Chapter II: Post fata resurgam (After death I will rise again)
Rhegion, 24 September 867
“The enemy forces are advancing towards our city. Where the Hell are Prokopios and his troops? We cannot fight that army with some untrained peasants.” Carolus thundered.
“I told you. The Strategos fled with his soldiers and went in hiding. Nobody know where he is... I know that is cruel but our orders are to face the enemies with these few resources. And we must obey even if this will cost some peasants’ lives or the heads on those pikes will be the ours…” the commander Lykanthes spoke, his eyes settled on the heads on the pikes outside. The face of Euthokimos, the other commander, was disfigured by the wrath.
“Ah, so is
that situation…I understard your behavior but if we fight here, we’ll lose all the troops, the enemies will have a clear way to occupy not only Rhegion but the entire Kalabrias and your families will feel what you’re feeling now. Do you want this?”
“No. But we have no choice…” Euthokimos keeled over the chair praying in Greek.
“We have ANOTHER choice. Trust me comrades, I have a plan.”
That night
“Keep going, the forest will cover the light of the torches.” Carolus said to the “troops”.
“Carolus, I have a bad feeling. This forest is too silent.” Euthokimos took the word.
“I know but I guess we must risk in order to save most of them. If we’ll success we can reorganise in my holdings in Hydrunton.”
“Mpf, if I had known that you’re a gambler I wouldn’t follow you. What else have you wagered besides our lives?”
He just shrugged “Keep riding.” Lykanthes snorted.
“If we success what do you want to do, Lykanthes?” asked Euthokimos.
“I want to build a family, I’ve promised to my bride that I would marry her when I would return in Kroton.”
“Ahahah, I can see you’re still a kid. The only thing I want is to sink my head in the big breast of a Jewish whore. It’s said that they are very fiery in
chamber business, if you know what I mean.”
“Put down that mask with me. We’ve fought a lot of battles together and before them, every single time, you prayed Our Lord to permit you to survive and reach your family. Am I right? Don’t you want to back in arms your little daughter?”
Euthokimos opened his mouth to respond but an arrow pierced his throat: he looked at it, his eyes were wide open, and fell from the horse.
“EUTHOKIMOS, NO! CAROLUS! IT’S AN AMBUSH!” Lykanthes shut.
“STICK WITH THE PLAN!!!”
“A plan? Talk, what are you waiting for?”
“This night we’ll flee to Kopertinon passing through the forest behind the city. We have enough horses a peasant so everyone will come with us.” Carolus explained “They’re about 350 people, right? We’ll move in a single column with the back covered by us commanders.”
“But we risk to get into an ambush. And in that case we’ll lose the troops anyway.”
“Not if we follow this plan right. Marching behind the column permits us to understand immediately if we walked in a trap. Thereafter the column will divide itself into three wedges: I’ll lead the center, Euthokimos the left and you, Lykanthes, the right and we’ll place in the center of them. But the most important part comes now: when the wedges take form the archers will fire their flaming arrows to the trees. The enemy on them will be forced to fall down or take fire.”
“But since the trees are too high they’ll die anyway. Alright but who tells you that the archers will sit on trees or that nobody will pursuit us?”
“I hope you will ask that. First, there isn’t a direct path in the forest, it serves to get wood, so is logic that they have put an archer on every trees or we could pass safely behind their back. Second, I didn’t say that nobody will pursuit us but if the trees take fire they’re likely to fall and kill the chasers.”
“And we’ll stand in the center to take less risks. Where is your sense of sacrifice now?” Lykanthes asked.
“Mpf, ever had. But at least one of us MUST survive to reach Kopertinon. If I die give this letter to my wife and she will help you to gather an army. So comrades, are you willing to offer up your hearts for the sake of the Empire?”
Other arrows whizzed in the air. The column divided in three wedges.
“Now my soldiers, act the plan! RAGE!”
The archers managed to fire their flaming arrows, others received arrows in return. Some enemies fell off from the treetops instead of burning alive. Slowly the formation started to thin out but also the forest burnt killing the enemies.
“The enemies don’t seem to stop, what must we do?” a soldier said.
“Another time… keep riding my comrades. We must reach the end of this forest. Only there will be our salvation.” The arrows histle continued to enrage in the dark, one by one both enemies and allies died but the wedges kept going straight regardless the losses.
“Have you heard it? Was it a neighing?” Carolus asked to a knight.
“Damn, it comes from the left wing…”
“CHAAARGE!” the enemy knigths charged the central wedge and broke the formation, many soldiers were unhorsed and died under the hooves.
“Fuck, they exterminated the left wing. Soldier, give me your sword. Command the others to reunite with the right wing, give this letter to its commander and tell him what happened here. I’ll deal with these fools.”
“Orders! Horsemen, with me!”
Perfect, now it’s my time.
Carolus changed direction, going directly against the enemy lines.
“Ehi shit-looking faces, come and crush me if you’re so strong.” He stood up on the saddle and wielded the swords taking the right one in reverse-grip placing that behind himself.
I couldn’t ask nothing of better, this place suits very well for my swordmanship techniques.
Taking advantage of the horse speed, he took a jump and spun on himself slicing the horse and its rider.
“Do you like my skills? I can give you more if you want.” Using a tree as a jumping ramp, he turned and killed a group of three knights in a swirl of blades.
“H-How may he be so fast?” an enemy exclaimed shaking “No man can be so…so strong. You…YOU ARE A DEVIL. I’LL KILL YOU!” the swords crossed his head and body cutting the curls covering his ears and the curly beard.
I’m sorry guys…it’s a unilateral slaughter.
“We-we did it. We left the forest.” Lykanthes said, crying of joy but suddenly realize “I…I did it… Euthokimos, Carolus… I won’t let your deaths be meaningless.” struck his chest with a punch. “Tell me soldier, has someone of the left wing survived? And your wedge… there’s any chance that…?”
The soldier drank “I-I don’t… No, nobody survived. They arrived silently, probably neither the left wing noticed them. They were…too much…maybe 200…if we would fight together we could defeat him but the commander Carolus…he ordered us to retreat. He sacrificed himself…like a hero… commander, is this our end?”
“Our end…mpf, who knows? We all put ourselves in this operation but seems that it gives us more losses than gains. I…I really don’t know what to do. I only want to revenge my friends…”
“COMMANDER! A man is getting out the forest.” a scout screamed.
“Get in position. No wait, are you?” a man covered in blood was walking towards them wielding two swords.
“I think I really need a bath to remove all this blood. Bleah…I also had drunk a bit.”
“Carolus, how…are you alive?” Lykanthes asked.
“Uh, what’s strange? I killed them and I’m alive. We must go to Kopertinon, the plan, do you remember?”
On that day, mankind received the grim reminder of living in fear of the Roman world.
Kopertinon, Hydrunton
“Oh darling, you survived then. I really…Oh, I thought that you didn’t return. I’m…I’m so happy.” Zlata embraced him deeply “I’ll give you a night to remember.” said in a whisper.
“I have a tough skin, you won’t get rid of me so easily. But first, let my men find some good place to rest.”
“I’m
glad of doing my handmaidens’ work.” said ironically “Anyway, I have some good and bad news: the good is that Therianos finally has created a claim on Monte Sant’Angelo, the bad is that Rhomanos is dead. Being your regent, I replaced him with Himerios, a young lowborn. He is more skilled than Rhomanos was, I think I did a good work.”
“Mh, good. Moreover, you’re my wife. Can I present you Lykanthes? From now he will serve me as a commander.”
“Glad to meet you, Lykantes. Carolus…the Basileus sent you a letter, you’re summoned at his court. Did you do something that enraged him?”
“I don’t know. I shall see but first I need a bath. Did you see me?”
Konstantinoupolis, some days later
“Basileus Basileios I calls Carolus, Tourmarches (Comes in Greek) of Hydrunton in judgement.” the judge exclaimed.
“Carolus” the Basileus started, Prokopios sat at his right “Prokopios told me that you received the order of fighting to defend Rhegion until the last peasants’ blood. But you didn’t follow the orders and left the city with some troops, that were decimated, and retreated to your holding Kopertinon giving the enemy free way to occupy all Kalabrias. Am I right?”
“You’re right, Your Highness.” Carolus kept kneeling.
“Mh, don’t you have anything to say?”
“No, I did all the things you said. And I have no regrets.”
“Oh, we have a proud man here. I’m sorry Carolus, you really acted well during the Bulgarian invasion and I awarded you with a title but you know what the laws say. If you disobey to your liege, in this case Prokopios, you’re punished with the lose of the highest title you own, in this case the Tourma of Hydrunton, and if the guilty doesn’t have a title he’ll lose his life.”
“I know.”
“Hence I declare Carolus a tr…”
“Wait a moment Your Majesty.” Prokopios interrupted with a devious tone “Yes, Carolus might disobey me but he’s a great commander and he doesn’t deserve this punishment. In addition my spy in the enemy army said me that were the Jews to open the gates of my holdings and that were them to ambush the fleeing troops of Carolus. I think that they must be punished instead of my vassal who only did his duty to preserve the
resources of my lands.”
“You have a point. I’ll follow your advice but, Prokopios, remember that the peasants are human beings, not resources. Carolus, thank your liege but if you’ll come another time in this hall neither Prokopios would save you from my justice.”
“Thanks, my Basileus.” said the two together.
“You haven’t thanked me. I’m really sad…”
“Prokopios what do you want from this trial?”
“Surely nothing from you, basically you have
nothing.” he laughed “Have you reconsidered my offer?”
“No. The Jews didn’t nothing, right? You only use that justification to obtain some advantages?”
“Who knows. See you soon, my Tourmarches…”
Kopertinon
“How much must this hunt last ?” Zlata shut.
“Until I want.” Carolus answered aiming with his bow and let the arrow flying.
“So, Konstantinoupolis is besieged by the Aghlabids, the Paulicians won the war and you think to this? Umpf, if you wanted to hunt until night you could leave me in the castle. Lykanthes, said something to him.”
“You know, my Lady. We men are made in this way.” Zlata grumbled.
“I noticed a strange movement in the bushes. May be some big boar, I’m going to see. Lykanthes, stay with her.”
He advanced slowly, crushing the sticks on the ground, the air became heavy.
Where do you hide, man? I’m not too fool to think that was a animal. A knife pushed on his throat.
“Ohoh man, please let me go. Do you really want to kill an unarmed guy?” Carolus bit his hand, took the knife and threw him with face on the ground, pushing the knife in his back.
“Ops, the situation has reversed. You don’t seem to know how to use a knife. I think I must kill you if I want to protect my dears.”
“Nono please, I’m only a judge… a judge of your strenght. I’m from the society of the Round Table.”
“The Round Table? The thing with Arthur, Holy Graal and something else?”
“Yes, that. Our leader, Pantherios sent me to prove your strenght in fights. You know, we received notices of your battle in the forest of Rhegion where you slaughtered about 200 men alone. We want to recruit you, would you accept?”
Carolus took the letter.
“Interesting, how could I refuse this gentle request?”
“Perfect, you’re one of us. But now, let me go. You’re hurting me.”
