He slowly scanned the city with his single orb. In the center of the town stood a large hill that dominated the skyline. From this angle the side of the hill appeared to be erected from immense stone blocks. Surrounding the hill on all sides was the city of Jerusalem. Athos is in there somewhere. May God and the angels above watch over you my young friend.
Constan turned Viribus back toward his men. I hate to do this to them, but if Tovig was unsuccessful in leading Fonda’s horde away, they will be arriving here soon. It’s time to get them moving again, but where? Constan turned and looked over his shoulder back toward the city.
For a moment the sunlight reflected off of something in the distance to the south. Squinting to make it out, his middle aged eye took a long time to focus on what he was seeing, a wall. The wall, was at least five miles or more distant on the horizon. Constan stared at the sight for several moments trying to puzzle out why there was a wall south of Jerusalem. He let his mind drift back to the strategy session from several nights back as Gor went over the map. This brought clarity to his thoughts and the answer popped into his mind of its own accord, Bethlehem?
Constan turned Viribus back around to face Jerusalem. He tried to cut through the cloud of fatigue that was infecting his mind as he drew his thoughts back to the briefing that Gor had given two nights ago. Closing his eyes, he could hear the younger man’s voice in his mind, “The church of the Holy Sepulcher is situated on the eastern edge of the city beyond the Temple Mount. It is built into the side of Calvary hill, and encloses the rock of Golgotha. From our vantage point the most direct route would lay directly through the city, around the temple mount, and then on to the church.”
Constan awoke with a start, Had he fallen asleep on his horse? Angry with himself, he tried to focus his thoughts back on the memory of Gor’s briefing. Do ye remember what he said about the surrounding area? After several moments of fighting back the urge to sleep Constan’s mind grasped the memory, “Five miles to the south of Jerusalem lay the City of Bethlehem. It is a smaller walled city. Perhaps we can march there, secure the city, and then send our retrieval party north around the southern edge of Jerusalem. They can enter the city through the Golden Gate. From that gate it is a short journey to the Church.”
Constan’s thoughts drifted back to the present, That’s how we can help the lad. I’ll lead what’s left of the army around the city, and in through the Golden Gate. With luck, we will run into the lad with the Cross in hand and make our escape from the city. From there we can decide if it’s possible to make it back to the ships in Joppa or just march north to Antioch.
Plan in hand, Constan loosened the reigns and kicked Viribus into motion. The horse instantly responded, and they quickly arrived back the spot where the remnants of the 5th Babylon slumbered. He spotted Hovig on west side of the group where he left him. He was asleep. I told that bastard to stay awake! If the damned had come upon them, the entire group could have been slain.
Seething, Constan was careful to make his way around his slumbering men with his horse. It would be a rude indeed to be awoken by the hoof of a horse, and these men certainly didn’t deserve that. After several minutes of skillfully guiding Viribus around the slumbering forms, he drew up beside Hovig. He leaned over toward him until he was the barest inch from the Droungarios’ ear and yelled, “Droungarios!”
Surprised, Hovig sat up to quickly. Losing his balance, he slid off his horse’s right side. As he fell, his foot got caught in the stirrup of his saddle. During his brief decent he tried to thrust his arms out before him in a panic to protect his face from striking the stone surface of the Roman Road. Constan, maneuvered Viribus around Hovig’s horse, looked down upon the fumbling man, and said, “I thought I told you to stay awake Droungarios!”
Hovig, in the midst of trying to pull his right leg free of the stirrup, stiffened at Constan’s voice and tried to salute. Instead, his foot finally came loose of the stirrup and he toppled to the ground below. “Droungarios! You will stand at attention when I am addressing you!”
Hovig, quickly scrambled to his feet, and stiffened to attention. Successfully saluting this time, he said, “Yes, sir! Sorry, sir!”
Constan’s eyes narrowed and his nostril flared as he said, “Sorry doesn’t cut it.” Gesturing at the men laid out on the ground sleeping around them he added, “These men have been fighting and running all night. They are depending on us to watch over them.”
Hovig’s shoulders slumped and his eyes drifted toward the ground, “I know, sir, I just couldn’t stay awake.”
Constan’s expression softened, “I know ye are tired, we all are, but ye have a mission to perform. The Emperor and the people of the Empire are depending on us to succeed. We must go from this place. If Komes Tovig was unsuccessful in drawing the damned off, then they will be here soon. Help me get them up.” Constan turned and pointed toward the east, “Jerusalem is just beyond that rise. We’ve got to get in position to help Athos. God only knows how many of the bastards will be trying to make a meal of him and his team in that city.
Constan opened his mouth to yell to wake the men when the smell of death washed over him, “Bugger.”
Chapter 67
An hour past Noon, October 19th 636, Jerusalem, Palestinia Province, Byzantium
The Temple Mount
Athos looked up at the stone wall that towered over him. The wall covering the entire side of the hill of the Temple Mount consisted of large stones as tall as a man each. As they stood in the large open square, Athos turned to Gor and asked, “What’s the best route from here? Around the north side or the south side of the Temple Mount?”
Gor nervously threw a glance back in the direction they had just come from before making eye contact with Athos and saying, “I’m not sure, sir. I’ve only been beyond this point a hand full of times, and that was half a lifetime ago. As I said earlier, the Via Dolorosa is the main thoroughfare through the eastern part of the city. I think the best place to pick it up is north of the Temple Mount, but I don’t remember for sure.”
Athos nodded slowly as he sighed deeply. His own eyes were drawn back the way they had come. So many of my men have fallen already. I don’t know why I keep getting placed in charge. I don’t deserve to be, I lose too many men. “Let’s proceed around the north side then and continue to make our way east. Your memory has been good up until this point. I’m inclined to continue to trust in you. Do you remember how far the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is beyond the Temple Mount?”
Gor nodded and smiled, “Thank you, sir, I appreciate your trust. Once we round the Temple Mount and pick up the Via Dolorosa it’s not far. A mile, maybe two at most. It can’t be much beyond that, as Jesus wouldn’t have been able to make it, in the condition he was in after Pilot’s men tortured him.”
“Around the north then, and let’s pray we don’t attract another damned horde. I think we’ve used up all our luck today.” Athos said.
The survivors slowly made their way across the square as the western wall loomed over them to the right. Next, they traversed the old forum built when Jerusalem was converted into Aelia Capitolina following the Jewish Rebellion of 70 AD. The group glanced about nervously as the ancient buildings with their mighty columns loomed above them. Finally, they came to the northern edge of the forum. An imposing structure rose in front of them, “The Governor’s Palace.” Gor said.
Reaching the Via Dolorosa, the group turned to the east and followed the road as it made its way around the Temple Mount. Athos led with Baltazar to his immediate left, followed by Gor, and Sharven. Next up the three ladies walked. Both Athea and Liana had a hand on one of Maarika’s arms each. They worked together to lead her forward from either side. The raven-haired beauty had stopped crying, and now moved forward in cloudy daze like state. Darting in and out of their feet and looking about with nervous eyes was Daisy, the newest addition to their group. Bringing up the rear was Jerry and Revig. The two men, constantly cast nervous glances behind them.
Athos’ shoulders tensed as the Via Dolorosa became a narrow and winding path. His eyes kept drifting to the rooftops above, fearful of another damned attack. Oddly, this area of the city seemed to be completely devoid of the damned. Could God be keeping the Temple and Old City Jerusalem free of the damned? He thought to himself.
Contrary to what the wide boulevard Athos was expecting, the Via Dolorosa was a narrow road the width of two men. Buildings crafted from local stone, loomed above the twisting path two to three stories high. As he looked down the road, swallowed nervously and thought, If they attack us from the rooftops here, we are doomed. Especially with so few of us left.
Turning to Gor and trying his best to project confidence into his voice, Athos said, “You are right again Gor. I don’t think we could have managed to get this far without you.”
Gor beamed at the compliment and saluted, “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
Athos turned to address those that followed him, “Looks like we don’t have much choice but to go two abreast down this road. Liana, can you follow immediately behind myself and Baltazar, we may need you to provide sling support.”
Liana nodded, happy to be close to Baltazar, “Yes.”
Athos nodded in acknowledgement, turned to Athea and said, “Athea, can you take care of Maarika? We all owe her our lives, so I want to make sure she is taken care of, even if she isn’t in a state to help us now.”
Athea made direct eye contact with Athos and stared a moment longer than necessary before replying, “It would be my honor, we owe her so much.”
Athos nodded slowly acknowledging the hidden look in her eyes, I love you too. He thought. Turning to the other four men he said, “Gor and Sharven I need you to follow directly behind Athea and Maarika and make sure nothing happens to them.” Without waiting for a reply, he then made eye contact with Jerry and said, “Dekanos you and Revig, please keep our arses covered. Questions?”
Athos was met by everyone’s expectant eyes, but no one voiced any questions, “Good, then let’s proceed quietly.” He gestured in the general direction where they had fought the damned last, “Hopefully all of the damned in the city were drawn over there by the God-awful racket that gorilla was making.” Athos looked down at the ground before adding sheepishly, “And myself.”
The group remained silent as they followed in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. The weight of the hallowed footsteps they followed, weighed upon their thoughts as the group walked. Their thoughts ranged from reverence for the sacrifice that Jesus made to wash away their sins, to self-doubt. Like him, would they measure up when their time came to sacrifice, or would they be found wanting?
Though their bodies continued their march in silence, in reality they were in prisons of their own thoughts, as their fears and anxieties weighed upon them. With each step they took, they drew ever nearer to their goal, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Like Jesus Christ before them, they had a date with destiny. Whether for good or ill, it was yet to be determined.
Chapter 68
Just before Noon, October 19th 636, Joppa Road West of Jerusalem, Palestinia Province, Byzantium
Constan roared and pointed with his Spatha, “Reserves, seal up that hole before the damned get through!”
The horde had come upon them about an hour prior. As Constan and Hovig frantically worked to wake everyone up, and get them into some semblance of a line, the damned had attacked. Unlike the previous night, they did not come in successive waves, nor give the men of the 5th Babylon a breather in-between those waves. Fortunately, they didn’t work together in concert to penetrate the defenses of the 5th Babylon either. These damned, just as the damned had done at Yarmouk, flung themselves at Constan’s Tourma simultaneously and with reckless abandon.
Luckily for Constan’s exhausted troops, the damned fought in the same manner as Yarmouk. This made them easier to kill. Driven by their hunger on pure instinct they had no thoughts but to fling themselves at the smell of living flesh. Why is this horde acting like this? Has something happened to Fonda? Does she no longer lead them? Constan asked himself before he yelled, “Good, good. Let’s hold here for a few minutes, and then we will have to initiate a fighting withdrawal before we are buried in bodies.”
When the damned attacked, Constan had lined them up in a roughly rectangular formation. He had held one Kentarchia in reserve in the center of the formation. He then ordered Droungarios Hovig to take command of the rear, while he led things in the front or the western side of the rectangle.
Constan turned in his saddle and looked over at the men standing in the reserve. Their numbers are shrinking too fast. Sighing deeply, he turned back and faced forward. For several minutes he watched as the damned horde pressed up against the thin line of his men. The sounds of battle filled his ears as the howling masses of the horde fell in droves to the tired arms of his men. The stench of the undead filled his nostrils. It was a horrific odor of rotting flesh, so overpowering, that veteran Skutatoi, already hardened to the smells of battle, often vomited upon smelling it for the first time.
They fought like this for another hour, slowly retreating up the Jerusalem road toward the city. As Skutatoi fell, Constan, slowly fed in his remaining reserve to fill the newly formed gaps in the line. Tired arms used shield and Spatha to stand firm against the endless attacks of the damned.
Overtime, they backed down the last hill and into the flat plain upon which the edge of the city stood upon. Constan would steal the occasional glance at Jerusalem, and the Temple Mount within the center of the city. I hope ye are having better luck than we are lad. Constan thought to himself as he threw one of those glances at the ancient pile of rubble atop the hill in the center of the city.
As Constan turned back to the fighting, another Skutatoi fell to clutching hands, and sharp teeth. Constan turned to order the next man in the reserves forward to fill this new gap. There was no one left. Guess I’m the reserve. Constan chuckled lightly, drew his Spatha, and screamed, “For the Empire!”
He kicked Viribus in the sides, and slapped the horse on the rump. Viribus’ chest smashed into the damned that feasted on the flesh of the last Skutatoi to fall knocking the putrid beast over. The mighty horse finished the job by stomping upon the damned’s head with his hooves. Simultaneously, Constan swung his Spatha to both the left and right ending the putrid existence of two more damned. This brought the exhausted Skutatoi who had been facing them, a moment of respite.
Constan, then turned and faced toward the horde in front of him. The mass of undead, churned, and frothed much like a giant wave in the ocean, as they pressed on the backs of their comrades, eager to gain their chance at the thin line of living flesh beyond.
Constan, exhausted from an entire night of battle, quickly tired as he held an ever-increasing part of the line. He was soon joined by Droungarios Hovig. The two mounted men, managed to hold onto a wider and wider section of the line as additional men fell to the damned. Constan, wiped the sweat from his brow as he glanced behind him. As Skutatoi died, without orders, the disciplined men of the 5th Babylon had contracted the line.
Constan sighed deeply as he mentally counted the surviving men, “Barely a hundred of us left.”
Hovig, finishing off a damned with a downward swing of his Spatha asked, “What was that, Tourmarches?”
“I said there is barely a hundred of us left.” Constan repeated himself.
Constan felt a sharp blow against his shield and he turned to face the danger as Droungarios Hovig said, “If you don’t stay focused, there is going to be one fewer of us soon.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Are ye me mum now?” Constan replied back.
“The men will lose heart if you fall.” Hovig shot back.
A feeling of guilt washed over Constan as he thought. It would be so easy, to just let the damned take me and end it. I’m so tired, but he’s right. I must fight on, for the men’s sake and Amata.. Though things look hopeless now, perhaps something will happen to shift the tide, and a few of u
s may yet escape.
Chapter 69
Mid-Afternoon, October 19th 636, Jerusalem, Palestinia Province, Byzantium
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Athos raised his right arm up high enough for the rest of the group to see it and squeezed his hand into a fist. Obeying the signal, the group came to a stop. All sounds of their movement ceased and he stood listening for several moments. As he tried to listen to sounds characteristic of the damned, the sound of Daisy’s constant panting filled his ears. He threw the dog a frustrated glance, and said, “Did anyone hear anything?”
“Only the dog panting.” Baltazar said.
“What are you hoping to hear?” Gor asked.
“Sounds of movement mainly.” Athos turned to face Gor before adding, “The sounds of walking can cover up the noise the damned make as they approach. We’ve found the occasional pause to listen reduces the chances of being surprised.”
Gor nodded in understanding, “That makes sense.”
Athos noticed that Daisy had found a nice cool spot in a shadow and lain down. The sounds of her panting abruptly ceased and he cocked his ear once more. After a full minute of silence, he said, “Seems like we aren’t attracting any attention thus far.” Turning back to Gor he asked, “About how far until we reach the church.
Gor raised his arm and pointed at a hill on the horizon, “That hill there is Cavalry. You see that complex of buildings atop it?”
Athos turned and followed the direction of Gor’s hand with his eyes before nodding and saying, “Yes.”
“That’s the church complex. The chapel where they keep the cross and houses Jesus’ tomb is built into the base of the hill and isn’t visible yet.” Gor said.
Byzantium Infected Box Set Page 98