Chapter 67: Fire and Gold
Date: April 2nd, 1180Location: Nile Delta, Port of Rosetta, Egypt
The Nile carried the morning mist like a ghostly veil, soft and calm—just before it was ripped open by sails from the sea.
Out of that fog emerged the black-and-crimson banners of Sicily. The fleet, led by Count Ruggiero di Marsala and Admiral Matteo de Lecce, moved into formation as the port of Rosetta came into view. Dozens of dromons and galleys angled toward the shallow harbor, oars sweeping in perfect rhythm.
No signal fires had warned the Egyptians. No patrols awaited them. Rosetta slumbered in false security.
The Assault
With brutal efficiency, the Sicilian marines rowed ashore. They disembarked in waves—Norman swordsmen, Saracen archers from Palermo, and ship-bound engineers prepared for destruction. At Ruggiero's shouted command, they stormed the harbor.
A handful of Egyptian guards attempted resistance near the grain warehouses, but they were swept aside in minutes. Arrows pinned some against mudbrick walls. Others fled into alleyways, only to be cut down or captured.
"Spare the dockworkers," Admiral Matteo ordered. "Kill the armed, loot the rest."
Ruggiero's men surged deeper into the town, dragging open storehouses, smashing locks, and seizing whatever they could carry.
Flames and Desecration