The conscript troops left behind on the city walls to cover the retreat were quickly wiped out. Watching this scene, Ivan's heart bled. Those chosen to lead the assault were all elites under his command, and those willing to risk their lives to stay behind and cover the retreat were the very best among those elites.
And they had been buried here for nothing.
After retreating all the way back to the camp, Ivan had not even caught his breath before the soldiers of Ivan's unit crowded around him.
The core members of Ivan's unit were Syrians from lands once ruled by the Ayyubids. Though they had later absorbed many Central Asian nomads, the core circle had never changed much.
Strictly speaking, these people had fled to escape the Demon Dragon of the Franks. Now that they saw that heathen demon king arriving atop the Demon Dragon, their legs went weak.
A conscript soldier's face was filled with terror. "Commander of a Thousand, did that Demon Dragon come here because that heathen demon king is attacking us? Isn't this Sasanian territory? How did we end up facing that demon king again?"
"Damn it, could those Sasanian cowards have realized they couldn't withstand our army and surrendered to the Frankish barbarians?"
Ivan shook his head. How could he know what was going on? Surely the Franks could not have conquered all of Mesopotamia during the time he had spent sailing from the Port of Aila to the Persian Gulf?
Fulk wore an equally worried expression. He had considered that Jochi Khan's insistence on continuing westward might bring them into conflict with the Franks, but he had never expected that day to come so quickly.
"Should we report this to General Subutai and find out where the Frankish army is?"
Both of