Chapter 24: 19: The New Varangian

Antonius watches emotionlessly as his camp medic treats the burnt wounds of Abdullah on his back. His right hand holding the grip of his cutlass. Although he is just sitting there, the anger from his eyes showed the beast within. The anger is boiling deep inside his guts. Churning within hot as lava, dying to draw his blade and avenge his anger.

In the light through the window by port-side pouring into the room focusing itself onto Abdullah's back. His back is full of great patch of purple welts that has already deepened. Open wounds showing flesh in various shades of pink and red. It is a terrifying back to look at. What even more unbearable is the cries of agony by Abdullah, as the doctor scrubs salt on his injuries. It took four men on four different corners to stop Abdullah from moving while the doctor bandages his wounds up.

No one dares to utter a word as Antonius, still sitting there silently, holding the grip of his blade, ready to give anyone a strike.

Finally, Antonius could resist his inner mind no more, he stood up and ordered. "Francesco, gather a hundred best men with blades, we march into the city today."

"Wait!" Yelled Abdullah, still lying in bed. "Never let anger lead you to your decision my friend, arrogance diminishes wisdom, I am fine… I've been through things worse than this. Need not worry for me."

"You don't want to revenge?"

"I want, my brother." Abdullah answered back, still groaning in pain. "But today is not a day for our revenge… Antonius, remember, if you want to kill a snake, chop off its head. I don't know what is this man Loukas is up to, but I saw his eyes, it is no pure pair of eyes on a sincere patriotic head of government he proclaims he is… It is a pair of eyes that resembles a conspirator."

"Then we ought to remove him from sight quick before he spurs any troubles…"

"No Antonius, you still don't understand my words. It is not worth it, we have no roots in this place, we don't know what happens when we are out of this harbour. The city inside those walls are covered in fog and mist, remember my brother, any action taken without going through your head will get you killed."

Antonius stopped and laid his hands off the grip of his cutlass, but still standing by the door silently, while Francesco looking at both of them not knowing not to do.

Abdullah stood up from the bed with the help of other sailors, sighed and continued. "As the old Arab proverb says, Friends who take care of each other never get scared, and when rain pours they are never wet. We are safe here as it is our harbour, but the city, is not our city. And theres always tomorrow. So, drop your anger, we shall wait for Loukas to make a mistake, hidden in the dark."

"Aye, I understand, now rest well."

"Ha-ha aye admiral."

Outside of the camp hospital, Antonius stumbled around the dock, not knowing what to do now. He feels that as a man, a pirate, an admiral he ought to draw his blades and a bunch of cut throats and put an end to Loukas' miserable life, but he also feels like Abdullah's words do make sense.

He went into a tavern, where it is the only place that can offer him comfort, trying to melt himself into the bar, soak himself in laughter and smiles, dance upon each octave with other sailors and young lass. He wants to live like this in a imaginary happy world forever, with alcohol, laughter and ladies it is said that a man can lay off all burdens from the reality, but no, he ended up like a lone man sitting in the corner drinking by his own.

"Ahoy! Ya don't mind me sittin' beside ye don't ye." A man with a Nordic ascent came sitting by the desk of Antonius.

"Nay, do what you like." Antonius replied, drinking his beaker of mead and looked at the man, a capable warrior, obscured by fuzzy, thick blonde beard. Muscles rippled across every inch of his body. Scars on his chest and face shows that it's a man of history, and what is the most significant is that pair of battle axe he is carrying behind him.

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"Th' name's Yuri, from the land o' Rus. Oi lass! Brin' me some ale!"

Antonius looked at this man with an interesting look and asked. "So, Yuri, may I know what I owe the pleasure of meeting you?"

Yuri immediately turned into a quieter voice and replied. "Aye yes, I heard from the bartender that you can seek me some work."

Antonius finished last bit of his mead and continued while standing up. "You found the wrong person, Yuri, I am no contractor or employer, I am just a mere dock head, excuse me I still have matters to deal with."

Yuri grew nervous, grabbed Antonius by his arm and pushed him back to his seat with a force so huge that Antonius could not resist. "Listen to me, I know who ya are and ya know what work I seek. My ancestors were Varangians and I came here as a Varangian mi 'self!"

Antonius does not want to start another brawl in a tavern that is owned by him and his sailors, he answered Yuri's eager face with a reluctant tone. "Aye I see, brave young man you are, so what 'work' can you do?"

Upon hearing this question, Yuri immediately changed to a formal posture on the stool and slammed his club-like fist against his hairy chest, then replied confidently. "Aye, ya see this amount of muscle and strength I've got? Ya see that pair of Ironclads hanging on my back. I name her 'Sitka'. It is to shove up someone's arse and bones, making a fuss out of them. Also, I make a natural sailor, I stand as steadily on ships as-if I am on land!"

Antonius suddenly began to like this energetic young Varangian, he giggled, leaned forward and said in a tantalising tone. "But, do you know that the Varangian guards by the emperor of the Greeks is a no more? You know that the supposed emperor is so damn poor that rats are running freely in his treasury?"

Yuri replied with a face disappointed. "Aye I know." He grabbed his mug and finished entire mug of alcohol at once as-if it is plain water and continued. "But I can go nowhere, I've spent my last copper here drinking , and I've got no ship to go back home."

"Wait… I do have a job for you, well paid of course." Antonius, suddenly realised that he can make Yuri into good use, responded back to Yuri's eagerness.

"What is it? What is it? As long as it pays I'm willing to do anything for ya, even clenching a wolf's heart is no problem!" Yuri linked forward in hope, staring at Antonius with his eyes like a bull's bell and panting.

Antonius pushed Yuri back to his seat and continued "Listen, burly man, I need you to create a 'new' Varangian division, but serve me and remain only loyal to me. In return I will pay you well. I will need you to train and attract men like you, make them capable of fighting on both on shore and on the ships, can you train and command a bunch of sailors into soldiers? Or are you just have you and your pair of axe?"

"Aye, no matter ya believe it or not, I am a noble back in my land. I can organise a bunch of naive peasants and train them into thirsty-for-battle Varangians, and I can assemble a few dozen of my brothers seeking work there. We shall be your most loyal back bone, mark my words. We Varangians never lie!" Yuri finished his words with flying colours on his face, he then stood up, kicked his stool away, slammed his fist right again in his chest and stomped the ground, attracting everyone's attention to here in the tavern.

"Okay okay sit-down Yuri." Antonius had to pull him down back on the stool and continued. "I hope we can form a true bond together Yuri, if you serve me well, I shall pay you well in return, mark my words, I, Antonius De' Ricci, never lies to my comrade and friends."

"Aye! I knew it's ya, ya fame of destroying an entire fleet of foes is no myth, ya is my idol since the day I arrived in this city, it shall definitely be an honour serving under ya! From today onward, where-ever ya points! I shall charge and stick my Sitka into all the foes' arse along the way!" Yuri exclaimed excitedly, yet again attracting all the attention in the bar.

'Luckily it is in my own tavern.' Antonius thought to himself and continued. "You shall be the first man in my new Varangian company, fighting on both land and seas." Antonius said slowly and then saluted the exhilarated brawny man in front, while Yuri hastily stimulated Antonius' way of salute and saluted back.

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