CHAPTER 35
1440-1443
WAR WITHOUT END
Alexios I Angelos the Wise, sacred Emperor of the Imperium Romanum,
basileus basileon by the Grace of God, king of kings and rulers of rulers, Caesar Augustus of the Romaioi and all Men, Autokrator of the Holy Church and Protector of the Christendom, was dead.
His long reign on the Throne has ended when, just like his father before him, he was murdered by the agents of the Enemy. There was no doubt who was to be blamed for this hideous act – the vile
xenoi were behind this. Their supreme leader Cacamatzin Acatl was the one who ordered the failed assassination attempt on Augustus' life on 1st October 1439, for which he paid a terrible price. Although many of the
agentes in rebus died while infiltrating his enormous fortress Tecpan-Palli, the justice has been served and Cacamatzin was sent straight to Hell to meet the daemons whom he served all his life. But even the sight of his mutilated, eviscerated corpse wasn't enough to change mind of his son Nochehuatl Acatl.
As the new supreme lord of the
xenoi beasts, he not only brutally suppressed any and all signs of discontent and soon every Aztec
tlacateccatl was forced to bend the knee before their new master who above all else desired revenge. The Great Palace was being cleansed from every stain of
xenoi corruption and only ashes were left of the Aztec agents, burned alive for their treason. Konstantinoupolis was not yet safe however and so Augustus left the City to make a pilgrimage to holy city of Alexandreia. There, accompanied by several
tagmata and his closest and most trusted advisors, it seemed that the Emperor will be safe from any harm.
But one shall never underestimate the malice of
Diabolos.
The hand of the Enemy reaches far and corrupts everything it touches. When on 19th March 1440 the Emperor was hunting in the Nile Valley the forces of Darkness struck. This time there were no
xenoi assassins who would storm through the guards to attack the Augustus - brute force was substituted with something much more subtle and treacherous. While Alexios I Angelos was inspecting a new hunting eagle, the imperial falconer suddenly attacked him.
Megas domestikos Demetrios Komnenos, who alone was with the Emperor at this moment, swiftly killed the traitor in one clean cut of his sword – but the poisoned obsidian blade managed to reach Alexios' heart. By the time the Varangians arrived with imperial physicians it was already too late – the Emperor gave up the ghost, dying in arms of his most loyal servant.
The feathers and claws of imperial
aquila were stained with blood of Angeloi.
Alexios the Wise was dead but the Throne could not remain empty. His son and heir became the new Emperor -
porphyrogennetos Markos Angelos, Third of His Name. For the first time since the rule of Saint Markos himself the Caesar Augustus of the Romaioi and all Men was to bear this sacred name – and it was not chosen accidentally. When Saint Markos was born, his father decided to name him after one of the greatest Emperors in history - Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus.
Although pagan, he was without a doubt blessed with the most noble spirit among the Five Good Emperors. He spent decades protecting the Imperium from Parthians, Persians and Germanic tribes. Despite earthquakes, droughts, famine, terrible Plague of Galen and other calamities which have befallen on the Imperium, he carried his duties as the Emperor unfazed, determined to work tirelessly for the betterment of his people. Although he cherished peace above all and proved to be skilled administrator, revaluing the
denarius and reforming the legal system, he was forced to spent almost all his rule as a general and soldier, defending the imperial
limes from barbarians. His noble spirit had to face one harsh trial after another and even his children weren't spared from this fate, for although he fathered thirteen of them, only one son and four daughters were to outlive him.
But Marcus Aurelius didn't allow this to become an obstacle in fulfilling his duties. Finding solace in philosophy he wrote
Te eis heauton or
Meditations, one of the greatest achievements of ancient ethics and a literary monument to a government of service and duty. Even devoid of Light of Iesus Kristos, Marcus Aurelius above all – as scholars teach us - gave proof of his learning not by mere words but by his blameless character and temperate way of life. Truly he was one of the Virtuous Pagans, the noblest of all men who by the force of character has achieved goodness for its own sake and not for any reward and never betrayed what he believed in – a true exemplar for every Emperor after him. With his death the
Pax Romana came to an end and the Age of Decline has began.
During the centuries which passed between his death and enthronement of Saint Markos there were maybe a couple of Emperors who achieved similar excellence in an art of government and none has surpassed him – save for Saint Markos himself. And now, almost 200 years after his death, his descendant became the Emperor and was to rule the Imperium under the same name as the venerated
Isapostolos. Once again Markos was to lead and protect the Romaioi from the forces of Darkness and
xenoi corruption.
The wheel of history has come full circle.
Many perceived the events surrounding enthronement of Markos III Angelos as ominous. For the first time in decades Romaioi managed to kill the leader of the savages from the Far West and, alas, the
xenoi retaliated with full force. Their vast domain was stronger than ever before and even the death of their lord Cacamatzin didn't change this. And although many were focusing on the symbolism of the ascension of second Markos Angelos to the Throne, the shadows casted by the Enemy were deep.
The Imperium was badly bloodied after the recent wars against the
mugahidun led by Timur's son. The Horde was once again united and it was only a matter of time before the Mongol hordes would be unleashed upon the Imperium. The Romaioi were surrounded by enemies and only Christian Kings could answer the call to arms – but they too were weakened. Schemes of the nobility, uprisings of Catholic heretics and spreading cults of the Dark Gods were eroding their rule and after loosing tens of thousands of soldiers fighting alongside the Imperium against the power of Timurids, both the Kingdom of Aquitaine and Kingdom of Poland were more likely to ask for help than to deliver it.
Especially important for the Imperium was the fate of the Kingdom of Poland. The only remaining true ally of the Romaioi, the Polish realm was suffering from constant raids, be it performed by
xenoi, Lithuanian slavers or Mongol bands. If the Kingdom was to fall, the Aztec savages could venture into the East unopposed, consuming Khanate of Lithuania and perhaps even the whole Horde – and then there may not be a force in the world which could stop them.
Both king Jacek the Great and blessed Augustus Alexios understood this well. That's why the Last Alliance was sealed with blood – Polish princess Magdalena became wife of Markos Angelos and in return
porphyrogenetissa Zoe Angelos was to marry prince Szczesny, heir to the Polish crown. Binded closely by the holy ties of marriage, the Imperium and Kingdom of Poland were all that stood between the Christendom and innumerable slaves of the Dark Powers.
And even the smallest of the rabid savage beasts was not to be underestimated.
On 17th May 1440 Arpad Drugeth, khan of Hungary, was celebrating – he was victorious. The false Christian Aguchu Koshki, one of the few remaining independent Mongol war-lords, was defeated and more than a half of his lands became part of the growing Hungarian khanate. His desperate pleas for help were met only with silence, his envoys to Konstantinoupolis executed by Augustus Alexios, who saw through his ruse. For Aguchu Koshki was not a Christian – he was a Mongol barbarian, more than happy to manipulate the Throne so that the soldiers of the Imperial Army would bleed to protect him and his “Christian” subjects from their fate.
His lies didn't help him though: the Imperium had no interest in helping this small war-lord. Quite the contrary – growing khanate of Hungary was to become a buffer between the Imperium and the Horde. Surely khagan Temuge would rather subjugate his former subject before attacking Romaioi – demise of Aguchu Koshki could only bought more time for the Imperium to prepare for the inevitable.
Polish king envisioned a different fate for the barbarians however.
On 3rd November 1440 king Jacek the Great declared holy war against the Hungarians. Emperor Markos III was livid, for he wasn't consulted about this by his father-in-law. Having buried his father and completed the purge of the
xenoi agents within the Great Palace and those closest to him with the help of
megas domestikos and black
tagma Athanatoi, he had different plans in mind and unexpected move of Polish king was an unnecessary distraction. In his wisdom Markos III decided to support king Jacek however – if defeated, the Kingdom of Poland could collapse in yet another pointless infighting between the nobles. One would expect king Jacek, who personally led his men in two Polish civil wars, to know better. Despite that, the Imperium answered the call to arms – the Last Alliance had to continue for the sake of whole Christendom.
Soon after several
themata were sent north to help Polish knights destroy armies of the Hungarian khanate, a disturbing news reached the City – son of Timur invaded the Horde.
Yedi, son of Menggei son of Timur, died on 1st October 1440. Death of his heir meant that after khagan Menggei it was small Oronartai, son of Yedi, who was to become the leader of all Shia tribes. It was obvious that in such case the power of Timurids would crumble and the whole realm would be consumed by a long war between the various
mugahidun factions supporting claimants of their chosing, for the barbarians respected only power. Little boy, as the history has proved, wasn't fit to rule over the Mongol tribes and it was only a matter of time before young Oronartai would be killed – especially concerning that there was a powerful claimant to the title of khagan.
Bilge was the last of Timur's sons to still be alive. Being imprisoned by Menggei for more than twenty years, he was said to remain healthy and strong – and unlike his brother, Bilge was blessed with a towering intellect. Who can imagine the horrors man of his capabilities could unleash upon the good Christians if he was one day to become the khagan? It was in best interest of the Imperium and Menggei to get rid of him once and for all. However, ruthless khagan didn't want to kill his own brother – he knew that Timur's blood is the only thing which could ensure loyalty to small Oronartai when he was gone. Thus he decided to banish Bilge from the realm – he was to wander the endless steppes of the East for the rest of his life.
His lone journey through the wasteland didn't last for long however. He was quickly found by Mongol band loyal to the Horde and brought to khagan Temuge himself. Menggei was furious – his own brother, blood of his blood, was to be used by the Tengri-worshipping Horde as a tool to eliminate the Shia tribes and thus secure the Horde's rule over the steppes forever. He decided to correct his own mistake, this time without mercy clouding his judgement.
And so on 16th November the same
mugahidun who successfully defended the Khiva from the worshippers of Tengri were marching to once again clash with the endless armies of the Horde.
Month later Emperor Markos III Angelos declared war against the hated
xenoi.
As it turned out, not all of the Aztec war-chiefs remained loyal to their new master. Few of them disobeyed the orders from Tecpan-Palli and Nochehuatl had no other option but to destroy them, for all
xenoi despise and hate weakness. This combined with several uprisings and rebellions gave the Imperium a chance to reclaim its ancient lands and to have the righteous revenge for the blood of the Angeloi spilled by Aztec blade.
A quick and brilliant campaign in northern Italia by the
tagmata and
auxilia led by
megas domestikos Demetrios Komnenos himself saw a complete victory of the Romaioi – by the end of April 1441 the whole Aquileia was controlled by the Imperium once more. But it was only the beginning: soon the
xenoi armies started to flood through the imperial
limes. Emperor Markos III in his wisdom decided that the
themata still fighting the forces of the khanate were much more needed in Italia. He ordered to sent envoys to king Jacek to ask him to fulfill his obligations as an ally and together with
themata send an army to fight the western savages.
The message never reached the Polish king.
Jacek the Great died on 1st May 1441 while leading his knights in Hungary. His unexpected death left the Kingdom vulnerable.
The Polish nobility was much more powerful than Roman
aristoi or even
dynatoi, every powerful lord ruling his own fiefdom like a king – a necessity when a local forces have to hold their ground against Mongol or
xenoi raiders. The weakness of the Crown was the strength of the nobles and every king had to rely to a great degree on the noble Houses – without their support, he could face an open rebellion. The Polish people were pride and stubborn and held their traditional freedoms and privileges in great esteem.
It takes a skilled ruler to unite them, one who can combine fairness and justice with the harsh realities of the world we live in. King Jacek the Great was one of these men – honorable and kind but when necessary determined to achieve his goal. Now when the Crown has passed to his son, the trust of Polish nobles had to be earned again, an uneasy task even for an experienced ruler – and king Szczesny Spis was just seventeen years old. On the stability of his rule depended the fate of the Alliance between the Imperium and Kingdom of Poland, perhaps even the fate of the Kingdom itself.
The Emperor Markos III knew what had to be done.
It was divine providence which made
porphyrogenetissa Zoe Angelos to reach age of sixteen on 11th May 1441, mere ten days after the death of king Jacek. Being of legal age,
porphyrogenetissa was able to finally marry king Szczesny to whom she was betrothed almost all her life. Emperor's sister received the best possible education and shared with her brother a sharp mind. Well versed in the art of diplomacy and wise above her age, she reminded many of basilissa Martha Angelos – truly there could be better wife a Christian King could dream of.
And so on 29th May 1441 in sacred Hagia Sophia
porphyrogenetissa Zoe married king Szczesny, thus bringing Great House Angelos and House Spis even closer.
Combined forces of Imperial Army and Polish knights managed to almost completely wipe out the
xenoi armies gathered nearby Aquileia during the battle of Graz on 29th May 1441. Nochehuatl, securing his position by spilling the blood of his unloyal servant, sent one of his most trusted slaves to push the Romaioi from the northern Italia. Hazarasp Anushirvanzade was a cruel but skilled warrior, with great experience in fighting in mountainous terrain. Despite being worshipper of false god Allah, after he was wronged by the khagan Menggei he decided to turn to the
xenoi, sacrificing his freedom for the possibility to satisfy his lust for blood. His defeat marked his demise however, for Nochehuatl didn't tolerate failures – the treacherous Persian was sacrificed to the Dark Gods on the Aztec altar, far away from his homeland. Such is the fate of all those who are corrupted by
xenoi influence and only Light of Iesus Kristos and His chosen can shelter one from the Darkness.
Those who are devoid of the divine protection and benevolent guidance of the Angeloi become an easy pray for the Ruinous Powers – just like Pisans.
Collaborating with
xenoi filth for decades, the greed of the Pisan merchants became the cause of their downfall. Acquiring slaves, spices and other goods for their masters, trading with no hesitation with Christians and barbarians alike, the Pisans with every passing year were becoming more and more corrupted. The cults of the Dark Gods were running rampant and no man can count the hideous blasphemies committed by them, not to mention numerous betrayals committed by them against the Imperium. Merchants or mercenaries, one by one Pisans were being consumed by their vices, be it lust, pride, ambition and above all else greed.
It was only fitting that they were to be punished for their transgressions.
On 7th June 1441 Alighiero di Orange, former vassal of the Republic who claimed to be rightfully elected as German kaiser, once again declared war against his former masters. Once again Pisans and Germans were to fight in a bloody conflict - a clear sign of divine intervention, for whoever was to lose the war, the Imperium would win. The mere sight of armies consisting of heretics, cultists and traitors marching against each other fills a heart of loyal Roman citizen with joy.
Soon after the victory of combined Roman and Polish forces over the western savages the allied armies could once again focus on the war with the Hungarian khanate and just a few months later on 3rd November 1441 khan Arpad was forced to surrender. King Szczesny has won the war started by his father, which together with marriage with
porphyrogenetissa Zoe greatly strengthened his position. Having finally ended the unnecessary war, emperor Markos III Angelos expected him to concentrate all his efforts on fighting the
xenoi alongside the Imperial Army.
But young king Szczesny has planned something completely different.
On 28th May 1442 he unexpectedly announced yet another campaign which was not agreed upon with the Emperor, but this time not against the Mongol barbarians – king Szczesny declared war against the heretic Teutonic Knights. Unlike their vile Templar brethren, the Teutonic Knights didn't manage to carve out their own petty kingdom from collapsing realm of German kaiser; unlike Knights of Calatrava they didn't actively participate in the fight against the true Christians. When the world around them was being consumed by chaos, the Teutonic Knights remained hidden, using what little influence they had left to gather resources and man in their monasteries-fortresses. There, separated from the madness of the world falling into pieces around them, they continued to practice their blasphemous Catholic heresy.
But the world has changed greatly in the last 200 years and there was no safe heaven on this earth which could protect one from
xenoi threat. Slowly pushed away from Aztec domain, the Teutonic Knights were dying out, their numbers dwindling and in 1441 only one of their monastery-fortress was still standing – Heinrichau. After two centuries of ruthless conquest this last stronghold was all that was left of their heresy. Save for the heretics from the British Isles, these pathetic remnants of the Teutonic Order were probably the last Catholics alive – and finally they were to meet their fate like so many before them.
Emperor Markos III, although reluctant, agreed to help his brother-in-law accomplish this pious deed. But while the
themata were marching north to once again answer the call from Kingdom of Poland, the Enemy was ready to turn his full attention to the Imperium.
Nochehuatl not only removed all opposition to his rule but in an unprecedented move declared himself the “Emperor of Hispania” on 15th September 1442. The peninsula was an arena of frequent uprisings and revolts, always drowned in blood of those rising against their Aztec masters. The old kingdoms were ashes, Aragon among them. By declaring himself the “Emperor” of this desolated land dotted with ruins, Nochehuatl probably wanted to emphasize that he will be watching his “Hispania” closely and with great interest.
But who can see through
xenoi machinations? Even the eunuchs of the
Scrinium Barbarorum were puzzled by this decision. Some of the imperial
agentes in rebus were bringing unnerving reports. There were rumors, they said, whispers in the Aztec domain about some kind of a conflict across the Great Sea. This coup, rebellion or maybe even civil war was said to make Nochehuatl issue this unexpected declaration – something which nobody in an unbroken chain of his ancestors and supreme lords of the
xenoi has done. These rumors couldn't be verified however, for whatever lies in the Far West is shrouded in mystery.
Whatever was the true cause of this unexplainable decision, it was obvious that after wiping out all who dared to oppose him Nochehuatl Acatl was now ready to concentrate on the war with the Imperium. Only mere months needed to move the innumerable
xenoi armies to the East were separating the Imperial Army from facing the full might of the Enemy.
Time was of the essence.
The Teutonic Knights, despite being hopelessly outnumbered, decided to meet the combined Polish and Roman army in the field on 24th December 1442. There was no hope for victory, no ally to answer to their call, no friend to help them – only soul-crushing certainty of a painful death and eternal torture in Hell, for such is the fate of all heretics. Despite all of this, Catholics decided that they want to die with swords in their hands, a futile attempt to regain some dignity after decades spent behind the walls of their fortresses. Teutons wanted a warriors' death – and Christian soldiers were happy to deliver.
All of them were massacred on the fields of Heinrichau.
Not a single knight survived the battle. Hochmeister Viktor was spared the honorable death – he was executed personally by
megas domestikos Demetrios Komnenos. He was the last Teutonic Knight and with his death the plague of Catholic heresy was removed from Europe once and for all. What little was left of the heretics was contained to British Isles, were they desperately clinged to their blasphemies facing almost certain annihilation from the hands of
xenoi. The war ended on 12th February 1443 - truly the faithful were triumphant on this day and another leap was made to finally end the schism. Iesus Kristos blessing was with His soldiers while the filth was removed from His Church, for as it is written in the Holy Bible: “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire”.
And so the corpses of heretics were burned to remove their stain from this world.
Still, the flames of war were just being ignited and many, many more were to be consumed by them. While
tagmata led by
megas domestikos were on their way from Heinrichau after victorious battle, the Enemy attacked. Imperial
themata and
auxilia left in northern Italia were a formidable force and it seemed that they can easily destroy the less numerous
xenoi forces.
It was a trap.
The small Aztec forces were just a bait and after the battle in the mountain passages of Sacile began, the
xenoi reinforcements out of nowhere joined the battle. It was a complete disaster – more than 35,000 Romaioi were ruthlessly slaughtered in the ambush.
Megas domestikos Demetrios Komnenos sent orders to cease any offensive until he arrives with reinforcements. But the messenger must have been captured by Aztec scouts because the orders never reached
themata
According to the later conducted investigation,
doux Andronikos was eager to rehabilitate himself afer the disastrous battle of Sacile
and he also feared that he could be deemed traitor due to his heavy-handed tactics. Most of the experienced officers of the Imperial Army were either dead or wounded and unable to serve in the field after the recent wars against the Timurids
and purges conducted within the officer corps. Likewise, the battle-hardened veterans after the disastrous invasion of Aegyptus were substituted with
inexperienced and badly trained soldiers from a compulsory enlistment brave Romaioi citizens whose great piety and dedication was more than enough to compensate for the lack of experience.
In the end,
doux Andronikos once again fell victim to the
xenoi ruse – more than 30,000 soldiers were butchered on the fields Pettau on 17th April 1443. This battle was nothing more
than a senseless waste of Roman life which could've easily been avoided but a small obstacle on the road to victory – the blood of the martyrs is washing the unclean from impurity. The Romaioi fighting in the Imperial Army are paying a heavy price with their own blood to keep all of us safe. No means are unjustified in the struggle against the forces of
Diabolos, no sacrifice to big to ensure the survival of the Imperium. Many are the dangers brought by the Darkness – one has to stay always vigil in face of the
xenoi threat, the Mongol raiders, the blasphemous cultists, the heretics and traitors. Only the Light of Iesus Kristos and His venerated servant Saint Markos keep the daemons dwelling in the dark at bay.
Only the Angeloi protect.