Chapter XXIII: Helping the Desperate

It has been years when I assisted them and reading the book of Tactica has improved my knowledge on Constantinople's enemies, but it was during in 1249 when I have to face my hardest challenge yet, with just a handful of my knights I managed to turn the tide, I also hired a chronicler to tell this almost forgotten battle.

Demetrios stood atop a small hill overlooking the battlefield, his eyes scanning the scene below. The air was thick with the sound of clashing swords and the cries of dying men. Smoke billowed from dozens of small fires that dotted the landscape, casting an eerie orange glow across the battlefield.

He had been exiled from his beloved Constantinople years ago, after a falling out with the emperor. Since then, he had wandered the lands, gathering a group of loyal knights to his cause. They were the Saint Lazarus Knights, named after the patron saint of lepers, for whom Demetrios had a special affinity, since he has a hidden skin disease that he only showed to the Knights and hoping to find a cure for it.

As he watched the battle below, he knew that he could not simply stand by and watch. The Teutonic Order was in trouble, their forces being slowly ground down by the fierce Natangian warriors. It was time for him to act.

With a signal from his horn, the Saint Lazarus Knights charged down the hill, their swords flashing in the sunlight. The Teutonic knights were caught off guard, but quickly recovered and joined in the attack.

The Natangians, seeing the sudden turn of events, faltered for a moment before regrouping and charging towards the newly-formed alliance. But Demetrios and his knights were not easily beaten. They were fierce warriors, honed by years of fighting against overwhelming odds.

The battle raged on for hours, the tide shifting back and forth as both sides gained and lost ground. But in the end, it was Demetrios and his knights who emerged victorious. The Natangians were forced to retreat, leaving the Teutonic Order free to claim their prize.

As the dust settled and the last of the enemy forces fled, Demetrios surveyed the scene with a sense of satisfaction. The battle had been hard-fought, but he had succeeded in his mission. The Saint Lazarus Knights had once again proven their worth, and Demetrios had earned the respect and admiration of the Teutonic Order.

But he knew that this was only the beginning. There would be many more battles to fight, more enemies to defeat. And he would be ready for them, with the unwavering courage and devotion to his cause that had carried him this far, and he will soon clear his name and return to his homeland.