People in the Middle Ages, draw cards to get promoted

Sinai Corridor.

The scorching heat wave twisted the air.

Even if it's already autumn, don't expect to find any coolness in the desert at noon. It's often freezing cold when you first wake up in the morning.

Cellinina sat sideways on the back of the camel, pried open the cookie box with her thumbs, took out a chocolate cookie that was almost melting as soon as she took it out, and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Climb this rocky mountain and you'll find the White Stone Well I told you about. There is plenty of water there, enough for you to fill all the utensils and water bags you carry with you. But the people of the Tu'er tribe also know this place, and they live there. Nearby, I can’t guarantee that they will be willing to take refuge with you.”

The speaker was a Bedouin guide.

As a group of loose tribes, the Bedouin cannot be monolithic. Some people choose to join Yasar's chariot, while others choose to join the foreign Franks. Most of the latter are due to the perverse behavior of the local lord Yasar. .

But there are also many neutrals who are unwilling to leave the territory where they have lived for several generations, nor are they willing to die for the conflict between the Franks and the Arabs.

"You don't have to promise anything. Our Crusaders will not attack such a remote place. We just hope that when we need it, we can buy enough water from the tribes here. We can exchange it for salt, iron, and grain."

A local knight said with a smile.

"I believe you, but you have to be prepared to waste your words trying to convince the people of the Tu'er tribe that their patriarch is a rigid old man who is difficult to get along with."

"To be honest, I'm not very good at persuading people, except for this."

The knight patted the armed sword hanging from the saddle.

"Holy fire, I hope things won't turn into such a bad situation."

The camel caravan moved forward slowly.

The hussars have all changed their attire. They ride dromedary camels, wrapped in a white linen robe, all except their eyes are tightly wrapped. The horses are left vacant and will only be ridden in battle.

The way these camels walk is very interesting. Every time they take a step, the hooves on the same side move together, making it look like they are turning smoothly. This allows them to walk on the soft sand smoothly and steadily.

"Al-Arish is actually a really good place. We followed the Copts' example and built cisterns, dug wells, and irrigated hillside farms. Unfortunately, the beautiful Al-Arish in the past has turned into ruins."

The guide's eyes were full of regret.

Thousands of people were either driven away from their homes by the lord's guards, or they could only stay in the town that had been raided and there was not a single clean well left to die. This was a complete disaster.

He didn't know who to resent.

crusader?Or Yasar?Or was it the son of a bitch Egyptian governor who issued this order?

"Sooner or later we will rebuild there. Have you heard of the sacred tree?"

The local knight raised his head proudly: "This is a miracle from God, a miracle from my family as a favored person of God. As long as you accept the rule of the Marquis safely, sooner or later, this land will also benefit Alandele and... Like the new Habsburg, it became a fertile ground.”

A trace of yearning flashed in the guide's eyes, but he also felt a little unrealistic. How can miracles be so easy to come by?Even if it really existed, the Frankish princes would not squander it on the land of Sinai.

He smiled helplessly and said: "If such a day comes, I will convert to your Christianity as soon as possible."

The local knight laughed and said: "There will be a day, man, and the facts have long proved that the holy fire cannot protect you. Saladin has been defeated by my family twice in a row."

The guide's face changed slightly.

Another leading knight scolded: "Watch your words, don't forget what Lord Hans told you before he left?"

The local knight opened his mouth and said with a hint of reluctant apology: "Sorry, man, I didn't mean to offend your faith. I know how pious you are - because I was also a devout Zoroastrian before, but at that time , no matter how much I pray devoutly every day, it will not change my poverty. On the contrary, after converting to the orthodox faith, I became a knight with a manor and land."

The guide smiled awkwardly and did not answer the question again. Instead, he said: "I'm going to explore the way ahead. If I remember correctly, we are almost at Baishi Well."

The leading knight whispered to Cellinina: "Should I send two people to watch him?"

"No, he has no ill intentions. Even if he had, he wouldn't be able to escape my pursuit."

Chelinina shook her head: "Haas, do you know this road?"

"Sorry, miss."

The leading knight shook his head, but added: "But I have heard of this road. In the past, when Port Ella and Alandre were occupied by pagans, Christians often chose to take this road to the Holy Land. Catherine Monastery pilgrimage, but the vast majority of them may not be able to reach their destination, because they have no idea how terrifying that plateau is.”

Chelinina subconsciously looked back at the steep slope behind her. Among the dry and barren mountains, antelopes and jackals could still be vaguely seen.

Haas said solemnly: "No matter how we describe the horror there, they regard it as a test given to them by God, as if the more suffering and pain they experience, the more they can be saved."

The local knight then sneered: "Only a fool would do that. Haven't His Majesty and the Marquis already provided a shortcut to salvation?"

Haas looked at him helplessly.

He really didn't like this noisy, Bedouin-born knight.

Cellinina said with some emotion: "This is completely different from the coast." On the coast of the Sinai Peninsula, you can see crystal clear blue waves, various schools of strange and beautiful fish, shuttled among the colorful corals - but as long as you turn over After crossing a hill, the scene was completely deserted.

The further south you go, the more so.

Cellinina suddenly frowned.

From a distance, she smelled a faint smell of corpses, which was definitely not the remains of animals.

The guide ran back from the front and made a gesture. The local knight said: "There is a situation ahead. He told us to prepare for battle and send a few people over in advance to take a look."

"I'll go with him, Haas, you stay here."

Cellinina spoke.

Together with the local knights, she urged her mount to run forward.

The "situation" the guide refers to is a group of hyenas tearing apart carcasses. There are cars that have fallen to the ground and were burned down to their frames.

"Get away! You filthy beasts."

The local knight cursed, and they just looked up at him, and then continued to bury their heads in the chest and abdomen of the corpse, pulling out large pieces of organs that were already covered with flies, and feasting on them. The desert is like this, no matter whether it is humans or animals, they all Gotta fill up my belly quickly.

"Let me do it."

Chelinina spoke, but there was no movement.

The group of hyenas that were having a meal immediately ran away with their tails between their legs as if they had encountered natural enemies.

The guide and the native knight looked at her in awe.

The guide came to the corpse, looked at it for a while, then frowned and said: "It may be someone from the Tu'er tribe, but I'm not sure. I've seen a few people from the Tu'er tribe before, but they look like this now, who can replace them?" I can’t even recognize it.”

He then pointed to the mountains behind him: "They probably want to escape into the mountains and rely on the wild streams there to hunt antelopes, goats, and grouse to survive this difficult life."

Chelinina asked: "Your lord, Yasar sent troops to kill them, right?"

"I don't know, but there's a good chance it is."

The guide's eyes were complicated.

"From the beginning to the end, they had no intention of intervening in the war between the Franks and the Arabs."

The local knight started to make noise again: "Hey, listen to me, man, the war will not be open to you just because you don't want to participate. You have to choose a side. The only thing I can say is that if you follow us, you will definitely not It would be worse than following Yasar.”

The guide said bitterly: "I hope so."

Chelinina frowned: "Speed ​​up, we don't have time to delay."

If possible, Cellinina would prefer to move alone. Her speed is much faster than that of a camel, but it is a pity that she does not know the road.

When they climbed over a bare rocky mountain, they saw a group of vultures hovering in the sky in the distance, as well as a rotten and smelly corpse that was randomly thrown on the ground beside a lush oasis.

A rough count shows that there are at least hundreds of them.

The guide's face turned livid and he clenched his fists: "These damn beasts, aren't they afraid that the Holy Fire will punish them?"

Cellinina was not frightened by this scene, but walked quickly towards the oasis. Before she even approached the well with the cover lifted off, she could smell the pungent rotten smell.

"Miss Chelinina, please stop."

The local knight stepped forward and said eagerly. He signaled: "Just let me go forward and take a look."

He stepped forward and took a look, then turned around while holding his breath: "Same as before, there are several corpses stuffed in the well, including sheep and humans. This well is completely unusable."

Actually, it’s not that it can’t be used anymore.

You can still drink the corpse water after boiling it.

But when an army travels, the fuel it carries is limited. In the Sinai Peninsula, firewood is obviously a very rare thing.

Chelinina nodded expressionlessly, then walked forward and confirmed that there was a swollen and soaked face of a man's body floating on the well, then turned around with a frown: "Is there any water source nearby? Be as stealthy as possible, we arrived too late and the enemy was too fast."

Just as the guide was about to speak, a swollen arm suddenly stretched out from the well and strangled the neck of the local knight.

Without thinking, Chelinina heard the roar of the wind.

A severed arm fell to the ground.

The local knight sat on the ground with a horrified expression, looking at the swollen corpse crawling out of the well with dark eyes.