Chapter 481 - Welcome To The Roman Side

"Sabır acıdır, meyvesi tatlıdır."

"Patience is bitter, but the fruit it bares is sweat."

-        Turkish proverb.

Among the woods. 

Rays of sunlight sipped through the greens chasing the darkness lurking around away, illuminating the winter greeneries bringing energy back to it in this mild winter. The breezy wind blowing from Alemannia accompanied with the wintry days brought the old friend the fogs back into the woods giving people chills down their spines. Never has there been a moment when the woods are silent as it has always been the pecking of woods, moving of smaller animals across the dumps of leaves and the branches waving slightly from the wind, but not for today. 

A group of riders, twenty plus of them, strode into this area trying to be as quiet as they can be, until the mount of the first rider collapsed onto a pile of leaves creating a loud thump. The rest of the riders had no choice but to form a circle and get down on their feet to take a break in order to prevent their mount from ending up with the same consequence. But it is obvious to them that the mount of this rider is not going to come back to life again when blood started sipping out of the horse's mouth, most probably it got its lungs injured from the impact. 

Facing this situation Semseddin did not bother to continue his run any more, instead he took his helmet away, threw it onto the ground, found himself a decent pile of dried leaves and got his ass down leaning against a tree. "How do you feel guys? About what I have told you?" 

"We are indeed blessed by the Prophet, your highness." A fellow rider replied. "We still have twenty two people with us!" 

"We are going to get out of this situation for sure." Semseddin smiled confidently as he covered the eyes of his mount with his coif. "Don't worry, I know about the Rumelians, they rarely persecute their prisoners of war. Maybe next time we can still follow by their rules and get our brothers back with money… I don't think that the Rumelians are coming this far for us, rest our horses for a while and we shall be on our feet again back to safety…. We shall cut some meat from this horse in order to replenish our strength later." 

The men around Semseddin acknowledged their master's order and dispersed leading their horses to then nearest water bodies while checking their hooves and legs with herbal medications for the injuries caused by all the rocks, twigs and branches along the way. There is a possibility that these horses here shall no longer be fit for combat and be returned to civil services after suffering these injuries with the infections that is coming with it. 

Only after all the men dispersed, then did the confident smile on Semseddin's face fade away turning into a monotonous stern look as he grabbed that pouch of bloody water, removed the coif covering his mount's head and tried to feed it with some water hugging its head up. But of course, the mount never responded to his gentle touches unlike the norm. Semseddin sighed, wept the mixture of perspiration, blood and dirt off his face with the equally dirty hands, and tossed the water skin away into no where. Semseddin went back to the place he just sat on, leaned against it and slowly slide sitting back onto the pile of leaves, he looked up towards the foggy sky. It is already high noon, but to him it seems like the night has fallen onto him, with the aura of darkness looming over him. 

A man who had a smooth career filled with success and silver spoons along the way are usually filled with confidence and contempt, with the belief in their heart that they can do and acquire anything with power. But when they encounter a defeat, or a dilemma that they cannot get across, they shall fall into the endless roundabouts of self questioning and misery. It shall take a relatively much longer time for them to get over with this crisis, or they might never be able to get over it. 

Slowly the tiredness of the day started getting onto Semseddin as he could no longer control his mind feeling increasingly drowsy and finally, he fell into a snooze on the leaves in the nature. He is way too drained after all of these events he has been through for the day stretching his mind both physically and mentally. The world of the living is dreading him, and only can he feel the serenity he longs for in his deep slumber. It is only during sleep that he could be looked after upon dreaming about the cradle that he grew up upon, meet the people he loved that has already deceased, embracing the love he needs but is unable to get in the real life world. 

However, Semseddin felt something that is strange even when he is well asleep. In his dreams he felt that he is being more and more confined making him hard to breathe, his limbs felt the loss of energy as his breathe became quicker. And finally, he managed to wake himself up inside his doze when the sweet dreams is about to be turned into a nightmare. But to his horror, the first thing he found out after he came back awake is that all of his limbs have been tied together and handcuffed with belts and whips, all twenty plus of his men that followed him along the way since the start of the war, are eyeing at him with all sorts of facial expressions standing in a circle surrounding him. 

"What is the meaning of this." Despite being alarmed, Semseddin still kept the iconic grin on his face as he questioned the men around him. "What are you doing? A prank to keep me up? Quick, untie this thing, I got to have a sip of water I am nearly drenched to death!" 

"I am sorry your highness." A man answered as he kneeled right onto the legs of Semseddin and tied his feet together for a few more rounds with his belt. "We cannot untie you, but if you want some water, we can always do the pleasure and get it for you." 

"Or how about this, your highness. We can bring you to some where that they can offer you with fresh water and honey, or even mead that can definitely drench your thirst."

"Why are you doing this?" Now Semseddin could no longer control himself and bursted into flames of fury. "Why are you people betraying me? At this moment?" 

"I am sorry, your highness. We need to do this for our survival, and we are saving your life too, actually, please bare some time with us." 

Semseddin's eyes bulged up in rage filled with blood inside as he wriggles around on the dirt trying to come lose, but that would only in turn increase the strength of the ties and knots Feeling anxious Semseddin bellowed. "Why are you people not loyal towards me? Do you people still remember how well I have treated you bastards? Have you forgot my love? Have you people forgot my compassion? Especially you, Ahmad, have you forgotten about the money I have lent your times of needs? Why? Why? Why!"

"I suggest you to stay quiet, your highness, it is for your own good." The man named Ahmad let off a cold sneer as he accelerated the moves on his hands. "Love? Compassion? Coming from a man that can fall asleep when the horse that has accompanied for years just passed away, and even issue orders for people to cut its meat and eat it up? And you are still here asking us to recall you being compassionate?" 

Semseddin kept his mouth shut for a while on this topic, but immediately after a while he began twisting around and cursing these men on rogue mode even more violently. But of course, it seems like none of his words can truly get into the ears of these men as they sliced him into a spear through the spaces among the ropes and carried him on top of two horses with his face facing downwards, just like how they usually handle a wild boar in the grand hunt. 

Semseddin had his face beaming red from both the body posture and the humiliation he has received today as he is being transported by his men with absolutely no idea regarding on where they are taking him. He just kept on cursing and cursing for all the while, using all the vulgarities and curses that he has learnt in his entire life.. The twenty plus men just continued their journey on foot without making a sound, and when Semseddin saw the pavements made with gravels, he knows that they have arrived at the spot.