Chapter 308
At that moment, a shaft that looked like the mouth of a well was fixed firmly in the middle of the pile of rocks. The shaft was tied with ropes as thick as a person's wrist, and the other end of the rope was tied to the waist of a burly man. He was naked, and he was only wearing a cape made from a few small sheep bellies that had been filled with air.
The Turís were raised by the Crati River and depended on it for their livelihood, but when they stood by the roaring river, it was as if thunder was raging in their ears and their souls were trembling. They could only hear the orders of their commander and comrades, but they could not hear them at all. The Crati River was right in front of them. With the dim light from the setting sun, he could see the waves a few meters high from the raging river, as well as the soul-sucking whirlpool on the surface of the river …
If a normal person had seen or heard this, they would have been terrified, their limbs would have turned to jelly, and they would not even be able to stand. However, before he and his companions became citizens of Dionia, they were sailors among sailors. They made a living at sea all year round and were used to fighting in the howling winds and huge waves. Therefore, for this mission, he firmly believed that with his own ability and experience, he would definitely be able to complete the mission successfully and fight for a bright future for himself and his family!
The sheep that was scared out of its wits by the raging river were led out, trembling and unable to make a sound.
Dracos chopped off the sheep's head and placed it on the reef. He smeared the sheep's blood on the faces of the warriors, and they all prayed to the river god, Achroos.
Then, the burly man stood up and bowed to Dracos. He stood by the river and looked at the opposite bank on his left. That was the destination of his mission. He touched the rope to make sure it was securely tied, took a deep breath, and with a roar, he dove into the water like a mermaid, and the waves he stirred up instantly covered his figure …
The dark river surged forward, and it was difficult to find him. The only thing that could be seen was the whirling of the shaft …
Dracos's eyes followed the rope that extended into the water, and he became more and more nervous …
Previously, after Devers surveyed the terrain around the Bruti Mountains, he suggested that the best way to break through the war was in Abyssinia. When he told Felicius and the other commanders about his idea, they were shocked. It was too risky to swim across hundreds of meters of stormy waves while carrying dozens of kilograms of weight (the weight of the rope and the momentum of the river) without being discovered by the enemy sentries.
But Devers had strong evidence: Martius from the Mathematical Research Institute went to the river and put down the tree trunk several times, and found that the river would eventually push the tree trunk to the shallow of the opposite bank. He also calculated the speed and direction of the river, and believed that people should be able to reach the opposite bank.
Devers also told one of Antalys' attendants, who had followed Antalys to the Bruti Mountains (in fact, Antalys), about his discovery: the people of Abyssinia had built a defensive camp and a sentry tower in front of the river path in the south, and there were also sentry posts on the road leading to Cosenza in the north, but there were no special sentry posts in front of the river. Perhaps it was because Ciudad Abyssinia was in front of them, or maybe it was because of the roaring, unnavigable section of the river that gave the people of Abyssinia confidence.
As a commander, he did not want to fall into a long and arduous tug-of-war with the enemy, but the war with Bruti was likely to happen. In the end, the commanders of the Diónia Legion agreed to Devers's risky plan.
The hundred-meter-long rope reached its limit in the blink of an eye. The rope was stretched taut, and a huge force pulled on the axle. If there were not a few soldiers holding on with all their strength, the entire bearing would have been dragged into the river.
Dracos was disappointed. The first soldier who went into the river must have failed, otherwise the rope would not have been so tight. But he still signaled the soldiers to hold on for a while, hoping that the soldier could untie the rope. With the buoyancy of the sheep belly, there were more than a dozen boats waiting in the middle of the Crati River, and he could be rescued.
But the rope was still taut, and the soldiers continued to wrestle with the river until they were exhausted.
Dracos made a prompt decision. He quickly pulled out his saber and prepared to cut the rope. But the soldiers were already exhausted, and the axle flew into the air. If Dracos had not dodged quickly, he would have been seriously injured, if not dead.
The rope plunged into the river with the axle, but it did not even make a splash.
The people on the shore were stunned for a while. Sorrow and fear began to envelop everyone.
Dracos quickly came back to his senses. As the commander of the Second Legion, he was the core of the legion, and he could not panic.
He immediately signaled the soldiers to climb up the slope and bring new axles and ropes down.
The hundred-meter-long rope was so sturdy that all the boat shops in Turín worked overnight for a few days, and only three sets were made. This meant that the Second Legion only had three chances at most.
"Who's going first?!" Dracos looked at the remaining two soldiers who had been chosen and made a gesture.
In the face of the terrible power of nature, and the tragedy from before, the two good swimmers retreated. They looked at each other, and under Dracos's expectant gaze, they lowered their heads.
Anger burned in Dracos's heart, and he opened his mouth to curse.
"Let me go!" Just then, someone walked up from the side.
Dracos took a closer look. It was the person recommended by the newly formed Diónia Navy. It was said that he was the fastest swimmer in the navy, but because he was not strong enough, the Devers thought that it would be difficult for him to swim over the hundred-meter-long rapids with a heavy load, so they only listed him as a substitute. But at this critical juncture, his courage to face the challenge lifted Dracos' spirits.
Dracos did not say anything else. He personally helped him put on the sheepskin coat, tied the rope, and said solemnly, "The Hades will protect you!" The failure of the last soldier made Dracos subconsciously abandon the river god Achroos, and replace him with his most trusted Hades.
"Don't worry, I, Zeklian, am someone who will leave my name in the Hall of Valhalla!" The sailor said confidently as he strode to the foremost reef. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a few warm rays on his slender and well-proportioned streamlined body.
As he jumped into the water, Dracos' heart was in his throat again. How could he not be nervous? If he failed again, those two cowards would probably not dare to come forward! If they could not swim to the opposite shore, the troops would not be able to reach the other side safely, and they would not be able to seize Ciudad Abyssinia. The battle plan would not be realized, and they would have to implement the second plan … This meant that the time, energy, and rations they had spent previously would make the battle against the Bruti even more difficult!
"Commander, we've … reached the end!"
Without the soldier's anxious cry, Dracos saw that the axle had stopped turning.
Did they fail again? Dracos' heart sank. He was not willing to give up just like that, and shouted, "Hold on to the clue!"
He shouted as he went forward to help. The coarse rope was pulled back and forth by the friction between their palms, leaving streaks of blood … But Dracos felt that this force was not as strong as the previous time, and he became excited again. "Brothers, hold on! Hold on! … "
He encouraged the soldiers around him, and the pulling force of the rope gradually weakened until it finally relaxed.
Did they succeed?! Dracos looked at the blurry opposite shore in disbelief, feeling as if all the strength in his body had been sucked out. He sat on the reef, and the soldiers around him cheered softly.
The rope tightened bit by bit … Stop … Stop … Stop … Move …
After an unknown amount of time, just when Dracos felt that it had been too long, the rope finally tightened again, and there were three weak vibrations. After a while, there were three more vibrations …
Dracos confirmed the secret signal, and he suppressed his excitement and shouted to the soldiers, "Quick! Tie it to the tree! Quick! Quick! "
In the evening, a long rope stretched across the Krati River, connecting the two sides.
A soldier of the 2nd Legion had his legs wrapped around the rope, and his hands clenched tightly as he moved forward. His entire body was hanging upside down in the air. The lowest part of his body was less than two meters above the river, and the splashes from the river could wet his entire body. What was more frightening was that the roar of the river sounded like a demonic dragon in his ears, and the rope kept swaying …
Although the soldiers had been specially trained for the past few days, the real situation required them to have more courage. Obviously, this soldier had enough courage, and his climbing skills were quite fast. That was why he was arranged to be the first to cross the 'rope bridge'. In addition, in order to cross quickly and ensure the safety of the rope and climbing, the soldiers crossing the river did not wear helmets, breastplates, shin plates, or bronze shields. Instead, they carried a spear and a small wooden shield on their backs. Of course, there was another rope tied to the first soldier who crossed the river.
When he finally climbed to a big tree on the other side of the river, Sequerian was waiting under the tree. His chest was dripping with blood, and it was obvious that he had been injured.
As it turned out, the strong momentum of the river carried him across the river and slammed him against a reef. He almost fainted from the pain, but his desire to live made him endure the sharp pain of having his chest pierced by a sharp rock, and he hugged the reef tightly with both arms. Coincidentally, at this moment, Dracos and the others pulled the rope with all their strength, giving him a chance to breathe. He used all his strength to climb up the reef, and with one last careful step, he moved to the river bank …
With the combined efforts of Sequerian and the soldier, the second 'rope bridge' was built, and the soldiers of the 2nd Legion's First Brigade began to cross the river one by one.
Even with the two 'rope bridges', the speed at which the soldiers crossed the river was still very slow. This was because only after the first soldier reached the other side could the second soldier start to grab the rope and climb. After all, if two or more people were hanging on a rope at the same time, whether it was the rope that connected the two sides with great effort, or the big tree that acted as the pillar of the 'rope bridge', it would be a huge burden. Dracos did not dare to take this risk.
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