The men nearby stared at me as if I had just grown a second head. Was it what I had urged them all to run into battle with me, or the fact that the … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 17
The Blushing Sea by Gordon Doherty
AD 654: The Byzantine Empire lies crippled by its recent war with Sassanid Persia. Yes, the Persians are now but ashes and dust, but that victory came at a grave cost of many Byzantine lives. And the worst is yet to come, for the power vacuum in the old Persian lands will not remain empty for long. Already, rumours are rife that a ferocious new power has emerged there and burgeons in every direction, carried on a wind of faith and steel.
The Blushing Sea, Day 16
By the time I had thudded down onto the fire dromon’s decks, the screaming of the Saracens had replaced the roar of the fire spouts. A terrible stench … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 16
The Blushing Sea, Day 15
I felt their shoulders press against mine. Now we were one, backstepping yes, but in measured strides, slowing the Saracen drive across the decks, … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 15
The Blushing Sea, Day 14
The hawk-faced foe’s scimitar slashed round for my neck. I swung my sword madly upwards, felt a mule’s kick shooting through my shoulder, heard a … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 14
The Blushing Sea, Day 13
Me and the other simple sailors on board had been scattered like toys across the deck. Somehow, Stylianos and the boukinator and the ship’s ten … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 13
The Blushing Sea, Day 12
With a paean of horns and a swell of panicked voices, our fleet made a desperate attempt to right itself – to bring the dromons to the fore to face … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 12
The Blushing Sea, Day 11
The following day, word came from the emperor’s flagship that the enemy had gotten wind of our movements and had taken fright, apparently. Some … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 11
The Blushing Sea, Day 10
That night, I never got to play tavli with Bardanes. Old Gerontus was likewise slippery and managed to avoid my company. I found myself eating alone … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 10