Chapter 101: The Ecumenical Patriarch

The Ecumenical Patriarch's words came to an abrupt stop as he stared at the man before him with a pair of eyes full of misbelief and shock. He looked down at his chest and found a golden plated dagger stabbed right into his chest.

The Ecumenical Patriarch Athanasius II, soon to be the ex-ecumenical Patriarch, held his hands tightly to the wound, but no matter how much pressure his rugged old hands apply to his chest, the blood is still gushing out beneath his fingers and oozed in his robes. The fresh red blood spreads all over his prestigious purple robe quickly darkening from a bright vibrant red to a death resentment dark.

The Ecumenical Patriarch could no longer utter a single word, he rose his head and looked at the Venetian commander before him with his eyes having a mixture of plead and anxiety. Soon all colour fades away from his pupils as the valuable body fluids from his body drains away onto the ground sipping through his own fingers.

Giacomo Coco took a deep breathe, drew out the dagger, cleaned the blood on the dagger and his hands using the old man's robe and then pushed him onto the ground letting out a strident banging sound.

"All of you, onwards! Today is not a good day to die! We march for the Venetian quarters for a better defense!" Giacomo Coco turned back to his men as if nothing has happened, ignoring the yelling and shrieking of the terrified clergies and nuns, commanded his men to leave this area leaving the Ottomans enlarging their sphere of control inside the city.

The mere sight of Ottoman soldiers covered in blood wielding their blades are already sending the spirits of Roman civilians down into the drains, and the Venetian reinforcements that they anticipated for months forfeited their position. Instead of there chasing the Ottomans out and protecting their safety, they decided to run away leaving them behind. The most intolerable thing is that they just brutally murdered their spiritual head, right in front of their own eyes, their respected Ecumenical Patriarch.

Slowly rage of feeling betrayed started taking over the minds of the clergies and nuns. Together they feel like one as they slowly gathered together on the road blocking the path of the army using not metal and shields but their very own body. Together they stand as one staring at the Venetian commander who just committed a violent crime that will be charged by the god and trinity. Together they sing like one, singing the ancient Greek Christian chant of Eucharistic called "Let all mortal flesh keep silence". Which the deceased Ecumenical Patriarch often sang in every single mass he conducts.

"…"

"Σιγησάτω πᾶσα σάρξ βροτεία."

"καὶ στήτω μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου."

"…"

"Let all mortal flesh keep silent,

stand with fear and trembling,

ponder nothing earthly minded.

For the King of kings and Lord of lords

cometh forth to be sacrificed,

given as food to the believers.

There go before Him the choirs of Angels,

with every Dominion and Power,

the many-eyed Cherubim,

and the six-winged Seraphim,

covering their faces,

crying out the hymn.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah….

May The Lord Be Praised

Ἀλληλούϊα, Ἀλληλούϊα, Ἀλληλούϊα..."

The choir of clergies and nuns pace themselves as one forward as they sing. The choir, different from any others the Venetians have heard before, their voices sound like that of the true six winged Seraphim, notes high enough that it soars through the clouds pushing it away revealing the shines of Christ, the solemn, graceful tunes filled with the scent of holiness spread through every corner of the streets seemingly to wash away the dark remnants in the minds of every single soldier and casualty around.

Although the Venetians do not understand what these Greeks are singing about, but it does not stop them from understanding the sacred holiness in the song. Some of them started kneeling down in respect of the church with their hands resting on their sword's grip. While others stopped marching forward as their commander ordered. Slowly they stopped ignoring the fact that the Ottomans are still coming after them from the gate, they sank themselves bulging into the religious atmosphere carrying out a short prayer.

Their commander, Giacomo Coco, noticed this and started raging until steam can be seen erupting from his ears. "Stop it you foolish donkey!" He forcefully pulled a soldier kneeling on the ground prayer and shouted before his face. "Is my orders unclear? Who asked you to stop? Who asked you to kneel? Can you not listen to my freaking orders?"

The soldier gulped and shook his head. "No…No sir…"

"Good!" Giacomo Coco released the poor soldier from his grip of iron, drew out his blade once more and commanded his men. "Now all of you shall continue marching! Draw your blades! Kill anyone who dares to block your path! Today we march to protect the properties of the serene republic in the city!"

"You!" Suddenly another old clergy with black robes came out of the line, and raged frowning his ashen eye brow pointing his middle finger towards Giacomo Coco. "You! Yes! You! You damned lucifer's kith and kin! Yes, I am referring to you!"

"Old man!" Giacomo Coco's face is beaming from anger. "I respect you because of your ashen hair and beard which represents wisdom, but I shall still draw my blade right through your chest if you dare to defy me! No stop doing foolish things and move your butt out of the way!"

The old man looks certainly unmoved by his threats with his stern face and the natural prestige from many years in high places, and continued his castigation on the young commander. "How dare you, you kin of a devil, lay your filthy hands and scotch the utmost highly prestigious head of all Christians, the honored Ecumenical Patriarch?"

Giacomo Coco then now realised that he has just killed someone that he is definitely not supposed to kill. But he still held on and laughed. "So what? Old man? What are you going to do? What can you do?"