Red City on the Ocean

A Moment from the Past - Storming Asilah

The rain subsided, and the wind dispersed the last of the clouds over the ocean. From the height of the tower towering over the wall of Asilah, a fortress along the ocean shore, Vizier Shadulla clearly saw the ships of the Portuguese fleet in the distance. Some vessels were lodged on coastal reefs as they continued to fall apart. The surviving ships lined up opposite the fortress, preparing to fire and fill it with holes. The infantrymen who managed to get to shore also gathered in detachments and began to surround the fortress. Their immense columns came from afar and were already walking toward the walls. Despite the recent rain, they raised clouds of dust. Looking closely at the soldiers, Shadulla saw that many of them did not wear any armor, and some even walked barefoot.

There were so many of them that for one defender of the fortress and city, there were at least five enemies. The vizier looked at his soldiers, grimly waiting inside the fortress for the assault at the walls. Just yesterday, their faces were cheerful, and the city was living a quiet peaceful life, but suddenly these Portuguese appeared, and the arrival took everyone by surprise. The city did not have time to prepare for this siege. Many of Asilah's soldiers abandoned their homes or posts at the news of the Portuguese landing and, neglecting their duty, ran away with the ordinary citizens before all the gates of the fortress were closed.

Shadulla thought it was unlikely that the Portuguese would launch an assault immediately. He knew a lot about military affairs and that an assault is always preceded by a long siege. This would give the defenders of Asilah time to gather and strengthen their morale. Suddenly, however, the side of one of the ships was dotted with a number of small clouds, which were immediately blown away by the wind. Then the rumble of cannons reached the city. At the same time, cannonballs began to blow up the ground near the fortress, hit the walls, and fly over the heads of the defenders of Asilah. The Portuguese had still brought their terrible cannons! Peering into the distance, to where the ranks of cavalrymen were lined up behind the infantry lines, Shadulla saw soldiers assembling long ladders made from planks delivered from the ships, but why did they need these ladders now? Weren't they going to besiege the fortress first?

Shadulla, whom Sheikh Muley had left in command of the Asilah garrison, began to clasp his cheeks in despair. Were they really going to storm immediately after they got off the ships? This should not happen this way! The position of the fortress defenders was rapidly becoming hopeless. Yes, he was not mistaken. The soldiers were there with ladders at the ready and on command, rushed forward to join the infantry already standing near the walls.

Young Daniel, with his saber raised, was running towards the wall, his squad following behind. This was the vanguard of Afonso V, who, at that moment, was looking at them through a spyglass from the captain's bridge. Behind the assault squad, the king saw a large red horse, on which his son and heir to the throne, sixteen-year-old Joao, was sitting. The soldiers, inspired by Joao's presence, shouted with delight. However, the strong spiritual uplift did not prevent them from observing line position and order. They did not lag behind Daniel, who had received instructions from Joao before the attack detailing from which side and how the squad would storm Asilah. Despite Joao's youth, the courtiers had predicted he would have a career as a great general. His teachers were the best experts and masters of military affairs in Portugal. Under their guidance, he had already learned the basics of military science, and now the heir passed the final exam as he commanded this assault.

Here the king's son caught Daniel's eye as he turned around and immediately pointed to the gate tower with his hand. Daniel gave the command to his sergeants and continued running toward the wall. Soldiers rushed in with ladders. With a running start, they leaned them against the walls and immediately divided into groups. Some climbed up while others held the ladders stable. Arrows, spears, stones, and construction debris collected for such an intrusion flew at them from above, but no matter what the defenders of the fortress threw at the Portuguese, no matter how they tried to push the ladders away with poles and pitchforks to prevent the soldiers from climbing the walls to the tower, their attempts were in vain.

Daniel had almost reached the top edge of the wall when a stream of boiling water fell on the ladder. Fortunately for Daniel, the boiling water barely touched him. Only on his back, under his armored shell, it felt as if a scorpion's tail dug into his back. One of the soldiers climbing after the commander roared in pain.

"Don't take off your armor!" Daniel bellowed, already putting his foot on the wall.

A saber swung! And another! The Moors, who had rushed toward Daniel, backed away and leaned towards the crowd of comrades bristling with pikes and sabers, but the scalded, brutalized soldiers of Daniel's squad no longer registered anyone in front of them. Daniel barely managed to escape the swing of a halberd that crashed down on the nearest Moor. Uttering wild cries, his soldiers rushed along the fortress wall to the gate tower. New volleys of naval cannons thundered around them, and the towers began to crumble, their stones scattering together with the remains of the defenders of the fortress.

Soon Daniel's squad was running from the wall and down the steps leading to the gate. Scattering stones and logs that supported the gate from the inside, they opened the doors. The cavalrymen waiting outside, who had completely covered themselves and their horses with armor, rushed into the fortress with pikes at the ready. It was simply impossible to restrain the onslaught of these muscles and steel!

"Long live the King!" The cavalrymen shouted all together. "Long live Joao! Rush ahead!!!"

The devastation brought upon the conquered city by Afonso's soldiers was terrible. The soldiers exterminated almost all living things that came their way. Breaking into the mosque and finding where the wives, children, and mothers of the Moor warriors sought refuge, they killed everyone. Thousands of captured soldiers and citizens were surrounded by the Portuguese in the main square and awaited their fate there. They were destined to rebuild the city from the ruins half-starved, and then go to the slave markets of Portugal.

The looting of the city continued for three days. On the morning of the fourth day, a messenger came to the tent of Captain Daniel, who had just barely managed to fall asleep after the terrible and unpredictably fast victory that frightened even himself. "The King is waiting for you, Senhor Daniel," he said briefly. Daniel rushed to the basin of water, but the messenger stopped him, "His Majesty has ordered you to arrive as I find you."

Therefore, Daniel arrived in the middle of the square in the fortress with other officers in the same torn, sweat-soaked, and smoke-saturated clothes. To the right and left of them, on the dais, sat the king's entourage. Directly in front of Daniel, King Afonso V was sitting on the dais. Shadulla was kneeling in front of him with his hands tied behind his back. The vizier squinted his camel-looking eyes in pain but remained silent.

"Captain Daniel!" the herald proclaimed. "Approach the king!" Daniel stepped forward and froze at the dais.

"What happened to your hand?" The king asked loudly, pointing at the bandage on the captain's arm.

"A Moor on the wall managed to hit me before he fell down."

The King shook his head respectfully and continued, "Daniel, tomorrow my son will be awarded his accolade. You fought bravely under him. The courage with which you led your men-at-arms to storm the fortress and open the gates for our cavalry ensured a quick victory. If it weren't for you, my son probably wouldn't have earned his knighthood in this campaign. Therefore, I have issued two decrees..." A young courtier ran down the steps of the dais.

He handed Daniel two scrolls with red wax seals hanging on them. Daniel took the scrolls and saluted the king. He continued, "Daniel, first of all, I'm appointing you castellan of Leiria Fortress. Together with your family, you will receive an improved allowance there. You will also get ownership of a house with the right of inheritance. In addition to your share of the loot, you will also receive a special bonus from me..."

The king swore under his breath, slapped his neck with a flourish, and killed a fat meat fly. The gaping page began to fan the king with redoubled zeal with a large fan. "Secondly, your children will study for free at the University of Lisbon. Our army needs the descendants of soldiers like you. They should be not only brave soldiers but also educated people. This is the content of my decrees."