33. The Mincer
Just before Spendius’s big battle, he had a peculiar happening. The sun shone brightly and the wind howled and a voice rang in his head in a particular annoying manner.
“You are annoying the God of Trade quite profusely, I will offer a better deal.”
“A better deal than Teleportation?” Spendius replied in his own head, “hey who are you?”
“I am the God of Battle, I offer you speed instead of teleportation, phenomenal speed, speed that will help you win battles. All you have to do is fight, and worship me.”
“I am already winning battles,” Spendius said rather annoyed.
“Yes, but the God of Trade is definitely going to excommunicate you soon, you are not following his ways,” the God of Battle explained, “I offer God Power for fighting as well as praying and temples.”
“Really?” Spendius said, “well then so be it, I will be your evangel.”
Spendius used the available power to preach to the city of Hisar. With that God Power he sped along the mountains evangelising his confused followers. Changing his standard to a black sword and axe interlocked on a golden banner, the God of Battle had an evangel, an evangel who was determined to bring war to the world. With 5000 mountain troops, skirmishers who had small buckle shields and threw spears joined the force. The Balnan force of 15,000 comprised mostly of melee infantry, with some 2000 melee cavalry.
This is not good odds for us, not on the flat ground. Any normal general would run away. But I am not a normal general.
The new banner was raised.
“The God of Battle has preached to me and has convinced me of his veracity!” Spendius said, “he says we will win today if we are faithful! If we stray we will lose. Today I take the enemy general’s head! And today we prove that even when the odds are against us the God of Battle is true!”
Spendius confronted the superior force and superior matched force, for cavalry and melee units were to brace the skirmishers would likely destroy them. In a stunning move, Spendius rode forward with crazed determination. The enemy did not know what to make of it. Fireballs came his way, and his horse evaded the fireballs easily, striking the first line of infantry who were almost in slow motion in contrast. The commander was not from the north, an officer whose presence was glue to the army. Spendius surged forwards threw spear and sword, killing one cavalry bodyguard after another before the general’s head flew off. Spendius heard the gasps from the Balnan army, and they quickly tried to avenge their commander, but Spendius’s blade was too quick, he took one after another, and the frenzy of battle only increased his power. The infantry felt the shower of spears, the cavalry trying to deal with the lone cavalryman. When Spendius dismounted rushing through the cavalrymen's’ lines, the absurdity soon became apparent. This was not the power of teleportation anymore, it was different, less expensive and in fact because of battle, it replenished itself. Spendius charged into the Church of Light priests, slaughtering them all, before returning to his lines. Waiting for his newfound followers to replenish his God Power through faith and through battle. They did not disappoint, for they heard of Spendius’s deeds and began cheering and bellowing.
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“Your general’s dead!”
Spendius returned to the fray, knocking cavalryman after cavalryman off their horses, before rushing and killing a few more officers. The army turned into dust, disintegrating in a way that allowed Spendius’s army to hunt them down efficiently. What should have been an easy victory for the Balnan’s turned into a disaster, with Spendius even managing to take several towns along the way. His new updated yellow flag of a sword and axe began popping up over stronghold after stronghold. He sent his mountain men back on their campaign in the mountains, Spendius raced toward his Hunur domains. Mendek had changed and with it, the world.
Spendius had a more balanced force this time, some 1000 cavalry mercenaries kitted in the Balnan light cavalry style, 2000 Hunur steppe cavalry, and 1000 spearmen, Bleda of the Hunur didn’t realise that his opponent had changed. Now the force would not come from the rear like the God of Trade evangels but in a far different manner. Spendius raised his banner handing it off to one of the mercenary cavalrymen.
“We shall unite Hunur under my rule! Under Mendek! There shall be no opposition!”
The battle seemed like a foregone conclusion to many, but Spendius told them he would take the heads of his enemies and at least some of his men believed him.
“The God of Battle?” Some Hunur riders questioned, “literally yesterday we were told to worship the God of Trade?”
“Believe him, he has done much,” the mercenary cavalryman said, “his feats are not a fluke. It is for the best. He is not a trader is he?”
They raised the banner, and the thousands of God Power flowed into him. Again he rode straight into the jaws of death, a valiant way to fight and an even more valiant way to die, but Spendius did not die, instead he made his enemy cry. Bleda had many horse archers and they fired, but Spendius increased his speed to ridiculous levels, rolling off his horse throwing knives and swords at enemy’s heads. He took down a few officers before he sped along so quickly slicing the neck artery of Bleda. The Ostro clan leader felled, Spendius cried:
“He’s dead!”
His men charged straight into the fray, the 1000 spear enthusiastically crashing into the cavalry, ready to hit the riders and send them running. Tactically the Ostro clan far outclassed the smaller army, but Spendius had wrought a stunning blow on their morale, taking out their general and dancing around their officers and regular units. Even with 4000 believers on the battlefield to the God of Battle, this already gave 4000 God Power (Battle Power) a second, even excluding other believers, the rate at which the God Power accumulated was doubled in battle, allowing Spendius to mow down units single handedly, he terrified large portions of his enemies who slowly lost heart.
“He’s a monster! Run!”
“If you surrender, I will spare you! Surrender and we can take Hunur bloodlessly!” Spendius said, dismounting enemy units with less harm.
10,000 Hunur riders switched sides, surrendering and then switching sides.
“Glory to Mendek! Glory to the God of Battle!” They chanted.
5000 were dead, and 5000 had fled. Mendek was far more terrifying than previously anticipated. Spendius used the momentum to ride to the heartland of the Hunur clan’s to unite the steppe nomads under his rule. 40,000 troops under Mehmet marched to the city of Hisar, ready to wrest control and end the tyranny, but Spendius decided to ignore that threat and focus on his unification. Now leading 14,000 cavalry he absorbed the Ostro clan before defeating the ruler of the Hunur in a comically short battle. His 14,000 cavalry faced an equal number of Hunur cavalry, but Spendius sought out the chieftain Balambar and killed him, urging his troops to not fight for a dead man, and with that In the autumn of 570 he took the Vizi clan and was undisputed ruler of the Hunur.