Holy War (pre view)

this is only the beginning, this as well as the rest of the story will be uploaded latter on when it is finished. stay tuned

An eagle sored over the fleet, over the crusading army, begging there holy war.

The massive fleet of wooden Byzantine ships began to exit the imperial capitol, sailing across the Bosporus strait, heading for the Turkish Muslim land in Anatolia.

The sound of birds in the sky, and the crash of waves surrounded the convoy. Shouts came from the ships, orders to the sailors, songs of Christendom. The Crusade to reclaim the birth place of Christ and the holy city.

Justinian looked back to the city of Constantinople. He wondered if he would ever see the great walls ever again, if his name would become known. If the great emperor he was named from was watching him. He cast the thoughts out of his mind, and instead went to find his commander. A cry went up, it started from the east side of the fleet and carried to the west. "Land ho!". The time was no, it was do or die. The reclamation of Jerusalem would start today.

The ships came to land with a tremendous thud, the army began to get disgorged from the ships. However, the horizon was clear and silent ... .something was wrong. As the the crusader's were waiting, getting supplies ready for the march Justinian and some others were on watch
"i don't like this, not one bit I don't" One of the men said, Justinian couldn't place from where, some where to his left though. Then he heard more, "Where are the Turks?" "Cowards wont come and fight" ... the waiting went for hours.

After 3 hours of waiting, of roasting in the Anatolian sun. The crusading army was ready. The commanders: Hugh of Vermandois; Godfrey de Bouillon; Bohemond of Taranto; Raymond of Toulouse; Bishop Adhemar; Robert of Flanders and Bohemond's nephew, Tancred of Taranto, decided it would be best to march against the city of Nicaea the Sultanate of Rum's capitol, and home to the sultan's family.

Justinian was in the vanguard, looking for the sultan's army that really should be coming for them. He didn't like it, it was too quiet. But they marched, for a good two day's without any sign of the turks, this was worrisome. Justinian overheard the commanders of the Vanguard talking, arranging the plans for the Siege. Godfrey took the north to hold, Bohemond and Tancred took the east, and Raymond. Who was still at the back of the column was allocated the southern wall. The lake Askania to the west was too large to guard, and due to being landlocked was of no concerns to the army. The sections of the Army split off and began to guard of the city.

The Siege had begun, but soon starvation began to take hold of the Armies. It looked like the war would be done before it could gather steam, but hope wasn't lost, not yet at least. Bohemond, a seasoned military man, brokered a deal with the Byzantine fleet and arranged resupply from the coast to reach the men, the real work of sitting around could begin.

Once Raymond's forces arrived at the siege, a few hours after the plans were drown up, the Turkish horde was sighted. Ten thousand horse archers came thundering down the hills toward the city to save the city, and to save the Sultans family. An order carried over the crusaders' camp. The knights mounted there horses, and the foot soldiers formed a defensive line to hold the camp. When the Turkish force realised just how many armed and armoured men were attacking, they broke instantly. The knights chased after them, the heavy war horses kicked up a gigantic dust cloud, but the light horse of turkey was faster and used to the terrain and managed to get away with only a few losses. The crusade won, they held the field, hopes were lifted.

Days past to weeks, and the city showed no signs of surrender, the lake was more important than they crusaders believed it to be. At night resupply got into the city, and without any way to blockcade the lake they was no way to stave the city out ... so they attacked. Building siege weapons to scale the ancient Roman walls; they tried to undermine the walls. however, everything they tried was resisted. The commanders decided that the Byzantines would have to help. Send soilders to watch the lake. But in a feet of logistics only the heirs of rome could pull off, they docked the ships in the port town of Civetot. Pullled the ships to land, and then, unsing a system of rollers brought the ships to the banks of the Askania lake.

The main attack had begun, gargantuan wooden towers were pushed toward the equally giant walls. Catapults smashed towers with ease, the attack by the two thousand Byzantine solder's and their ships was launched. Justinian looked to his left and his right, he saw men in gleaming armour, wielding broadswords, maces and axes, waiting to fight. A call came from somewhere behind him, the voice of Tancred "Today, we being the greatest attack of our time, we begin to reclaim lands for Christ. We do not fight for honour, or glory, we fight for our god. The one, true, god!". When the cheers of the men started to reside, the ramp smashed onto the walls and the defenders. The gleaming iron armour of the solders was a wave of pure light, "Dues Vult! God Wills it". Was accompanied by the cries of defenders as they got cut down. Justinian cut an archer in two, blood coating him and his blade, crimson red shone from his blade. Looking around he saw Tancred, surrounded by foes, fighting like a crazed animal. A turk raised his sword, Justinian ran to him, to save the young commander. The blade dropped ... The turk looked to his chest, bloody steel protruding from him. Tancred, hearing the sword dropping, span around and cutting the head from the turk. Justinian stood, blood coating his face, his hair blood red. After finishing the last of the defenders on the walls. A war horn sounded, the men looked to the source, expecting a charge from the heavy horse but instead laid eyes upon the Byzantium flag, flying above the citadel ... somehow, the two thousand marines managed to take the city, where tens of thousand crusaders failed.

The first city on the road to Jerusalem was taken. Now the commanders looked toward the city of Antioch.

An eagle sored over the city, and the crusading army began to march to the Ancient city.