27 A Rat On the Wall

"One new Cavalry company is all we have horses four," Said the old man in Orange. "That's five of the officer's spots if your noble ass doesn't mind promoting a few hundred infantry to the cavalry."

"Sun no!" whistled the man in riding boots. Including low born footman into the noble ranks of the cavalry would smear our reputation and forcing my men to dismount to lead the rabble you call solders is beneath them."

"Then you don't need more officers," said the old man. We should promote some promising sergeants to lieutenant so they can enforce discipline in the infantry."

"The mess of men you call infantry was a disorganized mess before the officers died," shouted back the thin cavalryman. "besides appointing peasants to be officers is a ridiculous idea. You may as well promote my horse in that case. Do you not agree Lord Brand?"

The men around the table all looked to the Sun mage sitting at the head of the table. He looked at the men at the table and then looked at the man in the breast plate.

"Sir Toller," said the sun mage. "are any of your great swords interested in accepting a commission as an infantry lieutenant?"

"Maybe one or two of my brothers would be interested in command," conceded the wide shouldered man with the sword. "but I doubt they would want to lead musket infantry. My sword brothers might tolerate the musket but that doesn't stop it from being a coward's weapon. What of the engineers. Douglass your men are smart and at least a few of you craftsmen must have some steal in their spine."

"Not an option," declared Lord Brand.

"Indeed," said the small man with glasses. "The more men you pull from my team the longer it will take us to get the foundries running. The traitors destroyed most of the factories in a last act of defiance. It will take months to rebuild even one factory with what we have now."

"So, get more men," declared the Cavalryman. "most of your craftsmen are of common birth, it can't be that hard to find more of you."

"Captain Dain, if you and your collection of bastard offspring were capable of it then me and my trades men would not have been brought along," yelled back at the man in glasses.

The Cavalryman stood from his chair. His face red as he grabbed for his saber. "How dare you talk like that to me peasant. You will not disrespect our noble heritage. Lord Brand I demand that He be punished, or I shall tell my father of his disrespect and your complacency in this matter of honor."

"If your father gave a shit about you, you would be a Knight in her majesties service," Said The old sergeant. "Now sit down before you poke your eye out."

"Lord Brand!" shrieked Dain.

"Sit down boy," ordered the amused knight. "You're too easily provoked and the last time you and Sergeant of Arms Blunt got into a fight he knocked you out cold before you could even swing."

The room brightened as flames Grew out of Lord Brands body and hair. All the men looked at lord brand. The Craftsman and knight looked at him in awe. The cavalry man sat down fear clouding his eyes. The sergeant looked at him in a calculating manner his eyes reminding him of a rat looking for a way to fight off one of the bar cats.

"Do not Waist my time with your bickering," declared the sun mage. "Douglass you are dismissed get back to work on the foundry. Sergeant Blunt, Captain Dain we shall return to the matter of officer's latter let us talk of the other matter. Sergeant did you see this monstrosity?"

The man with glasses nodded and left the room. He was an interesting person and Albie wanted to know more about this foundry, but he also wanted to hear what the men said about his attack.

"Yes, my lord," said the old soldier. "A moving pile of corpses that ate at least two men howl and adding them directly to its size. It was slow moving and not dangerous at range, but it took all night to kill."

"tougher than that lock fellow a few nights back?" asked Sir Toller with a grin on his scared face. "he was a fun one to fight areal monster worth the hunt."

"That one was the least of our problems," said the Sergeant. "Private Stipth shot his musket into the party last night. He then attacked with his bayonet. Two were injured before he was restrained. He did not respond to being beaten or stabbed someone hung him but that didn't stop him from squirming up there until morning. He and all the officers killed had black claw marks on their necks. One more body was found in a nearby alley the next morning with the same injuries. A robed Figure was chased down to the same corpse pile where he was beaten. One man on a horse road away but soon after that corpse pile came to life. Of the three men one was swallowed by the pile one was a blackened husk and the last one fled from the beaten man shouting and screaming he was a vengeful wraith. The last man was hung for cowardice. My lord I know you like a personal approach to cowards, but I could not let him continue to babble about vengeful spirits all night and morning. That is all"

"My lord brand my sword brothers will begin hunting this monster immediately," declared the night.

"No, my lord the cavalry shall hunt down this spirit and prove that we are most deserving of the commissions," declared Dain. Before he stood up and left the room.

"Excuse me my lord," declared Sir Toller waiting to be excused.

The sun mage nodded, and the tall bearded man pounded his fist against his chest plate in salute before leaving.

"Aren't you going to get your men under way as well Sergeant?" asked Lord Brand.

"I still have to reorganize the boys," said the older man. "I don't want them flooding the streets without any direction."

"I see sergeant," said the mage calmly. "Do be quick though this wager seems as good a compromise as any. The prize for this spirit might as well be the commissions."

"The prize for the unprepared is normally death," retorted the old solder. "Something wrong is in the city my lord. The Antes are down my lord, But I fear the pot is not yet full. I think I shall pass this round. See what my next hand looks like before I start placing my bets."

"Take your time Sergeant," said the sun mage standing up and walking to the door. "I do however hope Captain Dain ends this soon."

The sun mage stepped out of the room leaving the old Sergeant behind.

"I hope so to," whispered the old man with a tired look on his face.

A rat scurried out of the building into a nearby sewer full of other rats. A large male rat came up behind bags. Eager to add branches to his family tree.