[Archive] Pain in My Rhodes

[theottomanempire]

1522

It was not going to happen again.

No, definitely not. One loss was enough and this time things would be different. Rhodes would not stand a chance and he would most certainly not give it the chance to defend itself.

1480 had been a disastrous mistake that Sadiq would rather forget considering the casualties his army had received from such a small opponent. He would admit that the knights Hospitallers had the advantage of a fortified city but it was still no excuse. The Ottoman Empire was to be feared not ridiculed.

It was June 26th, 1522 and the smell of victory hung in the salty smelling air. Sadiq stood at the front of one of the central ships beside Mustafa Pasha one of the commanders of the invasion. Sultan Suleymān the Magnificent would be joining them later on, Sadiq remembered the man saying. It was up to them to secure Rhodes or at least weaken it enough for when the Sultan arrived with the rest of the army it wouldn’t be much longer before Rhodes finally became Ottoman property as it should have forty years ago.

The day was starting off on a great start. He had a feeling that the people of Rhodes could only watch in fascinated horror as what they had thought they had stopped those years back returned to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. Sadiq mauled over the different strategizes’ for different scenarios. This invasion would definitely be a victory on their part. He could not bear to lose once again and to this poorly protected island.

He could already feel the adrenalin pumping through his veins. The mere thought of attaining something he had been wanting for a while was thrilling. With his fleet of 400 war ships and another 10, 000 men itching to fight joining them on the 28th was accelerating. The people of Rhodes would not even see it coming actually they did not see it coming and because of that they would lack the opportunity to properly ready themselves for such an attack.

It didn’t take long for the Ottomans to set a blockade on the harbour trying to cut any possible exits or possible entry for help on the part of the Knights Hospitallers. Sadiq wanted this battle to be solely the people of Rhodes and the Ottomans. He did not want any outside help weaselling their way in and throwing his plans askew.

Sadiq watched from his position on board as his men disembarked taking with them all the tools necessarily, not only to bombard the town with field artillery but also to begin digging under the walls creating tunnels and mines that would help them take the fortified city. It would only be a matter of time now. A smirk found its way on Sadiq’s face one that almost screamed ‘you thought you could get rid of me for good well think again’. If they had known the way The Ottoman Empire operated they would have realized that he was not one to let the pass slide. If something did not go his way well he would just come back until things started going his way. There were always small exceptions but this was not one of them. Unlucky for the inhabitants of Rhodes and since they had undermined him they would pay greatly for it now.

---

Alright, here is the first post. Sorry it took a bit of time but I finally got it up. >D
If you need me to change anything because it's to general just let me know and I can re-work some parts.
Hope this works fine.

[Spain]

“Hey guys! Look over there!” a youth yelled as he thrust his finger into the air, towards the hazy outline of land in the distance. Excitement filled his bright olive green eyes as the Mediterranean air lazily combed through his dark, thick hair. Despite the fact that the group of men appeared to be following what seemed to be a naïve, perhaps even selfish Christian prince, the youth had outlived his masters by several centuries. Though he was not physically present at the siege that took place a few decades ago, he was old enough to understand the dangers of being absorbed into the Empire of a bunch of heathens. He had been subjugated under the control of two of them, granted, the Roman Empire had eventually all became Christian anyway.

“Señor Fernández, please come back down from the ledge, it would be hard to explain to Their Majesties why I allowed my care to wander off the walls of Rhodes when I swore to keep him within the walls.”

The comment caused the youth to turn around and look at him in amusement. “Oh? Come on, Juan Pablo, relax, relax, it's not like I'm going to be diving off any walls any time soon! Wow, will you look at the view?” He waved at the scene behind him, which overlooked the Acropolis. They had been assigned to watch over this side of the tower, leaving the French and Italians to watch over the sea (though it seemed as though both Francis and Feliciano were too busy to stop by). There were sounds of construction still going on, men further fortifying the walls in case of invasion. Though he was not present the last time that the Ottoman Turks decided to try their hand at invasion, he had heard from the men who were sent there, how they managed to rout them all the way back to where they had come from.

For God is always with those who believe in him and do his work on earth.

He finished the thought as he hopped off the wall, much to his caretaker's relief, landing on the stone floor lightly as he walked along the wall, enjoying the view. In spite of the fact that he had a mischievous streak in him, Antonio knew better than to defy the orders of the Catholic Monarchs. Though deeply loved by them, the Catholic monarchs still imposed strict rules on him, perhaps to contain the acts of rebellion before they started to appear. Yet the fact that he had grown into the awkward form of his adolescence, the shine that once set in the olive green eyes of a boy, eager to grow up and defend his kingdom and his people, only grew brighter as each year passed.

As soon as he had approached the open city, he heard shouts coming from the city walls, guards yelling as they pointed. Curious, Antonio turned to his men because he was not able to make out what they were saying. “What's goin' on?” he asked, a little bit disturbed. After all, he had just been up there too and had seen nothing, no ships, no charging division of enemy troops, nada.

“Sounds like we have a fleet approaching from the distance,” Juan Pablo answered quietly, voice low as he thoughtfully looked on.

The explanation needed no other delay as Antonio dashed for the stairs again, determined to verify the sighting for himself. If there was anything that he Spaniard youth hated, it was feeling like he was left out of the loop, especially when it came to being in a foreign land, so far from Toledo. His breath quickened as he sprinted up the stairs, ignoring the scolding he received from the guards who were trying to make their way down. Beads of sweat began to gather when he approached the port, slowing down as he tried to figure out what the exactly did the men saw. And out in the distance, he could see the basic shapes of the ships that were slowly making their way towards them. The make was nothing like those he owned, let along Portugal or England. Italy would never offer ships to the Ottoman Turks.

Thus, he decided to wait along the thick, reinforced wall, silently praying that whoever that was approaching them would be a friend rather than a foe.

---

- Sorry it took a while to get a reply out, but I hope that you like it.
- Your post was fine. <3 Your Sadiq is, rofl, so entertaining. xD
- I hope this post is alright, I thought about speeding things along, but figured that I would react to what you wrote in case you wanted to flaunt your muscle.
- Let me know if you noticed that I missed some details, I don't really know too much about this event.

[theottomanempire]

There were many things that occurred at the docking of the first Ottoman fleets. First, a unit of janissaries disembarked carrying with them all the tools they could need to dig under the reinforced city of Rhodes. Secondly, the next batch of men to get off the ship were stationed in strategic locations to assure complete take over with minimum casualties (not that that was really possible for the Ottomans considering their high casualty track rate). The next few fleets did not dock but remained at sea; far enough that they were safe if any enemies wanted to embark but close enough for the canons to damage the walls.

Sadiq on the other hand decided that he wanted a more hands on approach to this battle. He was a fairly impatient man when it came to attaining something he’s been yearning for quite a while. They were here; he could see Rhodes and he wanted it bad. His fingers were itching to grasp his scimitar and vanquish the Knights Hollister who stood in his way but what he was actually looking forward to was seeing the look on the brat kid Antonio’s face when the Ottomans one once and for all.

The tall and extravagantly dressed Turk pointed a group of his man telling them in a hushed tone to keep close to the wall and make as little noise as possible. They were going to sneak in over the wall and weaken the forces on the other side. Some may consider this a suicide mission but Sadiq considered it necessary. If one wanted their country, empire, to prosper the only way to truly achieve that was to die for said empire. His men were loyal and would do just that if they were commanded too however dying was not on the agenda, winning was.

The masked man glanced up at the tall walls, they weren’t completely impossible to climb and he would be more than happy to prove it. Following the small group of skilled Janissaries Sadiq watched as the walls nearest the dock were getting pelted again and again by huge canons. There was already significant damage but the damn wall was holding its ground. It would be a lot longer before any sign of breakthrough could be noticed.

As the group continued on their way trying to reach the other side of the city they came upon the men assigned to tunnelling. Sadiq was impressed. They had done quite a bit of work for just recently landing and this caused him to grin. The knights were way over their heads this time especially when his Sultan -and his group of men joined them two days from now.

It didn’t take them much longer to arrive at the lowest section of the wall. There was always one place that was lower than the rest and Sadiq had done his homework. He gave his men the signal and in a matter of minutes they were tying ropes around each other and getting ready to throw the clutch like mechanism up and over the wall. The tall Turk glanced around carefully as he tried to spy any enemies that could give their position away; so far nothing. That was a good sign.

The ropes were thrown, it was tested as safe and their mission officially commencing.

---

Alright, so I wasn't sure if you were okay with me going this way. I was thinking that it would be easier for Sadiq and Antonio to interact if I actually broke into the fortification. Tell me if you want me to change things around just in case.

[Spain]

To Antonio's alarm, the warning paper continually vibrated as the men scrambled within the fortress walls. Glancing over the wall, he could feel the urge to grab something and hurl it over building inside of him as the Ottoman Turks grappled the wall with their hooks. The Ottomans had gotten smart this time, they knew to not only scale the walls (it was too late for them to prepare boiling vats of oil to pour), but also digging a tunnel under the walls. A bit disheartened by their determination, the men began to scramble, half were set to respond to the siege while others were sent to counter the tunnel diggers. Those heathens, who would have thought that they would sink that low-

“Dios,” Antonio muttered as he walked briskly to the tower, allowing his attendant to slide his armor over his clothes as he grabbed his sword fiercely. The metal guard clinked with every stride and he did his best to ignore how much heavier his body felt. The irritation that he felt internally ate at him as he imagined the scene he would find before him, the enemy swarming like ants as they tried to scale the wall. The whole situation soon became comedic in his eyes as he recalled the time he played King of the Hill with Portugal and simply grabbed his sibling's legs like the obnoxious brother he was and drag him down.

The only difference was that the consequences of this was a lot more dire.

As he returned to the top of the wall, Antonio's intense olive green eyes scanned the situation. Based on his observations, it looked like his men were just as lost, if not even more confused about what was going on in comparison to their companions who could not see what was going outside. Perhaps they were frightened, perhaps stupefied? Suddenly snapping out of his thoughts, Antonio looked around at his men, a renewed energy surged through him as he walked along the wall, his voice echoing as he passed the men. “What are you waiting for?” he yelled fiercely. He resisted the urge to wave it around as he pointed at the Turks, “cut the rope! Don't let them climb up the wall!”

With that, the Spaniard took a quick, heavy-handed swing at the rope, hoping that it would somehow cleave the rope and send the Ottoman Turk dropping down to his untimely death.

Then suddenly out of the corner of his eye, Antonio spotted a particular face, one that he had seen in the past and had problems finding completely welcoming. Gritting his teeth, the Spaniard tried his best to think of something he could do at the man (yes, it was a bit out of spite for how many time he attacked the Holy Roman Empire when he was busy fighting Francis for the Italian brothers). “Summon the archers,” he said as he kept his eyes on the man, careful not to lose him in the chaos, “but make sure that they hold their fire.” Though he wanted the Ottomans to go away, it was not as if he wanted it to end so soon, not without the invaders knowing his displeasure. Thus, Antonio looked around for something – anything- that was heavy enough to do some damage if he chucked it at the man.

“Hey you, Ottoman!” he yelled as he looked down at the Turk, his arm cocked as he smiled mischievously at him. Then when he was sure that he had the man's attention, he chucked a small stone at the man's head. After all, it was not as if the Spaniard could pick up a slab of rock and throw it over the wall – though he technically had the strength, it would be hard to explain to the men why he had the ability to lift something that would normally take a couple men to move. Given the size of the man, Antonio felt very much like David to the Ottoman's Goliath and quietly hoped that the story would end with a similar ending.

---

Your post was fine, I mean look at mine! I hope that this is all right, let me know if you want to take the thread in a different attention and I can make my posts work towards that!

[theottomanempire]

Sadiq had quite literally glanced away for five seconds before he heard a scream and then a thud. He let out a sigh as he turned around to find his men helping the Janissary who had their luck fall right out of them. The tall Turk went over and picked up the rope that the man had been attached to and inspected it; someone had cleaved it in two. They had been spotted already?! That was infuriating to say the least he had thought they would have had a bit more time to get over the wall. Apparently that was going to be the case and that put a dent in the Ottoman’s plan. Green eyes glanced up the wall to see if there were any scalding hot pots of oil. It didn’t look like it there only seemed to be helmeted heads gathered around the area they had been hoping to breach. “Lean him up against the wall.” Sadiq commanded as he tapped his chin pensively. There had to be another way up. “You.” He motions to the wounded man by the wall. “Look after him and assess his damage.” Humans were much too fragile for his liking.

“Hey you, Ottoman!”

That voice sounded incredibly familiar as if he had heard it many times before and only when it inconvenienced him the most. He frowns and looks up to see the smirking face of the bratty Spaniard. That expression never meant good and the next thing he knew there was a pang of pain from where he had been hit by the stone. All the patience Sadiq had ever mustered escaped him as he nearly had half a mind to scale that wall and choke Antonio until his face turned blue and his head popped off. It was clear the Ottoman Empire was infuriated the rigid back and tense shoulders screamed it. “JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET UP THERE YOU LITTLE BRAT! I’LL SHOW YOU SOME FUCKIN’ RESPECT!”

He knew he should have kept cool but he was so used to losing it when stupid disobedient children crossed his path it was taking a lot of self control to keep from doing anything incredibly stupid. Sadiq clenches his fist tightly as he glances over his shoulder at one of his men. “I want you to tell Mustafa Pasha that I want him to place mines in some of the tunnels. I want these walls to crumble and the smile on that kids face to be wiped clean off of his face when he’s kissing my shoes.” He barks and is pleased when the Janissary takes off at a run.

Sadiq bends down picking a fairly large stone from the ground before glancing back up at the Spaniard. ”I’ll make you regret that Spain!” He sneers as he throws the stone up and catches it again. ”I’ll make sure you eat your words and after I have Rhodes. I’m going to take Sicily and Malta.”

His men looked as if they were scared and even more determined to prove their worth. Sadiq liked that but what he liked most of all would be the look on Antonio’s face not only when he conquered everything he said he would but when the stone in his hand collided with the bratty Europeans face. ”Here, I’ll give you a taste of the wrath of the Ottoman Empire.” He pulled the arm holding the stone back and seconds later it was launched in the air its target the personification of Spain.

[Spain]

Despite the danger of flying projectile, the impending doom as the Ottomans scaled the wall and the potentially fatal fall resulting from leaning over the wall too much, Antonio looked over amusingly as he watched the small stone nick the Ottoman. Though it would be more affective to use a larger rock, it would have been bad if he had killed him. It was one thing to conquer another country, but another to actually kill someone this early on in the fight. Grin only widening as he watched the expression on the Ottoman change (and as his face seemed to change various shades of red and violet), Antonio watched musingly despite the cries of warning from his caretaker. Though he should not have been able to hear Turkey as he screamed at him, the words were loud and clear as a crystal.

“JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET UP THERE YOU LITTLE BRAT! I’LL SHOW YOU SOME FUCKIN’ RESPECT!”

"It's good to see that you still have your reflexes, old man!" he added cheerfully as he waved at the man. Satisfaction was clear in his expression as he artfully dodged the flying rock, which had slowed down in pace, though still enough to do damage if it found its target. Seeing how he had managed to dodge the stone (and hear it as it hit another Spaniard), Antonio looked over at the man, a flash of surprise mixed in with the impressed expression on his face. This guy was definitely dangerous, this was nothing like the petty squabbles that he had with France. If anything, it was comparable with the fierceness he felt that emitted from his Moorish captors before they were driven out.

Though the threats hurled at him were no joke, the Spaniard could not help but smile as he mentally dismissed the comments. Regret? There was no time for Antonio to really regret anything at this point, especially not after the fact that he had been able to hold his own against him. Besides, with the power of God Almighty on his side as all of Christendom put forth some effort to defend this place, what did they have to fear? Some who remember that far may bring up the blunders of the past Crusades to serve as reminders of overconfidence in one's own ability and the allowance of it to overshadow one's devotion to the Lord, however, this time it was different. There would be no sacking of holy altars and pillaging of innocent residents. This time, they were defending those who did God's work!

At the present, Antonio could see that the Ottoman was determined, it was etched on his face. Given the progress he made, he just might make it to the top before they would be able to knock him off. They had been hurling projectiles down the walls, pouring hot liquids down as well, but that was further along the wall than where the Spaniard was.

Just his rotten luck, he would have to find something else to knock him off the wall.

As olive green eyes searched desperately for something, anything that he could use, a realization crossed his mind as mischief joined in on the mix again. Picking up a few more stones (though arrows would have been more effective, it never occured to him to use them in spite of the fact that his comrades were), the Spaniard held them over the Ottoman's head and proceeded to drop them, one at a time, spaced out enough that it would not give the Ottoman time to recooperate. Though he knew that they would not all hit the man, it should be just enough to batter him, if not agitate him.

"How'd you like that for respect?" he yelled back, smirking as he taunted.

---

Notes:
- I know that this wall had a lot of changing hands and whatnot... so once you get to the top, I guess we'll have a game of push and shove?
- God, I'm scared of what you might do once you get a hold of Antonio. XD;;

[theottomanempire]

Spaniards….he really disliked them….he really did. He had a feeling that this wouldn`t be the first or last time he was going to meet the small nation in such a scenario. The boy certainly new how to get on his nerve but he would act as the grown up for now because the thought of losing face to a nation who looked as if he was about to go through puberty was not on his agenda. He had gone through too much to embarrass himself now.

Sadiq took a few seconds to calm himself down as he inhaled deeply and tried to contain the anger that was already boiling over. Regret was something Antonio was going to feel. He would make sure of that because Rhodes was destined to be his and Suleiman would not back down until it was under Turkish rule. The Greek isles were much too important to lose to some pesky Christians. Especially since they were very good strategic wise and would help him gain supremacy over the maritime which is what he wanted most of all. The Greek was already under his control and one more of his islands really wouldn`t make that much more of a difference. It just meant he had one more thing over the young Greek.

“I would watch my mouth kid.” He warned. His voice was steadier and a lot calmer than before. “I will only warn you once more.”

He would not climb the wall himself…no, not yet. He would get one of his men up there because he knew for a fact that climbing up when the Spaniard had a clear view would be nearly suicidal. Sadiq didn’t mind if he sacrificed one man. It was for a good cause and Allah would definitely be kind to him for such a heroic act. With a motion of his head one of his men began scaling and just at the time the Antonio brat began pelting rocks down the wall.

The first few rocks were no problem for his Janissary but when they became too many he could tell that he was losing concentration and the man’s hold weakened causing him to fall. The taller Turk frowned. He had forgotten that this was the second one. The casualty report would not be pretty after takes possession of Rhodes. However, he was pleased by the efficiency his men had in clearing the wounded and replacing him with another and much fresher soldier.

Sadiq casually glanced up the wall trying to weigh his chances. He could try and scale it right now, take a bit of damage but get his two in against the Spaniard or….

Yes.

That was a much better plan. He wasn’t sure if it would work but it was worth the try. He didn’t care how long this siege took as long as he won in the end and sooner or later the people of Rhodes would run out of supplies. The longer he took the better, realistically.

The Ottoman Empire looked up with a feral grin. “I quite liked that Spain…I liked that quite a bit.” He said ending the sentence with a low chuckle.

He turned to his men and sent them away and before he left he glanced up at the boy and only smiled. This was not over yet.

Later on: at night.

Sadiq may have left the Spaniard to think that he was safe but he had another thing coming to him. He had known his clothes were much too extravagant and easy to spot so he had changed. Now, he wore something that blended in well with his surroundings. It was dark so black was the optimum colour and perfect for being undetected while climbing up the wall. He had decided that this time it would be better if he went up on his own and then he would get the others to come afterwards when he dimmed it safe enough. All he could hope for though was that the Spaniards and the other knights would be much too keep a very careful guard of the wall.

He had done his research and found another area that was much quieter than the former. This would not fail; he was sure of it. As quietly as he could Sadiq had made his way to the wall and upon arrival he was quick to unravel the rope that he had wrapped around his torso. He stood there for a few minutes quietly, listening to see if he could hear anyone or anything that would give the guards position. If his timing was right the guards wouldn’t be anywhere near this area and he would be able to take out a few in the process but if not than he would be alone on the wall and would have to fight off quite a few while also risking getting caught.

There was not time to think about that it was time. Without further ado, Sadiq threw up the rope with the clutch and tested the rope before slowly scaling it as silently as possible. His weapons were attached securely against him and this was proving to be much easier than he had first anticipated. Allah, these knights were stupid if they didn’t think he was going to try something at night. Although, he hadn’t reached the top yet so for all he knew they could be waiting for him.

As he heaved himself over the edge he was relieved to see that he was safe from harm’s way…well for now. Remaining in a crouched position he glanced at both ways before whistling and watching his men come over to the wall. He motioned them up and they were slowly making their way up. He wasn’t sure how much more time they had before they were spotted but this was definitely an improvement from earlier.

---

((Hey, sorry for the super late reply. Not only was I swamped with work but I had a bit of a writers block. I hope this is acceptable but I wasn't sure exactly were we wanted to take it so I made up some stuff. Hahaha. Anyway, here it is finally. ))

[Spain]

Evening

When he was younger, he firmly believed that dreams were a mere foreshadowing of the things that were to come, ill omens and sweet promises of victory if he chose to live along the straight and narrow. In most recent times, they had all been pleasant, gentle in their lull whenever he laid his head down. The memories of sailing the Mediterranean Sea, marveling at how tall the mast were as they reached into the sky, were sweet to Antonio, a reminder of the more relaxed days when he did not have to worry about war and bloodshed. He loved having dreams about the lazy summer days spent at home, tending to the fields, playing with the local children and taking a nap in the middle of the field. Sometimes, he found himself waking up, satisfied sigh escaping his lips as he savored the recollection.

Though lately the ones he had were troubling, jerking him from his peaceful rest with a jerk as he found himself laying there in cold sweat. Troubled, Antonio sat up, pulling his covers to cover his smooth, youthful chest as olive green eyes searched through the dark for any signs of danger. Given the fact that the guards were watching outside, he would have heard by now if there were invaders. The mere thought caused Antonio to fall back into his bed, staring into the darkness as he let the silence pull him into sleep again.

Antonio was tired, worn out by the fighting that had gone on during the day. The Ottomans had been very energetic, perhaps overly enthusiastic with their invasion today -- and even though his stamina was more heightened than that of an average human, there was only so much that he could do before he would grow tired. He could feel his shoulders scream at him with anger, telling him that he had took on too much given his ability. However, seeing the Ottoman Empire so peeved and out for blood was more comical than he thought it would be - he never thought that the man would start screaming in rage at him.

Yet despite the withdrawal from the wall, the Spaniard knew better than to just declare the retreat as an acknowledgement of his victory, he had quietly returned to his quarters of the night to avoid the festivities.

Arrrgh!

The scream jerked Antonio up from his rest, eyes alert as he looked around for some guidance on where he was at the moment. The voices in the background multiplied, accompanied with the clash of swords, causing him to climb out of bed in alarm as he searched through his clothes to find his sword. It was one thing to be caught in bed, half-awake and defenseless as the light from the torches poured through the window, it was another to be caught awake, but completely vulnerable.

Casually pulling on his breeches and boots, the Spaniard pulled his tunic straight as he bolted out the door, his sense of obligation to his men overwhelming his desire for rest. Part of him was already making plans for the first invader who came across his path, intending to teach him a lesson for even proposing the idea that launching a night invasion on the Spaniards was a brilliant idea.

As the door from the quarters swung open and the Spaniard charged outside, the world was in chaos. Muslims and Christians struck at each other, swords flying haphazardly as both sides tried to fight for what they believed in. Antonio was no different as he ran, parrying attacks with his sword and swinging to clear the way as he tried to look for the opponent's country, determined to teach it a lesson when he had the chance. He pushed against his assailant, bringing his fist up to strike him before placing a foot on his stomach and kicking him away. The Ottomans may have invaded in order to claim another part of Greece as theirs or perhaps wanted a stepping stone from which to try to claim Naple's lush quite land, but Antonio was hardpressed to give up the fort, let alone any place in his charge. After all, it was the divine duty willed to him from the Lord -- and he would do so with pride!

---

Notes:
- You better be sorry! You made me wait! B| /totally joking
- Wow this is a really long post from you!

[theottomanempire]

It hadn’t taken long for the Christians to spot them. Well, then again there weren’t many places they could have gone or could have hidden to keep themselves safe especially in such a large group too. His men were prepared but he knew that most of them would not be coming back with him. Sadik was a nation and so he couldn’t physically die unless his entire nation was wiped out and even then there were strange exceptions. The whole theory on disappearing was still vague to many nations and Sadik had only seen it happen a few times. Ancient Greece was one of the nations he had actually watched disappear or rather noticed that she never came back. However, this was a matter he would rather not talk about especially during such a dangerous mission.

Every single one of his soldiers were armed and had ran into the incoming fight with vigour. This thrilled Sadik although just the thought of battle thrilled him as well. He was quick to pull out his scimitar swiping it down and into the first attacker. If his aim was true he would have sliced the man right in the gut where the armour stopped before it started back at the waist. It was a small gap but if you knew what you were doing hitting it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

The night was perfect for this fight and the way the torches illuminated the surrounding area added to the darker mood of the night. The shadows that reflected off of the walls and even the shadows that concealed some of the fighter’s faces was enough to give the tall Turk an even bigger thrill for what was occurring before him. However, the one person he was looking for was not in sight…not yet. That little Spaniard brat couldn’t be hiding?! If that were the case he would tear this entire place up until he found the Spanish nation and then he would show the boy he was truly in charge. No one made a fool of The Ottoman Empire and got away from it and the blood of the innocent would only be on Antonio’s hands for being such a coward.

The Turks thoughts came to a halt when the person he was looking for finally made an appearance. Antonio looked as if he had just scrambled out of bed. The smirk on his face widened and quickly finishing the fight he had gotten into with one of the Christian warriors he began making his way to the shorter Spaniard taking out any enemy that got in his way. From what he was observing the boy wasn’t too bad with a sword but he would soon find out how he would hold up against someone like him.

“Infidel brat!” He called out his sword clashing with that of another’s before knocking the man off the wall and too either an untimely death or many broken bones. “Where the hell have you been?! I’ve missed you.”

It was merely seconds after that he managed to come upon Antonio bringing his sword down in a quick swipe in hopes of catching him off guard. Perhaps if things went as well as they were going they could have Rhodes under their control before Suleiman even arrived. His sultan would be pleased and it would avoid any more casualties. He knew it was being overly optimistic but he would rather that then thinking they were going to lose. He could handle the small bit of disappointment that would come from losing the skirmish than the disappointment he would get from losing the entire battle….for the second time.

[Spain]

The cold hard rock made his poorly laced up feet hurt even more as he ran, his eyes half open. He felt as if he could fall asleep any minute as he ran, the coolness of the night combing his hair as he turned to check out his surroundings. For someone who was use to either sleeping without his shirt during warmer Spanish evenings or layering on during the cool winter nights, this night was surprisingly chilly in his light tunic. Scratching his head, the youth searched tiredly, always searching for the Ottoman, half hoping that his own commander was readily giving out commands while tellinghim himself to give the man a good earful for letting so many invaders get through their defenses. Frantic olive eyes searched frantically, trying to separate the Ottomans from the Spaniards.

“Infidel brat! Where the hell have you been?! I’ve missed you.”

The voice caused Antonio to turn, not necessarily because he could make out what the man was calling him, but the tone in the voice, the part of the expression illuminated by fire was enough to make him feel like his blood froze. Taking a step back until his back hit the wall, the Spaniard’s eyes grew wide as they swept over the full height of the Ottoman, someone who had years to grow into his full size. Did the man really look like this? For some reason, when he was at the bottom o the wall, Antonio had thought that he may have been slightly taller – much like many of the other Ottomans that they drove away. Then again, he had always seen the Moors, as hazy of a memory that was, as a lot more intimidating and large, though the image had long been altered by the lense of a child and the manner in which they invaded his homeland. Yet not even the flowing clothes could hide how well sculpted years of conquest had shaped this particular man. In comparison, someone who was in his adolescent, this looked like an encounter between David y Goliat. To punctuate the thought, Antonio’s foot slipped as he missed a step, almost tumbling onto his backside as he kept his eyes on his enemy.

“Well, funny meeting you here!” he said, forced grin on his face as he held up his sword in a defensive stance, “but I am sure your mother has taught you that it is very unbecoming, you know?” At least, Isabel had told him growing up, repeatedly emphasizing the fact that someone like him had to be virtuous! Unlike those heretics, who would not be above doing all those indecent works, or at least that was what he was told. The thoughts caused Antonio to feel slightly uncomfortable, as he shivered, though this time from something else. But never the less, the Spaniard forced a smile on his lips as he watched the Ottoman, weary enough to take another step, albeit small, backwards. For a moment, he had tossed away any of the long established expectations that his masters had ingrained in him and allowed the natural instinct to take over.

“You know… when you miss someone, you don’t necessarily need to rush over to their place, you know?” The slight attempt at humor was lost in the lazy breeze as he continued to smile like a fool. It was a good thing that the night was dark enough to hide the beads of sweat that had gathered at his temple and the feeling of apprehension on his face as his eyes remained fixed on the man.

“Say, you know it’s also not really manly to do something like this, yeah? Gentlemen attack in broad daylight!”

---

- This post. I don't even know. </3

[theottomanempire]

The sight of Antonio stumbling back, the look of alarm in the boys eyes but yet that defiant grin that seemed to continuously adorn his face. This was what the Turk enjoyed. He hated easy fights for several reasons and one of them being that it was just plain boring. Yes, there was the upside of gaining more territory with minimal casualties but that wasn’t what this was about. Or, it wasn’t the only conquering was about. Sadik went out for more territory to exert his dominance, to invoke fear and to ultimately show others that he was not a power to be messed with. The Ottoman Empire had seen how the Spanish Empire had grown in such a short time; gaining territory by inheritance rather than actually going out and shedding blood. It was a disgraceful….it was cowardly. Antonio was like a spoiled child in that sense and Sadik wasn’t completely opposed to teaching the boy a lesson albeit an indirect one.

“Yeah, funny.” He repeats as his eyes glance down and then up again taking in the appearance of the youth in front of him. “Unfortunately for you, I didn’t have a mother to teach me anything of that sort so I guess this means you’re out of luck.” Sadik smirks taking an intimidating step forward to see how long it would take before the other would lash out at him.

His weapon was at the ready in front of him and if he wasn’t so curious about the Spaniards patience he probably would have made the first move. Giving the boy a chance to defend himself was risky but he was sure that he could out power him considering the evident size difference between the two. Sadik’s brow quirks up at the next statement and if he hadn’t been wearing the mask Antonio would have seen the look of amusement that crossed the Empires face. “But I REALLY missed you and waiting just wasn’t an option.” He readjusts his footing and tightens his grip on his scimitar. “You know what I mean?” He cocks his head to the side in a taunting manner.

From what the Turk could gather from this quick exchange so far was that the Spaniard wasn’t going to cause him too much problems. This was good however he couldn’t disregard the small Antonio just yet since in the past he -had been surprised by nations who he thought were completely harmless. “You’re so naïve if you thinking going to war has anything to do with being a gentleman. Whoever gave you that impression was stupid.” This was something that didn’t take him that long to learn. There were never rules to war and anything could go and one needed to weigh all options; all the time.

“But, enough with this useless chatting. I’m going to get rid of you know and save me the trouble of a longer battle.” He grins as he goes to swing his sword down upon Antonio unaware of the man sneaking quietly behind him. Perhaps Sadik should have paid more attention to his surroundings?

---

Sooooooooooo, I got excited and posted it anyway but let me know if you want me to change anything.

[Spain]

Catching his balance, Antonio again noted the size of the Ottoman that stood in front of him. Yes, he was very fully aware of the fact that they looked oddly matched. Of course, he had noticed that a logical person would look at his own lanky form in comparison to that of his adversary and advised him to take caution. He could not deny the fact that the intimidation factor was working on him, he had taken a few steps back -- caught off-guard by the fact that someone would actually stage an attack on them so soon. After all, during his younger years, sometimes with the aid of his elder brother, he had managed to drive the Moors from his homeland. And though he rose to power, it was not as if the ascent had been without a struggle, with the looming presence of France on the other side of the Pyrenees, the potential threat of the Arabs in the south and the Ottomans to the east, he had always found himself in conflict.

And as he had presumed, the Ottoman had disregarded his rather hasty attempt at humor, apparently failing to note the amusement in it. No mother? he thought to himself, a bit shocked at the comment. Well, that explains a lot! Though that said, it was not as if he had a mother figure in his life either until he met Isabel I, who loved him as much as she loved her own children... and even then, he liked to think that he had turned out well. At least he knew to be good to women and to be kind of children.

Holding up his sword as a means of keeping the distance between them, Antonio took a deep breath. He was reluctant, reluctant to fight when unnecessary, but the any chances of nonviolence was fading, fading fast. And well, there was something about the way that Turkey looked at Antonio that made him feel uncomfortable, feel like the man was well, he would have rather not go down that train of thought. Instead, he offered a smile, albeit a little uncomfortable. "Well, los sientos, but I don't," he started, "most people would save lines like 'But I REALLY missed you,' for their lovers and families, not a stranger. That's just downright disturbing!" With that, he shivered for effect and frowned, clearly displeased. Yet he could sense that there was a game going on, a game to see who would react first. Despite the fact that he was already shaken about being caught off guard, he was too proud to take the bait.

“You’re so naïve if you thinking going to war has anything to do with being a gentleman. However gave you that impression was stupid,” the Ottoman sneered. Well that was expected, he never quite had such high expectations from him anyway. He'd gone through enough of that abuse under the Moors and had to endure the taunting from the French. That is, until they were sent home with their tails between their legs. And as the man continued to talk, out of the corner of his eye, the Spaniard could see that his men had caught up to him.

Although his pride was at stake, the well-being of this part of the wall was in greater danger. Even in the dark night, the blade of the scimitar caught the glint of the fire as it came down, just as Antonio charged forward, throwing his shoulder into the tall man as he used his own sword as a shield. He hoped that the impact was enough to catch the man off guard somehow. Men started shouting as they ran forward as they attacked the man, shouting accusations of being low enough to strike out at children, hitting him until he surrendered. Antonio remained dumbfounded as he watched the scene unfold before he finally gained his senses and tried to pull the men off the Ottoman.

"I think he's down, no need to keep hitting him!" he said as he pulled a man off, "if anything, we should take him to the medic and then to the holding cell. His master will be calling on us, looking to retrieve him."

---

Note:
- I guess we could cut to the scene where they hold Sadik and what not?
- I know we were talking about Spain getting hit over the head, but perhaps something else? I have something in mind.