Akshan rode on the back of his horse as rows of the first legion's soldiers sprawled behind him. They wore their usual armor as they did, with the black plate and a tabard representing their legion.
Yet what differed was that instead of purple being the dominant color of the tabard, it was now white.
It was an order from Queen Aurelia herself to remove any association with Chrunus; thus, any purple was to be removed.
While he found it rather silly that Aurelia had ordered that to be one of the urgent priority missions, it was not his place to question the Queen's will, especially as a hero like Cedric had backed her.
His gaze washed over the horizon; the kingdom of Zigurat lacked powerful defenses and an adequate army, which made it an easy target for his first legion. The only reason other human kingdoms remained independent was due to the fact that the church urged them to remain divided.
In retrospect, he found it incredibly stupid with the demi-human empire at their doorstep, but it was time to fix what was broken. His lips curled up into a slight smile. His legion rarely had an opportunity to stretch its legs and go on a righteous conquest.
Zigurat would soon become a province under the kingdom of Valar. 'I do hope Aurelia is not serious about the renaming...' He sighed. Valar held a lot of space in his heart, and the new Queen wished to rename it.
While he would usually more fiercely oppose it, he was at Aurelia's mercy. 'The girl, no, that woman had become powerful enough to crush the first legion single-handedly.' He shook his head. Never in his life would he have thought that was even possible, yet here they were.
It was not only her, but every Angel she summoned was powerful enough to devastate or even straight up wipe out the legion.
He pushed down the thoughts as he attempted to focus on the task at hand; the forces of Valar were about to make the first contact and enter the kingdom of Zigurat.
In the distance, he noticed a row of what looked like an army, yet they did not wear armor. Instead, they were clad in dark robes that signified their affiliation with the church.
"Unfortunately for you, I am not a member." He grinned. Akshan wanted to cut down the arrogant priests who served the church for so long, and now he had free rein to do that very thing.
While he would refrain from barbarism and use diplomacy if possible, the violence was something he had counted on when dealing with the church's lackeys.
He raised his hand and stopped the marching soldiers. He would parley with the priests and decide if they were to die or be captured.
While Aurelia was clear that anyone who belonged to the clergy worshipping Chrunus was to be purged, it would leave a foul taste in his mouth if they weren't at least taken prisoner and judged.
He tightened his hands around the reins and rode forward; four guards followed closely behind him as he approached the group of priests.
Yet despite heavily armed men approaching them, they stood with utmost confidence.
Akshan's horse crawled to a halt as he saluted the priests. "My name is Akshan, the general and commander of the first legion. We are here to bring Zigurat into the fold. Are you here to face us or merely on a journey?"
He stared at them. No matter what they choose, they would either die or be captured.
The group bowed in unison. "We are priests serving almighty Chrunus. General Akshan, you are in violation of the independence treaty. Turn back, and we may forgive this incursion."
They spoke with such arrogance that it made Akshan's blood boil.
A small smirk played on his face, "What if I refuse?"
The priests went silent for a moment. They looked at each other and then back at Akshan. "Then Valar will suffer the consequences. Chrunus guides us, and he will punish the fools who go against his will."
"Is that so?"
"Indeed, we do not fear your legions. You might crush the armies of Zigurat, but the wrath of Chrunus will find you and your wretched kingdom." The priest's voice grew more ragged.
"What if I tell you that Chrunus no longer has any sway over Valar?"
"Lies. Chrunus is almighty, he sees all that was, is, and will be." The priest scoffed. "No mortal kingdom can defy the will of Chrunus, and you will learn that the hard way, heretic Akshan."
Akshan sighed, "Then so be it, I give you ten minutes to retreat, otherwise you will be cut down."
The priests stared at him as if they did not care about the threat. "Chrunus guides our hand."
'Fucking zealots.' He resisted the urge to facepalm as he rode back to the legion. Once ten minutes had expired, they would die; they had been given a chance to run, yet in their idiotic zeal, they dared stand tall.
"Members of the First legion! In ten minutes, we charge and conquer the Zigurat! Cut down every priest that dares stand in your way!" His hand reached for his sword that he carried on his hip and raised it into the air.
The cheering roar erupted from the legionnaires.
Akshan nodded as he turned to the priests. Despite the overwhelming force that was about to crush them, they stood still and showed no fear.
A small sense of worry crept into his head. Why were these priests so devoid of fear despite facing the mightiest legion of Valar?
The answer came quickly. The row of priests formed a circle and withdrew silver daggers from their robes.
'Not good.' He was not stupid enough to not realize what was happening. They were about to invoke something powerful, so he decided to cut the ten-minute grace period short.
"Men! Kill them, now!" Instantly, the legion started moving. He would not allow them to do what gave them hope to stand against them.