1453: Revival of Byzantium

Chapter 309: Serres

"What do you think, Khalid?" Abraham took his mask off stopping his horse next to Khalid and asked. 

"We cannot lay siege to the city, it is not a job for us." Khalid replied massaging his horse's manes. "We have done enough for this battle, lets call it a day and head back." 

However, Abraham seems to have some other thoughts feeling that he ought to at least try some thing before he goes, if not it is just a waste of time and effort embarking on such a long distance travel all for nothing but capturing a few Ottoman prisoners. With this in mind he turned back with out saying a word to his troops pulling Khalid along side with him, calling for a commander's meeting while the rest of the troops have a rest eating rations, and the horses having a taste of bitter dried hays. 

Ten minutes later a few riders galloped out of the formation towards the southern city gate of Serres, where a large number of soldiers, civilians and officials are already gathering on top of the walls spectating the army stationed outside their city. 

The few riders are Abraham, Khalid, and a few other commanders carrying various flags and insignias like the flag of Antonius, the cross of Chi Rho and the standard of the double headed eagle. 

The few riders reached under the walls of the city at a safe distance raising their hands up showing that they have no weapons in their waists and hands, then slowly and carefully approached the walls in to the firing range of enemy archers. The people on the walls started debating vigorously for a while but soon quietened down and all defenders lowered their guards lowering the bows in their hands, seeing this Abraham made a sigh of relief and approached even closer. 

"I, am captain Abdullah under the command of Lord Antonius! The legitimate sovereign of this piece of land, granted by the Autocrat of all Romans in Nova Roma!" Abraham made sure his Greek sounded as localized as possible, and shouted out to the spectating citizens on the walls. "We have crushed the Ottoman invaders last week! And we have chased them away! Now! I have a special offer for you people! Honourable citizens of Serres! Please listen to my words of advice!" 

"We are not here to attack you for now! We are merely passing by catching all those Ottoman invaders who have ran past your premise! We mean no harm! We mean no harm! However, I advice you to join force with the admiral in order to avoid future disputes and quarrels, though we would very like to put you people aside out of this, forgive us, the city of Serres seats in a position too important that we cannot ignore!"

The debating sound on top of the walls gradually grew louder and louder with people of different opinions, but no one stepped out to make a reply to the few riders still waiting beneath there. Seeing this Abraham assumed that there is no one inside the city that is powerful and influential enough to make a final decision on his own, thus he stepped out again and shouted. "I shall give you thirty minutes to decide! If I get no response I will leave with my troops!" 

Then Abraham disappointedly turned his kneel and moved his horse away to the back, but just as he is about to walk away a hoarse voice that sounds like a man in his sixties came from the top of the gate calling out to Abraham beneath. "Wait a minute general! We shall open the gates, please, send in a representative to come inside and talk with us!" 

Hearing these words Abraham is overjoyed, but still he kept calm with an emo face and turned around  again approaching the almost three meter tall gate of the city, which is slowly opening showing Abraham and Khalid the image of the city inside. 

The city of Serres, not a metropolis like that of Thessaloniki, has a population of only around six thousand people after two centuries of never ending skirmishes and internal conflicts, but when one enters the interior of the city one can still feel the rich historical and economical sentiments flowing around in every corner of the city. Serres has been a vital trading hub being a center point between Macedonia and Thessaloniki for ages with carts after carts of domestic products like wool, grains, woods and Thessaly made silk passing through this junction every single day. 

With a closer look at the defensive systems of the city walls Abraham knew that this city, although small in size, is not easy to besiege. First it has a geographical advantage of seating right beneath the mountains of Macedonia which means that if the offenders is trying to surround the city they are only able to surround the city from the other three sides, leaving an exit for the city to the outside world in the north allowing countless amount of supplies and reinforcements to pass through the mountain trails in to the city.

Second is that although the city's defense is not as advanced as that of Thessaloniki or Constantinople, it still has two layouts of city walls, a mountain citadel, several trap gates between the two walls and a shallow moat that has dried out from the harsh winter and years of poor maintenance. All of these means that if any one want to lay a successful siege on this city they must have at least a force triple the size of the defending force, armed with heavy siege machinery and several months to get it. 

Upon entering the city Abraham saw a bunch of people with an elder holding a timber walking stick dressed in an Ottoman styled clothing waiting. Knowing that this must be the most influential figure of the city Abraham rolled down his horse with Khalid and others following him and greeted the old man. "Greetings elder, I am the captain of the cavalries under the general of the Aegean and the ruler of Thessaloniki Antonius De'Ricci, Abraham, and here is my vice in command Khalid, may I talk to the mayor of the city?"

"You people do not look like Romans." The elder replied taking a step forward.. "For me, I am the Gazi of the city Yakub , or you people can take me as the mayor Captain, I have discussed with my citizens in the bezestan markets about the potential future of our city following the out come of the battle, and then we called for a referendum with the entire city We did achieve a final result but I would still like to confirm some thing with my own deafening ears and blurring eyes on some issues." 

"May the world before your eyes be always vibrant in colour, and may your ear be healthy enough to never miss a single note of the melody of life, elder Yakub." Abraham bowed down with his hands on his chest towards the mayor and wished warm heatedly. "I will be here to answer any doubt you have about us, for sure, with patience and honesty" 

"I have no questions, captains." The elder, Yakub however shook his head. "My doubts are already solved even before I have spoke to you people. "From the defeat of the Grand Vizier I know that your general is able to protect my city, from you two being the captains of the cavalries I can see that your general treats non Rumelians and followers of the teachings of Great Prophet like the same with the Rumelians, from your troops stationed outside not sacking near by villages and properties of Serres outside the city walls even when you two are not with them, I can know that your army is a well disciplined force capable of maintaining law and order ending this chaos." 

"Thus, in order to preserve the city from the age of Chaos, with the approval of more than half of the citizens of Serres, I pass you the letter of submission." The elder Yakub took over a brown letter and the key to the gates of the city from his follower and passed it to Abraham with a pair of trembling hands. "From this moment onwards, this city shall become a faithful vessel of the general. Please, treat it well, for it has been my valuable thing in my entire career for the past few decades."

Abraham definitely did not expect things to escalate this quickly and was caught there by surprise gaping, unable to believe that he got a city so easily with him merely stepping in to the city gates for no more than five minutes. Seeing this Khalid quickly moved forward on behalf of Abraham taking the key and the brown letter away from the elder, the later grabbed Khalid's hand and started at him. "Promise me, young man, that you people shall take good care of my people." 

"I promise." 

"Did you two forget some thing else that you should have asked from me?" 

Khalid looked back at Abraham not knowing what this old man means, and then shook their heads in confusion. The elder laughed turning around and clapped twice, then five carts of wagons carrying papers, books, and letters are brought forward. The elder laughed and gave a pat on Khalid's shoulder. "These are all the official government documents of Serres for the past year, inside contains the tax records, trade invoice, population census and government reports Bring this to our liege, he will thank me. But before this I got a task for you Read through all these papers and give me a summary before you go." 

The two men immediately felt a weight called studying falling on to their shoulders making them unable to breathe.