In the two days that passed after the dawn skirmish, I existed in a strange daze, thinking over it all. Stylianos has marshalled the detached flotilla … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 9
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 8
I heard screaming. Terrible screaming. My own. My hands shook madly, the pole I had been given feeling as if it were made of stone, alien in my hands. … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 8
The Blushing Sea, Day 7
With a clank of iron, the ship’s contingent of ten stratiotai – the only true soldiers aboard – came rushing over from the sheltered area of the … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 7
The Blushing Sea, Day 6
‘We must’ve drawn apart during darkness,’ Stylianos said, striding towards the ship’s edge to stare at the oncoming enemy ships. He swivelled on his … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 6
The Blushing Sea, Day 5
As I wound up the rope, I leant against the ship’s rail and gazed out across the fleet, each craft packed with regiments, the masts and spars studded … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 5
The Blushing Sea, Day 4
The next day, in the grey light of Dawn, the fleet put to sea. I sat on a rowing bench of one ship, shivering at first as I took up an oar. Soon, I … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 4
The Blushing Sea, Day 3
Laughter brought me back from that vision of the deep, and from the memory of the Saracen at the market, back to the stinking hot afternoon and the … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 3
The Blushing Sea, Day 2
The market had been stifling and crammed with people. My head was pounding from the previous evening’s excesses. I had been about to leave the bread … [Read more...] about The Blushing Sea, Day 2