Chapter 252: No Alcohol Today

Later that day, down the stairs outside the government manor of Thessaloniki, a gigantic brawny figure can be seen going around in circles under the dimming sun light, with still some blood stains and blemish on his armour. It is our Varangian leader, no, foot man Yuri. 

He is anxiously waiting over here for the conference on top to end, he even rejected the guard's invitation to go for dinner first, waiting here persistently for hours waiting for some one.

Finally, his target appeared wearing a linen cübbe robe and a red turban coming down the stair case. Seeing the man Yuri immediately rushed forward blocking him in the path, it is Abdullah. 

"Master Abdullah! Mister Abdullah! Please, may you pardon me for a while?" 

Under the fading light Abdullah came closer scrutinizing the vague image before him with his increasingly myopic eyes, and then he realised that his man is no other than Yuri who just got spared in the hall today. With a quick brain he instantly guessed the purpose why Yuri is blocking him over here, smiled and greeted him. "Ahh, Yuri, what a pleasant evening, are you here spectating the skies studying the knowledge of astronomy too?" 

Yuri gave a shy giggle, scratched his head and gave Abdullah a tight hug. "I am here to thank you, master Abdullah, thank you for saving my life just now in that hall." 

"Its fine." Abdullah waved his hand and continued going down the stair case. "Not much of a big deal, we ought to help each other out in difficulties." 

"But I still must thank you, sir." Yuri followed closely behind, and after some hesitation he opened his mouth again. "Though, Abdullah, I would still like to request your help again on some thing…" 

"Oh?" Abdullah frowned and turned back. "Why? What help do you want from me?" 

"Small issue, small issue… You see, Abdullah, I don't really care whether I am to start from the bottom as an ordinary foot man again, nor do I really care about apologizing in front of that Nikolas' grave. But you see, the thing is, the admiral just banned me from drinking alcohol… This is the fatal part; can you help me request to the admiral to withdraw this order? Please? I will thank you for life I swear!" 

"HAHAHAHAHA…."

Abdullah turned his head glaring at Yuri's innocent and appeasing face, and burst in to a wild laugher right in Yuri's face. While Yuri, not knowing what the heck did Abdullah find so funny about his words, also started laughing uncontrollably in the middle of the staircase. The two men laughed like they are crazy for a long time attracting the attention of every single person in the area looking at them, and just as Yuri thought that Abdullah has accepted his humble request, the later suddenly turned his attitude and sighed shaking his head looking like he is disappointed and continued walking down the stairs again. 

"Abdullah...? Sir Abdullah! Hey! Abdullah! Sir! Please, give me a response!" Yuri got baffled on Abdullah's sigh and hurriedly followed closely behind, until the two of them reached the gate of the walls protecting the government manor, then did Abdullah turn around confessing to Yuri without a single sense of laughter on his face. 

"Yuri, ah come on Yuri, why can't you just try to understand the admiral? Seriously?" 

Yuri returned with a blank look. "I don't understand." 

"You see, Yuri, you are one of the best captains and most loved commander under the admiral's lead, but do you know what the main difference between you and Julian is?" 

"I am not as brave as him?" 

"No, Yuri, it is because although you have the highest martial capabilities in the entire army, but there is one, actually two, things you are lagging far behind Julian, you know what these two things are?" 

Yuri returned with the same blank look.  "I don't know." 

"These two things are called endurance and patience." Abdullah tip toed and gave Yuri a pat on his shoulder. "The reason by the admiral banned you from drinking, put you all the way down as a regular foot man, make you apologise in front of Nikolas' grave, is all based on solely the purpose of exercising your endurance and patience. You get what I mean?" 

Yuri is just about to shake his head and reply with "I don't get it.", but suddenly he began to catch a glimpse in to what Abdullah is trying to speak, and then his brain starting thinking deeper and deeper in to the true meaning of Abdullah's words. 

"The admiral is never, back in the past, now in the present, and maybe far in to the future, angry at you to the point that he wants to truly punish you with a penalty. Taking today for example, the admiral never wanted to kill you from the start because you are his favorite and trusted commander of the Varangians, but at the same time, he cannot act against the very law he set himself, and he wants you to learn a lesson, you get me?"

"…I think I do now." Whispered Yuri. 

"Let me tell you what, come lend me your ears…" 

Yuri bent down his knees and reached the ear towards Abdullah, and the later whispered some thing in to his ears in a soft whispering tone, but its content is just as thunderous in Yuri's eyes. 

"The admiral wants to promote you to become a general in subsequent battles that is capable of commanding an entire army next time, instead of just a leader of the five hundred Varangians." 

Yuri jumped in joy. "Really!?" 

"Yes… and no. You see, the admiral wants to train you in to a capable general first, before handling you the command of an army… You should know your image is far from being a qualified military general now, and thus he wants you to cut off the consumption of alcohol, learn how do your ordinary soldiers think and feel, how to truly lead them not just by rank but by heart, and how to win wars with them." 

"…Now, do you still want me to help you send the request?" 

Yuri remained speechless, as his nose grew red with emotions building up in his mind making his serotonin level increase. He controlled his twitching muscles preventing the tears from falling out of his eyes leaning against the wall, and replied. "It is ok, thank you Abdullah… You know what, now I shall go back to my camp as an ordinary foot man, thank you so God damn much for the help you have given me today." 

After that he hurried off walking out of the Acropole heading down towards the port of Constantine, with Abdullah looking at him grinning and massaging his chins, until the giant figure has disappeared down the horizon. 

…

"Alert! Top level military alert! Clear the way!" 

"Alert! Top level military alert! Clear the way!" 

On the bridge above the moat outside the capital city of the Ottoman Sultanate Edirne, three Siphai Çavuş messengers, wearing black robes carrying a flag meaning military emergency can be seen galloping at top speed through the bridge in to the capital city while shouting out the emergency code. The passers by and the guards quickly scrambled clearing a path for these messengers, with a few booths destroyed by the hooves of the horses in the process leaving a land of mess. 

An elder, who used to serve in the ex Sultan Mehmed II's artillery corps walking on the street sighed looking at this. "Emergency after emergency…. Who knows whether I can see peace and normal life return to this God forsaken world before I die…"? 

Then, the elder shook his head, picked up two potatoes on the ground slipping it in to his pockets with out people looking in the chaos, and trudged back to his home back in the alleys. 

The three messengers continued causing a series of chaos through out the capital city, until they reached at the gate of the Sultan's palace. They jumped down from their horses and made a run towards the Sultan's court waving the wooden box with a yellow ribbon shouting on the way. "Emergency military information for the Sultan! Clear the way!" 

The men finally collapsed with exhaustion while climbing the stairs of the palace, a bunch of the Sultan's eunuchs appeared and poured salty lime water down the throat of the messenger, while another younger eunuch from Eygptus picked up the box and ran back inside the palace. Being familiar with the palace's interior design he found his way in to… the Grand Vizier's quarters. 

Well, of course, their beloved magnificent and intelligent young Sultan Beyezid is yet way too young to be able to handle state affairs, it is better to leave these things with the Grand Vizier to do these irrelevant stuff on behalf of the young Sultan, and he is gladly willing to take the burden off the Sultan's fragile shoulders leaving him with a happy and enjoyable childhood instead of seating around the table all day, like his father.