Eric handed Mahmud and the Mountain Castle over to Brinyos and Belem. His own credibility was shot, so for now, he would have to borrow some from Emperor Alexios.
Eric walked through the streets of Hama City. The bustling scenes he had witnessed upon first entering the city were gone, replaced by ruins in many places.
The fires in the streets had mostly been extinguished, leaving behind only charred wreckage. The air was thick with the smell of charcoal and blood.
Last night, the Crusaders had stormed the city. The massacre had lasted for three hours until Eric put a stop to it, at which point it turned to looting.
Hama City held a significant position in Syria and Palestine. Economically, it was second only to Damascus, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Aleppo, serving as the most important trade hub in central Syria.
Hama City had a full seventy thousand citizens. It administered twenty-two surrounding villages and six small towns with populations over a thousand.
