Before the Military Camp of Cairo, Egypt
Saladin slowly rode his horse through the ranks of his army, inspecting the nearly endless sea of soldiers. He waved and smiled, returning the soldiers' eager gazes, his heart swelling with ambition.
As a devout believer, Saladin had long made the recapture of the Holy City his life's mission. However, years of fighting the Crusaders had taught him that these infidels were not easily defeated—especially the terrifying cavalry charges, where knights, armed with lances, surged forward like a tidal wave. Any who dared to stand in their way would be impaled by the spears or trampled by hooves.
Despite having many valiant men under the banner of the One True God, most were light cavalry skilled in mounted archery, unable to directly confront the heavily armored Crusader knights. Moreover, the fractured states of the Muslim world had made it nearly impossible to defend against the Crusader kingdoms.
For this reason, Saladin had patiently bided his time. Even when the new king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem ascended to the throne three years ago, presenting a prime opportunity for action, Saladin had resisted the urge to strike. Instead, he focused on consolidating his newly acquired territories, building a powerful army capable of confronting the Crusaders.
Now, he commanded a force of 26,000 soldiers from southern Egypt, a slave army honed for battle. At his side were 5,000 elite Mamluk cavalry, trained from childhood in the harshest conditions, with a fatal attrition rate of one in four. If necessary, he could also mobilize another 20,000 troops from Damascus.
Supplies—food, weapons, warhorses, and siege equipment—were all in place.
Saladin's daily life was simple and frugal, with any wealth he accumulated being invested back into the cause of reclaiming Jerusalem. He understood that while wealth was often considered the root of all evil, it also held immense power. Through these golden coins, he had managed to acquire numerous "toys" from Venice—tools of war for the Christian world.
He chuckled to himself. Even the most despicable of men had their uses.
More importantly, through the Venetian merchants, Saladin had kept a close eye on the movements within the Crusader court. He knew that King Baldwin's health was rapidly deteriorating and that the court had descended into chaos, with constant infighting. The Knights Templar had even gone so far as to wipe out the feared Assassins—a mercenary sect known for their deadly skills, which had long been a thorn in Saladin's side.
Despite his disdain for the Assassins, Saladin had received a gift from them—a dagger commonly used by their assassins—shortly after he had publicly criticized them. Since then, he had ignored any further news of their activities, knowing that he could not risk his own life before fulfilling his mission to recapture the Holy City.
Now, the preparations were complete.
Saladin spurred his horse forward, racing toward the front of the army.
"Warriors of the One True God!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the ranks.
"Look to the east! In that land, where the True God ascended to heaven, a group of shameful infidels have stolen this precious jewel through their despicable means!"
"They have destroyed our temples, slaughtered our brothers, and violated our wives and daughters."
"Now, the time for blood to repay blood has come!"
"Under the gaze of the True God, every soldier who fights bravely will earn silver coins as heavy as the heads they take, and those who die in valor will ascend to Heaven and enjoy eternal joy!"
Saladin drew his jeweled curved sword, its hilt glinting in the sunlight.
"Our cause is just, and our strength is unmatched!"
A deafening roar erupted from the ranks—tens of thousands of soldiers, shouting in unison, their voices piercing the heavens.
Whether for faith or fortune, every soldier believed that under Saladin's leadership, they would be unstoppable.
"March!"
A deep horn sounded, and the vast formation split into smaller units. Each unit, under the command of its officers, began a disciplined march toward the east.
The sunlight shone off the soldiers' armor, creating the illusion of a black dragon slithering from its lair, its eyes set on the horizon.
Saladin rode at the center of the formation, surrounded by his most trusted Mamluk cavalry. Despite his commanding presence, he softly stroked a prayer scroll in his hand, muttering a prayer under his breath.
A brightly armored officer rode up beside him, taking his place behind Saladin.
When Saladin finished his prayer, he smiled and turned to his nephew, who had been watching him closely. "Emir, my brave nephew, tell me—if you were the Leper King, how would you act?"
The officer thought for a long moment before responding, "I would fortify the city, lay waste to the land, and wait until our siege has worn out the attacking forces. Then, I would rally reinforcements and strike back, using my knights to break out from within the walls, striking a heavy blow to your forces."
"Correct," Saladin nodded in approval. "If he were to do that, it would indeed give me trouble."
"But he will not do that!" Saladin's gaze shifted far into the distance, his eyes piercing through the layers of the horizon as though he could see the turbulent court of the Kingdom of Jerusalem itself.
"Jerusalem means everything to them. Half of their army is gathered there. If I besiege the city, the knights who are defending it will be trapped inside, and the rest of their forces will be whittled down bit by bit."
"The strength of knights lies in open battle. But when defending a city, they will only exhaust themselves against my superior numbers."
Hearing this, another young officer, standing near, asked, "What if he calls upon the full strength of the kingdom to meet us in a decisive battle? In that case, victory or defeat would be hard to predict."
Saladin snorted dismissively, shaking his head. "His authority is weak. To rally the full strength of his knights would take too long. By the time he gathers his forces, I will already be at the gates of Jerusalem."
Saladin turned his gaze toward another of his nephews. "Tajuddin, I am pleased to see that you are thinking for yourself. But sometimes, victory does not lie in brute force."
At that moment, a messenger came galloping from the distance, his horse foaming at the mouth. The messenger rode past the guard and dismounted, holding a letter high above his head.
Emir took the letter, checked the seal, and handed it over to Saladin. "A secret letter from the kingdom, unopened."
Saladin tore open the wax seal and quickly scanned the letter. A broad smile spread across his face as he handed the letter to his two nephews.
"Emir, it seems my plans have borne fruit."
The two nephews read the letter and laughed as well.
"There has been an uprising near the fortress of Ascalon. The King of Jerusalem has taken 4,000 men to suppress it, seven days ago."
Saladin's mood lifted even further. He raised his whip, gesturing as though tracing an invisible map before him.
"By now, the Leper King must be close to Ascalon. With his 4,000 men, he cannot achieve anything."
"If he had chosen to fortify the city and wait for us to wear ourselves out, even if I eventually took the Holy City, it would have come at a great cost."
"But now, he will simply have to watch as I take the Holy City."
He shouted, "Order the troops to hurry! We must surround him before he leaves Ascalon!"
The glint of ambition flickered in his eyes as he imagined his flag planted atop the walls of Jerusalem.
But those same ambitious eyes were not the only ones that watched him.