Early morning.
Beneath the calm surface of the Black Sea, dark currents swirled.
The merchant ship departing from the Kherson Military Zone sailed slowly across the Black Sea, flying the Empire's Double-headed Eagle Banner.
Although the Empire's inland sea had shrunk from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, it had not yet devolved into the dreadful state of the Marmara Sea after the fourteenth century. The shores of Georgia, Trabzon, and Kherson were still within the Empire's sphere of influence, and the Empire's flag still carried weight. Generally, no pirate with any sense would dare to attack them.
The Kherson Military Zone was the gateway to the Empire on the Crimea Peninsula. From the North, an endless stream of slaves, grain, livestock, and pelts entered the Empire through this gateway, making it the most valuable point on the Black Sea trade route.
Many members of Constantinople's Varangian Guard also traveled along this route to reach Constantinople.
