Dressed in an armoured cuirass covered in silver scales, he directed his horse straight at me and hurled himself from his saddle to grab me as we both tumbled to the ground. My sword was knocked from my hand though my mace’s leather strap was still wrapped round my left wrist as I lay winded on my back. Narses wore no scale armour so he was able to spring to his feet to stand over me, ready to plunge his sword into my chest. I rolled onto my left side as he missed and thrust the blade into the earth beside me, grabbed the handle of my mace and swung it to the right with all my strength. Narses emitted a roar of pain as a flange bit into his leg just above his right knee and he staggered back.
I used the mace to hoist myself onto my feet as he attacked me with a series of savage downward swinging cuts with his sword. One glanced off the side of my helmet to produce a ringing in my ears as I tried to fend him off. I was tiring now and several of his strikes managed to get through my defence, striking my shoulders, knocking off iron scales and biting deep into the hide underneath. I was breathing heavily, desperately trying to fill my lungs with air to alleviate the burning sensation in my chest.
There was blood showing on his right leg but it seemed to have no effect on him as he aimed a horizontal cut against my left shoulder that I stopped by holding my mace with both hands to deflect the blow. I was aware of nothing around me as I transferred the mace to my right hand and threw it at his face. He did not expect that as he ducked to avoid it and I ran at him with all my strength, knocking him to the ground and the sword out of his hand. I held his neck with my left hand and frantically punched his face with my fist, screaming insults as I did so. But he managed to grab his sword and rain blows against the side of my helmet with its pommel, finally knocking me aside.
He staggered unsteadily to his feet, dazed, and with difficulty grasped his sword with both hands to drive it into my prostrate body before him, as I grabbed my own sword lying between his feet and thrust it upwards into his groin.
He winced fiercely, his teeth locked together as I took what seemed like an eternity to haul myself to me feet. Narses dropped his sword and looked at me pitifully, but there was no pity in me this day. I ran my spatha through his cuirass and into his belly, gripping it with both hands as I did so.
‘That is for my father.’
I yanked the blade free and he fell to his knees, still staring at me with disbelieving eyes, blood gushing from between his legs. I reached forward and ripped the helmet off his head, then brought my blade down on his head, splitting his skull.
‘And that is for Farhad.’
He pitched forward to lie face down on the ground. I stood over him, clasped the hilt of my sword with both hands and rammed it down hard, driving it through his body.
‘And that is for Vardan.’
I held up my arms and screamed in triumph and then saw the figure of Mithridates gallop away with a score or more of other horsemen behind him. I pointed at him.
‘Kill him, kill him. Will someone kill him?’
But no one heard me as I stood and watched the snake ride away and then disappear from view.
Vagharsh was the first to arrive where I stood like a guard dog watching over an old bone, escorted by the men of my first company of cataphracts. He looked at the dead body.
‘Who is that?’
‘King Narses, Vagharsh. He is finally dead.’
Vagharsh nodded and then looked at the scene of carnage all around. ‘Him and a lot of others.’
I was suddenly afraid for Gallia. ‘Where is the queen?’
‘She is safe,’ he assured me. ‘She is with the kings.’
He nudged his horse over to where Remus had been calmly standing next to Narses’ horse and brought him to me, then assisted me into the saddle. I ordered horsemen to mount a guard over the body of Narses to ensure it was not taken away and then rode to join my wife.
When I found her she was with Nergal, Atrax and Gafarn as Vagharsh had said, and after embracing her and the others I told them that Narses was dead. I also informed them that I had seen Mithridates flee, back to Susa I assumed.
The battle was now petering out. The phalanx of enemy guards had been decimated by arrow fire and the survivors had given themselves up after Narses’ relief charge had failed. A courier brought news from Orodes that he had destroyed the enemy’s horse and foot archers and had linked up with Vagises, while the legions, despite being under a hail of arrows and sling shots from the start of the fighting, had managed to inch their way forward into and through the date palm grove, forcing enemy spearmen back as they did so, until the remnants of the latter had simply dissolved as the survivors fled south.
The Battle of Susa was over.
Chapter 19
There was no pursuit, no triumphal gatherings or after-battle boasting and bravado. Both men and beasts were at the limits of their endurance, having expended their last reserves of energy. We forgot that we had won a great victory as all our attention was diverted to the welfare of our horses. Dehydrated, sweating in the heat and many encased in scale armour, they were in dire need of water and rest. Horse archers slid from saddles and collapsed onto the ground, totally exhausted, their horses stumbling and wandering round them in a similar state.
I slid off Remus’ back and called to Gallia. ‘Help me with his armour.’
I felt queasy and lethargic myself now that Alcaeus’ magic concoction was wearing off and found unbuckling the straps that held his armour in place difficult.
Gallia walked over and assisted me as I felt the last reserves of strength drain from my body. I could not focus my eyes and my breathing was laboured.
‘You rest,’ she said. ‘I’ll take care of it.’
Praxima came over to assist her friend heave the heavy hide suit off Remus’ back and onto the ground. He was breathing heavily and matted in sweat. Around us the cataphracts were also stripping their horses of their armour before discarding their own hide suits.
I unfastened my leg and arm armour and then with difficulty pulled my scale armour suit over my head and dumped it on the ground. My arms felt like lead and I could barely stand. I glance over to Orodes and Gafarn who were in a similar state.
‘He needs walking to the river,’ I said to Gallia weakly.
She also looked drained, no doubt suffering similar effects.
‘I will take him, lord,’ said Praxima, ‘have no fear.’
‘Thank you Praxima.’
They were the last words I remember saying before passing out.
I awoke in a cot in the hospital section of the camp, the first thing I saw being the crystal clear blue sky above me in the gaps between the canvas roof and then my wife’s pure blue eyes gazing down at me.
‘You are awake, then?’
‘What time is it?’
‘Mid-afternoon,’ she said.
I was confused. ‘That cannot be. How did I get here in so short space of time.’ I tried to rise. ‘How is Remus? He was exhausted.’
She placed a hand on my shoulder. ‘The battle was yesterday, Pacorus, and you have been asleep for nearly twenty-four hours. And unlike you, Remus is fine.’
Alcaeus appeared beside her.
‘Ah, so Hypnos grew tired of your company and sent you back to us, did he?’
‘Who’s Hypnos?’
He feigned surprise. ‘The Greek god of sleep, of course. How are you feeling?’
‘Drained.’
He nodded. ‘Yes, Ma-huang can do that. Still, kept you awake during the battle. Drink plenty of water, not wine, eat regularly and get plenty of rest and you will be fine.’
I looked at Gallia. ‘How is it that you suffered no ill affects?’
‘I did,’ she replied, ‘but unlike you I had not gone without sleep for three nights.’
After drinking copious amounts of water and eating some fruit I was strong enough to walk back to my tent, though not before I had visited the stables to ensure that Remus had recovered. Awnings had been erected over the temporary stables to provide shade for the horses and as I entered his stall he walked over to me and nuzzled his nose in my chest. I stroked his neck.