Chapter 583: The Burning Forts
"DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!"
The chain of Ottoman walls and fortresses is suddenly jolted from its deep sleep as commanders rush into every tent, hustling their men awake. They’re told to seize their weapons and hasten to the fortifications.
These Ottoman walls and fortresses, brilliantly engineered by Hamza Pasha, are not mere buildings; they represent a strategic network of defensive fortifications stretching from the coast to the highlands of Gerontas. Watchtowers extend deep into the mountain ranges to guard against Roman infiltrations for miles around. Naturally, it takes some time for the Ottomans to organize their defences, a fact accounted for in Hamza Pasha’s strategic plans.
The first line of forts is intentionally designed to stall the Romans just long enough for Ottoman forces to rally and make their way to the primary defensive line. These initial forts have purposefully modest fortifications at the rear, making them easier to recapture if taken.
According to Hamza Pasha’s original design, watchtowers would be positioned in no man’s land to guard against the very situation unfolding tonight – Roman troops sneaking onto the fortresses unnoticed. However, Hamza Pasha’s death and subsequent civil turmoil forced the Sultan to recall a thousand Janissaries from the western lines to secure his throne in Edirne and attempt to reclaim lost eastern territory. As a result, the new commander had to abandon much of the infrastructure in no man’s land, including the watchtowers.
The Ottomans, long untested in battle, respond with inept haste to this unexpected assault in the middle of the night. They scramble to fortify the various posts just as the Romans initiate their charge.
The initial Roman offensive is partitioned into three groups, each comprising five hundred men. Their goal is to seize the first three smaller forts that stand before them across the expanse of no man’s land. Their victory comes easily; as these forts lack defensive ditches or moats, the soldiers merely ram open the gates and storm the strongholds. Archers, stationed on the ramparts, can do little more than watch helplessly as they are subject to a relentless barrage that keeps them from even peeking over the edge. The only course of action left to the Ottomans in these three forts is to block the fortress intersections with their belongings - carts, wagons, haystacks, barrels, and unfinished arrow shafts. They then ignite these makeshift barricades, hoping the resulting inferno will impede the progress of the Rumelians and buy their allies enough time to prepare.
A vivid scene unfolds as flames seize control of the fort, painting the night sky with a fiery spectacle. Flames dance and twist like living creatures, reaching up toward the heavens in their wild display. The fortress, once a solid, unyielding mass, transforms into a glowing beacon, a vibrant testament to the battle’s harsh reality. This ferocious blaze provides the only illumination in the enveloping darkness, casting long, flickering shadows that sway with the flames’ capricious movements. The night sky, previously a serene blanket of stars, now serves as a dramatic backdrop for the fiery tableau below. Each spark that escapes the inferno rises as if in slow motion, joining the stars above, while smoke plumes stretch out, weaving an ominous tapestry across the heavens. The intensity of the blaze is both stunning and fearsome, a stark symbol of the conflict raging on the ground.
"Your Majesty!" Helios approached Antonius at the back again with a worrisome look. "The Ottomans have set fire to the forts, we will need to clear the fire out before our troops can advance, please be patient and do not..."
"General Helios!" Antonius grabbed Helios by the gauntlet and shouted back. "Helios! You are the general, you are the commander of this standing army today! Remember, I appointed you as the commander! And from the moment I did that, you have a complete authority over this troop from that point of time onwards! Get back to your work!"
"Your Majesty, I..."
Antonius leaned forward to grab Helios’ hands and stared right into his eyes. "Remember, I have my complete faith on you, I trust you, if anyone sees what you are doing now by asking me on your every move, they will start questioning if I am that kind of leader who never trusts the action of his men, and always attempts to take control of everything, now go! My general!"
Helios felt his blood boiling again as he bowed towards Antonius on the horseback and went back to his post.
Antonius looked up at the horizon, where the first glimpse of sunlight is already rising up.
"It is about time..." He murmured to himself.
Helios left some men on the spot to prevent the fire from spreading, the entire Ottoman forts are already engulfed by flames, which did postpone the Roman’s footsteps by a lot, giving them a hell lot of trouble. The men can pass through the gaps between these flames, of course, but not those heavy machineries and siege equipment, and the Ottomans did take this valuable opportunity to gather up their troops, rushed them to the rest of the forts, with their cavalries starting to get stationed on the hilltops watching for an opportunity to flank the Roman positions.
Helios saw these cavalries as well, he is not that kind of man who gets complacent on the few victories he acquired after joining Antonius’ fleet, for no Roman can possibly forget the shadows these Ottoman horsemen have casted into their heads since a century ago, and it is a known fact that till this day, most of the Ottoman riders still far surpass the capabilities and skills of their Roman counterparts, which is why Helios kept on receiving reports of his scouts and sentries dispersed into the hills and woods losing contact with him since a while ago.
But of course, Helios got his own tricks as well.
"Pass my orders! Forget about our siege equipment! All stations, move forward in company level, and rally up behind these forts beneath the hills! Call up the logistics division to assist in clearing a path for the heavy machineries!"
The staff could not really understand the idea behind their general’s command possibly sending their troops into a danger zone with no route for retreat, but they still faithfully passed his order to each troop, and the troops too followed this piece of order knowing that there are already no possible way to retreat now. None of them questioned Helios, and Helios did not bother giving any further explanation for his order, because he trusts his soldiers, and he knows that his soldiers trust him.
The Ottoman commander, whom we have never mentioned until now, is Alaüddin Bey, a veteran who was once an architect who assisted Hamza Pasha in building these fortresses, watched with his mouth gaping open as the Roman troops marched across the forts of flames and fire towards his position. Being ill equipped with any form of military knowledge he made the first mistake since the start of the battle: He ordered all the infantries who have already rallied up in formations outside the forts beneath the hills back into the forts, for he is unsure of what are the Romans up to, and also, he fears that his troops are no match for Roman infantries.
The new commander, Alaüddin Bey, do not trust the capabilities of his troops, unlike Hamza Pasha.
"Forward!" Helios shouted as he stood at the very first line of the formation in his armour right beside the flag, at a spot where everyone could see him. "Continue marching! Droungarios of the fourth, cover the right flank, Droungarios of the sixth, Droungarios of the third, cavalries disperse, come with me! We shall storm the hills!"
The massive Roman army started dispersing up again, as eight hundred men split out from the main formation moving right covering up the piece of land between the Ottomans and the burning forts, covering their comrades who are still passing through the gaps between the flames, while another two thousand men who have already gathered up in the proposed battlefield started marching with Helios towards the hill top, while the Roman cavalries started moving rapidly through the woods on the hills, going sideways towards where the five hundred plus Ottoman cavalries are stationed.
"Hazreti beyefendi! Rumeliler süvarilerimize geliyorlar!" ("Honourable bey! The enemy is advancing towards our stronghold!")
Alaüddin Bey is already stunned by the actions of the Romans, but still he tried his best to maintain a clear mind and issued his order.
"Süvarilere savaşa hazırlanmalarını emredin ancak hareket etmesinler! Sadece düşmanın net niyetlerini bildiğimizde hareket etmeliyiz!" ("Order the cavalries to prepare for battle but not move! We must only move when we know the clear intentions of our enemies!")
The Ottoman signalman passed this order to the commander of the Ottoman cavalries, and so, the most powerful Ottoman battle force in the place, the Ottoman cavalries, simply sat there on their horsebacks watching as the Roman infantries formed their formations and started rolling at them.
