and were able to erect massive earthworks around the City of Thagnor; the city is now surrounded with walls that are almost impervious to gunshot. One of the Daemon's lieutenants, Prince Sarrask, defeated the Army of Greffa, while the Daemon Kalvan secretly moved his army into Grefftscharr, laying siege to Greffa City. After the city fell, he made one of his lieutenants the new King of GrefFa."

This news was met with shocked silence.

Archpriest Danthor lowered his head and Anaxthenes responded with a nod. The gray-haired Archpriest rose and said, "If this report is true, King Theovacar has lost his capital. This will bind him to our cause for as long as it takes to depose the False King of Nos-Hostigos."

Anaxthenes nodded; he couldn't have phrased it better himself. Danthor was becoming one of the linchpins of his rule.

"Yes, King Theovacar will be soon be our blade against Kalvan. Meanwhile, Grand Commander Aristocles will soon receive orders to recall the Grand Host from Thagnor so that he is to see to the defense of the outer marches. This will be the Order of Zarthani Knights' top priority until the barbarians are driven out of the Sastragath and across the Great Mother River. When they are tamed and Hos-Agrys is truly ours, then we will create an even larger host with bigger and better guns to destroy the Daemon."

"Yes, yes!" the Archpriests shouted as one.

"Kill the Daemon Kalvan! Kill the Daemon Kalvan! Kill Kalvan! Kill Kalvan!"