Constan’s eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared as he barked out, “Antioch isn’t just any city. It is where the Emperor is currently holding court. Within those walls lie all of the debauchery that the Empire can offer. There is only one city harder to conquer within the Empire than Antioch, Constantinople. Getting over those walls is neigh on impossible for a living army, or an army of the damned. Antioch is where we should be and the journey needs to begin immediately.
Having been admonished by the voice of Constan many times during their training, the group fell silent. Their objections seemingly melted away in the face of such certainty coming from Constan. Though his outward appearance conveyed one of stoic determination inside Athos’ thoughts were much different. That sure sounded like someone that believes in themselves and wants to be in charge.
Nasir gazed upon the river and his cheeks flushed a deep crimson, “You know many of us cannot swim. How are we to cross such a barrier?”
Constan pondered the question for several moments and then replied, “Ye don’t need to swim, merely float. If ye can do that, the river will do the rest.”
“How would you suggest those of us that haven’t been around water much accomplish that?” Athea asked.
“Simple, we hold hands. Those of us that know how to float and swim can keep track of the individuals that cannot. Again, we only have to float for a minute or two. If we do this right the river will push us across to the other bank.” Constan said.
Athos asked the group, “Who knows how to swim?”
Several members of the group held up hands, “So everyone except Nasir and Maarika can swim?” Baltazar asked.
Liana blushed a deep shade of crimson, and looked down at the ground as she spoke, “After a fashion. I’ve only ever tried in the baths.” She gestured at the river with her left hand, “Never in anything remotely like this river.”
“Athos you and Baltazar help with getting Nasir across. Athea you do the same for Liana. Me self and Damon will ensure that Maarika makes it across the river safely.”
“What about our gear, and swords?” Athos asked.
“What about them? Surely you don’t suggest leaving them here?” Constan snapped, a bit more harshly than he had intended.
“Their weight could drag us down.” Athos said.
“Which is why I have assigned two swimmers each to Nasir and Maarika. Surely you can manage the little bit of gear you have and Nasir? Especially with Baltazar’s help.” Constan retorted.
Athos’ cheeks turned red at Constan’s admonishment. Choosing not to take the argument any further he simply nodded at Constan to acknowledge his words.
“Any more objections?” Constan paused for a moment to give the rest of the group a chance to speak, “Good. You will be carried downstream by the swift current. The goal is to stay afloat and make your way to the other side. The first group in will be Athos, Baltazar, and Nasir.”
The three men walked to the edge of the river. As Nasir gazed down into the roiling and frothing mass of water moving quickly by in front of him, he noticeably paled. Dear God don’t let me die in this river. Nasir took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Finally, he looked to his left and right. Made eye contact with each man beside him and then nodded.
Athos and Baltazar each took one of Nasir’s arms and they began to walk into the river. Nasir, reluctantly followed. Thanks to the recent torrent the river threatened to overflow its banks, so it only took half a dozen steps before they were up to their waist in the water. Nasir shivered as the cool water ran around his legs. The churning surface of the water caused the air to be filled with droplets which had the effect of spraying the three men.
The men took a few more steps and the water reached their chests. Unable to maintain their footing against the torrent of water with three fourths of their bodies submerged, their feet lost contact with the river bottom. The current immediately swept them downstream.
Athos and Baltazar, skilled at navigating the white-water rapids of their Armenian homeland, used their legs to keep themselves above the surface of the water. Nasir on the other hand, sank like a stone. He thrashed for several moments trying to keep himself above the surface of the water, breaking the grip that Athos and Baltazar had upon him.
His panic was complete as he slid below the surface of the water and opened his eyes. He saw nothing but the dim brown waters and bubbles. He opened his mouth to scream, but his mouth filled with water. No! Nasir’s mind screamed as he began to drown.
Athos and Baltazar each looped an arm under Nasir’s armpits and pulled him back to the surface. As he broke the surface he coughed and gasped for air desperately. With the assistance of the two men, Nasir managed to stay above the surface of the water floating on his back. Satisfied that Nasir would stay above the surface, Athos and Baltazar used their legs and their free arm to push toward the opposite bank.
Despite the numbing cold, the two men kept paddling and slowly approached the opposite bank. As they drew within six feet of it, their feet struck the bottom of the river and they stood up. With their feet firmly planted on the river bottom they hauled an exhausted Nasir to his feet, and made their way up onto the river bank.
Nasir immediately collapsed to his knees, exhausted. Baltazar, his stamina still weakened by his time in the dungeon, sat down beside Nasir and tried to catch his breath. Athos turned and looked upriver to see how far they had traveled as they crossed. He was astonished to see the distance they had traveled during their single minute in the water. The five group members that they had left behind on the opposite bank were small dots.
“We must have traveled nearly half a mile during our crossing.” Athos said.
“We never should have tried to cross the river. We should have stayed in one of the huts and waited for the level of the water to go back down. This is nuts.” Baltazar replied.
Athos nodded his agreement and continued to watch the five figures off to the east. Seeing, a pair of them step into the water, he stiffened, “That must be Athea, and Liana going in.”
Baltazar pulled himself to his feet to watch. As he did so he began praying to himself, Please God, keep Liana safe as she journeys across the river. Help to guide your angels to lift her up and keep her above the waters.
The trio observed nervously as the water reached Athea and Liana’s breasts. Without warning, the strong current swept the two ladies off of their feet and they began traveling down the river. Unlike before with Nasir, Liana managed to keep her head above the water on her own. This enabled Athea to focus on using her legs and the arm she had not holding Liana’s hand to push them toward the riverbank.
Athea’s tactics worked to great effect. The two ladies managed to reach the opposite bank only a quarter of a mile or so downstream. Baltazar’s heart was filled with an overwhelming sense of relief in knowing that Liana had made it safely to shore exclaimed, “God be praised, they made it!”
The three men ran upriver to join the two ladies. As Athea and Liana left the water they both collapsed onto the shoreline on all fours. Their chests heaved as they tried to catch their breath. As Athos and Baltazar reached them, Athea and Liana stood to meet them. The two men swept their partners up off their feet into an embrace. Surprised at the fervor of the hug both women kissed their respective man passionately.
As Nasir reached the scene of the joyful reunion he said, “Enough of that now. You four keep that up, and you’ll be debauching the shoreline right before my eyes!”
The ladies giggled and their cheeks turned a deep shade of red at Nasir’s words. The men laughed as the two couples ended their embrace. The reunited couples held hands as they turned eastward to watch the remaining group upriver attempt the crossing.
Constan seeing Athea and Liana successfully make it to the other side, turned to the two remaining group members with him, Damon and Maarika, and asked, “Are ye ready?”
Maarika swallowed hard and nodded, her mouth suddenly dry. Damon responded with a simple, “Aye.�
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“Then let’s get on with it. How about we start off grasping her in the manner that Athos and Baltazar eventually settled on to paddle Nasir across?”
“By each of us looping one of our arms under her shoulders?” Damon asked.
“Exactly. She’ll have an easy time of it, floating on her back.
They walked up to the edge of the river and stepped off the bank. As the water reached their waist Constan said, “Let’s go ahead and put her in the hold.”
Maarika turned around until she faced the shoreline they had just departed from. Each of the men looped an arm under her shoulders. They then took a few more steps and she began to float. When the water reached their sternums, like the others before them, they were swept off their feet by the strong current.
Both men kicked with their powerful legs toward the shoreline that they were facing. Strong swimmers both, they were moving quickly toward their goal. Without warning an unexpected wave of water broke onto Damon’s back driving him below the surface. He lost his grip on Maarika’s shoulder and became disorientated. Confused, he struggled beneath the water’s surface to determine which way was up. Out of control, the current pushed him downstream, he bounced along the bottom of the riverbed. As he struggled to regain control, his head struck a rock that was lying on the riverbed knocking him unconscious.
Constan, suddenly feeling Maarika’s full weight upon him looked around to see what had happened to Damon. He yelled above the din of the water, “What happened to Damon?”
Maarika, her eyes full of fear, responded, “I don’t know, he was just gone.”
“Climb onto me back, and I’ll swim to shore.” Constan said.
As Maarika did as she was told, Constan began to swim with both of his arms toward the shoreline.
“Damon’s gone!” Athos exclaimed.
Nasir, his voice cracking as he asked, “What do you mean gone?”
“He just disappeared. Constan is trying to swim toward shore with Maarika on his back.” Athos said.
Baltazar pointed at Constan, as he struggled to keep his head above the water with Maarika’s weight upon him, “Constan is struggling. Let’s form a chain so we can pull him in, as he goes by.”
Athos nodded, “Good idea.” He pointed at a spot where the water was knee deep, “Nasir you stand here. Baltazar, you take his hand, and I’ll take yours. Nobody let go.”
They quickly formed a human chain as the waters swept Constan downriver. Constan caught sight of them and thought to himself, Good lads, I hope this works, I don’t think I have the strength to reach the shore on me own.
As Constan swept by, Athos stretched out his hand in an attempt to grab Constan’s extended arm as he went by and failed. Without thinking, he lunged at Constan’s extended leg and grasped him by the ankle breaking contact with Baltazar. Baltazar in turn lunged after Athos and was able to grasp his ankle. Cursing under his breath at the two men, Nasir lunged forward to grab hold of Baltazar’s legs. He took two steps forward until he stood in waist deep water and was able to grasp Baltazar’s ankle.
Seeing an opportunity to strengthen his hold on Baltazar, Nasir grasped Baltazar’s other ankle with his left hand. As the human chain became fully extended, the jolt nearly caused Nasir to lose his hold on Baltazar’s ankles. Nasir’s shoulders screamed in pain from the strain. His bad shoulder felt as if someone were plunging a dozen tiny daggers into it.
Ignoring the pain, he pulled the human chain toward the shoreline. Step by agonizing step, the Arabian managed to maintain his hold on Baltazar’s ankles. He was quickly joined by Athea and Liana, who put their shoulders into his chest and pushed him toward the shoreline. As the back of his feet touched the riverbank, he stumbled and sat down hard on the bank without losing his grip on Baltazar’s ankles.
A moment later, Baltazar was able to get his feet under him, and haul Athos in with both of his arms. Baltazar and Athos then pulled Constan into the shallow water. Constan, despite his complete exhaustion and labored breathing from his efforts, managed to keep Maarika securely on his back. Athea, and Liana turned and took several steps into the river to help Maarika to shore, while the men did the same for Constan.
Nasir lay on the shore and gasped for breath. He reached out with his left hand and tried to massage away the pain in his right shoulder. As Maarika made it to her feet she saw Nasir laying on the riverbank, “What happened to Nasir?” she asked.
“He saved all of you by not losing his grip on Baltazar’s ankles.” Athea answered.
“Nasir bore the weight of all four of us?” Maarika said as she embraced Nasir’s quivering form.
“Aye, I don’t know how he managed to bare all of your weight, but he did.” Athea said.
Hearing the conversation Nasir said in-between gasping breaths, “I couldn’t let you die love.”
Maarika looked down into Nasir’s eyes and pressed her lips to his. It was as if the two swallowed each other up and became one. The couple pressed their bodies together and intertwined their tongues. It was difficult to tell where Nasir ended and Maarika began. As they embraced, their faces became flush with the excitement of each other’s touch.
The moment was broken when Constan bellowed, “Damon, can ye hear me boy?” A moment later he again yelled, “Damon!”
“Constan, stop yelling you’ll bring all the damned in this valley down upon us.” Baltazar said.
“We must find him!” Constan said in a lower tone of voice, edged with panic. Without warning he started to run down the shoreline calling to Damon as he went.
Athos turned to the rest of the group and said, “Follow as best you can. I can’t let him go off alone like this.”
The group members nodded their assent as Baltazar said, “Lead the way, I’m with you brother.”
Athos turned and clasped hands with Baltazar, “It’s good to have you at my back again brother.”
“If you two are done with your mutual admiration, your quarry is getting away.” Athea said.
The two men smiled at her sheepishly and then trying to catch up took off after Constan.
As the two younger men set off after their distraught leader, Liana turned to Nasir and Maarika and asked, “Are you well? I can stay with you until you are able to travel.”
“Help me to my feet, I can walk.” Nasir said.
Maarika stood up with Liana’s help. It required both Athea and Liana working together to pull the exhausted Nasir to his feet. The fatigued couple leaned on each other, as they walked in the center of the group. Athea and Liana took up positions in front and behind the couple. Wary of the damned, they kept their hands on the hilts of their gladiuses as they followed the riverbank eastward. It wasn’t long before Constan, Athos, and Baltazar disappeared from view altogether.
Despite his fatigue, Constan continued moving at a brisk pace for several miles. Overtime Athos and Baltazar slowly closed the distance between themselves and Constan. Every hundred feet or so, Constan would cup his hands around his mouth and bellow, “Damon!”
The older man, his face flushed with exhaustion finally collapsed to his knees. He pounded the mud with his fists and said, “Not like this.” His voice faded to a whisper and he repeated, “Not like this.” Then he looked up at the clear blue sky above, shook his fist at it and bellowed, “God why? WHY!”
Athos and Baltazar spotted the danger while they were still a few hundred feet away from where Constan sat on his knees shaking his fist at the sky. It came in the form of two chainmail wearing former Skutatoi of the Imperial Tagmata. They had emerged from over the top of a nearby hill and ran toward the distracted Constan, intent on feeding. Both were large males whose arms bulged with the muscles that they had developed in life to swing their Spathas.
As the two former members of the Imperial Tagmata drew within ten feet of Constan, they reached out with their arms, eager to grasp the oblivious man and feed upon him. The grizzled veteran of over a dozen campaigns continued to ignore his surroundings and pound his fis
ts into the mud. He yelled, “Damon! Where are ye?” Unbeknownst to Constan, his doom in the form of the putrid warriors drew within a few strides of him.
At a full sprint and still some dozen strides out from Constan, Athos, in-between breaths, said, “We’re not going to make it. They’re going to bite him before we can intercede.”
Baltazar ignored Athos and yelled, “Constan! There are damned about, to arms!”
Constan’s thoughts emerged from their grief induced haze and focused on what Baltazar had tried to convey. Realization dawned on him as his thoughts sharpened into awareness. There are damned about? Damned!
Constan began to stand up and turn to his right to look for the threat. It was too late. The lead undead smiled in anticipation of his feast. With the creature’s half rotted lips it looked more like a leer. Just before the fully armored walking corpse slammed into Constan’s right side the rank smell of rotting flesh washed over the old warrior as the wind shifted. Just as he was making it to his feet the damned slammed into his side.
A grunt issued forth from Constan as the impact sent him flying sideways into the river. With a loud splash the cold water engulfed him. The damned, arms now wrapped around him, pushed forward to bite him. Luckily for Constan, the hungry creature only managed to come away with a mouth full of water as they crashed together into the fast-moving waters. This brought Constan one precious second of reprieve from the former Skutatoi’s hungry bite and he didn’t waste it. Constan elbowed the warrior in the face to buy himself another precious second. His elbow stung, tingled, and then went numb, as it impacted on the forehead of the beast with a loud crack.
This impact bought Constan another precious second of infection free life. Attempting to make the most of them, he drew his Spatha with his right hand and smashed the pommel into the mouth of the recovered damned who was once again trying to bite him. The creature’s front teeth buckled under the impact of the hard metal and broke off.
Constan’s situation became even more precarious as the second formerly living member of the Imperial Tagmata arrived and lunged at his legs. Constan, desperately needing to get some distance from his two assailants, rolled onto his back. Now separated, the three combatants rose quickly to their feet.
Byzantium Infected Box Set Page 70
