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"Basil, my son… are you all right?" my father said, staring at as he stepped out of the Byzantine garrison formation that had arrived to respond to the Bulgarian attack.
"Yes, I'm fine… there weren't many of them. It looks like they split off from the group they were traveling with. They must have seen the forge and one of them insisted on trying to steal sothing. They weren't armored and their weapons were trash, but they could have easily killed soone who didn't know how to fight, because they knew how to work as a group," I replied, while my father checked to make sure the blood covering wasn't mine.
A mont later, Grigor appeared.
"Bardas… you can't just break formation like that…" Grigor said, scolding my father.
"And where exactly were you supposed to be?" I asked, staring him down. "Aren't you supposed to be protecting the city?"
"We can't be everywhere, Basil… a group of Bulgarians slipped past the defenses not long ago. We got the information from the frontier, and as soon as I knew, I began preparing the n to secure the approaches to Adrianople," Grigor replied, holding my gaze.
"Well then that's a damn fine job you're doing… isn't there anyone watching the forests?" I pressed.
"And what do you know about this, boy?" Grigor shot back, frowning. "I have too much to watch with too little manpower. There should be ten thousand n in the thema and we only have four thousand. Even so, I do what I can to protect the area."
"Oh, then everything's fine. Everything is magically fine…" I said, looking at him with contempt. "So it doesn't matter that I almost got killed, doesn't matter that I nearly lost everything, because you did what you could."
"Basil, enough. You're overreacting," my father said sharply.
"You shut up." I stared at him. "More than anyone, you should be on my side. Mother isn't far from here,just a couple hundred steps away. What would've happened if instead of the forge they went to the house and found her defenseless, huh? While you play soldier?"
My father clenched his jaw but said nothing.
"If you're so concerned, why don't you join the thema and do sothing better than just hamring iron?" Grigor said.
"Yeah… but I don't like being locked behind stone walls watching Bulgarians kill, rape, and burn everything they find, only to co out later and hunt stragglers and say I did all I could…" I replied, giving him a crooked smile.
Grigor took a deep breath.
"Bardas, forgive , but I have to do this… I have to teach this boy a lesson," Grigor said after closing his eyes for a mont.
He didn't hesitate. He threw a straight punch at my face.
I stepped forward in the sa motion, lowered my head, and bent my body, slipping under the punch. Before he could react, I grabbed his arm and pulled with all my strength, throwing him like a sack of grain over my body using the most basic judo technique. Grigor's body slamd into the ground hard.
I dropped onto him and drove my knee into his neck, applying just enough pressure to choke him without breaking anything. I drew my dagger and slowly pressed it against his eye.
"What were you going to do, you piece of shit, huh? What lesson were you going to teach ?" I said, showing him the blade.
"Basil…!" my father said, trying to move closer.
"TAKE ONE MORE STEP AND I'LL KILL HIM!" I shouted.
I saw the n of the garrison begin to surround , tense, not daring to intervene. My father froze, not knowing what to do.
"So, Grigor… which eye do you like less? The right one or the left?" I said mockingly. "So you'll rember fondly that a CHILD took your eye. Co on… speak. You weren't so brave a mont ago."
I eased the pressure of my knee slightly.
The only sound was the desperate gasping of soone struggling to breathe.
"Co on, answer… I don't have all day before they throw in a cell," I said with a smile, keeping his head pinned with one hand and the other ready, even as he struggled beneath .
"BASIL… stop it, for the love of God… you've taken this too far!" my father said, his voice breaking.
"Fine. Shit," I said, tossing the dagger to the ground and getting off Grigor, raising my hands.
Imdiately, all the n of the thema surrounded , spear tips pressed against my chest.
Grigor coughed violently but eventually got to his feet. His eyes burned with hatred as he clenched his fists.
"Go on, do it… show your great bravery by hitting soone who can't defend himself," I said, stepping close and offering my jaw.
Grigor ground his teeth and looked at my father.
"ENOUGH! We have Bulgarians to stop. We don't have ti for this," he finally said.
His soldiers looked at each other in disbelief and pulled their spears back from .
"And you, Bardas,talk to your damned son and don't co back until you've put him in his place," he added, clearly furious.
"Grigor, your dignity's still on the ground. Co back and pick it up," I shouted as he walked away.
Grigor took a deep breath and kept walking without looking back.
"BASIL!" my father said, striking my helt sharply.
"The next ti you raise a hand against , I'll knock every tooth out of your mouth. Understood?" I said, jabbing him several tis in the chest with my finger before turning and walking ho.
"BASIL… BASIL!" my father shouted as he followed .
When we arrived, my mother was already waiting. She seed to have seen part of what had happened.
"BASIL, MY SON… please tell that isn't your blood!" she cried in terror at the sight of Bulgarian blood on my face and chest.
"No, mother… calm down… it's not mine, thankfully," I replied calmly.
She quickly wiped the armor with a damp cloth to clean it, while tears ran down her face.
My father ca in shortly after.
"Bardas… what happened out there?" my mother asked.
"I don't know, my love… I don't know… Basil lost control, it seems," my father replied.
"Calm down, mother… by God's grace nothing bad will happen. If you allow , I'll go back to my work," I said in a calm tone.
"BASIL, we need to talk!" my father shouted.
I ignored him and walked out of the house.
"BASIL, DON'T IGNORE !" my father yelled.
I turned back.
"Listen to carefully. You are my father, and I know what you did for . I will never forget it. But if a Bulgarian so much as touches a single hair on my mother's head, or causes her the slightest harm… believe , you won't need to worry about revenge. I will drag you myself before the tribunal of the Almighty, even if I'm condemned to hell for parricide. Because if we're in this miserable situation, it's your fault," I said, staring at him, then walked back to the forge while my father simply returned ho.
In the end, nothing happened. Hours passed and no one ca to arrest , so Grigor chose to let it go out of friendship with my father, though the humiliation would never leave him.
I was furious. About everything. And above all, about the incompetence in defending Adrianople. Spring had barely begun, and the presence of Bulgarian raiders so early ant that when autumn arrived the attacks would be more frequent, aid at stealing crops and livestock.
From the armor they wore it was clear they weren't regular soldiers, but simple raiders. Considering that many lived solely by pillage, it was nothing unusual.
The worst part was that the Empire had strict rules about who could organize ard forces. Only the themata or tagmata,and the akritai of Anatolia,were allowed. Any attempt at independent local defense was seen as a risk of rebellion, even if you only wanted to protect yourself from the Bulgarians. So you had to rely on the incompetence of the thema.
But I didn't want to join the army directly either. With the way they operated, I'd die carrying out the orders of an idiot.
The other option was to request permission from the strategos to form a private force, but between response tis and bureaucracy, the Bulgarians would have already destroyed everything I owned.
That's when I ca up with an idea to secure a swift audience.
I took several gold coins, lted them in a crucible, and used them to adorn the poml of a steel sword I had forged,a sword that looked worthy of a wealthy man. After a day of work and a tense night at ho, I presented myself at the strategos' fortress, knowing he was organizing patrols to hunt down the Bulgarians who had crossed the frontier.
Displaying the sword to his n, I introduced myself as an artisan wishing to show respect to the strategos by offering him a blade of exceptional quality.
After several questions and repeated insistence that I deliver it personally, they finally let through.
I found the strategos reviewing maps alongside one of his subordinates.
I approached with my head lowered. Everything depended on his mood.
I removed the cloth covering the sword and presented a fine steel blade adorned with gold.
I imdiately noticed he liked it, judging by the smile forming on his face.
"Good edge," he said, running a finger along the blade and then over his forearm, cutting a few hairs. "Good balance," he added, resting it on a finger and judging the weight. "And beautifully decorated," concluded Strategos Leon Skleros. "To what do I owe this gift, smith? I assu you're looking to offer your forge's services?"
"I understand there are no newly registered forges in Adrianople. Where did you co from?" asked the officer beside him.
"My forge is by the Evros River, my strategos, and the reason I ca today is because....." I began, before being interrupted.
"Aren't you the one who nearly killed Droungarios Grigor?" the officer asked.
"I thought those were just rumors," added the strategos.
"The droungarios got angry with for criticizing his failure to do his job, after I had to kill three Bulgarians with the help of my workers. And well…he tried to punch ... let's say I was faster than him, and before he could react, I already had a dagger at his eye and my knee on his throat," I replied.
"So it was true… tell , did that Arnian beg?" the strategos asked, clearly amused.
"He could barely breathe with my knee on his throat, my strategos," I answered calmly.
"Maybe that'll knock so sense into that idiot," said the officer.
"Let's hope so," replied the strategos. "If you're looking for contracts, unfortunately I must tell you everything for this year has already been commissioned. It would have to be next year, after price discussions."
"I see. But I ca to ask, my strategos, about the feasibility of hiring a force under my command to defend my forge. As you know, I don't trust the incompetent Grigor for that task. He stays inside the walls waiting for the Bulgarians to leave," I said, clearly exploiting their dislike for the Arnian.
"Ha… ha… the Arnian is troubleso," the officer comnted.
"Difficult… difficult… the Emperor wouldn't look kindly on allowing that," the strategos said, folding his arms. "I can offer that you use your money to fund the equipnt of so new themata and have them guard your workshop."
"If they remain under Grigor's command, it's the sa thing, my strategos. My forge will be left undefended. Believe … no one hates the Bulgarians more than I do. I was their prisoner for over eleven years, subjected to slavery by those pagans. Allow to establish a force to defend myself, and I will at least ensure the Evros remains secure," I said calmly.
"What do you think,could it work?" the strategos asked, turning to his aide.
The officer stepped closer and whispered sothing in his ear. I watched as the strategos slowly began to smile.
"Tell … your na?" Strategos Leon asked.
"Basil, my strategos," I replied.
"Basil… look, we're having trouble recruiting for the thema. At the mont no one can afford full equipnt; many are still rebuilding their hos," he said, folding his arms. "So I'll offer you a rcenary contract under the thema's authority. I'll pay one silver coin per month for each head you provide to the army, up to a maximum of one hundred. But don't expect any support from the thema: you equip them, you pay them. I only offer this paynt to comply with imperial regulations requiring all wages to appear as paid by the Emperor."
"One miliaresion per month? The standard wage is four per month… don't you think that's a bit low?" I asked, staring at him.
"You were going to pay them out of your own pocket anyway, so don't co demanding more… or I won't grant permission," the strategos replied with a crooked smile.
"Of course, my strategos. I only wished to point it out," I said. "I'll ensure they're well equipped, with good-quality steel. I won't let the Bulgarians do as they please on these lands."
The strategos nodded.
"Secure the stretch of the Evros near your forge and we'll be fine," he said, handing a papyrus with the terms written out and sealing it with lted wax.
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let know.
Leave a comnt; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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