Eagle Byzantium

Branas and Pacoad's father and son had serious deviations in their estimation of Ruben's battle beforehand. In fact, it had only been three months since the fall of Castabala and the surrender of most of the Cilicia mountain fortresses. It’s just a month’s time.

During the previous battle, about 22,000 Armenian civilians captured by Gawain's cavalry were all escorted to Alamein Fort at the other end of the territory. Together with the 4,000 German immigrants already there, they were the first to bear the responsibility. In the drainage and reclamation work of the swamp, "you will get the same treatment as you deserve." This is Gawain's promise.

Then, Gawain also kept his promise and donated the city of Castabala and all the surrounding fields to the Count of Adana. He himself commanded two brigades and marched northward on thin Thin snow, advancing towards Fanka City, it is necessary to declare authority over the new territory through this move.

On the way, more than 70 captured Armenian nobles felt something was wrong: first, their horses and armor, as well as cloaks and accessories that symbolized status were confiscated, and then they were asked to walk, surrounded by fierce cavalry on both sides. Slightly Those who misbehaved were frequently beaten with whips, and the groans and wails of the nobles filled the entire Road of Misery. The subsequent treatment was even more exaggerated, and they were deprived of food and water. As they got closer to the mountainous areas, they starved to death. There are more and more people.

The whirlwind blowing from the Taurus Mountains stirred up the powder of snow and became more and more fierce. Unable to bear it, Anselm put on a fur hat to protect his remaining hair from being blown away by the wind. , or frozen by the rain and snow, Gorpan riding on the donkey next to him kept crying all the way, for the prince he respected before, and for those who The nobles who fell dead on both sides of the road finally made Anselm unbearable, so he said to the monk of the Apostolic Church, "Hey! I have heard that once you cry for the dead, you are paying homage to him, and you are also paying homage to him. It means forgetting your loyalty to him and giving up your revenge for him." After saying this, Gorpan immediately closed his mouth.

The snow was so thick that even the road leading to Tranzac City was covered. Anselm could only see the white earth, the black columns of the army walking on it, and the golden and colorful flags held by each team. , another noble fell, he He refused to walk any further and leaned against a short pine tree. When Anselm stepped forward to encourage him, he looked despairingly and hugged his dying hound, "My fiefdom has passed. I already know what happened. Just let me die here."

Two Germans from the Guardian Brigade came over. Anselm and Gorpan were in a hurry and did not dare to speak anymore. Instead, they made a cross on their foreheads and hurriedly drove their donkeys forward.

So the two German soldiers walked up to the sitting noble and loudly urged him to continue walking, "I will not leave again. Your Grand Duke has deceived us, and we have betrayed others." The noble's attitude was very stubborn. , the hound in his hand lowered his eyes, whined and whined, and lay on his master's knee. Then the German soldiers said a few words to each other, then pulled out their swords from their sheaths, "Come on Come on, kill me. Take my life and my land!" The noble shouted with all his strength. Before he could finish his words, the German soldier's long sword slanted down and sprayed out. The bloody blood penetrated his head and nailed it firmly to the tree trunk. The snow from the branches fluttered down, covering the dead noble's head and body, like an insignificant funeral. .

The German soldier took out his sword, wiped it and put it back into its sheath. Another soldier led the hound on a chain, pulled it out of the owner's body, threw it a few pieces of dry food, and then took it back on the road.

Then came four thousand captured Armenian soldiers. They looked numbly at the remains of the great nobleman still sitting there in front of the tree trunk. A German soldier was guarding there, and a clerk named Gawain was standing next to him. The deceased was identified and recorded. When the soldier saw the prisoner approaching, he took off the boots of the body's feet, whistled, and threw it to the crowd of prisoners. Everyone took two steps back in horror, and then someone ran out, hurriedly. Sitting on the snow and putting the boots on his feet, the German soldier laughed and waved to the prisoner, and the man stood up after putting on the boots, bowed and said "thank you"... .

They had nothing to complain about, because Gawain gave them part of the food every day, and his situation was much better than this group of nobles. It was a huge difference. Therefore, many prisoners, even during the march, have consciously assumed the responsibility of the "Logistics Corps". They helped the military servants push carts, helped the cavalry look after their horses, and some bold generals even asked them to cook food and water, and the effect was also very good. good.

Fort Tronzac finally arrived. This is a mountain fortress that is located in the Taurus Mountains and leads to Fanka City. Several rivers flow from top to bottom and flow underneath it. On the hillside facing the sun, all the soldiers stood in groups. Gawain, who was riding a war horse, looked down at his army, holding Anna's letter in his hand, "Dear barbarian, please end everything as soon as possible. I need you to accompany me." Spending this winter on the peaks of Cappadocia, it will definitely be beautiful when the salt fields are sown next year." After reading it, Gawain understood what Anna meant and sent the letter to Andodat. In hand, "Start."

Under the hillside, on the roads on both sides, stood four thousand captives on one side and thousands of people from the Reuben Kingdom on the other side. On the plain opposite to the hillside, there was a column of Gawain's cavalry.

Surrounded in the middle were the remaining thirty or so Armenian nobles and their captured families, all tied up with ropes and kneeling on the ground.

"I dreamed of the Holy Apostle yesterday. He came on behalf of Prince Reuben. The prince cried to me and said that he refused to surrender in the camp and you killed him. So in the face of the prince's request for revenge in the dream, all I can do is to execute a reasonable death penalty on you and your family in front of this mountain fortress." After saying that, Gawain on horseback chopped off his hand, and the Germans standing behind the group of nobles instantly chopped off with their two-handed swords. Hundreds of heads all rolled to the ground, and the surroundings were as silent as death. Then Gawain pulled the bridle, and Quicksilver's roar overwhelmed everything, "I once signed an order in the document, saying that the land of the Ani people would be protected. This promise is of course valid, and I will fulfill it immediately - you are all Ani people, aren't you? But before, you were serfs in the nobles' fortresses, or followed the nobles as soldiers. Now I will distribute all the fields here to you, and in the future I will lead you to recover Greater Armenia. At that time, those who want to go back can go back, and those who want to stay can stay. Listen, now I have given freedom to this land, whether it is a village, a fortress or a town, everyone is absolutely free while paying taxes and serving in the military! Those who need land, come forward and talk to my herald and all the clerks! "(To be continued ~^~)