The Wolf and the Buck (Wolfy)

[Philotas]

419C.E.,Summer, Accalia in Amastris

The Archaean delegation arrived in Accalia to continue discussion begun the year before regarding the ongoing relations between Archaea and her former masters the Amoraean Empire. The discussions had been for the most part fruitless and pointless, but they were regarded as a diplomatic nicety, so they continued nonetheless and kept the peace.

Accalia had been chosen this year primarily because the new Phoenix Commander would be in the city and rumour was that he desired to partcipate in the discussions. Though whether this was to just annoy the Senate or part of some concerted policy was unknown to the Archaean delegation.

Accalia itself had greatly increased in wealth and size since its trading tithes and laws had been relaxed though still was a shadow of its former self when the Empire had been at its height, and could not compare to some of the great trading ports of Archaea. Nevertheless it provided the delegation with all the cosmopolitan delights of any urban centre and definitely lightened their mood. The delegation contained members of all political stripes and persuasions, each sent to protect the interests of their sections of society. The democracy of Archaean could not overcome human nature, despite all its altruistic attempts. Philotas had been an odd choice, especially given his attempts to turn down the offer from the Assembly. But the conservative and aristocratic elements of the Assembly could think of no better champion of their cause then the youngest, and arguably greatest scion, of the ancient Neleides family.

Philotas had attempted to refuse not out of any want to shirk duty but rather because he thought that there were far more articulate and persuasive men then he. However as a friend confided in him, 'They didn't want a demagogue, they wanted a man who was noble in every sense.'

For most of the voyage to Accalia he had kept to himself, though occasionally joining the other delegates on the deck for evening symposia. However he found such engagements tedious, especially given the uncouth company. The delegation was a true representation of democracy's ability to choose men from any station regardless of birth or ability, something Philotas could not abide. So rather then cause offence he simply abstained from their company as much as possible. Instead reading voraciously reports from Archaea about the state of affairs at home and in the Amoraean Empire. Forewarned is to be forearmed after all. He wondered particularly what part in the discussions the new Phoenix Commander would play. From the great Deraine family and exceptionally young, he had risen very far, and due in no small part to prodigious talent or so Philotas' reports informed him. He remembered briefly encountering this young son of the former Phoenix Commander during his time in the auxiliary legions but beyond that nothing. If he was anything like his father, Philotas thought, he would be dogged, determined, pigheaded and every inch a soldier. An Amoraean soldier, he reminded himself.

The delegation had been in Accalia for a few days and had rented an entire villa for their stay, when news arrived that the Phoenix Commander would be joining them. Whether with or without the Amoraean delegation the messenger could not say. So the villa was immediately set into motion and prepared for the arrival of the most powerful man in the Amoraean Empire, a man barely bearded yet. While other delegates preened themselves and prepared gifts, Philotas dressed himself in an austere Doric chiton, the fibulae made from gold and embossed with an Archaean 'P'. Simply attired and with a disinterested manner he strode into the atrium with the rest of the Archaean delegation as the Phoenix Commander arrived. His light blue eyes watched the doors with a keen sense of appraisal, like a wrestler sizing up his sparring partner though absent the macho pride and power. Indeed next to the other delegates Philotas could easily be mistaken for a secretary or some other assistant, instead one of the most successful Archaean commanders.

[Wolfezth Severus Deraine]

Delegations had been going nowhere with Archaea fast, and while the Senate realized this - how could they trust the man who makes a point to disrupt Senate meetings just because he could to not start a damned war with his 'blatant ineptitude in any and all human relations'? Short answer: They couldn't, and wouldn't. It would be foolish beyond belief, and the last thing they wanted is war with a country they did not need to be at war with, a country who is trying to make peace with them - something very few others were doing. To turn the negotiations around and make it a war would set a terrible precedent, and would no doubt make every other country wary at best at trusting the Amoraeans at all, or overtly hostile at worst - and they simply couldn't afford that. They weren't strong enough now, they had lost too many men, and too much land, too many resources to wage a war on multiple fronts and expect success. Wolfezth knew that better than anyone, which is why he has not made any major incursions to any other country since he took command, instead arming and equipping each legionnaire, and fortifying and building fortifications to protect the borders they already have.

However, having a Senator visibly babysitting their Phoenix-Commander in a delegation would make them look weak - so a compromise was made. A younger Senator - a commoner by the name of Arrian would go with Wolfezth and his chosen legionnaires, mostly in an observational role. The idea was that the Phoenix-Commander would behave and be scared to act out since word was given back to the Senate - or at least not agitate the Archaean delegation because of the instinct of self-preservation at the very least. The Senator was dressed in the clothing to befit his station, with a golden Senatorial ring emblazoned with the symbol of the Phoenix, and a tunica clava, a white tunic with a broad purple stripe five inches wide (latus clavus) on the right shoulder.

Other than the Senator, the rest of the people he brought, if any, were Wolfezth's choice, and they were all predictably legionnaires - though he did decide to give a goodwill gesture to the Navy by making half of the six soldiers at his back marines. The difference between the marine and the legionnaires - which were from the Seventh White Feather Legion, was quite obvious. For one, the marines wore lorica hamata - or chainmail instead of lorica segmentata for its flexibility, a vastly more important necessity on the confines of a seagoing vessel. The Legionnaire - these from White Feather, also carried a scutum - designed as a stark dark blue with the namesake white feathers flowing out from all four corners of the shield - and the marines favoring merely their gladii sheathed on their sides, seeing the scutum as cumbersome and only used in battle.

Along with the Senator and the three legionnaires from the Seventh Legion, and the three Marines from the Navy of varying bloodlines, Wolfezth also brought someone who had become a close friend and ally in the past few years, as they both ascended at around the same period, and both off the merits of their valor in the border with the Norska. It was this person who would make a conservative Amoraean and Archaean alike cringe, and some might chalk to a disintegration of values - or the true face of desperation of the Amoraean Empire for fresh blood to fill their ranks.

Kyra Nightingale - Sky Darkener of the Amoraean Army. A woman of barbarian descent, showing obviously in her pale skin and blonde hair. Her appointment by the Senate showed a culture shift, one where societal norms must be ignored if it is for the greater good of the legion - and thus the Army. They could not afford to turn away talent because of their gender, because of their race, because of their age much longer. The Northmen invasion killed off nearly all senior officers, and left a huge void that was filled with young and relatively inexperienced ambitious young legionnaires - Wolfezth and Kyra included - it was simply the nature of the times. She was clad in lorica squamata - the armor of both archers and light cavalry in the new Amoraean Army, and a leather glove on her right drawing hand - as was customary and practical for an archer - along with bracers on both wrists for protection from the bowstring particularly in long conflicts. Her recurve bow was at her back, alongside her quiver which was quarter-filled, an indication that battle was not expected and it was just a battle dress, and pugio - or dagger on her left hip. She also represented the start of a shift of leaders with different strengths getting paired together, as while Kyra was exceptional both individually and on a grand strategy level, she was not a leader - and thus was paired with Wolfezth, whose main strength is his leadership and command - as well as the hard to master art of tactics - and by joining together two generals who shore each others weaknesses, you create a commanding body that can take over a battle with any phase, whether it be strategy, tactics, leadership, or individually.

The Phoenix-Commander himself was dressed in his lorica segmentata, with his pugio on his right hip and spatha on his left - the old centurion in him taking over even now, carrying his unique scutum with his left hand - instead of being emblazoned with the image of a particular Legion's calling card, it was painted with the image of a blazing Phoenix - the new animal of the Amoraean Empire, symbolizing it rising from the ashes of the old to regain and exceed its former glory. Wishful thinking? Sure, but one had to be optimistic in such times to stay sane. He and each other Amoraean infantry trained legionnaire wore manica - or arm guard, made with curved and overlapping steel plates reaching down to the wrist, and each soldier there including marines wore calcei - a soft leather shoe that covered the entire foot, an oddity considering the battle dress, but hobnails really tended to tear up the floor and ground, and it was only polite to not make a mess of things for your guests. His steel gray eyes faced forward, as he and both the Senator Arrian and his Sky Darkener Kyra walked side by side, flanked by the marines on the right and the legionnaires on the left as they entered the villa to the Archaean delegation. He scanned the area for a moment with his steel gray eyes, and allowed a grin to seep into his features, and spoke pre-emptively.

"Allow me to personally welcome you all to the shores of Amoraea, and to our port city of Accalia. I trust you find your accommodations adequate. I know that negotiations thus far have gotten about as far as a blind man painting a landscape. It is my genuine hope that we can both - Amoraea and Archaea - avoid coming away from this with nothing." he said, clearly and earnestly, taking a small bow which was mirrored by everyone else in attendance - with Arrian being the only one obviously out of place - a senator amongst soldiers, and merely looking around for a place to sit even as he bowed toward the delegation, obviously having his priorities straight as a Senator - which was the entire problem with the negotiations thus far. Looking out for themselves first, and the other party third.

[Philotas]

Philotas could hear the caligae of legionnaires echo as they approached the villa, the sound of armour shifting, as steady and sure as when he had marched with the legions ten years ago. Servants threw open the doors and in marched the Amoraean delegation - everyone of them soldiers bar one. Philotas recognised the legionnaires as being from the Seventh immediately and from the absence of scutum and presence of lorica hamata he took that the other three were marines. Clearly the new Phoenix Commander wished to show the resurgent military power of the Empire, in the most crass and tactless method possible. Oh yes he was definitely his father's son then, Philotas thought dryly. The other delegates stiffened as the legionnaires and marines lined up opposite them, Philotas remained unperturbed and instead kept his eyes on the doorway awaiting the arrival of the Phoenix Commander.

The six foot tall bulky figure of the Phoenix Commander soon passed through the door, with those characteristic Deraine grey eyes. He looked more like a strongman than a general, Philotas thought half expecting the lad to pull out an iron bar and bend it. The sole Senator accompanying him paled into insignificance, the tunica clava no longer inspired the same awe as it once did. Next to the Phoenix Commander however walked a woman! Arrayed for war, this must be the Sky Darkner of the Amoraean army then. Philotas' instinctively curled up a corner of his mouth in disgust. The Empire was desperate then to abandon civilization in such a dramatic fashion. Philotas' blue eyes turned to his countrymen who were nervously eyeing all the weapons amongst the Amoraean's and although he remained unconcerned it was certainly uncouth of the Phoenix Commander. One didn't bring swords to a peace conference. Still the 'Wolf' was still a pup and showed all the brash confidence of a wolf not long off his mother's teat.

Grinning the Phoenix Commander spoke, and Philotas could almost saw he swore the Senator cringe reflexively. Nicias, the leader of the Archaean delegation and a rotund little man, a wine merchant bowed deeply and spoke perfect Amoraean,

"Thank you Phoenix Commander for your warm welcome and our time in Accalia has been most pleasant. It is our fervent wish as well that negotiations benefit our two nations. In a sign of our committment allow us to present you with some small gifts."

Jeweled fingers clicked and servants brought forth a table and then sat upon it two large amphora.

"The finest Chian wine of the best vintage, from vines which grow upon cliffs which overlook the middle sea. It has a bouquet of honey and roses."

Lysander next, a taller man and more rough he owned several merchant vessels and had served in the Amoraean navy decades ago. The servants placed a gold rimmed and jeweled quizzing glass made from emerald. Then Kimon, an always smiling man who was one of the finest rhetoricians in Archaea. The servants placed two buckets of scrolls containing some of the seminal works of Archaean literature. Finally Lamachus, a giant by Archaean standards who made his living owning some of the largest weapon and armour factories in Archaea. The servants placed down a finely worked xiphos. After every gift the same vacuous platitudes were spoken by each in turn. Philotas could not hide his disgust at the open displays of toadying by his fellows. Still it must come naturally to men not of noble stock.

Nicias turned to him and with quirked brow and nod instructed him to offer a gift. Philotas did not even deign to respond and instead simply stepped forward slightly, facing the Phoenix Commander and his Amazonian compatriot and in perfect Amoraean spoke clearly,

"Philotas, son of Nicanor, of the family Neleides, Chiliarch of the Golden Hypaspists."

He did not bow, nor incline his head, or even make the slightest hint that a gift awaited the Phoenix Commander. No this scion of the Neleides - a family descended from the Gods and more ancient than the Amoraean Empire - instead allowed aloof blue eyes to rest momentarily on the Phoenix Commander and then stepped back. These barely concealed bribes were beneath a man of his stock and Philotas was not here to court favour but to ensure that Archaea emerged from these proceedings with greatest advantage.

With a little sigh Nicias began to speak again suggesting that they retire to outside dining room, once the Amoraean delegates had made themselves more comfortable. The fat little man nodded at their armoured state, Philotas smiled a little at Nicias discomfort. While the delegation made their way out into the garden, to await the Amoraeans, Philotas turned on his heel and instructed a servant to ensure that all the wine was watered down with snow - and to bring him just snow. Alcohol was something best taken in small quantities and best avoided at any length during any serious undertaking.

Philotas made it out to the garden and selected a couch which was unoccupied, each couch accommodated two people comfortably. The Archaean delegation had distributed themselves across each couch to ensure that they would each be seated next to an Amoraean. Philotas looked around for a chair for the Sky Darkener but it seemed that she was to recline like a man...disgusting, as if it wasn't bad enough that a woman was included in these discussions!

Philotas sipped at his melting snow, the cold refreshing drink agreeing with him in the mildness of the summer morning.

[Wolfezth Severus Deraine]

"Thank you Phoenix Commander for your warm welcome and our time in Accalia has been most pleasant. It is our fervent wish as well that negotiations benefit our two nations. In a sign of our committment allow us to present you with some small gifts." The seeming leader of the Archaean delegation spoke in perfect Amoraean and bowed deeply at this point, and Wolfezth inclined his head in respect while Arrian could barely conceal his dual amusement and irritation. This moron - and moron he was didn't deserve this respect. The only reason he was even allowed to enter the negotiation to ruin accordingly is because of the pull of his father, who convinced the Senate to give the whelp a chance to prove how overtly inept he is once again. Damn, this one probably didn't even realize he was doing anything wrong, and that made it all the more sad and pathetic.

Wolfezth, meanwhile, dipped his head and acknowledged and thanked every gift, managing to not look completely out of place and confused as he did so. In truth, he had no earthly idea what he was doing, but managed to maintain an air of confidence even now, in the most out of place situation he might have ever been involved in. His ineptitude in diplomacy or any aspect of court was obvious from his actions, but not from his demeanor. He projected an air of cool assuredness, and it allowed him to tackle new situations such as this on the fly extremely well - for the most part, anyway - and managed to sing the praises of Archaea almost as if rehearsed in response to each man doing the same for Amoraea. He truly wanted this to work, and was doing what he always did to try and let it - adapt.

The legionnaires and marines likewise mirrored this. Standing stone still, not quite realizing why in the gods' name the Senator couldn't be doing this, but trusting Wolfezth in his endeavor, which was hoping that by virtue of his inexperience and blunders both realized and acknowledged and unknown and unintentional, would be able to break some ground in a way the stuck in their ways and in many ways exceedingly arrogant and self-serving Senate could not with Archaea. Traditional means were obviously not working, and there is no ways of gain unless you have the courage to try, even though the possibility of failure exists in great amount.

For each man the Archaeans introduced, a member of the Amoraean envoy introduced themselves. Wolfezth Severus Deraine, Phoenix Commander of the Amoraean Army. Kyra Nightingale, Sky Darkener of the Amoraean Army. Heinrich Faldspar, Infantry Commander of the Seventh White Feather. Claudius Heliodoros, Primus Pilus of the Seventh White Feather. Andreas Zephyros, Navarch of the Fifth Heavy Squadron, Aquilinus Porphyrios, Trierarch of the Aquila, flagship of the Amoraean Navy, Horatius Aldhard, milites classiarius of the Aquila, and Cenric Theobald, Decanus of the Seventh White Feather. Each introduction was brief and concise, with name and rank being the only thing given. Even the Senator, Arrian, gave a short, concise name and rank introduction to avoid being the odd man out - a distinct change from the flowery speech of a typical Senatorial envoy. Gifts were already lavished on these Archaeans upon their entry to the country by the men employed by the Senate, so they did without. They were here to try and forge an alliance, and an alliance made on excessive toadying and falsehoods would only crumble at the slightest provocation. The Senate might disagree, but Wolfezth was here to kiss nobody's feet.

Once the Archaean delegation went out to the garden, Arrian made the suggestion (read: order) to let the Archaean servants take their weapons to be returned to them once they left, to reduce the tenseness. Everybody but Wolfezth complied with this fully, as it only made sense. None of the Archaeans had arms, and they looked terribly out of place in a peace delegation now that they realized how the others were arrayed. The Phoenix Commander, stubborn as ever, relinquished his pugio but never his spatha. This ancient sword was a symbol of his office, older than even the first legion of the Amoraean Empire, and would not be relinquished until he was dead or physically unable to perform his duties ever again. They remained in their body armor, but without their sword belts, scutum, quiver, and recurve bow - except for Wolfezth, who kept his spatha stubbornly on his left side despite the Senator's protests. They filed out of the villa, one by one, with Wolfezth coming out last, touching each and every soldier's shoulder in reassurance as they came out, notably being waved off by the Senator even though the Archaeans could see them - Arrian's distaste for the Phoenix-Commander could not be waived even in public, it seemed.

Once outside, Wolfezth couldn't help but grin slightly at the tactic of forcing people to sit together with the delegates of the other country. He was more than happy to go along with it, because it seemed they too were tired of ineffective talks. Wolfezth, coming in last, just took the last available seat - beside this Philotas fellow who seemed as out of place in this as he was, except without the burden of responsibility and the looming action of a Senator who hates you reporting back to Archenridge about how you shouldn't be trusted with eating without suffocating yourself in the not so distant future. Before sitting down, he unlatched his sword belt and laid it down resting against the couch, more of a symbolic thing than anything. It was the sword of the Phoenix-Commander, and it was only fitting he carried it even into a peace negotiation. An ever present reminder that it was not a diplomat they were talking to, but a general.

Upon sitting down, and looking around for a moment, he asked quite plainly, and quite clearly without any of the fluff associated with the Senate and Amoraean bureaucracy. "So, where do you want to start?"