On the distant horizon, dust billowed up.

On the walls of Fort Calle, the defenders nervously shuttled back and forth.

Saladin's army, this morning, without warning, crossed the border between the two countries and slaughtered at Fort Calle.

Squeak Ca –

More than a dozen armored sergeants pushed the winch hard and erected the heavy suspension bridge, ignoring the scattered crowd of people who had come to take refuge from the villages outside the city.

"Please, open the gates, and let us in."

"Our village has been slaughtered, and the Saracens will not let us go."

"Limur, I'm your own uncle, these are relatives and neighbors who watched you grow up, please open your net and postpone the lifting of the suspension bridge!"

People crowded under the walls and pleaded.

On the city wall, some people looked unbearable, but no one dared to respond to them.

The enemy's lightly armed cavalry was staring at a stone's throw away, and as soon as they dared to lower the drawbridge, these cavalry would immediately rush up desperately and seize the drawbridge.

The sergeants and levies defending the city, like industrious worker ants, piled up round stone balls with polished edges and corners next to the trebuchet, a hybrid trebuchet.

By cutting the rope from which the counterweight is suspended, the stone projectile in the net pocket at the other end can be thrown.

The Saracens called this trebuchet the Fury and was widely equipped in the army.

Large cauldrons were erected on the city walls, filled with black fire oil, and as long as they were poured down, they could easily burn a siege ladder.

Wooden barrels filled with sand and water were also carried and piled in front of the battlements to protect them from accidental damage from the flames.

Carts carried the bricks and stones that had been stored in advance at the Kahler Fort, which were piled up in the towers above the first gate.

After the enemy has opened the first gate, the defenders can condescendingly throw stones from inside the tower to prevent the enemy from opening the second gate.

It has to be said that Fort Calle, which Renard has been operating for a long time, is like a fortified fortress, which is full of supplies enough for thousands of defenders to use for half a year, which is by no means easy for the Saracens to break.

Dressed in armor, Renard's face was full of anger, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Damn, I knew that Saladin would definitely choose Cahler Fort as a target. He hates me, sees me as a lifelong enemy, and wants my life even if he gives up Jerusalem! ”

Stephanie's face was full of determination, the female knight was dressed in military uniform, and her tall and muscular body was no worse than that of the male knight: "This is our glory, Renard, we and the infidels are immortal, and the more he hates us, the more we should feel honored." ”

Renard laughed and said, "That's right, Stephanie, let Saladin hate me, I'll let his army go back here, and the whole kingdom will be shocked by my exploits." ”

After laughing, Renard was a little nervous and said, "Stephanie, someone has already sent someone to send the letter for help, right?" ”

"Well, as soon as the scout finished reporting the letter, it was sent out."

"By the way, send someone to our little neighbor, who has trained a good armored sergeant, and asked his guard officer to send all the troops to support at once."

Stephanie wondered, "Those defenders of Yogrussburg will agree to abandon their castle and come to support?" ”

"They will know what is important," said Reynard, "and once Fort Calle is breached, their wretched and dilapidated fortress, which can be blown down by a gust of wind, will not be able to withstand the attack of the infidels!" And as long as the Calleburg is held, the scattered army of the Saracens, even if some of them leak in, will at most plunder a few villages. ”

Renard stood on the rampart, caressing the cold, rough rock.

A blush of excitement on his face flushed: "Come on, Saladin, I know you have always regarded me as an old enemy, so let's have a big battle in a dignified manner." ”

...

On the Gobi Desert outside the castle.

White square-topped tents are nestled in palm groves just outside the city.

The wandering Saracen light cavalry had swept through all the villages near Calleburg, and the vacant houses were filled with soldiers recruited from various departments.

At the edge of the woods, the artisans and servants of the army were cutting down trees and assembling ladders, siege engines, siege towers, and huge counterweight trebuchets.

In the center of all the tents, inside an extraordinarily tall tent.

A king, dressed in delicate armor with golden scales and a black turban, sat on a throne inlaid with gold, listening to the messages reported by the chiefs of the tribes.

This is the appearance of a man who is not handsome, but who is by no means ugly or mediocre.

His cheeks were emaciated, bearing a scar that was said to have been raised by an old man in the mountains.

Behind him was a huge map hanging from which two red lines pierced into the heart of the kingdom of Jerusalem like sharp Arab swords.

Obviously, this is Saladin, the monarch of the Ayyubid dynasty of the Sassanid dynasty, which began in Egypt and now unified most of the Arab region, and whose Zoroastrianism is no less powerful than that of the thousand-year-old empire.

The chiefs and lords of the tribes gradually dispersed.

Only Saladin and his brother Adil were left in the tent.

Saladin suddenly remembered something and asked, "Adil, Caleb Fort is the territory of the Covenant Breaker, right?" ”

"That's right, my king."

"Renard..."

At the mention of this person, even a monarch as calm as Saladin felt a wave of disgust from the bottom of his heart.

Count Renard, after becoming the lord of Calebberg, once did a great thing, that is, to organize a navy, and planned to go south to attack another holy place of Zoroastrianism.

In order to extort large sums of money from them.

This greedy, contemptible, shameless, and chivalrous villain has always been a thorn in the side and a thorn in the flesh of many Saracens.

Adil said in a deep voice: "My king, within three days, I will break through this castle and present the head of Renard, the evil who once offended the Holy Land and repeatedly attacked our caravans. ”

"No, it's enough to just feint."

Saladin looked at his brother and his confidant, and said in a deep voice, "I do hate this despicable and shameful covenant breaker, but do not forget that our purpose is to recover the Holy City. ”

"The generals and chieftains gathered under my banner were all invited by me in the name of Jihad, and although there were more than 20,000 soldiers in total, there were less than 10,000 soldiers and horses directly under our headquarters."

"Adil, my empire is not monolithic, and we must not lose too many troops here, otherwise we will not even see the walls of Jerusalem, and we will have to withdraw our troops in disgrace."

"The King of kings, who dwells in Ctesiphon, is waiting to see me return."

Saladin often claimed to have hundreds of thousands of troops under his command.

This is true, but it is the sum total of the troops scattered throughout the Ayyubid kingdom, including the garrisons in various places, loyal only to the local lords, and a large number of people who can be recruited to serve as cannon fodder.

Labor expeditions are limited by supplies.

Even if the Kingdom of Jerusalem divided more than half of its troops to the north, Saladin's army of 30,000 still did not occupy an overwhelming advantage.