Persian Assassin: Dance of the Prisoners

Loyal enough, Maxim? "

"Of course." Maxim replied without hesitation, his voice was as deep as an evening drum and morning bell.

From the day Julyans' father rescued his people, he was the lifelong guardian of the family, Julyans' mortal warrior.

"Then don't let the flaw come back to him, and don't let him remember it forever, wizard." Holzmir whispered.Isn't an emperor trapped in love like a worm in a cocoon?What's more, the love between men with special identities in a troubled world will only end in a tragic ending that hurts both sides.

Isn't he himself the best example?

"Then why did you prevent me from killing that kid while he was unconscious and sending someone to send him to the other side?" the ghost-faced man asked, but he saw that the other party's face darkened, and his black eyes were staring at him, avoiding the question. answer.

Maxim didn't ask any more questions, and passed by Hozmir, his eagle flag tripped over the cane the other was leaning on, causing him to stagger a bit, almost unable to stand still.

A high-ranking eunuch fell ill during the severe winter, and was dying day by day.His thick long hair began to fall off, and his body wrapped in a purple red robe was like a withered maple tree, if it wasn't for the cane, it would have drifted away with the wind.

He was about to die, but the closer he was to death, the stronger his obsession.

"...The 3 warships manufactured by the Samosata Shipyard will be completed within a month; King Asasis will provide an army of [-] people, and when you lead the army to Kale, they will rendezvous and travel along the Euphrates River Jinfa..."

The messenger clearly finished reading the message on the document, and the king raised his eyelids and looked at the night outside the window, as if he had just woken up.

His eyes faintly passed through the smoke, crossed the wide and beautiful river, and turned to the vast and strange eastern country. For some reason, the wine flowing into the throat was inexplicably hot, as if it was burning in a dead ice field.

Chapter 94 [LCIV] Prince's Respect

"Ishkad, do you believe in karma and reincarnation? Can you read that scripture to me again?"

"Everything has a cause and effect. After death, the sky burial will be held. The souls of all people will be brought to the bridge of judgment by the goddess of conscience. The good will enter the kingdom of truth, light and justice; the evil will fall into hell forever and suffer the pain of karma. , into the third state, there is no suffering, no joy, no sorrow and no joy.”

"So I'm neither a villain nor a good person."

"why would you say so?"

I opened my eyes and didn't answer him.The magnificent sunset glow above my head is burning, and groups of white pigeons fly over the city of the ancient country, like prisoners of war and refugees returning home, and I am one of them.I finally came back, back to my long-awaited mother country, but it was not the state of mind I imagined.

"You've changed, Ah Suin." Ishkad sighed beside me, and he patted me on the shoulder.Though safely back in Persia, it is true that it is difficult for me to forget my experience in Hades, and it is even more difficult to forget someone who has lost my life.Maybe it was because of the pain I was drowning in, Ishkad said. After they found me on the river bank, I was in a coma for three full months.The doctors thought that I would never wake up again, until a few days ago, the king personally invited an exotic witch doctor to exorcise me, and I miraculously opened my eyes.

The witch doctor said that I've been stuck in the third realm for too long, and it's a great luck that I didn't become an idiot.

Maybe it's not bad to become an idiot.Looking back on the years in Rome, it seems like a lifetime away, like a dream full of colors.

I propped up my body, and subconsciously caressed the small brand mark on my abdomen with my hand, a ripple appeared in my heart, and my eyes drifted to the Euphrates River not far away.

It is like a beautiful blue brocade spread on the golden ground, winding and flowing.There is a thin layer of white mist on the surface of the river, like a kingdom of heaven, so beautiful that it is fascinating.

This source of life, which means "arrow" in Persian, is also the source of war.

It is said that Rome is intensively gathering its military forces, forming an alliance with the new successor of Armenia, and planning to cross the river to conquer Persia.When winter passes and spring begins, the Euphrates will be transformed into a bloody battlefield, as it has been for centuries.

I will meet him again, but when we meet again, we will face each other as enemies.

"Did they escape?" I asked Ishkad, thinking of my trapped companions.

"It's all thanks to you that I'm recuperating in the hospital." He patted me on the shoulder, and I shook my head. I didn't say anything, but my heart felt like a big stone fell.

"His Majesty the King will announce to us tonight, it's time to go down and prepare. Let's go, Ah Suin." Ishkad interrupted my thoughts, he turned under the edge of the tower, and stretched out a hand towards me .I quickly jumped to the top of this light tower.There is a sculpture symbolizing the guardian spirit of Ahura on the side of the tower, and the three wings that are ready to fly seem to be able to carry people to the bright future.It was dark already, the winter days are always so short, like those good days.

I took a deep breath, climbed onto its back, and jumped down with outstretched arms——

"Athione!"

His cry was immediately drowned in the hunting wind.

The cold water soaked my whole body in an instant, but it made me feel unspeakably happy.Although the minaret is the cistern in the palace, it is risky to do so, but I used to jump from it and swim without being spotted once.I stretched my somewhat stiff body wantonly in the water, and I couldn't help feeling very thankful that the nearly three-month coma didn't make me paralyzed, only a little weak.Soon, I felt tired.

Facts have proved that people's luck is not always so good.When I swam to the surface from below, I suddenly saw a figure appearing above.

When I climbed to the shore wet, the embankment of the reservoir was already surrounded by white-robed and masked royal guards, and I was regarded as an invading assassin.Now it seems that my luck is not only "good", but "good" to the extreme.A car with a golden sun wheel on the hood stopped behind the guards. The occupants got up and got out of the car, and their purple robes embroidered with the sun, moon and stars were dragged to the ground, shining in the water, like Mithra is born.

I actually met His Majesty the King.It had been turned into a garden, and he was apparently passing by when I gave him a "trapeze" show.

Even more unfortunately, I found that my adoptive father was also in the accompanying team.

This time I lost my face.I half knelt down in embarrassment to salute His Majesty the King.

"Get up, my little prince, you are so interesting to welcome me with such a grand ceremony."

His Majesty the King smiled amiably, and ordered me to rise.

This is the first time I've seen him since waking up, and I'm still not used to calling him "Father King".

I respectfully called him His Majesty the same as everyone else, and then stood beside my adoptive father, but he saluted me.

My adoptive father is much older than before I left. His temples are gray, and he no longer has the look of a mature man, as if he is suffering from a chronic illness.But I didn't have much chance to talk to him, so I was taken to change clothes by a eunuch named Laieur, and was called by His Majesty the King.Before the dinner, the king announced my identity to the courtiers and named me Prince Sasanian.I have since had another name—my name is Shapur.

When everyone bowed their heads to me and called me Prince Ah Suin together, I looked at the lotus pond under the stage, and my heart was as calm as the water in that pond.But not because it should be taken for granted, but because I feel lost, it just doesn't seem to be true.It came so suddenly, like a heavy golden crown on the top of my head, I didn't know how to wear it, but I had to straighten my neck to accept it.

This is not the past, I no longer have the choice as the adopted son of the Khatamir family.

When I knelt down, I fully understood this.The king's sun and moon scepter fell on my shoulders, very heavy. For a moment, I had the illusion that I was back in the Holy Palace of Rome, and Flaviz was watching me from behind.

However, when I turned my head, I saw Ishkad in a black robe that reached his feet.He stood under the throne, and the gorgeous maroon carpet made him look dignified, possessing the dignity of a military official.He also has a new identity this night, his service is over and he will gradually take over his father's responsibilities.

The courtiers put on a floor-length crimson robe for me in the inner court, with exquisite flame pattern embroidery on the sleeves, and a golden belt symbolizing royal power was also wrapped around my waist, and finally I put on a turban.Even in Rome, I never wore such a grand dress, Persians always pursue rich and complex beauty.After changing clothes, His Majesty the King looked at me intently, and I think he was missing the shadow of my mother left on me again.

I could barely walk, but the courtier's gaze made me realize that I had to get used to it, not put on airs like I did when I was on a mission.It's just that I guess it's hard for me to get used to, I never belonged to the court.

The dinner was very grand, but the place was very special—it was set in the castle on the hilltop behind the palace.The castle was built in imitation of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, but it was a royal hunting ground where rare and exotic animals were kept in captivity. Sometimes hunting competitions and beast fights were held here for the entertainment of the nobles and the royal family.

I was lucky enough to go there once with Ishkad. I still remember that when I shot the fattest saiga antelope in a game, the king rewarded me with a waist card and allowed me to freely enter and exit the hunting ground.Thinking about it now, the afternoon sun was always very strong, but we were never tired. It was a rare happy day.

When climbing up the steps along the foot of the mountain, His Majesty the King did not take the imperial sedan chair, but walked with me.He let go of the majesty of the ruler, and behaved very easy-going, completely a father's attitude.Although his appearance is too young, he looks almost the same as Ishkad, but it doesn't matter. During the conversation with him, I relaxed a lot, and the panic and grudges in my heart were reduced a lot.He asked me about my experience in the Roman palace, and I chose the important ones, omitting some fragments that I didn't want to tell, and I also knew why he came to pick me up in person.After the Armenia incident, he consulted the priest and got a bad omen that I would be murdered, so he acted as soon as any father worried about his children.

This is unbelievable and shocked me, but I still can't open my mouth to call him "Father King". The trauma of my childhood is too deep, and I still can't forget it.I stubbornly kept my insistence. In order to remember my mother, the king seemed to perceive this, so he didn't continue to insist. I am very grateful for this.

"At that time, I wanted you to know the truth, but it's a pity that you are too wild. Now it seems that it is indeed a good thing for you to go to the battlefield for a few years." vision of courage.

"I won't let you down."

"From today onwards, you must be a competent prince, Ah Suin. Especially today."

I half knelt down to him, and stood up respectfully after he walked a few steps, looking up at the whole picture of the hunting ground in the sky.It was built more grandly and magnificently than before.

Six tall stone statues of patron saints stand by the mountain, the tallest of which is the seven-in-one main god—Ahura, the Lord of Light.Under the stone statue, the round stone platform originally used to watch the fighting beasts was decorated extremely gorgeously. In the fire altars placed at the four corners, the holy fire was burning soaring into the sky, as if a grand ceremony was about to be held.

I wonder what this formation is for celebrating, because today is not a special festival.But when I saw the foreign guests who arrived afterward, I immediately understood why.

This group of visitors from afar with narrow heads, wearing animal skins and exaggerated earrings is clearly the Huns.

Chapter 95【LCV】Missing into illness

This group of visitors from afar with narrow heads, wearing animal skins and exaggerated earrings is clearly the Huns.

His Majesty the King was to welcome this group of unfriendly new allies who had fought with him for seven years before the truce. Obviously, he did this at this juncture to win them over to deal with the Romans.

I can still vividly remember the experience of fighting these brutal nomads, which made me full of hatred for them. I also recognized that one of the guests standing behind the tall Shanyu had once fought with me. .His name was Tira, and he almost killed me, but after a life-and-death struggle, he finally became my defeat.His one arm was my masterpiece, and I also left a terrible arrow wound on my back.

But that's not where the hate comes from.In that battle, we pretended to be trapped in the Huns tribe. In order to test me, Tira executed an emissary for the ghost army in front of me, and took off his skin alive to make a quiver. .Although I chopped off his hand with my own hands, I still couldn't relieve my hatred.

Right now, it seems that I have no chance to avenge that loyal emissary again.

When Tira recognized me, instead of showing any complaints, she clenched her chest with her remaining left hand and raised the wine glass towards me. I had no choice but to politely retaliate, but the wine I poured down was full of burning anger.

The people sat around the round altar where the rituals were held on weekdays, strange people and strange men took turns to perform, and the performances were extraordinary. The ancient secret art of Persian gods possessing the body and piercing the abdomen with a sharp knife won the praise of the Huns.

I tried to be princely on this occasion, but I was nowhere near half as comfortable with Ishkad's high-pitched speech.I am not very proficient in Turkic, but I can feel that the atmosphere of this banquet is quite harmonious.The Huns had long coveted the rich Rome, but they were afraid of the other party's powerful naval power, and wanted to take advantage of the war between the two great powers to get a share.They are slightly weaker at sea, but they are cruel and ferocious wolves on land.His Majesty the King was very pleased with their joining. When the banquet reached its climax, he ordered me to compete with the Xiongnu warriors on the stage with great enthusiasm.

The cry of the Huns made my blood boil, I did not refuse, took the scimitar thrown to me by Ishkad and jumped up.When I landed, the silver bells on my ankles made a series of crackling sounds.

I was suddenly in a trance, and for a moment I had the illusion that I was back in the beginning, and I was going to dance a sensational dance on the Roman court, but this time, the person who embarrassed me the most was gone.

"Your Highness, are you afraid?" The opponent's jerky Pahlavi language brought me back to reality.

It was Tira who fought against me.He weighed the bony tomahawk in his hand and grinned provocatively.This is a very strong fellow, dark skin, like a big mane dog.Even though he lost his arm, his movements were still quite swift, and he pounced on me without waiting for my response.

Not to be outdone, I swung my knife at him, straight for his ugly and thick neck.

The scimitar and the ax collided with each other, making harsh noises and sparks flying everywhere.I almost lost my footing and slipped and fell to the ground.When my scimitar hit his throat, the ax barely landed on the side of my head, just a finger away from my ear.There are deadly murderous intentions hidden in our actions, but we can't go beyond the threshold.

My skill is not as good as before.If it wasn't for the occasion, I'm afraid the end would be extremely miserable.

We fought to a draw, but the king declared me the loser.Knowing that this was nothing more than diplomacy, I was furious and wanted to leave the meeting because it made me feel like a buffoon in a joke.But this is not Rome after all, I have to think of Persia, behave generously, like a real prince.

The defeat of the Persian prince satisfied the Huns, and my performance seemed to please His Majesty the King. After the banquet, he ordered me to stay.

We stepped into the hunting ground one after the other, and after shooting an elk, he reined in and got off his horse, walking side by side with me.

"I know you're upset, Ah Suin," he said.The king's tone was calm, as if he was my friend, but it still made me restrained.

I slowed down and fell behind him, gritted my teeth, and admitted frankly: "Yes, Your Majesty." I paused, "But I know your intentions."

"That's good. I was a little worried, but now it seems I'm worrying too much." The king looked at me thoughtfully. In the shadows, those dark eyes reminded me of Holzmir, but he was more Deeper and more serious, there is a magical power to calm anger.My blood flow slowed down and my body relaxed.

He stretched out his hand to pick up a fallen leaf on my head, and this intimate gesture startled me, "You are getting better and better, my son. But to become a qualified heir to the throne, you have to go through more test."

"The heir to the throne?"

"Of course, you still don't understand what it means to be a prince?"

I suddenly became nervous: "You are still young, why are you thinking about this now? I am good at killing enemies in the battlefield, but I have no involvement in political affairs. I am definitely not a suitable heir to the throne."

"You are my only heir, Ah Leon. Both your mother and I have high hopes for you."

My heart stopped beating, and suddenly I remembered my mother's expectation, and I was speechless.

Becoming the crown prince, inheriting the throne, I do not at all hope that this possible day will come.I don't want to shoulder the heavy responsibility of a country, and I don't want to lose my freedom because of it. Even becoming a prince is like trying to catch a duck on the shelf.I can't shirk this sudden responsibility, I can't refuse the father's love I've been longing for for many years, and I bite the bullet and put on this heavy robe.I suddenly had another thought of running away, but it was an act of shameful cowardice.

The destiny of a country is never for individuals to choose.

"You also know that Rome will soon go to war against Persia. They have united with Armenia's new successor, King Assassius, and their strength cannot be underestimated. We must preemptively strike."

The king got on his horse, suddenly increased his speed, and galloped out.With my feet clamped in the belly of the horse, I followed him closely, and the cold wind came through the forest. I couldn't help but think of the night when Flaviz took me into Rome. , looking to the far-off shore.Does he still remember me—but no matter the answer or not, he is an extremely difficult opponent. I don't know what it will be like when we meet on the battlefield in the future.Thinking of it this way, I felt both sad and vaguely hopeful.

"Please tell the king." I reined in the reins on the edge of the cliff, jumped off the horse, and walked up to him.

"The Armenian army will split into three groups with the Roman army. In a few days Assassius will first arrive at the city of Anatia Bena and invade the pass at the mouth of the Tigris River. I want you to lead your troops to stop him."

The king looked down at me, drew his sword, and rested the point on top of my head.His robe fluttered, and his voice revealed a chill in the wind, like a cluster of sparks that suddenly ignited my blood.I love to ride the battlefield, I was born to be a beast.Give me a sword and a horse, and I'll fight to the death.

What's more, what a blessing it is to confront the person I love.

In early spring, the ice melts and the snow melts.

Letters of war poured in from the other side, and thousands of Roman warships assembled into a huge fleet, like an ancient behemoth crossing the river. , or close the port and fortify the whole country, or open the gate voluntarily and allow it to be plundered.

Since the Hippo-Persian War, there has never been any record in history that such a mighty and huge fleet crossed the Euphrates River. The name of the "Apostate Emperor" Flaviz ravaged the entire Mesopotamia like a prairie fire. Celebrating, or denouncing, or horrifying rumors about him.

People say that he is cold-blooded and ruthless, more prosperous than Xerxes, but his military talent is comparable to Caesar, and he may become the second Alexander.

The deadline for the battle is getting tighter and tighter. During this period, I practice martial arts and learn tactics hard to make myself better.If the day comes to fight Flaviz, I hope that what he sees is not the weak child or the captive who can't help himself in the past, but a general he cannot despise.

Although he may have no impression of me in the past, this is my stubborn wish.

It's just that no matter how hard I try, I can't restore my original sharpness during the battle. I can't meditate, and when I close my eyes and try to enter the land of no one, all I can remember are the memories of being with him.

I am no longer a virgin like a monk in the past. I have been married to the person I love, and even conceived an heir for him like a woman. Of course, the God of Light will not forgive such a sin of love-desire that violates human relations. But I can't forget, and I can't control myself.

The days of war are approaching day by day, and my thoughts are growing wildly like wormwood on the bank of the river.

At night, I often look at the fading marks on my stomach in front of the mirror, and then I can't help but self-blasphemy, imagining that he will peek at me from behind the mirror, releasing again and again in the depression.

It has been a whole winter since I left Rome, and I have grown taller than before, with the skeletal outline of a man, but thinner and paler, like the poplar in front of the palace.Ishkard said I was sick.

I was really sick, as sick as Flavius ​​had been, and I was sick with longing.

Chapter 96 [LCVI] Ominous Omen

Flaviz's advance army crossed the river half a month later and reached the Persian border.They seized the fortress of Perisabor, which was easy to defend and difficult to attack, but it was a barren land. The king apparently stood still, but adopted scorched earth tactics, burning the surrounding cities to prevent them from supplying.

Soon after, King Asahis indeed entered the city of Anatiabena, but when he arrived, he unexpectedly found that the city gate was wide open, and the entire city was empty, and the people had disappeared without a trace.Little did he know, he would soon usher in a special army.His Majesty the King did not want to lose too many troops on Armenia. In his words, Rome is a greedy crocodile, and Armenia is just a monkey attached to it to cross the river.

As in Rome, I went to negotiate peace on behalf of Persia as a prince. My army hid in dozens of boxes containing jewels. The support army led by Kad cooperated with the outside and captured King Assassius alive as a hostage to control the Armenian army.

It was a beautiful sunny day when we set off for the city of Anatia Bena, but the wind and sand were also blowing extremely violently, which would be a good way to hide the reinforcements following.I should have traveled in a more stable elephant, but even though I had done it once, I was still not used to the clumsy and slow transport.I picked a bay red horse.

"This is the last time we will fight together." Ishkad approached me with his horse and looked at me. "Black is the most suitable for you."

Indeed, his adoptive father's health was declining day by day, and he was determined to take over the heavy responsibility of the Hatamir clan (I don't want to mention the other brothers, they are simply scum among dudes) and end his military career.I think I will miss the days of fighting alongside him very much in the future.

"Be careful all the way." He stretched out his hand and handed a dagger to my palm.It is the glow of the moon.When I held it, he grabbed my hand.I inadvertently noticed a tattoo of a different flower on the back of his hand, which looked like Arshak's handwriting.I just remembered that I haven't seen that alluring and beautiful boy for a long time.

As if realizing that I saw it, Ishkad withdrew his hand, and his eyes froze for a moment.

I didn't ask him where Arshak had gone, but I had a vague intuition that he had already fallen in love with Arshak, but I'm afraid even he himself would find it difficult to admit it, just like me once.After waking up, I noticed that Ishkad's attitude towards me was different, and we seemed to be back in the past, which made me very relieved.

"This pattern is so beautiful." I looked into his eyes and sighed with a sincere smile.If everyone cherishes the people in front of them, perhaps there will be fewer tragedies in the world.But in this world, there is no such thing as regret medicine.

Ishkad put on his gloves, smoothed his cuffs uncomfortably, and whistled.

A black shadow descended from the sky, and a handsome silver-headed eagle came into my sight, piercing the sand fog like a sharp knife light, and landed firmly on my horse's head.I stroked its silvery feathers, thinking of Altaïr, he was bigger than my girl, a brave boy.

"It's called Lightning. It was given to you by His Majesty the King. It must be very heroic."

"Of course." I didn't say that I wanted my Altaïr to come back. Eagles can understand human language. They are creatures with strong temperaments. Feeling the dissatisfaction of their masters will hit them hard.

There was a knocking sound from the first box behind him, and Tatu's urging was vague: "I said, we have to leave quickly while it's still bright!"

I kicked the box and told him to shut up.These hundreds of boxes are covered with a layer of jewels, with wooden boards as interlayers, and each box hides two people.Beside my legionnaires were some fine young warriors, slender enough to be huddled in such a small space, like a pack of Persian cats being hauled off for sale.

Isos and I disguised ourselves as messengers and led the team.In short, we are cat dealers, except that the cats turn into a pack of leopards once out of the crate.

"The king is coming." Issos reminded me close to me.

I didn't dare to be negligent, turned the horse's head, and was about to dismount, but the king raised his hand to signal that there was no need.I could see that he was full of confidence in me, so I bid him farewell with samurai etiquette, then pulled my turban tightly to cover my mouth and nose, whipped my hand hard, and plunged into the sand mist.

Anatia Bena is quite a distance from Tessiphon, near the mouth of the Arbo River into the Euphrates River. It was originally one of the Roman fortresses in Mesopotamia, but it was later captured by Persia and occupied many years.It was the territory of the Assyrians in ancient times in the early BC, and some ancient trade routes can still be used.We took these shortcuts and climbed over a large mountain.

The skirts of winter are still lingering on the high and steep ridges, and the snow has not completely melted away.When you reach the top of the mountain, you can already see the outline of the city of Anatia Bena in the distance.At this time, the sky was half dark, and at a glance, a trapezoidal pyramid with Assyrian characteristics stood in front of the city gate, shining brilliantly in the night, like a mansion in the kingdom of heaven.A huge sundial was placed on the platform on the top of the pyramid, which was used to worship the great sun god Mithra. For execution.

It is said that an Assyrian prince and his lover were buried in the pyramid. There must have been some legends handed down, but it has become an obscure whisper among the elderly.

Maybe a hundred years later, I will also become a secret story.

We arrived at the posting station outside the city in the evening of the second day.

The station was empty.The carriage transporting the treasure box was a bit overwhelmed, and the two days of non-stop marching made the people in the box suffer a lot. We had to recharge our batteries before facing the enemy, so we stopped to rest.

Because they couldn't let them destroy the interlayer, Isos and I took the river water and food and handed them into the box one by one. This behavior was really like feeding a cat in a cage, but I didn't find it funny.

I found that some of the boxes stink, and some of the people vomited—we had a fairly bumpy section of the mountain road, which even a trained samurai could not bear.

I had no choice but to smash some of the treasure chests, release the people inside, and let them go back to join Ishkad's people, while the rest rested on the spot.

At the back of the pyramid, a row of torches was burning above the city gate, and there were crowds of people. It was obvious that Assassius had heard of our arrival, so he was waiting here.

"Have you heard about the new successor of Armenia, King Assasius?" Isos asked me suddenly when I was comforting the tired horse.

I looked at him and knew what admonition he had.I don't know much about King Assassius, only that he is much more powerful than the previous Armenian king, and he has a nickname, "The Skinning King".

"He, like Yulyans, is an out-and-out pervert."

This long-lost name was suddenly mentioned, and my heart jumped suddenly, and then I remembered that Isos had seen his methods in prison, and naturally I felt lingering fear.

"how to say?"

"I also heard about it recently. That Assassius is a barbarian. He became the candidate of Armenia only after being promoted by Flaviz. As soon as he took office, he used bloody means to suppress the forces inclined to Persia. Departure to Ana Along the way to Tiabena, he captured many lords of small neutral city-states along the coast who had the intention of resisting, flayed them alive, and set fire to the corpses, just like a barbarian."

"It seems to be a difficult role to deal with. We have to be more careful." I stroked the tired horse and rubbed my stiff hands. "He can't be more vicious than the Hun King."

"Not always."

Issos shook his head and handed me a jug of warm wine.

"You know I can't touch this thing, it will fall if I touch it." I shook my head, took water and poured it on my neck, looked up at the stars in the sky, and a strange premonition vaguely floated in my heart.

In the sky, there are two extremely bright stars, connected by a string of starlight to form a faintly discernible pattern, like a snake wrapping around a small animal, trapping it in its arms.

Chapter 97 【LCVII】Looks like an old friend

At night, screams came from far away, mixed with the sound of the wind, like ghosts crying and wolves howling.I guessed that King Asassis was torturing people for fun again, feeling uneasy, but gradually fell asleep under the warmth of the bonfire.

In the early morning of the day, before dawn, we packed up and headed towards the city of Anatia Bena. When we were very close to the pyramid, I was shocked to find that there were several skinless corpses piled up under the tower. Some people are still alive. In addition to adults, there are children and even pregnant women.Looking up, the top platform looks like a slaughterhouse, which is comparable to the tragic scene of sacrificing living people in Mayan festivals.

My breath tightened, and Isos's face was not very good-looking.A few people who were still dying opened their mouths to shout at me, their bloody mouths were wide open, but no human voice could come out.I rode closer, drew my knife, and cut their necks cleanly. Blood spattered my clothes, but I didn't take another look.Many times, the knife that brings death is a kind of kindness.

There is a choking smell of blood in the air, which is no stranger to me. This is the smell of the battlefield.

"Who is coming!"

A high-pitched bullhorn sounded, and someone shouted in Armenian from above the city gate, and repeated it in the Pahlavi language commonly used in Persia.

"Persians, come to express our friendship to King Assisi!" I raised my voice, put my fingers between my lips and whistled loudly. "Lightning" took the king's imperial edict and flew up the city wall like an arrow.Soon, I saw a figure surrounded by people appearing on the tower of the city wall.The distance was a bit far, and the light was against the light, so I couldn't see Assassin's appearance clearly.He looked down at us for a while, and the heavy city gate came down with a bang.

The inner door with iron teeth opened slowly, like the fangs of a wild beast.The heavily armed Armenian army lined the road to greet us. When we passed the city gate, the staggered swords and spears were placed above our heads, exuding a chill.I felt that Assassin's attitude was not good, so I was always on high alert.

After entering the city, a man with the appearance of a military officer came forward and ordered the treasure chests to be opened and inspected one by one. I was a little nervous, but I still forced myself to follow the welcoming team calmly.There was the sound of metal hitting the box wall behind me. I didn't know if the interlayer could be heard, but every time I felt it was like the sound of war drums hitting my eardrums.

The weapons exposed on the body were naturally confiscated, only the Moonlight that I hid in the saddle was spared.When approaching the castle where the nobles lived, the horses were also taken away, and we entered the front garden of the castle surrounded by adobe stone walls like captives.

There are still remains of the Assyrians here, and ancient bronze sculptures can be seen everywhere-the Persians are a nation that cherishes civilization, and they always carefully preserve these treasures. It is fortunate that they were not destroyed by the Macedonians.

A sculpture of the war queen Ishtar stands in front of a long-dried pond. A series of Hebrew inscriptions are engraved on its seat, which has been translated in cuneiform by later generations.

—I filled the valley with the corpses of my enemies to the summit; I cut off their heads and decorated the walls.I put their