The stone of the wall was pleasingly cold against his back in the dark and humid overheated conditions of the cells. This wasn’t the first time he’d been locked up, far from it, but it was the first time he’d been locked up in a military brig. So far there hadn’t been much difference, except the guards were maybe a little better trained and left him fewer openings to free himself.

But it still wouldn’t be a problem, if he so desired.

But he didn’t. Not right now anyway, there was still far too much he needed to learn about the current setup and as he’d realised after talking to Veldt just how blind he’d been to the political games all around him. All these soft self-serving politicians, all using him as a pawn.

How dare they use him as a tool against his own Herd! They were utterly without honour, without even common decency!

He heard Veldt’s voice chuckling as she said, “Politics is an indecent game that you either play well or get played in. You know your whole life you’ve been used as a tool by one faction or another, even when you thought you were free of it as a mercenary, I’d guarantee that you were being used by someone to enforce their wishes on someone else. It’s all political.”

He rumbled an assent and said, “I know this. I just never cared before, I followed my Herdkeeper’s wishes or my commanding officer’s orders. The politics were not something I had to be concerned about, other people worried over that. I was happy enough being someone else’s tool, circumstances mean I am not now.”

He felt Veldt’s confusion, she said, “That worldview of yours is very alien to me, even moreso than your distinctly male body was. It is built on a reverence for order and viewing others as superior to yourself… I could not do that. Never. Never would I let someone play me without protest or recompense of some sort.”

“Sometimes you must.”

He felt her shaking her head and she said, “Never, if it looks like that might happen you can always change the game. Always.”

“Our experiences differ. Quite significantly. I have never found the game changeable.”

“I’ll teach you before I fade.”

“Fade? Is that certain? I can feel no diminishing of our shared connections to this body.”

Her voice was resigned as she said, “You are in your own body and strongly aligned with order, you wouldn’t. When living I was an embodiment of Chaos, that continues in your borrowed body and more there is a pressure left in this world by a very old enemy that constantly grinds at my existence. Much muted in here with you but still present. I will not last much more than another two to three thousand turnings at most.”

“Two to three thousand?! I will live no more than a bare hundred years… I have heard of one Minotaur living to a hundred and twelve but he was a legendary warrior who never lost a fight in his life.”

Veldt said, “What! So short? How do you ever get anything done? I’ve spent a hundred years on a single painting!”

“I can no more understand that viewpoint than you can understand mine, ten years is a long time to me. Ten years is literally nothing to you. The two will never align but you are here now and you will end with me?”

“Yes. I have no chance of an existence outside your body now.”

“I have just learned I will have a guest til the day I die, you have just learned you will die very soon for your sort… lets destroy Folscach before we end. Shall we?”

“That would be my greatest desire. I can’t say I’m happy I know my life will be done so soon but as long as I view it as it was already done and this is a chance for revenge, it’s easier to bear.”

“Well we should get to that revenge.”

“We should, I would suggest waiting on the Noble. The Iaernide have sources of information we cannot match, he’ll know we’re locked up and probably did before we did. He’ll come and likely have a plan of some sort to deal with it.”

“Hrrm, I have had limited interactions with Nobles. At my level I dealt with the protected far more often, working or fighting alongside them. The Nobles were around of course but they were dealing with my superiors not me.”

He felt a small smirk from Veldt, “I doubt the Iaernide have changed greatly in the fifteen thousand turnings since I least dealt with them, he will come and he will have the information I am certain of this.”

“Very well I will wait patiently for him, in the meantime… teach me as much as you can about politics. I am going to be playing in that arena and will need that knowledge.”

He felt happiness but it wasn’t his own, an odd sensation, Veldt said, “Oh I will be glad too, I love teaching. Especially when that teaching will overthrow long held and entrenched views.”

*******

“Herdkeeper Matron Kireless I assure you, we will provide you with full support should you need aid in your drive for the Bloodmage Primacy and for your partner in his quest for the Chancellorship. It is an abomination as it currently stands with both seats held in one set of hands. The Bloodmages should have no links to the Governmental functions of the Confederacy at all and should be entirely focused on maintaining the Confederacy's magical might in the face of it’s enemies. Supported freely and openly by the Chancellor and the other apparatus of Government.”

Noble Trftdrwx regarded the Centaur matron calmly every single part of his body language expressing support and hope.

From her reclined position, reaching out she popped a grape in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully for a minute then said, “I could not agree more, it’s almost as if you read my very mind. My breedmate will need that support his opposition for the Chancellorship is stiff, I do not. Oterrn is the only one who is even close to having the strength of magic to contend me for the Bloodmage primacy and he is one of my ardent supporters.”

“Your might in magic is part of the reason we are willing to entertain your claim, your breedmate is… not the best candidate for my superior’s needs but we will support him to secure you in the primacy.”

She beamed and said, “Such refreshing honesty. That gives me a great feeling about our future dealings, I must of course consult my breedmate and my supporters but you have my provisional agreement.”

Bowing slightly to the grossly fat mare Trftdrwx said, “Of course Matron I will inform my superiors to await your contact.”

As he left Trftdrwx was glad his face was immobile and he was trained to rigorously control his body language. Dealing with her was a true test of his abilities in dissembling, he had played nice when he wanted nothing more than to tear off her fat greasy face.

So utterly incompetent and self-serving.

He had several of the main families all lined up to support her for the Primacy and her equally fat breedmate’s claim to the Chancellorship. It had taken several tendays to set it all up but it was in place now. He hadn’t liked leaving Obbst in prison for that long but there was little he could do about it. He would have been useless in these negotiations anyway, not a one of these Centaur would treat a Minotaur as anything but an servant and nothing they said to one would hold any value.

But, now it was time to move into an active phase and put some pressure on Folscach, hopefully force him into making errors and even more hopefully deplete at least some of his stores of Chanar blood.

Which was why he was now here at the CEF headquarters. Walking up to the desk in the front of the squat building he said, “Good afternoon. I am counsel for Obbst of the Halas Herd. I will see my client now.”

The protected behind the desk said, “Noble, my instructions are to ask who it is that defends this Minotaur.”

“That is no concern of the Cadogan Expansion Force and there is no legal requirement for me to inform them.”

“I have been instructed to deny access and call for the commander of this barracks.”

“Do so, we must always act in accordance with the employers instructions.”

The protected leaned over and spoke briefly into an intercom on the desk then said, “If you would wait in the room across the hall, Commander Bregstrn will be with you shortly.”

He nodded and walked into the waiting room, it was a small and cramped room so it was a good thing his own protected were all on other tasks.

Thankfully he didn’t have long to wait.

The protected from the desk came into the room and said, “Noble, Commander Bregstrn is here. I will perform translation duties if you wish.”

“No need, I will talk to the Commander for myself.”

Walking out behind the protected he saw a hulking Minotaur that made Obbst look small. No wonder the protected had come for him, this Minotaur wouldn’t have fit in the room he was waiting in.

Hands clasped behind him and feet shoulder width apart the Minotaur in a very smooth voice said, “I am pleased you are one of the more enlightened and modern of your type, I always found it rather stifled the flow of conversation to always use a translator. I believe you are here for a prisoner Obbst?”

“Yes, I have been retained as his representation.”

“May I ask by who?”

“You may.”

“Well?”

“You can ask. I’m not going to tell you of course and I legally have zero need to inform you of anything. Now let me see my client.”

Trftdrwx was amused to see slowly growing rage push the urbane and polished expression off the commanders face. His voice cracking and the normal Minotaur growl breaking through he said, “Come back with a writ of access. Until then get out.”

“Come now Commander I would hardly attempt to access a prisoner without a writ, that would be illegal and the Judges would be extremely upset with someone bypassing them like that. My writ is right here.” He said, holding up the small token of pressed metal. Which hadn’t been easy to get, it seemed interested parties really didn’t want Obbst to have counsel. Only Royal intervention had secured it eventually.

But the effort was well worth it as the Commander’s face went through shades of red until it settled on a nearly purple colour. Nostrils flaring and eyes reddened he said, “I do not care that you have that writ. Get gone from my barracks or I will throw you out bodily or perhaps I’ll throw you in the brig yourself.”

“Come now Commander, that directly contravenes the rule of law regarding counsel and the Judges would be quite incensed to see the laws of this country being flouted in that way. Now as you have just threatened me personally I will have to ask for your military police to be present for all further interactions as is outlined under the laws relating to hostilities between counsel and the Authority of the institution in which their client is being held. Would you like to lay a hand on me now and allow me to have my client removed from this facility and transferred to one of my choosing?”

He saw the rage drain from the Commander’s face and he chuckled to himself, that reaction right there confirmed what he’d already suspected. For some reason someone very powerful wanted Obbst here. Because no Minotaur would ever let someone so much smaller and apparently weaker than him directly challenge him like that without responding unless there was someone much more powerful controlling him from behind the scenes.

The Commander now stony faced turned away and stalked over to the reception desk, after bending and speaking a few words to the protected he then very carefully and deliberately stayed as far away from Trftdrwx as possible until a couple of Minotaurs with MP armbands arrived.

Once escorted he walked over and said, “I will allow you to speak to your client, unobserved as the law requires. For the minimum time the law requires, you will have thirty minutes from entering the room until you will be asked to leave it. The prisoner will be in the room shackled and waiting for you.”

Voice toneless Trftdrwx said, “He also better be in perfect condition, no accidents. Or I will instigate a full investigation and as the law states he will be removed from this facility for the duration. If he is harmed in any way I will want to see the guards he put into the infirmary, I know my clients abilities and even without his magic and shackled he would definitely injure or kill a few of your guards. Do I make myself clear?”

Muzzle twitching and teeth clenched the Commander said, “Very.”

“Excellent! Now if you would escort me to my client I would be most appreciative.”