Helios

Anjelo sighed looking up at the dusk sky, the last traces of sun rays kiss the same piece of land she used to look after daily for the past thousands of years. The only difference is that instead of being the usual peaceful city filled the sentiments of life, energy of civilians from all walks of life finishing their daily chores, yawning of soldiers on guard, it is now filled with the fury of the alive, agony of the injured and the silence of the dead.

But perhaps the huss and hazzles going on around here is way too minute and insignificant for the sun to take notice, light fades away unchanged as the blessings of Helios and Apollo fades away behind the walls, behind the seas of Marmara, behind the Mountain of Taurus. However, while the sun, the dead and the gods can now finally take a good night's rest, the livings still have to live on to suffer, in this struggle for the section of the Komnenian walls, which the death of hundreds will decide the future fate of thousands, the suffering goes on.

The battle goes on.

Anjelo struggled to get out of the tower where the Ottomans tried to encircle him on the walls, almost broke his ankle in the process, but he dragged enough time to prevent the Ottomans from disrupting the order of defense on other sections of the walls. He rushed back to Julian's side, who are gulping down water from his leather flask taking a rest from the intense fighting just now.

Anjelo brought Julian bad news.

"I see." Julian remained silent for a while and nodded a reply.

"You not surprised that the Ottomans now have reinforcements outside the walls?"

"Why would I be surprised?" Julian shrugged his shoulders and stood up with the support of his shield. "If I am Mehmed, or whoever leading that army outside, the moment I see a breach in the walls, and even better, a gate, I would drop everything on my schedule, and launch an assault on that spot as soon as possible, just like…"

"…Just like?"

"…Just like… Gambling, when your opponent makes a mistake, throw the …. The wrong dice, for example, then you all in your…. Your… chips to win the game…." Realising that he has made the wrong example, Julian's voice became softer and softer until it is barely audible among all the sounds of battle field.

"… I will tell the admiral later that you are involved in gambling activities in camp…"

"…. Please… Do not tell the admiral, I, I beg you…"

"But seriously, Julian, are you not scared?"

"Scared? Scared of what?"

"There are! Enemies! Outside! Just outside of this gate! Theu can rush in at any point of time! And chop down this, this…." Anjelo jumped up in flames of rage on his head out of a sudden, and pointed his wrinkled finger sticking to Julian's shiny forehead. "And behead this ignorant imbecilic head of yours, and throw it into the Golden Horn!"

"…" Julian tilted his head and continued staring at Anjelo with a wink.

"Stop, stop, do something! Julian, do something! Commander Julian!"

"There is no need to fear about the situations, my old friend." Julian patted the old Anjelo on the back and laughed. "There is no need to worry about the reinforcements, because…"

Julian pointed up with his left hand towards the direction of the church tower standing at a distance. "Because he is here."

"The man who forms our back bone, is back to our side."

…

Antonius and Abraham stand against the freezing wind on the church tower in the palace having an entire bird's eye view of the entire war zone. He was notified about the death of the respected Ecumenical Patriarch, the withdrawal of the Venetians and the deeds of his own man Julian. When the emperor's guards came in requesting him to evacuate, he refused, and that is why he came here.

Behind Antonius stands Yuri and Harald, each holding a battle axe almost half the height of the two giants, with their signature Norse heavy battle axe striking fear into anyone had a chance to face it directly on the battlefield, and the thought of it slashing down on their forehead will probably be stuck in their brain giving them trauma for the rest of their life. If they survive, that is.

Antonius feels his shallow beard which grew out during this period of time in the church and remarked upon Julian's behaviour in the battle. "Seems like Julian still has a lot to learn from me, although I would admit that he already has about the same level of courage like me, but he still lacks the virtues of patience, strategy and intelligence like me."

Yuri and Harald looked at each other and made no comments.

Antonius let out an embarrassing grin after realising that there is no one to clap for him, but there is no time left for him to continue his self praising time and sink in his personal heroic legends. The Ottoman Janissaries, under the leadership of a seemingly over sized man that is almost as big as the gate, marched inside the city and started laying an easy counter attack against the Venetians who are sent there to stop them. Mauro is also forced to abort his task of closing the gate after realising their efforts are to no avail with the Ottomans placing pieces of metals on the chains which stopped the entire system from functioning properly.

Out of a sudden, there seems to be a thunder rolling in the air which sounds like the gods of the skies themselves have finally reacted to the scenes of living tragedy and sent their anger that almost felt like it has torn through the atmosphere. However, there are no gods, at least not in this place, but from Antonius' perspective, the sound is produced by a man that has the strength of a god.

The burly Ottoman warrior withdrew his gigantic sledge hammer from his back, slashing the battle head into the metal chains. With the unbearable force the metal chains are broken into pieces.

Antonius narrowed his eyes, raised his hand and signaled Harald and Yuri to prepare their varangian who are ambushed nearby.