Sorry for the delay, but I was cutting my dog's hair and time just flew by.
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Anno Domini 828, August-8
''So how many did you finally manage to bring back from your journey north?'' I asked, interested in knowing the real scale of the forces he had managed to gather.
''Ah… you should have seen the faces of the Roman officers,'' Hakon said, laughing. ''They went pale when they saw the fleet. It was a spectacle watching them while I explained that those troops were traveling under your orders.''
''That was to be expected,'' I replied. ''The capital must be fairly exposed, considering that most of the tagmata marched with Theophilos. A fleet strong enough to cross the chain of Constantinople could put them in serious trouble if it ever entered the Golden Horn.''
''That is why I made sure to move as quickly as possible toward Svearike and Götaland,'' Hakon continued. ''I spent several weeks there starting the recruitment you asked for. As soon as I began handing out gold coins among the bravest warriors I could find among the jarls, the news spread like fire.''
He nodded before continuing.
''The great war in the south began to circulate from mouth to mouth. Many jarls were considering joining raids toward the lands the Romans call Britannia, seeking fertile territory. But these lands…'' he made a wide gesture with his hand. ''These lands are far better. So thousands joined your banner in search of glory and riches.''
''Yes… I have heard that the Danes control areas like Northumbria and Wessex, where kings pay tribute to avoid attacks,'' I replied. ''Britannia is a grey island, always under clouds. Compared to these lands, its soil is poor.''
''Exactly,'' Hakon said. ''In Svearike and Götaland it is already accepted as fact that the lands of the southern Romans are among the richest and most fertile that exist. Many wanted to come for them, especially after hearing of the war and that they could obtain land if they served under your command.''
''That can always be discussed,'' I replied, crossing my arms as I walked a few steps. ''In Crete there is still a lot of land left to work. If after this war they want to settle and do not cause trouble, they will be welcome.''
Hakon let out a short laugh. ''That is where the problem lies. Many of those I brought came with their own jarls. This time I could not choose as before. I brought every warrior and jarl I could, even some with a temperament that gives cause for concern.''
He leaned forward before finishing. ''But here you have twelve thousand warriors. From all over Svearike and Götaland. Eager to fight, to obtain the riches of Miklagarðr, and to return home laden with glory and gold. Some are also looking for new lands to call home.''
''Twelve thousand men…'' I repeated, unable to hide my smile. ''That comes in very handy. I hope most of them are proven warriors. We do not have time for formal training or complex tactics.''
''I made sure of that,'' Hakon replied. ''Most are veterans, with several raids or real battles behind them. Of course there are also young men, drawn by the rewards. As the fame of these lands spreads, many who once thought of going to Britannia now only think of gathering what is needed to travel to Miklagarðr in search of great riches.''
Hakon nodded slowly as he sat back down, satisfied.
''You should have brought them,'' I replied after sighing as I heard him. ''The more people, the better. As I said, this war has been costly. I have lost nearly five hundred well trained and well equipped men, and I need replacements without further draining the population of Crete. Anyone willing to fight was useful.''
''I did not have enough ships, Basil,'' Hakon explained. ''Drakkars cannot be very large or wide, or they would not be able to navigate rivers. I planned to bring only five or seven thousand men, which was what I could transport with my ships. The extra men arrived because several jarls decided to join on their own.''
He made a broad gesture with his hand.
''They brought their own ships and their warriors. Mostly their own hird. As for the rest of the gold, before you ask, I made sure to distribute it in the villages where I recruited. That way it spread everywhere that a great war was being fought in Miklagarðr and that this was only a taste of the enormous riches they could obtain from the powerful Roman jarls.''
''Ah… so you will make more trips?'' I asked with interest.
''Yes. With my own ships,'' he replied. ''Each wave of reinforcements will be around five or seven thousand men. If more jarls join the journey, it could be many more. And now that training is no longer the most important thing, I will bring everyone who wants to fight. We will see what we do with them.''
He looked at me steadily. ''But the ones you see here, at least those I brought, are veterans. Warriors with scars, with several wars, battles, and raids behind them. You will not have to teach them how to kill. Only warn them about what they will face.''
''Good,'' I said, nodding. ''I will make sure to place Varangians I trust at the head of their groups. I cannot allow them to use their usual shield wall tactics or that kind of static fighting. The Sarakenoi do not fight that way.''
I turned as I walked toward the governor's hall of Antarados. ''They use cavalry and archers. If the Varangians do not understand that, they will die. So call the jarls and those who lead those groups. I want to brief them personally on what is coming.''
''Of course,'' Hakon replied. ''I will gather them immediately.''
I began reviewing what had happened in Antarados during the days I had been absent, also inspecting the progress in the construction of the second walls and the perimeter defenses. To my relief, the work had advanced well. The second wall was almost finished and the outer defenses were already in place. They were not as thick or solid as the original walls of Antarados, but they fulfilled their main purpose: preventing the harvest from being burned prematurely.
In some sectors we were already in the midst of the harvest, and we needed the granaries full in case of a siege.
Everything seemed well organized. The themata trained whenever they were not working their fields, and the entire city was mobilized, cooperating in one way or another in the defense.
I then reviewed the city's ledgers. I corrected several obvious errors. It was clear that many of the administrators were illiterate or barely able to handle numbers. In some records the figures changed from one line to the next, more the result of a trembling hand than any intent to deceive. Even so, I left clear instructions and corrected what was strictly necessary.
When I finished leaving Antarados in an administratively acceptable state, Hakon appeared accompanied by dozens of Varangian jarls.
They wore clothing that revealed their social standing. Some carried armor that clearly came from my arsenals, but most wore mail with hardened leather over it. Among them were also the leaders of the warrior bands. It was immediately obvious that they were veterans. Their armor was dented, marked by old blows, poorly repaired or not repaired at all, clear signs of men who had survived more than one war.
One of the jarls stepped forward and looked at Hakon with evident contempt.
''So this is the Roman, Hakon? You said he was a phenomenal warrior. I only see a young man without a beard or scars.''
I looked at him steadily before replying, speaking in his own tongue. ''That must be because I am so good at fighting and my armor is of such quality that those who have fallen under my sword never had the chance to strike me.''
The silence that followed was immediate.
''Very well… Varangians… all who have come here will serve apart from the army of the Roman Empire and will obey its laws and rules. Those who do not obey will die… and not by my hand… by theirs'' I said in a cold tone, pointing outside.
They all turned their heads to look.
''I mean the Sarakenoi. The enemies of the empire I serve and which you now also serve. The Sarakenoi are not an enemy you can underestimate. None of you, no matter how great, has faced them before. They are accustomed to this infernal heat. They wear light armor to move with agility. They rarely attack head on, and when they do it is because they have already exhausted you by chasing you, harassing you with arrows, or surrounding you with their cavalry'' I continued without raising my voice.
''If you do not obey my orders you will be isolated and eliminated with ease. That is how many Roman armies before us have fallen.''
I walked slowly in front of them.
''I know that for all of you going to Valhalla is a privilege. But it is better to arrive there having killed Sarakenoi than being surrounded and slaughtered without glory. If you follow my instructions you will live to return to your lands laden with gold. These lands are rich. We have recently taken many cities under my command and the plunder has been abundant. Thousands of slaves. You can ask your Varangian brothers who arrived earlier how they have filled their hands by following my orders.''
I looked at them one by one.
''I was promised land…'' said one of the jarls with a gray beard still streaked with dark strands.
''Oh land… there will be plenty. My intention is to settle you on the island of Crete. An island with a cooler climate than this and fertile soil. As long as you obey Roman law and renounce any administrative ambition. You may live and work the land. Not govern it. That is my job'' I replied as I walked in front of him. He was taller than me.
''And what stops me from simply taking land here by force?'' he asked, staring at me.
''First… the Sarakenoi would kill you or chain you and use you as a slave. Second… if you try to lay a finger on imperial land I will hunt you like a dog. And believe me, I have the means to go to your home and reduce it all to ashes. If you think you will have luck on your own, do it. But you will be a dead man walking. I will not grant you a death worthy of Valhalla. I will keep you in a cage until you die naturally. Condemned to Helheim.''
The old jarl smiled. ''I like you, Roman jarl.''
I saw several of the other jarls nod as they heard it.
''The feeling will be mutual if you obey my instructions and restrain your desire for a pointless battle. For the moment we are in a defensive phase… but… Sigurd'' I said, turning toward him.
''How may I serve you, my jarl?'' Sigurd replied, stepping forward.
''Our friends have a great fleet of drakkars. It would be a waste not to use it. Let them taste the riches of these lands and see that I am a generous jarl to those who serve me well. I need you to lead raids to the south… Tripoli, Tyre, Byblos… all those cities. But remember…'' I said, looking at him steadily.
''Do not kill Christians'' Sigurd replied, finishing the sentence for me.
''That is my only condition. They may do whatever they want in Sarakenoi lands, but I do not want a single Christian killed, enslaved, or abused. You will take your ships and sail south. You will ravage every settlement you can. Sigurd is my right hand in battle. He knows how I think and how I would act in every situation. He will lead, and his orders will be law as if they came from me myself.''
I stepped forward.
''The loot will be divided according to Roman law. Thirty percent for the emperor. Thirty percent for me, which I will then distribute among those Sigurd deems to have served best. Forty percent for you. In addition, one slave for your own property for every ten you capture'' I said, pointing at Sigurd.
''My duty is to protect you, my jarl'' he replied firmly.
''You are one of the few I trust for these missions, Sigurd. I will take care of Antioch. Make sure the governor of Damascus does not trouble me from behind. It is an important mission'' I said, striking his shoulder.
''A mission I will obey'' he replied, nodding.
''Good. I will return to Antioch to finish the preparations. When you finish your plundering in that area, return to Rhosos and we will see what to do if the Sarakenoi are already there'' I said as I left the room and headed toward the harbor.
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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If anyone read what I replied in the comments, they will know that I am not going to continue with any Warhammer stories. I prefer to jump ship before continuing to invest time or money in them.
Before I start working, since I will soon have my law degree and I am already getting calls from some places where I applied, I plan to take advantage of the free time I have left before my responsibilities as an adult begin. I want to write a Game of Thrones story, combining it with Caesar's Legion from Fallout to make an interesting story... If anyone is interested, I would like to hear your opinions.