Chapter 27: But I Am Always On Time

The disastrous result of the first wave of attack, together with the horrific scene of the battle under dusk and the number of killed in action Ottoman warriors calmed Zaganos Pasha down immediately like a bucket of icy cold stream water from Mount Ararat poured on his head.

He began thinking logically, and he vowed not to let his emotion deter his judgement every again. Zaganos Pasha led a bunch of Ottoman officers to the injured warriors, checking their wounds, reassuring repeatedly in front of them that those who are incapacitated and dead, no matter if this battle ends in victory or defeat, will get compensated by him personally and the country. This tiny action immediately touched the heart of most surrounding soldiers, they cheered and applauded towards their Pasha, many even kneeled before him weeping out prayers. While Zaganos Pasha immediately took the opportunity to make an inspirational speech that again, boosted the slightly low morale of the army.

Everyone learns in a battle, no matter win or lose.

Constantine, Giovanni and Loukas watches the Ottoman army on the Northern tower of Rumelihisarı fortress. Constantine, seeing the commotions in the Ottoman army, hands clasped tight, fiddling with his chain mail and asked Giovanni. "Lord Giustiniani… may you tell me what our foes are up to?"

Giovanni replied with his already furrowed eyebrow. "Emperor… seems like our enemy this time is not a complete idiot…"

Suddenly, three Ottoman horsemen, carrying a white blanket attached to a stick, rode to the gates of the fortress and shouted in a fluent Greek native tone. "Romans! We come in peace!"

Giovanni signaled the surrounding soldiers to lower down their crossbows, and asked Constantine. "Emperor, why don't we listen to what they have to say first."

Constantine nodded in approval.

The horseman below stopped his horse, turned back and shouted. "We come in peace! We ask for your permission to take back our men's corpses and casualties!"

Constantine thought briefly for a while, then nodded again. Giovanni immediately signaled another soldier on the tower to convey the message. The horseman asking looked deeply at the soldier, as-if trying to remember his face, and rode back to the Ottoman army. Soon, Ottoman army servants began cleaning the battlefield, burying the corpses and searching for any potential survivors.

"My majesty, isn't it better to let them die in pain? Why don't you ask the archers to fire at them, kill as many of them as possible?" Loukas suggested, bowing towards Constantine.

Giovanni gave this man a cold stare, while Constantine sighed and replied. "Mega Doux, if I show mercy to them today, they will show my people mercy tomorrow. If I show them ruthlessness today, they will show my people ruthlessness tomorrow."

"Great decision, Emperor." Giovanni added on. "As far as I know, death of friends and comrade can also spark one's will to revenge and fight. If we don't allow them to take their men back, they will be more frantic tomorrow."

Silence re-occupied the tower, as they continued observing the Ottomans pitching tents , constructing basic siege machineries like ladders and rams, building another wooden wall facing the Rumelihisarı fortress and chopping down all the tress surrounding their new camp and the fortress forming a fire break gap, making another sneak attack using fire now impossible.

"They worry too much." Giovanni jeered at the Ottoman encampment. "We did not bring any Greek fire with us this time, and ordinary wildfire will not spread in this moist environment…"

Constantine replied laughing. "They must have linked fire and Roman army together after that glorious victory by our mégas droungarios Lord De'Ricci!"

"Talking about my dear friend Antonius…."

…

Its mid night almost early morning in Harbour of Neorion when one messenger has arrived, soaked with sea water. The other messenger rammed his boat onto an underwater boulder and drowned.

Antonius is sleeping soundly in his private bunker. When he heard the loud and quick footsteps outside the doors, he immediately climbed up and grabbed his cutlass in his hands. He did not lower his vigilance until his servant Francesco came knocking on the doors and told him that it is a messenger with an urgent message to deliver.

Antonius opened the doors and read the message. His face changes as he reads. From a frustrated face initially when he is forced to wake up in middle of the night, to the face of joy when he read that they have successfully conquered the fortress. Then finally frowned his eyebrows when he read that they have been encircled in the fortress.

Without uttering a word, Antonius draped his coat over his shoulder and his Buskins, then left his room walking towards the harbour with his hands folded behind his back. Francesco soon followed up closely behind, tidied Antonius' collars and wrinkles on the shirt, while asking. "What are we going to do now sir?"

Antonius replied without looking back and stopping. "We are going into another fight… Francesco, ring the assembly bells, and wake up every captain, then give the orders of battle stations."

"Yes sir!"

Antonius walked to the rally point of the harbour and sat down on a rocking chair. He closed his eyes under the crescent and stars as Francesco ran around running around, ringing the bells, waking up the captains, setting up the beacon fire.

Finally, after approximately half an hour, all sailors are assembled, together with the newly recruited Varangians. They formed up in lines and formations, standing on their feet and looked at their admiral quietly, waiting for his command.

Antonius opened his eyes, climbed onto the assembly stage, facing his crew, then shouted out raising his fist up high in the sky. "Alright lads! My friend Giovanni, and your emperor, has sent me a letter asking me to save his arse and wipe his mess! Are you with me, boys!"

"Aye!" The sailors cried out, following their admiral and also raised their fists in the sky.

"Admiral, may I know when we are setting off?" Julian stepped forward and asked."

"Now."

"Now?"

"Aye, boy, remember." Antonius looked down at Julian and continued. "Remember, I, Antonius is always on time when it comes to the life and death of my friend."