Eagle Byzantium

As the sun rose, in front of the turret at the junction of the western main entrance and the northern city wall of the city of Nicaea, Roman soldiers guarding the city were densely packed, holding bows, arrows and slings, controlling projectiles, and looking at the Norman sea below. Men, Franks, and the huge 'Fox' siege tower.

The height of this huge tower has surpassed the height of all the towers on the city wall. All the frames and main supports are made of solid oak. It cost Hartmann and Count Emisch a lot of money and thirty of the bravest Swabis. Sub-swordsmen, mostly bodyguards of the two earls, wearing chainmail , staying in the "head" of the "Fox", they could clearly see all the enemies like ants and bugs on the entire city wall through the gaps between the guard board and the wood - once the giant siege tower approached the city wall, the noose was lowered to protect the city wall. Once they hit the board, they jumped out bravely, one against ten, and went on a killing spree!

Under the banner of the white background with gold rim and the banner of the cross, Godfrey, Bohemond, Baldwin, the two Robert, Stephen of Blois and other leaders of the entire pilgrim army rode in a line on their war horses and were richly dressed. , the flag was clear, and then everyone pulled out their scepters one by one, facing the target corner tower, various languages ​​​​sounded one after another, "Break this place, the Almighty Lord is with you, break the city, kill all the heretics!"

"Almighty Lord bless you!" Then, the Normans erected the large wicker shields at the front one by one.

At the same time, on the city wall of Nicaea, two Attabergs, Hajib and Jigasadin, both wearing turbans and helmets, wearing eye-catching feathers, carrying swords and spears, personally supervised the battle on the front line of the city, "Let go" Arrows, throw fire jars!" As Hajib waved his hand, countless flaming arrows and jars rushed towards the pilgrim siege formation from the direction he pointed.

The fire jars smashed against the wicker shield rising up from the tall tree. Red lotus fire grew everywhere, and arrows rushed to be inserted into it. The Normans and Calabrians fought fiercely, roaring and pushing the shield with small wooden wheels and rushing in with thick smoke. Troops of warriors from Wabbia, Lower Lorraine, and Verdun followed.

"We fire, aiming at the enemy's fence!" Geoffrey, the Norman Count, waved his sword. Then the pilgrims' catapults and large crossbows also shot the flaming stone bullets and Venetian fire spears through the wooden corridor "fence" on the city wall. The wooden frame was of no avail, as the fire spear penetrated with flames. Soon a fire broke out inside the fence, and one by one the "burning men" ran out wailing. The soldiers behind them lifted the buckets from the reservoir onto the battlefield and poured it on the burning men. They couldn't wait any longer. People jumped off the city wall one after another, and many people fell to death or maimed.

The hedges on either side of the turret were soon burned, following Robert's previous defeat in Normandy. The valuable lesson learned by the Pilgrims is that the thing must be destroyed first. Later, under the city wall, under the cover of a large wicker shield. Calabrian archers and Frankish crossbowmen from all over the city also fired fiercely at the crenellations of the city wall. The arrows crisscrossed densely in the air, and raindrops continued to fall on the bodies and jackets of the soldiers crowded under the city. Seeing the arrow clusters and bent arrow feathers falling along the city wall, "Shoot the heavy iron spear and push up the battering ram!" Earl Jeffrey, who was supervising the battle on the front line, continued to shout.

Subsequently. The large crossbows of the pilgrim team began to be replaced with iron spears, and they fired concentratedly at the middle part of the turret.

The eyes of Earl Stephen, the commander-in-chief of the siege under the battle flag, reflected burning flames everywhere. His palms were sweating nervously, and he finally made up his mind. "When the time comes, push the 'Fox' up!"

Dozens of horns and trumpets sounded, and thousands of slaves and ordinary pilgrims shouted, and the towering siege tower was rumbling towards the corner of the turret with solid wheels, pulling ropes and rolling logs in front of it. Push in the direction.

"The enemy's huge siege tower is coming!" shouted the Roma soldiers on the turret, and then the stone bullets fired from the ballista focused on the approaching "Fox", but the engineers had already covered it with wood and The fence made of iron bars, with stone bullets hitting it, could only roll down in vain. Amidst the continuous sound, the giant tower was getting closer and closer to the city wall.

Jigasadin raised the red tooth flag and said, "Leave it alone and shoot the person pushing it." Upon hearing this signal and instruction, the brave Turkic soldiers boldly stood up from behind the curtain wall, and some even jumped onto the crenels and raised their flags. He raised the powerful horn bow in his hand, and the arrows whizzed down. The slaves and pilgrims responsible for pushing around the 'Fox' siege tower screamed and fell on their backs one after another. When one person was killed or injured, others would come to replace him, but soon the number of people pushing the wheels of the 'Fox' on both sides began to become unbalanced. Amidst the twisting caused by the uneven force, the bracket of the 'Fox' made a squeak. There was a sound of babbling, and dust and debris continued to fall. "Ask our soldiers to fill in!" Godfrey, who was supervising the battle in the rear, seemed to have seen something bad and hurriedly ordered.

But the Frankish soldiers only raised their shields and swords, attacked the city walls and towers, and bravely climbed up the ladders. No one heard them at all, and no one was willing to push the siege tower.

The Turks at the top of the city continued to fire fiercely from all directions, and soon all the people on both sides and behind the Fox Siege Tower were shot down or dispersed.

But the people in front were unaware of this. About three hundred people were still doing their duty, lowering their heads and shouting slogans, pulling ropes, and pulling the siege tower towards the city wall. "Low-lying area!" With this shout, more than a hundred people on one side immediately lost their footing and fell sideways on the edge of the suddenly sunken terrain. The Swabian swordsmen of the "fox head" unit fell into a ball. This huge siege tower made a loud noise that was almost the same size as it. The eardrums of the city and the thousands of soldiers attacking the city were about to burst, as if something had passed through its middle. It seemed to be going, and then it fell to one side. The irregular terrain under the city wall harmed it. The black shadow whistled and covered the heads of the hundreds of people in front of it. The "internal organs" and "skeleton" of the "fox" burst and collapsed one by one, and collapsed layer by layer in front of the city wall. The dozens of Roma soldiers who were blocking the front were unable to dodge and were immediately smashed into powder. Then its huge body fell down along the city wall, and the thick smoke rolled in all directions. The more than 300 slaves and 30 warriors under it were all crushed and buried.

At the same time, "Lord Kadron!" With this shout, a dart thrown from the firing port of the corner tower pierced between the eyebrows of Kadron, the owner of the Lante Castle (he was also the front-line commander of the corner tower attack), and went out from the back of his head. This brave and highly reputable knight died on the spot, his limbs spread apart, and he fell headfirst among his entourage. People cried and dragged him onto a stretcher and ran to the back. The surrounding siege soldiers, including those under the city wall, all collapsed.

"My fox, my warrior!" Count Hartmann, under the banner of the war, clenched his fists and shouted with tears of anger and pain. (To be continued ~^~)