1453: Revival of Byzantium

Chapter 187: The Pond of Wine

The Magyar riders galloped for several Roman miles through hills, through grass lands, passing by ponds, and finally encountered the stretching mountain ranges that seems to go all the way until the unreachable horizon. The Ottoman cavalries in hot pursuit of the Crusaders are just behind their tails which judging from the thunderous sounds of their hooves are going to arrive at any minute.

Everyone in the surrounding eyes the imperial baron anxiously waiting for his next order. The later rode up a high ground observing the Ottomans coming from afar in three groups encircling them and turned back looking at the steep mountain ranges going all the ways up to the clouds. Realising that there is no one possibly out of this, the imperial baron looked up to the blazing noon sun hanging up high in the sky and the shadows of trees on the ground laughed, laughed like a happy child, exposing his incisor tooth for a while and just as every one is wandering if their captain has gone mad, he stopped and asked.

"How long have these crooks been chasing us?"

"For around an hour and half, sir."

"Around an hour and half" The imperial baron held his chin thinking for a while and grinned again. "Good, that means we have already wasted three hours of their time."

Then, he reached for his water flask but then realised that he has already smashed it on the ground, covering his embarrassment in the third round of laughter today he jumped down his horse walking to a nearby lake, removed his helmet, kneeled down and sunk his entire head inside gulping down mouthful after mouthful of fresh water making him feel like his entire soul is refreshed.

The other Hungarian riders looked at each other and followed their commander seating beside the lake hydrating themselves cooling down their temperature from the blazing summer noon Bulgarian heat with a few elder scouts scattered around spotting enemy movements.

Soon cheers, chatters and laughter filled this plain with people splashing water on themselves or on their pals taking the preciously short period of break time before the Ottoman's hooves arrive. Rainbows even started showing up above the lake accompanied by the croaking of frogs making this entire place look more like a summer vacation excursion rather than a battle field.

The imperial baron lied down looking at the sky, then suddenly pinched the soldier beside him startling the poor fellow drinking water and asked laughing. "Hey! Soldier! My brother!"

The poor fellow almost choked with water in his throat as he bolted up shouting out in respect for his captain. "Aye! Sir!"

"Relax, relax." The imperial baron had to pull this man down to the ground. "Tell me, soldier, what is your name?"

"Captain!"

"Relax." The imperial baron grinned exposing his brown teeth. "Why bother all of these courteous nonsense? Just call me Emeric will do."

"Yes Sir Emeric."

"Emeric."

"Yes, Emeric, Sorry, Emeric." The poor fellow is apparently way too nervous that he kept his entire body straightened like a wooden plank while talking. "My name is Asztrik! Si Emeric!"

"Relax, brother." The imperial baron pulled the stiffened back of the soldier down once more. "Just a quick chat, I do not really get to have this kind of chance last time Where are you from? What is your occupation before enlistment?"

"I am from BIstricia, a carpenter before enlistment."

"I see." The imperial baron grabbed the hands of the carpenter. "Nice to meet you, Asztrik."

Then he sat up asking the other soldiers to surround him and started asking them one by one for a brief introduction of themselves.

"Sir, my name is Cseke, from the bank of the Sana river, I was the owner of a mill."

"My name is Gedeon, I am a farmer from the lands of Temes. "

"The name is Peterke, sir Emeric, I am a student from the University of Pcs, my home town is in Nitra."

"Greetings, sir, I am a wood cutter called Szemere, born in the province of Saros."

"Alright" The imperial baron listened attentively to each and everyone of their introductions nodding and shaking hands after they complete, then stood up and summoned them to all come closer, opening his arms wide grinning hugging them all together.

"Brothers! If we are going to die together today, do you think that I have chosen a perfect spot? You see, such a furnishing environment with abundant wind, fertile soil, pure water bodies, is it not a good place to be buried here?"

The others startled for a second, and then some sighed, some nodded in agreement, some shook their heads, some looked at the sky, and some took out the neck lace of a cross and started praying, but no one is crying.

"Brothers." The imperial baron looked left and right trying to remember the faces of every one he is hugging. "It is a privilege to die with all of you today. I sincerely do hope that, when all of us ascend to heaven, Christ will give us the right to be gathered again under the same banner of his majesty and his Grace our King Regent, I wish that we can stay as brothers forever."

"Brothers forever." The rest of the men murmured following their captain.

"Now, who still has wine with them? I know for sure that some of you will hide wine in your pockets, don't try to hide."

"I have, sorry sir." A while later a soldier confessed drawing out a small leather flask of wine from his waist.

However, instead of getting a blame and a punishment, he got a hug and a pat from his superior. "Thank you, brother, for you have fulfilled my last wish."

The imperial baron, Lord Emeric Zpolya walked up to the pond, watched by every of his followers he opened the flask pouring all of its content into the tiny pond and shouting in excitement to his entire cavalry force around here. "Brothers! It has long been my wish that I want to treat all of you wine, ever since I have taken command. Today, although the resources are scarce and we are caught in the middle of no where, but I would still like to have a sip of wine with all of you people!"

"Now! Every one! Come take a sip of the water containing the wine I just poured! Come! Drink with me! After this sip I shall have no more regrets!"

The imperial baron threw the flask a far, then went down first kneeling down taking a mouthful of the water mixed with wine. The others reluctantly followed.

In a distance, sound of hooves can be heard coming closer and closer.