1453: Revival of Byzantium

Chapter 80: What a Man Ought to Have

Abdullah gave a shy smile, stroke his nose and said with hands on his waist. "Well you see, in a battle"

"You not only got to use here" He pointed to his biceps and triceps.

"Also, here" He pointed to his legs.

"And most importantly There must be something here!" Abdullah sticked his finger forward and pointed at Antonius' head.

Abdullah soothed the nervous temptations and atmosphere in the tower and sent everyone laughing together despite the fact that the enemy archers have already started loading their recurve bows with arrow.

"You know what my brother Abdullah Let me tell you what a true man in Europe ought to have"

"Yes what?"

"As a man You not only got to have something here" Antonius pointed towards his head.

"Something here" He pointed to his muscles.

"And also, something here!" He suddenly reached out his hands forward for the part between Abdullah's thighs grabbing him by a man's most vital part.

Abdullah jumped backwards leaning by the walls of the tower staring at Antonius with a pair of eyes filled with fright and terror.

Antonius did not mind it at all, he laughed, waved his hands and stepped out of the tower speaking in a relaxed manner. "Thank you buddy, I guess the situation will not allow us to joke around any longer, neither will it wait for the mirrors to be deployed Get a good rest, I shall go do something real man ought to do"

Before he disappeared out of site, he left one final sentence. "I want the full story about that play and the mirror thing when I am back, that is if I can come back."

Antonius turned left down the stairs to the gate of Gyrolimne, where he is welcomed by Julian and a hundred men, all equipped in the finest Italian plate armour that Antonius can offer, are sitting there relaxing and preparing themselves on the palace fences.

Upon seeing them, Antonius just nodded at them while Julian nodded at him, no further conversation is required between buddies who have went through battles together and left their back to one another.

The armoured men formed a formation with Pavise shields gleaming like silver, spear tips glinted like the frost of winter. Infront of them behind the gates, the ground is shaking from the battle cries of Ottomans and the force of heavy siege towers pulled through the earth, above them are a wild storm of bolts and arrows sassing and buzzing across the sky blocking the lights from the sun making anyone below feels like the day has darkened. Behind them, citizens of Constantinople blubbering and shivering in their hide outs, injured soldiers groaning covering their wounds squirting with scarlet red blood.

Antonius heaved out a deep breathe, closed his eyes for a while as men gathered up behind him lining up in formations. Julian buckled up Antonius' plate armour from behind checking that nothing is amiss, patted him on the back signaling that he is all ready.

With this, Antonius opened his eyes abruptly and called out to his men. "Alright brothers! Remember what our objective is! Remember we leave no one behind! Now let's march!"

"Aye!!!!!"

The Gate of Gyrolimne opened up donning the gate way with sunlight for the first time in this month, a hundred and two men rushed out roaring battle cries, really a sight unexpected for the Ottomans below the walls busy exchanging arrows with the Roman archers above.

It just seems like the Ottomans have this misconception that the soldiers of Rome never knows how to fight without the protection of a wall, but they also forgot that the Romans laid the first foundation stone of their empire and conquest by massive field operations.

Antonius, stared at the first Ottoman archer that came into his gloomy eye pupil under the helmet, he rushed forward running his silver spear right into the poorly protected neck causing a splash of blood out of the archer like a fountain, then Antonius surpassed this still blood-splashing archer which dyed his royal purple clock bloody-red, he whacked his Pavise long shield against another shield holding Ottoman shield man's , shattering the poor man's bones and joints in elbow and wrist. The man dropped his shield on the ground and his arms dangling down freely, must be an appalling sight for him, but Antonius will relieve his pain quick, he turned back and slashed this man again with his shield breaking his neck this time causing him to lose his conscious.

Antonius drawn out his reddish spear from the dead archer's body, beside him his band of brothers have already went into a killing spree while maintaining a half circle formation. This kind of formation allows them to maximise their killing radius with spears, while making sure they can defend incoming enemies for one another, and lastly, able to retreat back into the gate orderly and quickly if anything goes wrong.

Before the circle is filled with dead Ottomans laying around in all postures, but mostly with a hole caused by spears on their bodies. It can be said that their sacrifice at least meant something. It created a belt of empty land with their bodies as a warning signal, warning anyone that comes close might end up laying their enjoying the afternoon sun like them.

The Ottoman frontline quickly took action and ordered his soldiers to regroup, lining up together like the Romans with shields facing front, but this means that now there is no one there to cover for the Ottoman archers, leaving them exposed and got swept down one after another by Roman archers and cross bow men already aiming at them waiting for a chance on the walls.

With that, the defending Roman archers finally got an opportunity to relax their sole legs from crouching down too long, relieve their fury with their bolts and arrows pouring them down onto the protectless Ottoman archers.

The appearance of a hundred and two warriors outside the gate entirely turned the tide of the battle.