Eagle Byzantium

As a result, when the villagers saw this group of Normans who had returned from pilgrimage, they were even more frightened than when they saw the Turks. The elders and others who were kneeling were so frightened that they did not dare to get up.

It’s no wonder that for the Greeks in areas ruled by Byzantium, the name “Norman” is synonymous with gangsters, pirates, murderers, and robbers. When he heard "the Normans came in dragon-headed warships and held torches", they were immediately so frightened that they didn't dare to breathe, so they could only sleep obediently.

For the Byzantine Roman Empire, the Normans they were most familiar with were not the "William the Conqueror" who landed in England more than 20 years ago, but the infamous Tver family, which was still a leader during the Battle of Hastings. They were little-known nobles, but they soon took root in Italy. Among them, the "Three Norman Brothers" were the most fierce and famous, namely The eldest brother, "William the Iron Knight", the second child, "Robert Guiscat the Cunning" and the third child, "Roger the Conqueror of Sicily", these lawless Norman knights ride on Viking warships and powerful horses to fight against everything that stands in their way. Their enemies - the Byzantine Greeks, the Crescent Christians, the Lombards, and even the patriarch St. Peter, the Pope, looked down upon them. In a short period of time, the Normans conquered Taranto in southern Italy and Palermo in Sicily, and plundered and attacked the territory of the Byzantine Roman Emperor along the Adriatic Sea. They burned, killed, looted, and committed all kinds of evil. , so all the Greeks were silent about them.

"Is there a priest who can provide services?" The Norman nobleman who took the lead asked loudly again, his voice echoing in the air, but no one dared to answer.

"I can." At this time, Peter who was beside Gawain came out and said in Aoi language.

The noble man laughed again, "I didn't expect to hear the dialect of the Normandy region here. It's so kind. If I guessed correctly, you are also a pilgrim?"

"Yes, Monk Peter, in the Nicaea region, all the pilgrims I was in were killed by the cavalry of the Emir of Nicaea, and I was the only one who survived by chance."

The noble man's falcon-like eyes glanced, and then he blew a whistle from the lips under his red beard. The eagle on his arms immediately soared and landed on the scaffold held up by the slave behind him, "I can say, yes The tall guy behind you, who looks a bit like us and doesn't look like a short and cowardly Greek, saved you? "

"Yes, his name is Stephen Gawain, and he is a captured pilgrim who escaped. But when I was saved, I also saw Saint George in white horse and silver armor. I firmly believe that my salvation was a miracle of the Lord!"

Hearing the word miracle, the nobleman and all the Norman knights became solemn. They stood in a circle around Peter, then half-knelt down, pulled out their swords, held them flat, and held the cross along the tip of the sword. Peter's heels were down, and after a few hymns were finished, everyone held the sword with both hands behind their backs, shouted "Amen" in unison, kissed the hilt of the sword, and then stood up one by one and sheathed the sword.

Then, the noble man's eyes were fixed on Gawain, who was wearing a Turkic warrior armor, and a murderous smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "You have an unsheathed sword. This is disrespectful before the Lord's worship."

"My sword cannot be sheathed. It is cursed by the devil of Hell."

"Interesting." The noble man laughed for the third time. Then he stepped on the stirrups and turned on the horse skillfully. Then a man wearing a cloak whose face could not be seen clearly came forward and whispered a few words to him. Then he said to Peter cried, "Venerable hermit, with this Interesting guy, come with us on the road. This area is not safe. The Turkic cavalry of the Emir of Nicaea's brigade are following us. They are very close to here. Tell the villagers to flee too. We will join forces immediately. Prusa is going to die!"

At this time, the tax collector Pheobis suddenly ran out of his house again and shouted No, these are the peasant soldiers I just recruited. If you take me away, how should I explain to the emperor and Caesar? When talking about these two figures, it was no surprise that Pheobis took off his hat again and saluted towards the west.

A bag full of coins fell at his feet. It was thrown by the noble man, "How about it? There are twenty silver coins cast by us Normans ourselves. The quality is much better than the new ones made by your emperor. It is enough." Provide money for five peasant soldiers.”

Pheobis hurriedly picked up the money bag and untied the string. Then his eyes were illuminated by the color of precious metals. He hurriedly tied the string again, held the money bag, and started to move towards that place. The Norman nobles kept bowing.

"You're welcome. The money itself is also made from the 'Norman gold' that your emperor pays us every year in exchange for us not attacking the Adriatic Sea." The nobleman chuckled and said this in Oy language. , patted the horse and walked away , "Let's go, respected hermit, people will always be blinded by money, especially the corrupted Greeks. Soon this tax collector, together with this purse, will also be in the hands of the Turks. In the end, All in vain."

"The Turks are coming to kill them soon. Let's take some dry food and clothing and run!" Gawain, who mounted the black horse, and Peter, waved their arms to the villagers and warned loudly.

The whole village was in an uproar. The Pecheneg cavalryman hurriedly took the conscription list and galloped towards Prusa. Everyone carried their luggage and ran towards the wilderness in a team. Only Pheobis was still holding the money bag. He looked sad and asked the villagers to take him with them. It would be best if they provided him with a mule to ride and carry his account books and documents. He wanted to report everything here to the most respectable Lord Macronus Caesar.

But no one paid any attention to him. The villagers were not afraid of him at all. So they pushed him to the ground, ignored his womanly screams, and angrily snatched his purse. Others smashed the door of his house, threw out all the furniture and documents inside, and looted all the taxes collected in the cabinet. Phoebus struggled in vain, and even his silk clothes were torn off and robbed by the villagers. This scene even stunned Gawain who was riding on a horse and watching all this. This group of villagers who were usually docile and dull, after learning that there was no shackles of order above, would burst out with such barbaric and unrestrained destructive power.

The fleeing team of Norman pilgrims and villagers crossed the village and the fields and woods outside the suburbs. Gawain looked back and saw only Phoebus, who was beaten half to death, lying naked in the snow and wailing. What was he? Wasn't he just a fly flying out of the emperor's garden? After the "winter storm" of the Turkic invasion swept through here, would the emperor in the purple palace still care about a small fly that was frozen to death?

"A speck of dust." Peter, who was beside Gawain, sighed and said.