1453: Revival of Byzantium

Chapter 25: Eagle Flag Over the Bosporus

After Constantine stormed into the gates first, he went blank and not knowing what to do as this is literally his first time with an army on the front line. But Giovanni's right hand man Mauro is an experienced combatant. He immediately organised all archers and crossbow men to suppress the enemy archers on the walls. They did a successful job too successful that their arrows flew over the walls and landed behind, one arrow even landed right before Loukas giving him a stutter.

Loukas was initially following his emperor, Constantine, charging in front. But being a smart person, he always is, knowing that enemy arrows don't have eyes and will bring down a man no matter if he is the Mega Doux or just some random soldier. He slowly paced himself slower and slower until he is at the far back. Loukas got so scared that he almost felt a stream of warmth in his pants, he then decided to just stay under the gate and not advance forward, pretending he is guarding the gate instead.

By this time, this battle has already been concluded. Giovanni and his men rush up from the western tower attacking and pushing the enemies on the northern walls to the centre. While Mauro laid an attack on the Eastern towers pushing the enemies on both fronts with their signature Pavise shields. While Constantine organised the rest of the men and started pushing the southern tower and that segment of walls.

Soon this process of pushing turned into a one-sided slaughter, the Janissaries tried to regroup under the leadership of their commander, but soon they realised that it is to no avail as they are fighting on multiple fronts and separated into multiple segments, gradually eaten up and eliminated mercilessly by Roman soldiers.

Feeling that all hope of surviving and breaking through anguished, the Janissaries' spirit of fighting to the end aroused to the highest. They used everything they still have to bring down as many Roman soldiers as possible. Some janissaries, despite having already several injuries, still persisted to fight. Some others sprinted forward, hugged a soldier and pushed both of them down the walls which is around twenty meters tall, perishing his own life alongside with the Roman. While some others attempted to escape by jumping down the walls through the arrow slit but found themselves in no better consequences than others.

Seeing the casualties and death tows have increased, Constantine feared that the losses may become unbearable, started persuading the janissaries in their language for them to surrender.

"Surrender! Ottomans! You have fought brave enough for your Sultan! Now put down your weapons and squad down! We shall spare your lives!"

He was replied with only arrows which luckily missed.

"Roman! Roman! You filthy Rumelian, you brought a shameless sneak attack on our land and our fortress, and now you have the guts to ask us to surrender, in our language! We shall only answer your words of evil with our Ottoman blades and arrows!" The Janissary captain answered back as he tried last time to re-organise a proper defence on the walls.

He is stopped by another bolt right through his head, dropping dead immediately.

After around two hours after the battle initiated, it is concluded as the last janissary jumped down the Southern walls landing with his head and rolled into the Bosporus straits. The workers in the fortress are taken captives. Two Roman pioneers climbed to the highest point of the fortress, deposed the Janissary Zulfiqar flag into the sea and replaced it with Christogram vexillum labarum of Chi-Rho and Roman double headed-eagle purple flag.

After a century, the flag of the Romans is finally back flying over the Bosporus, the shine and blessing of Christ finally looms over the strait again. The Roman soldiers cheered, wept and yelled raising their cutlasses up high in the sky, prayers and songs were sang among the victorious army.

Giovanni thrown off his helmet, sat down beside a wall and grasped for air as his adrenaline level returned to normal. It is only after a battle that the surge of exhausted and tiredness rushes to the brain, while during the battle everyone feels like they have an unlimited strength and energy.

However, Giovanni stilled stood up with the support of his cutlass and instructed. "Boys! We need to destroy this place! Get to work with your shovels! Take the captive to work as well!". The original plan that Giovanni and Constantine had, is to stimulate the tunneling method used in sieges. The soldiers shall dig holes under the foundations of the fortress walls and fill it with wood, dry-grass, oil or any other flammable substances. Then ignite these substances with Greek Fire, the wall shall be softened and be brought down like bean curds.

But this will also need time, they can just hope that the Ottoman reinforcement will be late again.

The Ottoman camp in Maslak, around 2.5 Roman miles away from Rumelihisar.

This is where the headquarters of Ottoman forces supervising Constantinople is, under the leadership by Mehmed II's most trusted Pasha - Zaganos Pasha. He was appointed here away from the royal court in Edirne which seemed to be a form of punishment. But he knew that his Sultan is trying to preserve him from those court political struggles and Grand Vizier Candarli Halil Pasha.

It just seems like an ordinary, boring morning, he wakes up served by two Saracen maids, cleaned his hygiene and went to the shooting range to practise his archery, which is considered a noble sport among Ottoman upper class societies at this point of time.

Just after a few rounds of shooting, a watchman in camp came reporting that the beacon tower in Rumelihisar has been lit. Zaganos Pasha immediately realised something is not right as he stepped high and looked at the directions of Rumelihisar. But out of caution he decided to send out a wave of scouts first to check on the fortress if it is a false alarm. No one in the Ottoman camp believed that the Romans, who only knows on how to stay inside those walls in the past century, has the wits to fight back.

But the scouts never came back after two hours, which gave Zaganos Pasha some anxiety, as he immediately summoned another pasha, Selim pasha to discuss about this matter. Just as Selim pasha arrived in Zaganos Pasha's tent, an army servant came reporting, shaking as-if he has just went through the worst nightmare. While washing cloths by the strait, the poor boy saw dead janissaries floating on top of the water.

"We need to send reinforcements, right away!" Seeing that what he worried about the most became a reality, Zaganos Pasha put aside all doubts and made the decision to assemble the army right away and march towards Rumelihisar to try to save as many people as possible before it is too late. However, Selim Pasha stepped forward, stopped Zaganos Pasha and whispered.

"Zaganos Pasha The janissaries guarding Rumelihisar today belongs to the Grand Vizier And I've heard that the captain is a family member of Candarli Halil Pasha"

Zaganos Pasha started hesitating.