3. The Pest of Bari

  At first Adaneus was something of a hero, he had slipped past a determined blockade with relative ease and relative luck. Grain was unloaded, millet was unloaded and fruits were unloaded, the local governor Stephen had a trimmed beard and olive brown skin. He and a personal retinue who came to see what had just arrived at his port. 20 black africans, one paler man, and pale mercenaries and a Christian clerk by all accounts.

  “We thank you for the aid for our great city, but as you may well know, we are under siege,” Stephen Pateranos said, “our great city, may fall to the Normans soon enough, this grain will be invaluable to the efforts of halting the Norman invaders.”

  “Sir,” one of the soldiers said, “are you sure this is not a Norman trap? This could be poisoned?”

  “I assure you it is not, the Normans do not have access to black sailors,” Adaneus said, “I have come here for my own purposes. I do ask for a piece of clear land, unencumbered by residences.”

  “Do you think the Normans have black crews?” Butros said, to a bit of laughter from the Africans.

  “Right?” Stephen said. Why would he want that.

  His soldiers whispered at him. Stephen likewise stared at the man.

  “A saracen perhaps?” Stephen said looking at the sailors with renewed skepticism.

  Butros saved the team with a cross.

  “No they are not saracens,” Butros said, “we are mere traders.”

  I owe him. Adaneus said, I owe him a lot.

  Kwame came to Adaneus’s ear.

  “He did you a big favour,” he whispered, keen to do it while the Eastern Romans were talking among themselves.

  “Well either way, you have done a service to the city, whether or not you are a saracen is hard to discern.”

  “The Saracens treated me terribly,” Kwame said, “I assure you, we are not saracens.” Kwame proceeded to show the scars to Stephen who nodded.

  They were given an empty lot and there under the cover of darkness on December 30th Adaneus grew wheat, his black sailors cutting the wheat, in amazement of their captain.

  December 31st Adaneus used two of his purple crystals to produce more wheat and more water. Naturally this development alarmed certain segments of the population. The population had dropped to 10,000 over the course of the siege, and at least half of the population was pro Norman. Soldiers were skittish and afraid of deserters and any kind of treachery, but the Pro Norman figures such as Argirizos and Perenos stoking up pro Norman traitors, Lombards and Catholics were more inclined to the Normans than the Eastern Romans. Adaneus ruined all that, but for now he was popular. Wheat distributed to the locals, he did something that had Butros in fits of worry.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  “I am blessed by the God Magec, Helios by your pantheon, I will help you repel the Normans, the age of poverty, the Norman invaders will be driven back! I will aid you but I need your help!”

  Such rabble rousing had the black sailors turned farmers pick up their crossbows and the mercenaries eye the surroundings for threats. On that day nothing happened, but the Norman allies within were confused and by the end of the day they were livid.

  On January 1st, he used both crystals to fill the wells, much to the amazement of the populace.

  “We have crossbows and weaponry. I know I am a threat to the regime. I will not let the Normans in here! Bari will be the site of a new empire. For now I need protection against the Orthodox cleric Andreas!”

  “Hail Magec!” One man said, drinking water hungrily, “all hail Magec!”

  “A heathen dares to defile this great city!” A man angrily shouted, “this is the work of satan!”

  “Everything he doesn’t like is satan, typical Christian,” Kwame mocked.

  Adaneus had gained perhaps 300 followers, people amazed by his feats, some of whom began camping by his residence, taking up arms and protecting him from the inevitable backlash.

  January 2nd of 1071 of the Christian calendar Adaneus made more food, soldiers now came to him asking for the supplies, the local mill grinding the wheat into flour.

  “I ask that you share appropriately, I am not a Demon as they claim.”

  “You have to post sentries now Adaneus,” one of the black men said, “trust me on that one.”

  “I agree,” Adaneus mused, “the city has mixed feelings I am sure.”

  “You did this to yourself,” Butros whispered angrily, “if they come to kill you, I am blending in, believe me.”

  Soldiers began eating bread and millet, the supplies grown were crushed and the mills began operating again. The cathedral had a flurry of proclamations and Stephen himself had apparently denounced the Pagan, as well as lower level Catholic priests, that being said, everyone was paralysed to act. With each moment the supplies came to the common folk and to the soldiers with more people being recruited to the cult of Magec. Guiscard outside the walls had not a countenance of an idea what was transpiring, but it was something other worldly. Tonnes of his ships food had been distributed to the soldiers and people, and the new miracles had the Christian authorities in trouble rather quickly. Stone buildings hid many different characters. By the time it was night, murky figures shot crossbow bolts. The would be assassins were thwarted, no one among the Pagans killed, as the new cult followers beat the would be assassins with clubs, not one of them escaping. The spectacle was a bit grim but it asserted authority.

  “They fear food and water!” Adaneus shouted, “they fear that I could win the siege for the city!”

  January 3rd the city was in tension from the fact that Adaneus had dealt with assassins. The Pro Norman side were in a panic, their ability to subvert the city’s defences were dealt with, but the Pro Eastern Roman side was likewise not happy with this new Pagan force. Stephen led a small detachment of soldiers to the now millet being collected by Adaneus and his supporters. Kwame’s tall presence stood before the governor and his entourage.

  “Get out of my way,” Stephen said, “you come to my city and you disrupt everything. I don’t know what demonic sorcery you use, but now you murder citizens.”

  “Those citizens want to open the gates to the enemy!” Adaneus said, “they know I am ruining their plans.”

  “You’re ruining mine. You ruin god’s plan, this isn’t over!” Stephen said.

  Amazingly his soldiers lost discipline and collected supplies; in this passing moment Adaneus had a tiny window of opportunity that he did not press. Adaneus was being eyed by his black sailors, he could have usurped control, but despite the amazing opportunity, he refused, the soldiers slipping back to the governor’s entourage.

  “You stupid bastard!” Butros said, shaking his shirt and body, “did you not see his soldiers practically defecting in front of your eyes. He might command the army against us!”

  Butros touched his eyebrows and slammed his hand on his thighs and knees, looking down and then back up at Adaneus.

  This stupid fucking cunt had a godly moment and threw it away.

  Millet was distributed among the public, who began devouring the food. Two crystals consumed, feeding the beleaguered garrison and people. Despite the confrontation the Pagans grew in strength. Adaneus dominating the city’s politics with each hour he delivered aid.