1453: Revival of Byzantium

Chapter 197: The Dull Night

The night is a perfect cover for all actions which cannot be seen to take place, under the winking of stars and watch of the arced moon, a group of brawny yet stealth men prowls the narrow corridors connecting the Mega Doux's estate and the harbour. 

Needless to say, Antonius is that kind of man who never lets people down of his promises, especially to a lady. After being chased out of the city he still managed to sneak back into the city taking advantage of the guards not acquiring the information of their emperor's orders. 

Though of course, Abdullah Suggested before they depart that it is still better if they take full caution for the emperor's guards guarding the Mega Doux's estate just in case they get into trouble.

And indeed he is right another time.

Antonius and his men briskly seeked a place to hide under some bushes as a  group of Roman guards parades across the street, Antonius recognized an officer figure under the torch that resembles a guard at the palace the other day. 

After the group of guards went further away disappearing turning into a corridor, Antonius emerged from the bushes making a silent tsk complaining towards Yuri who was desperately trying to cover his enormous sized body in the bushes holding some twigs. "It is my fault that I brought you alone Never putting in consideration of your height."

Yuri chortled shredding his shoulders. "Well, admiral, being too tall sometimes aint a good thing too." 

"Let's move." 

The gang of people ran through the streets stealthily covering their foot steps through cushioned leather boots, after a while of searching they finally found the gate of the secret passage in the same old barn covered under a bunch of hay stack with a pitch fork pinned on top. 

It seems like this entire place, entire barn, is abandoned without any people actually using this place, just to cover up the opening to the secret passage.

Yuri examined this place and remarked. "Sir, if ya look at this entire place carefully It is actually designed like a fortress. With all the windows narrow enough as arrow slits, lower walls laid with stone bricks, and this gate"    Yuri picked up his beloved axe and chopped onto the supposed wooden gate, but instead hearing a thud, they heard a clang echoing through every single corner of the warehouse. 

"What are you doing! Are you an imposter that is trying to expose us to those guards?" 

"No, look, sir!" Yuri cracked the wood of the gate with his bare hands revealing what is inside. "Look!" 

Antonius stepped forward and gasped. The entire gate is actually made of a hidden lump of metal inside its wooden disguise. 

"What is Loukas Notaras trying to do" 

No one knows for sure, but it seems like Loukas Notaras has already been digging holes, secret passages and fortifications around these places for a very long time. 

The gang of people then proceeded to the location of the secret channel clearing the straws and hays that are used as cover ups revealing a door behind and tried to open it, but to everyone's surprise, it is being blocked as if there is something behind it stopping it from being opened by an outside force. 

"Come, sir, leave tis to me." Yuri stepped forward, ripped his shirt and stood in front of the door, with a deep breathe and a burst of strength, his arms that are as thick as a trunk tensed with the bulged muscles bursting and emerging, and with a roar he inserted his fingers deep into the opening of the wooden door. The thick cords and vessels on his neck straining and quivering as he moves step by step backwards and finally, the door submitted to Yuri's power and opened. 

"You see, sir." Yuri wiped his sweat looking at his master work. "There is still some use at least bringing a big man like me."

Antonius patted the sweaty back of Yuri. "Aye, you have proved me wrong"

The men quickly covered the door up with grass on the outside leaving a man on guard and then swiftly ventured down the secret way, they stormed through the familiar ways, the massive storage, and finally, into the estate through a ladder, popping their head right through the door and was welcomed not with a hug, but with a scream and a bucket flung right at them. 

Apparently, they went by the wrong exit and almost went into the ladies' loo. 

After much fuss and commotions this misunderstanding is finally solved, and the lady of the night Anna Notaras is finally brought upon Antonius. 

The two of them met under a dormant where the night sky light dons perfectly onto the lady a silverish casting that almost made people feel like she is not a real person. Fearing about the future which is filled with doubts and uncertainties plus the miss of her father who influenced her the most throughout the years and the sole bread winner of the family, she appeared to be even thinner than last time making blood vessels protrude out of her silken white skin, there even seems to be some strings of white hair when observing her hair on the side. 

Upon meeting the two sides said no more words, the core family of the Mega Doux has already packed lightly prior to this just in case the emperor decides to be harsh on their family so that they can manage an escape. They sneaked out following the exact same path where Antonius and his men came from, through the tunnel, past the corridors, and back to the same old barn with only Anna, Palaiologina, Jacob, her sister Helena and some other family members that Antonius do not recognise.

However, it seems that they will not have such a pleasant escape out of the city tonight. 

Alarmed by the thunderous bang prior caused by Yuri in the barn, a fleet of guards came investigating, and eventually found the exit meeting the group of men head on.