Eagle Byzantium

Then, all the five hundred defenders of the Holy Spring Castle, most of whom were Calabrian and Armenian mercenaries, heard the sound of chanting from the mountains and valleys on the side, like the wings of countless locusts vibrating in resonance, coming from their ears. Intense fear rolled past - Hercules raised his body, supported it with both hands, climbed to the top of the sentry tower, leaned out half of his body, and under the rising sun, he I saw thousands of Turkic cavalry wrapped in turbans and helmets, all with huge arrow baskets hanging on their saddles, and dazzling scimitars, three-edged machetes or sharp spears on their shoulders, all neatly arranged, I don’t know. When did it come out of the valley and cover the entire mountainous area, washing the originally green slopes into a black turbid current?

What is even more frightening is that this cavalry is just a bunch of people closest to the Holy Spring Castle: further away, there are thousands of Turks, Saracens, Armenians and people loyal to Yagishyan. Syrian Greeks, standing upright Behind them were dazzling war flags of various colors, all sitting astride four-hoofed horses, camels and even mules, singing verses praising Allah and the Prophet, accompanied by the deafening braying of livestock, and the dust raised was almost Cover the entire sun.

"Father..." Even the young, brave and well-informed Heracles felt that the fortress beneath his feet was trembling, like a lonely boat in a dangerous stormy ocean.

The other soldiers were too horrified to speak, "That crimson flag is the signal for Achish's general attack. About yesterday, this group of people had already ambushed in the mountains to the north and east of Antioch. "The bald Pakade sighed, and then he turned around, sweat dripping down from his bald head. Suddenly, a shrill shout spread throughout the stone castle, "Light a bonfire and call the police to all Christian camps!"

"Call the police! Call the police!" Several sergeants holding torches quickly ran through the battle channel behind the stone fort's curtain wall. Soon orange-red flames and thick black smoke rose on the beacon on the high platform of the stone castle.

"Father!" At this moment, Hercules shouted even more nervously. Pacoad followed his son's gaze and looked down the mountain, only to see the entire mountain walls and valleys of Antioch. Fires soared into the sky, with angry red flower-like flames everywhere, and smoke that covered the sky, surrounding the small stone castle at its core.

Pak'ad covered his mouth, his eyes were stimulated by the billowing smoke and tears streamed down his face, "Damn it. The wind is coming towards us. The Turks and Saracens also mixed pepper into the beacon fire. Yaqi really spent a lot of money." "He quickly ran to the beacon, overlooking the Orontes River and the barrier of the Porta de Saint-Paul below, but countless streaks of flying smoke quickly spread to the other side, making it difficult for Pacoad to breathe. Not to mention discerning the direction of things.

"Send fast horses to tell Tancred the news about the stone castle."

But the smoke-engulfed stone castle, also glimpsed by the soldiers in the Norman camp in front of St. Paul's Gate, also inspired considerable confusion. Tancred boarded the guard tower, and the oncoming fireworks made him burst into tears. He couldn't see the outline of the Holy Spring Castle clearly, let alone understand the real situation on the other side. "What's going on? They were all chanting by Muhammad’s followers and shouting for death, mixed with the sound of horse hooves vibrating. Could it be that the stone castle had fallen?”

"What happened to Holy Spring Stone Castle?" About half a minute later. Gawain, wearing armor, was in the center of the camp. He shouted and asked Dim who was putting on his greaves, but the other man was only half-kneeling there, grunting and shaking his head wildly. The surrounding soldiers ran out of the camp, shouting, holding weapons and looking for various flag officers and flag officers. Dugelius and Muzafiadin kept switching between broken Greek and fluent Turkic, and they led the black Sabina and the silver-white Quicksilver out of the stable with the reins at the same time.

"The thunder in the morning is the sound of the enemy's approaching horses!" Gawain shouted after inserting the sword of phosphorus into the iron ring of his belt.

The huge movement in Gawain's camp soon spread to Titicius's camp two miles away. Amidst the noise of the soldiers, Diognis took a few steps and jumped onto the wooden watchtower at the corner of the camp. Lifting up his eyes, he saw An Black smoke was floating everywhere in Tik City, and then he looked towards the "Iron Bridge Estuary Fortress" over there. Bohemond, Raymond and Orson were still unaware of the situation behind them. The soldiers and horses of the soldiers crossed Aolong Asase on the Tes River joined the Duke of Apulia's team and continued to make a circuitous route to the northwest, heading to the port of San Simeon to receive supplies. These were all the people and horses, which happened to be sandwiched on the east bank of the Orontes River. , and travel to Persia On the east side of the mountains, there is a long and narrow strip. In order to march as quickly as possible in this state, the three lords arranged their troops into a long snake column with head to tail: Raymond in the front, Bohemond in the front. In the center, Orson is at the back.

"Send fast horses and tell the troops that the valley is very dangerous. I wonder if the Turks have taken advantage of the cover of the smoke to approach them. Even the Normans must be rescued now. "Diognis hurriedly leaned down and called to several Pecheneg cavalry who were waiting eagerly below.

"Something feels wrong!" Bohemond, who rushed to the front of the team with his guards, said hurriedly to Raymond.

"Wha, what?" Raymond also looked back in confusion, but the Orontes River was surging, and there were all the helmets and horse heads behind it, so he couldn't see anything clearly for a while.

Suddenly, in the bushes above the valley, the grass and weeds fluttered and a thunderous sound passed by, from the front of the team to the end of the long team. Everyone turned their heads in horror: rows of fierce and strong Turkic and Saracen cavalry, their bodies covered with shining iron armor, holding various powerful weapons, such as javelins, spears, bows and arrows, and their tooth flags twisted in the wind like crazy snakes, swarming down the hillside, and the sound of horse hooves startled countless flying birds, and then many of them were pierced by flying arrows in mid-air, and then flew into the cheeks and necks of the Calabrian soldiers on the side, blood and feathers mixed, scattered in the air.

"Enemy attack!" Brad, the flag bearer of the Norman Holy Banner Cavalry, turned his horse's head and faced the Turkic cavalry rushing towards him without fear: the fierce light in the eyes covered with turbans, with poisoned arrows coming one after another.

"Woo!" Brad shouted roughly, drew his sword and chopped left and right. The two Turkish cavalrymen who brushed past him were bleeding like a fountain. Their heads had been separated from their bodies, but the horses still carried them and kept running. Brad raised the hilt of his sword and prepared to fight again, but an arrow pierced his armpit directly like a venomous snake looking for a gap. The lock ring shattered, and he spurted out a blood mist from his beard. His arm fell down in pain, bending the arrow feathers, and the sword fell to the ground with a bang.

The Turkish Ghazi warrior who was galloping over shot another arrow and hit Brad's cheek. He still stood on the horse, but he had lost his mind. Three or four Saracens threw the darts in their hands into his huge body armor one by one like thunder and lightning. "I know you, you are the Norman bandit who robbed our home and killed our children!" With these angry shouts, Brad's body full of darts slowly drooped, and the figure of the man and horse was soon lost in the torrent of the pagan cavalry's sudden attack. (To be continued ~^~)