Kurta: "You're not a slave, you're a worker."
"Yes, I am a worker."
Jarulek smiled brightly.
He used to be a slave, but now he was a worker, and they were all willing to follow Logar in resisting the Covenant, because they truly had a cow.
… …
"You untouchables, how dare you defy the gods!"
Under the cover of several guards, the priest fled the temple through the back door, only to be blocked by a group of rebels who had inadvertently wandered there.
The guards were shot dead to cover his escape, and several rebels were also killed or wounded, but the remaining rebels were still able to surround the priest.
The priest was forced into a corner, his ornate robes stained with blood and dust, but even in desperation, the priest maintained his old arrogance, cursing these slaves, whose brown skin clearly marked them as lowly slaves!
"For freedom!"
Echodas's voice was hoarse but firm.
He raised his rusty pickaxe, this miner's pickaxe, which he had secretly shortened and carried close to him, was for this very moment!
"Crack!"
Amidst the dull thud of a shattering skull, brains and blood splattered onto Echodas's cracked hands.
… …
"One, two, pull!"
Under Logar's leadership, thousands of years of oppression transformed into boiling power at this moment.
The slaves surged through the temple corridor like a broken dam, trampling over the bodies of the temple guards, and together they wrapped coarse hemp ropes around the necks of the holy statues, as if placing a noose around a god.
Their calloused hands gripped the ropes tightly, their brown backs tensed like fully drawn bows.
The ropes suddenly tautened, emitting a groaning sound of unbearable strain.
Cracks began to appear where the statue's base connected to the ground, and fine stone fragments sifted down.
The holy statue, which had stood for thousands of years, began to sway slightly, then crashed down like a prisoner on a guillotine, shattering into countless pieces upon hitting the ground.
After the dust settled, the slaves stood motionless.
They stared blankly at the pile of shattered stones on the ground, which they had once had to look up to, and then someone suddenly let out a suppressed sob.
So gods could also be shattered, so the shackles of faith were so fragile, why hadn't they resisted sooner?
Logar lit a fire with the holy oil used to consecrate the gods, and Erebus led the rebels to scour every religious scripture in the temple, throwing the scrolls containing lies into the fire, allowing them to turn into ashes dancing in the sky.
"I have an idea."
Logar suddenly said to Worp.
Worp: "Are you also a fount of ideas? Tell me."
Logar cared deeply about the 'also' Worp used; this 'also' could only refer to his brother, Koz, because he was ranked second.
But Logar no longer bothered to compete with his brother, because he would surpass his brother and make Worp realize who was the most outstanding child!
Logar: "You told me that one day we would go to the stars, and millions of lost human civilizations awaited our salvation. Colchis is by no means an isolated case in the galaxy; even on Holy Terra, the cancerous growth of religion has deeply penetrated people's hearts."
"Just like a surgeon excising cancerous tissue, we must precisely remove any lesions that could breed Chaos, and this requires a specialized force!"
Worp was somewhat relieved, then shook his head and smiled.
"Do you know what your Legion is called?"
Logar shook his head; Worp rarely mentioned his Legion, because Worp didn't know much about them either.
"Not all Legions receive formal names; Koz's Eighth Legion does not. But your Seventeenth Legion, from its inception, was personally named the Imperial Heralds by the Emperor, also known as the Imperial Preachers, the Imperial Missionaries."
"During the Unification Wars on Terra, the Imperial Heralds would purge any records deemed to contain heretical or sorcerous content from enemy archives; defiled works, individuals, and structures would be destroyed in the name of the imperial truth. This also earned them a nickname, the Iconoclasts."
Back when Worp was still praying to the Emperor's figurine on Terra, Raymond had warned him to be careful of the missionaries coming for him; those missionaries were the Imperial Heralds.
If the Emperor hadn't come for him first, Worp might indeed have had his skull opened by a Space Marine of the Imperial Heralds one day in the future.
Logar tossed a gilded ancient book into the fire, his eyes filled with longing and tenderness for the Legion.
"I am gratified that my sons walk the same path as I. I will not deny their achievements, but the heavy burden of conquering the galaxy has stretched them thin, and the Imperium still needs a force specialized in purifying the bane of faith."
"Will you support me?"
Logar gazed at Worp with the focus of a young sprout in the desert yearning for sweet dew, undisguised anticipation swirling in his violet eyes.
"I will always support you, as long as you remain human."
"The right to define is in your hands."
"Can't I?"
Worp echoed Logar's question.
"I am honored."
Logar's lips curved slightly upward; he was very pleased that Worp, rather than the Emperor whom he had never met, would define whether he was human.
"Ashen Circle."
Logar gazed at the ashes swirling upwards in the hot wind, slowly raising his hand, letting a wisp of ash fall onto his palm. The scorching warmth permeated his skin, and his voice rippled through the heatwave, "They shall be named thus."
Worp: "Then what's your Legion called?"
"Don't you like the name Imperial Heralds?"
Logar asked.
"Not particularly, but all Primarchs will rename their Legions upon their return."
"I haven't thought of one yet."
"That's fine, you can take your time. You have time until the Emperor arrives."
Logar fell silent. If he could, he wished the Emperor would never come to Colchis.
But he couldn't be so selfish; he was born with a mission, and countless worlds in the galaxy awaited his salvation.
He didn't voice this willful request; he didn't want to disappoint Worp.
… …
"Two short days."
Esperia said, "The Covenant reinforcements will arrive at Melson by the latest during the cold descent's night of rest."
Akhida: "They cannot attack in the cold, even if they have Crawlers, the cold of the high night will stop the steam engines."
Erebus: "But the cold of the high night will also restrict us; we can only huddle in Melson."
Kurta and Jarulek stood pressed against the metal wall of the makeshift command post, their young backs held ramrod straight.
As some of the few young warriors permitted to observe, they even deliberately softened their breathing, fearing they might disturb the commanders fiercely debating before the sand table.
The war between the rebels and the Covenant would last for a long time, and its scale and intensity far surpassed any previous uprising. The rebels also needed more excellent commanders to lead their armies and defend their expanding territory; these individuals would be selected from among the youngest rebel warriors.
Due to their outstanding performance in capturing Melson, Kurta and Jarulek were both exceptionally promoted.
"What's your name?"
The boy next to him asked.
"Kurta, and he's Jarulek. What about you?"
"Echodas."
The boy said nonchalantly, "I killed a priest, what about you guys?"
"We're not as impressive as you."
Kurta felt very guilty, because he felt he was unworthy of the praise. Although he did charge faster than others, he had barely fired a gun a few times, let alone killed anyone. Jarulek, however, had killed two Covenant soldiers.
Kurta noticed Jarulek staring admiringly at the boy standing next to the other commanders.
"His name is Erebus, and he was one of the first to follow Lord Logar."
"One day, I'll stand in his position too."
Echodas was confident, but still lowered his voice.
Van Mogel: "My people are already accustomed to the cold; we can go out to scout even during the high night."
Nairo: "I will have the workers repair the city gates before the cold descent."
Although the rebel force was not large, it was well-equipped despite its small size. In terms of organizational structure, they were more streamlined and efficient than the Covenant.
The commanders each had their own responsibilities: Esperia and Akhida commanded the army, Van Mogel's subordinates were the reconnaissance unit composed of The Rejected, Nairo managed the workers, and Erebus led the newly formed Ashen Circle in collecting and destroying religious scriptures.
"We attack."
Logar's finger lightly traced the map, "Echshe Hulk's plantation is only two short days away from us, and Tricu's plantation is even closer. We can take them before the Covenant reinforcements arrive!"
"But,"
Esperia wanted to persuade him. Logar knew she had many reasons, such as the army having just endured a bitter battle and needing rest, or that their forces were already limited and should not be divided.
But Logar thought more deeply and had a broader perspective.
Logar shook his head.
"You always habitually place the rebels in a disadvantaged position, tending towards defense when planning. I can understand your fear of the Covenant; the Covenant has ruled this world for too long, and compared to them, we are indeed outnumbered."
"But strategic initiative still rests in our hands. The Covenant knows nothing of the rebels' situation. They only know that Atlantis suddenly lost contact with Vahadish, and at most can guess there's a slave uprising there."
"Colchis has been peaceful for a long time, and the Covenant cannot mobilize a large army in a short period. Therefore, the scale of the Covenant reinforcements will not be too large; their purpose is to investigate what happened in Atlantis, not to retake it."
"If the Covenant wants to attack Atlantis, they must rely on Melson, Echshe Hulk, and Tricu—these three settlements closest to Atlantis. As long as we capture these three camps, the Holy Covenant Army departing from Vahadish will not be able to obtain any supplies en route!"
"While the Covenant still doesn't take us seriously, now is the best time for us to expand our sphere of influence."
"If we fail to establish a foothold in the Low Desert before the Covenant mobilizes heavy forces to encircle and suppress us, our cause will be ruined!"
Logar's words struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer, for they realized Logar was right.
"My Lord."
Akhida said in a low voice, "Please entrust Melson to me. Melson will not fall until my blood runs dry."
He rarely spoke much, but he trusted Logar, believing that as long as he held firm, there would be a way!
"No need for defense, full-scale attack!"
Logar's finger traced the attack routes on the map, "Akhida, you and Esperia each lead an army. You will take the eastern sand ridge to raid Echshe Hulk, and Esperia will outflank Tricu along the dry riverbed."
Esperia asked in astonishment, "What about Melson? Are we to abandon it?"
They couldn't defend Melson while attacking Echshe Hulk and Tricu; there wasn't enough time.
Logar: "The Covenant reinforcements will be handled by me and the Ashen Circle."
Esperia did not press further. This battle-hardened Armorer Deacon now lowered her gaze like a devout follower.
Everyone present had witnessed the miracles Logar displayed; the rain of bullets frozen in pale blue psychic ripples still felt like a dream to them.
… …
The Ashen Circle, a newly formed battle group.
All members were boys aged between two and two and a half. Their combat effectiveness was lower than adults, but their malleability was higher than adults.
Erebus was responsible for leading them, under Logar's direct command.
In Logar's vision, the Ashen Circle would become the foundation of the Legion; they would become the Legion's recruits after the Emperor's arrival.
Logar would personally educate them, tell them the truth of the world, tell them why humans were born free, and why they should not worship gods!
In the biting cold wind, Logar's white robes flapped loudly.
He gazed at the lights gradually approaching in the distant darkness, his voice as light as a feather falling on snow.
"Am I doing the right thing?"
"Do I need to tell you that too?"
Worp was helpless.
"I want to hear you tell me yourself."