58 Gainings

Moments later, seven hundred arrows flew towards the Swedish soldiers, accompanied by the roar of a shot from a thousand muskets ... the streets leading to the port were on fire and although it was not large, it would certainly hinder the mobility of Gustav Adolf's troops.

Several dozen Swedes fell to the ground, some wounded, others killed ... and I waited for the development of events. I heard a few screams in Swedish, the commanders started giving orders, and the soldiers started regrouping. Then the second and third volleys from the Tatar bow flew towards them, again supported by Cossack muskets.

Observing this battle, or rather the slaughter, I realized how much death was a coincidence, before my eyes one of the Swedish soldiers was hit by eight Tatar arrows, and his companion standing next to him came out unscathed... almost, a few seconds later a musket bullet hit him in the neck, he fell to the ground holding his throat, and a large pool of blood formed next to him.

The Swedes were completely unprepared for defense, most of the weapons and gunpowder remained on the ships, and the ones they had with them were often wet with sea water ... only a few single shots answered us... fourth, fifth, sixth salvo from Tatars bows, third salvo from muskets, seventh from bows.

Of the approximately three thousand Swedish soldiers and sailors, no more than half remained ... and the fight lasted no more than two minutes. My fears that they would try to force their way forward were unfounded, they were rather trying to withdraw to the ships.

"Saddat three more volleys, cover them with arrows!!! Ilya when the Tatars stops shooting, charge!!!" (MC)

I wasn't going to let them slip out or get on the ships and get weapons, or worse, cannons, a thousand Cossacks, plus Tatars, our forces were even, and the morlale of the soldiers was better on my side... a minute later the Cossacks started their attack, it was not a surprise to me that they quickly gained the advantage. Although the Swedish army was better trained tactically and with muskets, when it comes to training in melee combat, the Cossacks or the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth troops were better by several classes ... it was both an advantage and a disadvantage. As all of Europe perfected its armies and war tactics, we were left behind in the belief that we would remain invincible until a painful collision with reality ensued.

Despite the fierce and desperate defense, the descendants of the Vikings had no chance, half an hour later they surrendered ... The Swedish army was disarmed and kept under guard, and I went to meet them with the commanders... I have to admit their demeanor surprised me, they didn't look broken, their army was at the bottom of the sea, others were wounded or dead in the harbor ... but they were still haughty, perhaps they thought their status protected them. I recognize many of them from the images I saw in my past life ... since they are not broken, I will have to correct their posture.

"I am Herman von Wrangel, Field Marshal in the service of Gustav Adolf, King of Sweden, Goths, Wends ..."

"I don't care who you are, I know who you will be if you don't shut up." (MC)

"Barbarian..." (Marshal Wrangel)

I looked at the Marshal, smiled, quickly drew my saber ... Wrangel took two steps back. However, he was not my target. Two seconds later, Axel Oxenstierna's head fell to the ground. The marshal took one more step back, he wanted to say something again.

The Count's death was a necessity, Gustav Adolf had many distinguished commanders, officers and advisers, but if I were to choose the Count he was the most precious of them ... I stripped Gustav Adolf of his right hand. I was going to deprive Swedish King of other things, too, but in a completely different way.

"Marshal Wrangel, your tongue has just killed Count Oxenstiern. The next will be Count Horn, then that bastard Jacob De la Gardie, Johann Streiff ... should I go on? I know who you are, I know all about you. I speak, you listen." (MC)

Everyone was silent, no one said a single word. Only in their eyes you could read their emotions.

"My name is Wilkomir Michał Jazłowiecki-Ostrogski. You are my prisoners, or at least until I decide otherwise ..." (MC)

I looked at Gustaw Adolf.

"Your Majesty is hurting my heart, you don't really remember my name ... A few years ago in Livonia. Your soldiers without hands and eyes, the letter I sent you. Don't you remember? ... I'm disappointed. Well, now I promise, Your Majesty will never forget me." (MC)

I summoned a few Cossacks and Tatars, ordered them to separate sailors from soldiers ... not every day I have the opportunity to get seven ships, I was going to sail them to Gdańsk and incorporate them into my merchant fleet ... the cost of building one galleon is 50,000 ducats and here I had 2 galleons and 5 barges. War and robbery are definitely lucrative. I also ordered my people to unload from ships the goods that they had in their holds, load them on carts and send them to Jazłowiec.

"Lord, are we supposed to unload everything?" (Ilya)

"No, just gunpowder, muskets, weapons, valuables. Leave the food, cannons, tools ... Use the prisoners for this, let them be useful for something." (MC)

The next day, after the inspection, everything I wanted was already loaded on carts ... 2000 muskets, 2 tons of gunpowder, 500 pistols, 1000 pikes and rapiers. Swedish uniforms, valuables, furniture and wardrobe of Gustaw Adolf and the rest of the officers. Documents, seals, books ... it was difficult for me to estimate the value of all this, but it had to be several hundred thousand ducats.

"Ivan, you will take 800 Cossacks and 500 Tatars and return to Jazłowiec. Saddat and Ilya, you will stay with me. First we will sail to Gdańsk, and then we will go to Hetman Sapieha." (MC)

"Lord, what about the Swedish soldiers?" (Ivan)

"Take them with you, they will be a gift for Khan Mehmed ... but if they resist or rebel, you can drown them in the nearest river. Gustav Adolf, I will give him to Hetman Sapih, and the other officers, I will think." (MC)

On the same day, most of my troops moved south, and I and the prisoners boarded the ships and headed for Gdańsk.

I sat on the deck of the galleon and watched the calm sea ... next to me stood a jar filled with wine and inside it was the head of Count Axel Gustafsson Oxenstierna ... another for my collection, I patted the jar.

"I hope you will like your new house in Jazłowiec and I hope you don't mind Tatars, Khan Temir is not very talkative, but when you get to know him better, you will surely like him." (MC)