Eagle Byzantium

At night, all the affiliated craftsmen organized themselves and began to hold torches to build a floating bridge on the river of Comachs near the north wall of the city. These craftsmen had already put a lot of energy in building the chariot barrier. Now they were more motivated and continued to work overtime under strict supervision. They first used spears and buoys to build the skeleton of the bridge on the river and whirlpool, and then laid wooden boards.

Several border infantry centurions were also drawn to help. Many people were exhausted and fell on the grass to rest. Over there, the fireballs thrown by the five-gun and light artillery carts continued to explode balls of fireworks on the east wall tower of Melitene, illuminating the night sky and dark clouds. The soldiers of the Night Patrol were driving baggage carts around the siege camp to collect the enemy's corpses or search for the fleeing soldiers. On the grassy stretch on this side of the pontoon bridge, the cavalry of the four cavalry regiments were all nervously wearing armor, and the rows of war horses behind them were just as fast, lowering their heads and eating in baskets.

Muzafiadin held a torch to illuminate the surroundings of the patron. Gawain was covered with a black cloak, revealing black leather gloves, and holding the reins, "Send two envoys, one to the north and one to the south. I want both Trebizond and Marash to know the great victory I have achieved here."

"Is the wording intended to intimidate them?" The new confidential officer asked as he spread the manuscript on the saddle next to Quicksilver.

"Yes, to scare Theodore and Fer. In addition, within three days after my envoys leave, the envoys of Marash must come to see me at the triumphal entry into Melitene. I will give full authority to Branas for the siege, and all military personnel, including the Earl of Melo in the rear camp, must obey him unconditionally."

"Yes, Your Highness, the Grand Patron!"

"Make up your mind, we will take advantage of the bright moon night to launch a cavalry pursuit of the fleeing enemy chief Merick. All experienced comrades on the battlefield, follow your squadron flag officers and sergeants, hang your lances on the back of your breastplate with ropes, cross this pontoon bridge lightly, chase and kill the enemy's deserters, and seize their baggage and horses. My order this time is the same as in the past, that is, no mercy, no one left alive." After shouting, Gawain inserted the scepter into his belt on horseback, then raised his hand halberd and chopped towards the black river over there.

Hundreds of red-handed cavalrymen roared their horses' hooves, and led by the great patron in flying cloaks, holding long dragon-like torches, they passed the pontoon bridge. The reflection of the entire Comahs River seemed to be burning. Behind them, the Oghuz Shooting Cavalry Regiment and the Caesar Armored Cavalry Regiment were all ready to go, and they joined the pursuit sequence one after another.

In the early morning, in the wilderness of Melitene leading to Sivas in the north, the black cloud-like cavalrymen all held various weapons, single-edged sabers, Turkish scimitars, caltrop chain hammers, cavalry axes, and bladed iron rods. The weapons reflected cold light in the half moonlight and half morning light, like a surging frost wave, sweeping over dozens of gullies in an instant. Countless Danishmond infantry and baggage convoys that fell behind along the way were killed between the horses' hooves, and the stiff bodies fell to the ground.

During the pursuit, Gawain's cavalry was divided into three groups: Gawain's two Red Hand Cavalry Regiments were in the middle, Walter and Gotti's Caesar Armored Cavalry Regiments were on the left and rear, and Hajib's Oghuz Cavalry Regiments were on the right and front, and Monomachus's four Border Cavalry Centurions followed closely behind.

Soon, hundreds of Danishmond cavalrymen with flying flags turned out from behind the hillside, shouting and launching a counterattack against Gawain's central cavalry group.

"Ignore them, they are just rearguard cavalry in ambush. It seems that we are about to bite the enemy chief!" Gawain raised his hand on the lightning-fast Quicksilver saddle and shouted to the Turkish army servants who were following closely on horseback. Muzafi Adin immediately turned around, drew the whistling arrows from his quiver, and shot back with a long and shrill whistle, passing over countless galloping cavalrymen and horse heads.

"Follow the great patron, charge, charge, charge!" All the Red Hand Cavalrymen pulled the reins firmly, leaned close together, waved their swords and shouted at each other, forming a curved torrent, and swept across the undulating hills, avoiding the rear guard cavalry of Danishmond, and continued to pursue northward.

Sure enough, on the shaking horseback, on the endless plain, Gawain saw Merrick fleeing in the distance, and his gold-rimmed wolf-head flag.

Merrick's slave soldiers and Ikta knights immediately turned their horses and refused to fight. The two sides collided with each other at the foot of the hill and launched a tragic fight - the Red Hand Cavalrymen lined up and rushed down quickly, and before the other side drew their bows and shot arrows, they quickly sent their sabers and swords into the other side's chest and abdomen, and then let go and continued to pursue forward. The entire battlefield was full of ownerless horses running around, and countless warriors on the plateau were splashing their souls and blood at this moment, acting as fertilizer for the fertile weeds.

The Danishmond rear guard cavalry also hurriedly turned around to attack the Red Hand Cavalry from behind, but when the horn sounded, the oriole was behind them - the armored cavalry that followed, closely packed together, once again formed a terrifying cone array, caught the rear guard cavalry, and pounced on them. After three minutes, the rear guard cavalry of more than 400 people, who had no way to advance or retreat, were killed and wounded. The border cavalry that came from the rear were horrified to see that the corpses of the Danishmond men and horses covered the entire slope of the hill, leaving almost no place for the horses to step on.

In the end, this crazy pursuit that lasted for a full 70 ancient miles ended only more than 20 ancient miles away from Sivas City: the Oghuz Cavalry Regiment rushed to the camp of the jihadists who were gathering on the other side. The other side saw the white horse tail flag in front of them and thought it was their own people. As a result, the whole camp was attacked and trampled, and most of the people turned into dead souls under sabers and arrows. More than 200 heads were hung under the saddles of the cavalry of the Oghuz Cavalry Regiment, and they left in the chaos.

Merik, who was all destroyed, fled to the city in his untidy clothes and armor. He felt that the stars in the sky that night were falling rapidly. "What are you still doing here! You should run faster and more anxiously than me, forget this jihad, return to your Khorasan land, beg God for more power, and fight that devil again. Now you can only destroy yourself." Then, the great emir shouted to all the leaders of the jihadists standing in front of him.

Two days later, on the "Roman Wall" of Melitene, Gawain, wrapped in iron armor, stood majestically at the other end, with flags of the Golden Red Hand, Golden Orange, and various purple pendant flags behind him. The loud trumpet sounded and scattered the sunlight. In the city square under the wall, soldiers stood in various postures all around, looking down. There were many surrendered citizens sitting among them, including old Romans, Armenians, Unitarians, and of course Kurds, Turks, Persians, etc. They all bowed their heads to the new ruler. (To be continued ~^~)