Year 941,

On the fifteenth day of Tetrestes, the knights of the Order of Ferlonia and of the Order of Libertas landed on the Elk Peninsula. The knights of Avuel, on the other hand, sailed south, proceeding to the conquest of the southern bank of the Salaman Canal.

The summer campaign was undoubtedly the most challenging part of the crusade. For the next six and a half months the crusader army advanced and fought, advanced and fought, over and over, incessantly. Villages, cities, fortified garrisons, every single outpost of the Ashalmazite potentate was assaulted and liberated, and the crusading tide seemed unstoppable.

Everywhere the crusaders set foot, they discovered horrific scenes, similar to those that had characterized the island of Arvis, if not worse. The Sebiric people had been reduced to slavery, and atrocious crimes were perpetrated upon them. For the invaders, they were worth less than the beasts that followed them, to the point that it seemed that the Suljukians considered the native populations a mere source of sustenance for their animals. In the eyes of the Ferlonians it seemed absurd that such blind contempt for human life could be manifested on ethnic and religious grounds. The knights of the Order of Libertas approached this issue with much more pragmatism: if the enemies were inhuman monsters, it was enough to treat them as such and exterminate them, so that they could not keep perpetrating their atrocities.

As they advanced eastward, toward the inland, the front widened and the Infidels retreated to defensive positions. Resistance grew more tenacious and the battles more fierce. At the end of the month of Laurentinus the army arrived under the walls of the city of Mardrapolis, in whose center stood the palace of the Herosk of the potentate of Elkamahr. The siege lasted until the first days of Ennestes, when the Herosk was captured and put to death.

Although the head of the potentate had fallen, all the war leaders loyal to the Herosk entrenched in the inner areas still had to be eliminated. The host of knights divided into smaller and smaller groups, so as to be able to liberate the remaining territories even in their most remote recesses, before the autumn rains transformed the land into an impervious quagmire.

The groups were formed on a voluntary basis, favoring interpersonal relationships between the knights. Thus Viryl found himself traveling with Radios, Lyndabel, Calgara, Neugena, Melfis, a couple of officers and a hundred soldiers.

Autumn was still warm, the weather stable, and Viryl felt a sense of wonder at the pristine, rocky landscapes, far from the verdant coastal areas. Plains of ochre steppe alternated with rough reliefs, jagged with grayish ridges and spurs covered with faded conifers. A biome entirely new to him, who had always lived on the lush Ferlonian peninsula.

The white clouds, thin and sharply defined in the blue sky, with their shifting shapes, which changed color and flared pink and orange at sunset when the contingent camped for the night, were omnipresent traveling companions. In the evening, with a bowl of soup in his hand, while Lyndabel, Calgara and Neugena chatted about boring things, Radios was staring into the flames of the bonfire and Melfis was drunk annoying some soldier, Viryl looked at the magenta clouds in the blue and indigo sky, and felt happy.

As much as it was painful to admit, Viryl had found himself enjoying the crusade. There was something truly cathartic about the pilgrimage. Not on a spiritual level, but on a personal level.

For the first time in his life he felt he had the authority of a true knight, he felt that his value had finally been recognized. In the streets of Corlona, passers-by looked at him with impatience or with caution: there a knight was nothing more than a dog in the service of the king, fed with a rich salary. At best knights were considered slayers of dangerous beasts, at worst a threat to those who had something to hide.

In the lands of the former Kingdom of Surelekem a knight was someone who chased away the invaders, a savior, a hero.

And then, he finally felt part of a company of true brothers in arms. There were the assholes, like Rubius, Obelard and Camelia, there were the righteous ones, like Jossolt, Ollante and Alfredo, and then there were them. Knights who had internalized on a deeper level the concept that when a pack of Ferenkelt attacked, you had to protect the back of the one next to you, because you could be sure as hell that he would protect yours.

War was a tragedy indeed, but he had never felt more in his place than he did at that moment.

*****

At the end of the month of Ennestes, some crusader troops reached the border of the Elkamahr region and intercepted the Imperial troops marching from the northeast after the conquest of the potentate of Elkabahl.

Six of the seven knights of Ferlonia —one of them hadn’t made it— who had followed those of Toeteborg in the expedition to the archipelago of Eskaelia and then to the plateau of Elkabahl, including Nomenas and Velrodas, were finally able to rejoin the army of their kingdom. It was a relief for them, since they were going mad trying to keep up with the Immaculate knights of the Order of Toeteborg. The men of the empire of Rokmar were strict, rigorous and tireless beyond the limits of reason, real war machines.

By the middle of the month of Caducicus the conquest of the potentate of Elkamahr could be considered complete. For this reason the three generals decided that the time had come to decree the closure of the summer campaign and start to set up the winter camp. All the contingents were called back to the heights around the valley of the Narcalone river, in the lands of Elkabahl, about one hundred and fifty miles from the city of Surelekem.

Viryl's team reached camp at the beginning of the month of Funereus, and Radios immediately went to meet Nomenas. They hadn't seen each other in a long time, and they had plenty to brag about their respective exploits.

Velrodas went to meet Lyndabel and Viryl as soon as he heard they had arrived. Despite his undisputed politeness, there was something about his attitude that Viryl just couldn't stand. He seemed to live in a constant attempt to prove something, and his eyes still shone with that same light Viryl had found in them the first night he met him. That fire had only grown since he had received his Silver Exoplion. As far as he was concerned, he still thought him to be a fucking wimp.

Even though he had just arrived at his tent, rather than spend a single minute more in Velrodas' company, Viryl took a sip from the jar of water on his bedside table and went to take a tour of the camp.

*****

In the months that followed, all the activities that took place in the camp were aimed at preparing for the assault on Surelekem. Some cedar groves were cleared for timber, some cattle were purchased from the surrounding villages, and game was hunted for provisions and leather. Some soldiers were employed by the blacksmiths to repair the army's weapons, worn out by months of battle, and to make new ones. The engineers and alchemists worked to produce siege machines, explosives, potions, and medicines on an almost industrial scale. The knights helped out with various tasks when they felt up to it, but mostly they lounged around.

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In the month of Dodrestes, Avuel's troops completed the conquest of the southern bank of the Salaman Canal, and within a couple of weeks they too managed to reach the Crusader camp in the Narcalone valley.

In the middle of the month of Silificus further supplies arrived by sea from the continent of Boreatica, on Avuelite and Ferlonian ships. In addition to the supplies, a bishop chosen directly by Pope Ambrose II arrived, Monsignor Jaròn. Along with him also monks, priests, reserves and non-combatant personnel came.

The Gregherian army, accompanied by the Ferlonian knights departed from Leapolis and the knights of the order of Libertas coming from the municipalities of the West, announced in the month of Neviticus that due to a series of complications that had arisen during the march, they would not be able to reach the valley of Narcalone during that winter. The general of Rokmar offered to go meet them with his troops and escort them, but the Gregherian general refused. He announced that their army would stop on the eastern coasts of the continent of Austrica, and that they would reach Surelekem from the south in the spring, when it would be time to begin the siege.

During the month of Pendecrestes a delegation of ambassadors from Surelekem arrived at the camp. The Kràs, absolute ruler and spiritual leader of the Ashalmazite state of Sebiru, had become aware of the danger posed by the crusader army, and wanted to try to avert the threat with diplomacy. His proposals were as follows: he would cede to the crusaders sovereignty over the conquered potentates up to that point, and he would cancel the tolls on the Salaman Canal. He would also allow pilgrims to freely visit the sacred places of Surelekem and profess their faith.

The ambassadors were welcomed civilly, but were sent back without even considering their proposals. The bishop was very clear about this, and made an example above all. The temple of Sylyphyr, where Lazul had first revealed his teachings, had been converted by the Infidels to the worship of the god of Ashalmek, and such a sacrilege was unacceptable. Until the Zephyrian banner of the Lazulian Cross was raised on the temple of Surelekem and until the tolling of bells in the city resounded, the crusader army would not stop.

In the month of Termina, to the great astonishment of all the crusading factions, the contingent of the League of Free Communes was recalled to its homeland. It was not possible to give a clear explanation for that decision, other than the fact that the strategic objectives of the League had already been achieved.

As was to be expected, the event caused confusion and drama, especially on the part of the prelates, who almost lost their minds over that decision.

Monsignor Jaròn got mad and in the scene he made he announced that he would excommunicate every single soldier, because they had taken a vow that could not be considered resolved until they had crossed the walls of Surelekem. He even tried to convince the generals of the Avuelites and the Ferlonians to put the deserters to the sword.

The generals pointed out to him that it was madness to start an internal struggle in the army and decimate the troops before the decisive battle: if they wanted to leave, they could do so, as long as they did not interfere.

The bishop replied that this was not a military matter but a religious one and that, regardless of the cost, perjurers had to pay for their lack of faith with their lives.

The generals would have none of it and remarked that if it was a religious matter, let the clergy take care of it. Let the Pope start a war against the League in retaliation or something of the sort, if he really wanted to punish them. They had more serious matters to deal with.

On the day of the League fleet's departure, Viryl went to say farewell to Melfis at the dock on the Narcalone. Melfis told him to come visit him in Colonica with Lyndabel, because he would treat them to a plate of tortellini in brodo, the city's specialty: in the League they didn't just eat polenta. Viryl responded to the invitation with a smile. Lyndabel hadn't taken the defection of the knights of the Order of Libertas well, and that was Melfis' way of making him understand that it was nothing personal. Viryl knew it very well. He replied that yes, once they returned to their everyday lives, sooner or later, they would take a trip to the League's territories.

Deep down, though, at that moment they were both thinking that they would never see each other again.

*****

Year 942,

After the month of Termina came that of Inflorescence, the first of the year, and with the new year came spring. It was time to wage war again.

In the first days of the new year the crusaders marched east along the banks of the Salaman Canal. The column of knights, soldiers and auxiliaries proceeded without encountering any resistance, and the fleet followed from the sea. Although it was to be expected that the Herosks of the eastern potentates would have organized defenses around the city, no enemy army was encountered.

On the sixteenth day of Inflorescence the walls of Surelekem were sighted, and the crusaders erected a temporary camp a handful of miles from them.

As soon as they arrived, the clergy decided to make a long procession around the perimeter of Surelekem, singing sacred hymns and reciting prayers, to ask Sylyphyr for his blessing on the enterprise that awaited his soldiers. Monsignor Jaròn and the prelates behind him, escorted by a handful of knights, rode along the walls from the northern to the southern beach. The Infidels, who were watching the scene in amazement from the battlements, sent a flock of flying Ferenkelts to attack. The chants were momentarily interrupted, but the knights responded promptly to the threat and there were no injuries among the priests.

On the evening of the sixteenth day of Zephyricus, the crusaders held a council of war. First, they sought communication with the Gregherians, to understand how long it was until they reached the city. Due to delays in the construction of new boats, they had not yet managed to set sail from the continent of Austrica, and they estimated that between the crossing and the march they would need at least a fortnight to reach Surelekem.

Taking this information into account, Rokmar's general proposed not to assault the city immediately but to hold it for at least twenty days under siege. He hoped to starve the Suljukian soldiers and their Ferenkelts by cutting off supplies from sea and land.

The generals of Avuel and Ferlonia, on the other hand, believed that waiting was a risk, because in this way they would give the armies of the eastern potentates time to organize, reach them and surround them, crushing them against the walls of the city. Moreover, the Kras had been aware since winter that the crusaders would arrive in spring, so it was not possible that he had not already stocked a quantity of supplies sufficient for months and months of siege.

The general of Rokmar replied that, while acknowledging the validity of the reasoning on the enemy supplies, the fact that the armies of the other potentates had not yet taken the field was suspicious but unquestionable. If they had not yet tried to stop them, probably the Kràs intended to use them in a different way, during a more advanced phase of the conflict. Also for this reason it was desirable to wait for the arrival of the Gregherian troops.

The debate continued for about an hour, without reaching a conclusion.

Given the stalemate, the knights in command of the three sides were consulted: Alfredo Clarovante, Don Rodrigo Fortéz and Siegfried von Lorbendell. The three unanimously agreed to the prolonged siege. They proposed to carry out a series of preparatory activities in the coming days, such as weakening the enemy defenses in a stealthy manner or conducting advanced reconnaissance of the city and the surrounding area, but it was still a good idea to wait and better understand the situation.

The reconnaissance was carried out, and it was found that the Infidel army was indeed in the outskirts of the region, and it was almost double the number of the Crusader army. It seemed to be lying in wait for orders some twenty miles to the east. As for Surelekem, it was, as expected, teeming with Ferenkelt and had no food supply problems.

As time passed, the Crusader troops grew increasingly nervous. At first there were sporadic night raids by Ferenkelt on the camp, but by the first days of the month of Zephyricus they became almost daily. Meanwhile, all communications with the Gregherians had been lost.

On the seventh day of Zephyricus the crusader fleet, which had organized a naval blockade around the port of Surelekem, was attacked by Ashalmazite galleys from the south. Although there were twenty knights to defend it, the enemy forces were too strong, and the crusader fleet was almost completely annihilated.

Seeing that food supplies at the camp were running low and Surelekem was now once again supplied by sea, the generals decided that the time had come to proceed with the assault.

At dawn on the eighth day of Zephyricus the crusader armies took the field.