Chapter 20: The Verge
"Gawain, you're going to keep winning. At this moment, the black-clothed Jee-hyuk appeared behind him holding the hilt of his sword, and prophesied in a very clean tone, "When you see your eagle flying, you will surely win."www.biquge.info ”
"Doesn't the devil deceive?" Gawain turned to face her, and on his shoulder was the "captain" who glared at the witch.
"No, no, no, the devil only makes contract deals, there is no need to deceive people." A smile appeared on the corner of Ajiehe's mouth, and he walked around, looking at him with a beautiful face, "After the victory, you will enter Georgia in the Yukxing Sea, and then exit from Alania in the Khazar Sea, and then ......"
"I will shake the Vulture Castle and even Isfahan, and then I will make a great glory on the Great Ark Mountain, and this glory will follow my footsteps, and sooner or later it will be sown on the saffron-paved roads of Brachna Palace."
"That's it, that's great, Gawain just like that...... Remember, you will be unstoppable when you see your eagle coming. After saying this, Jiehe brushed Gawain's shoulder.
By the time Gawain turned around, a warm ray of sunlight shone in his eyes, and there was nothing left in front of him, only the endless wilderness, the sound of the wind, and Theodoro would appear there in the near future.
"What's unstoppable? That's what I deserve. Gawain said to himself, and then he told "Captain" to take off, and then flew back to his shoulder, "when I see my eagle coming...... When I see my eagle flying......"
The captain flew up for the third time, its forehead and the feathers between its eyes blown by the wind, and circled at the end of Chakmak Creek, ready to wait for its master's whistle before flying back.
At this moment, the captain floated in the air, and saw that at the end of the stream, among the peaks of Mount Erzurum, an embroidered battle flag was raised, on which the motif of the Virgin in black veils appeared, and a large army suddenly appeared in the valley between the peaks.
Theodoro, wearing black holy armor and a holy icon on his chest, with the setting sun on his back. Gabuyas dangled on horseback, flanked by Trabzon youths with brass trumpets and flutes, and peasant cavalrymen in armor and leather armor. The old general's hair was like hoarfrost, stained with wisps of golden sunlight, and his keen eyes could already see the enemy's white anthill-like camps and field fortifications on the Sanukh heights outside the Guliwai.
"The wind is cool and gentle, and there is no more beautiful place to bury." Theodoro half-jokingly, then twisted his body slightly in the saddle and pointed with his whip at Mount Chakmak, which was separated from Sanuh by a stream and a sandbar, "Go, raise the banner of the Black Lady here, and I will let David the Builder know that tomorrow we should start a battle of fate." ”
On the rocks, the black flag of Our Lady was soon hung high on the flagpole, and in the evening breeze, a platoon of Trabzon peasants stood under it and puffed out their cheeks, blowing the sound of rhinoceros horns and yellow sheep's horns throughout the valley.
Soon, the Georgian eagle flag on Chakmak Hill was erected, and in front of the aspiring builder, Davidma, a row of royal soldiers from Kutaisi also raised their beards and echoed in a continuous voice.
And before and after the Sanuch Heights to the Cathedral of the Holy Apostles, the rows of Tarsus soldiers and miners who were busy building fortifications and trenches only listened with their ears sideways, knowing that their position was caught between two groups of enemies, and the centurion and sergeants also clearly told him, "In the coming day, the five detachments on the Sanuch Heights and the Cathedral (one of the Red Hand Brigade, one of the Guardian Brigade, one of the Bellerophon Brigade, plus the two Banda detachments belonging to the Yefandouni Brigade sent by Hercules beforehand) must be held to the end. David, the builder of Georgia, from joining Theodoro; The Grand Patron was to command all the rest (the four detachments of the Red Hand Brigade, the entire Gimagith Brigade, plus four cavalry regiments) to the west and fight Theodoro. ”
At this time, a cavalryman sent by Theodoro passed through the layers of tents and came to the protruding mountain where Gawain stood, surrounded by the halberds of the palace forbidden soldiers, and forced to stop.
As the sun was sinking, Gawain lowered his eyebrows and took out the document sent by the old general, it was made of calfskin, and there was a scroll with luxurious gold wire edges, which was completely at the level of the golden edict of the emperor in the past, Gawain ripped the ribbon tied to the document with his big hand, and the golden round seal engraved with the portrait of Christ and the Virgin Mary hung at the end of the ribbon and shook with his movements.
As it unfolds, Theodoro is a threat inside, and he warns Gawain that, although Tarsus appears to have a large army on the surface, it has proved to be unbearable after being defeated by his valiant peasant cavalry in previous battles - in fact, this is not so much Theodoro's provocation as his relief and encouragement before the decisive battle, a thought that is evident at the end of the letter: Theodoro asks Gawain to swear that he will not kill prisoners and wounded soldiers in the immediate battle, regardless of whether he wins or loses, They will also be kind to each other's family descendants.
After reading it, Gawain sighed, picked up the pen and wrote a line on the letter:
"My purpose in Cals is not to engage in ceremonial battles, my goal is simple, to kill and destroy all the forces of you and David the Builder, to destroy the cities of Trabzon and Kutaisi, and to fill the wreckage of your palace with owls and spiders, and then to build a new Rome on them."
When he had finished writing, Gawain re-tied it and threw it back to the cavalry of Natrabzon, who saluted again, turned and galloped away.
At dawn the next day, on the ridge of the main fort of Cals, General Branass commanded the fire bear artillery to bombard the walls of the main fort again, and ordered the whole army to prepare to attack the walls, because a heavy mortar cannon was also dragged up.
Amid the roar of cannonballs and the sound of fire, the main fort of Kars, which stood at the northwest corner of the hill, was as indistinct as a recumbent beast, and under the cliff Diognes waded silently with thirty selected warriors in the direction of the high and rugged sluice gates.
In the morning light, Theognis could see that on the other side of the river, the spire of the conical basilica of the Holy Apostles shone faintly, and in the long rectangular barricade that surrounded it, all the archers were firmly in their positions, holding their long guns and preparing to attack Mount Chackmak.
On the hill, David, a somewhat excited builder, also overlooked the camp of the Tarsus Guardian Army around the cathedral, and countless Georgian foot riders were swarming along the pre-arranged mountain roads, "Gawain, I want to see what you should do when there are enemies in front and behind?" ”