The Lion Guard: King of Outremer

Chapter 11: Persia

"Who would've thought Persia would be so beautiful." Beshte said as he took in the majestic landscape around them. Kion and the others couldn't help but nod as they gazed upon it. Bunga always imagined Persia as an inhospitable desert, but instead, he found himself treated to fertile countrysides, green mountains, vibrant rivers, and vast grassy plains like seas of green.

The Persian civilization itself proved no less incredible. After a week of traversing deeper into Persia, Kion's expedition passed over a dozen settlements and even spotted a city in the distance. Even the smaller farming villages had very efficient and visually appealing architecture, while the city almost looked like a piece of artwork, or at least it had from a distance.

The Sonn, since their occupation, hadn't influenced the Persian culture, architecture, farming, and administration either due to an appreciation for its effectiveness or simply the fact that their occupation wasn't even a decade old.

"Ahura Mazda smiles upon us today, my Frankish companions!" A jubilant voice procliamed. Kion glanced over at the Persian man beside him. Hadish looked younger than his thirty-five years let on, with brown skin complimenting a smooth black beard and groomed hair. He was slight in stature but not quite scrawny either, having the look of a traveler but not a warrior. But perhaps his most distinguishing feature was eyes that didn't match, one green and one brown.

Hadish arrived in Edessa before the expedition departed into Persia, acting as their guide and translator. Though most of the Templar officers spoke Persian with relative proficiency, Kion also began learning the language.

Together, he and the Persian looked over the ruins of a Sonn encampment. Over Three-hundred Templar Knight-brothers, mounted sergeants, and turcopoles scoured what remained of the tents, looking for supplies and freeing Persian captives.

Kion, Beshte, and Ono couldn't help but smile as they saw mothers and their children taken as slaves, now set free, giving thanks to their rescuers and Ahura Mazda. However, they weren't the only freed prisoners. In another part of the camp, Azaad, Fuli, and Anga eagerly cut loose Persian rebels captured by the Sonn and rearmed them.

Though smaller in stature than the Franks, these men looked no less fierce and eagerly accepted the weapons. A few of the freed rebels walked over to a dozen or so Sonn prisoners on their knees.

The surviving Sonn officer sneered in disdain at one of the rebels and spat at his face. The middle-aged Persian mand didn't react immediately, but then without warning, he knocked one of the Sonn's teeth out with a violent haymaker. The Templars paid no mind to this, but the other Persians, turcopoles, Bunga, Fuli, Anga, and Azaad all burst out laughing.

Once they'd taken everything of value, the Christians and Persians prepared to go their separate ways.

"You have our gratitude, Franks. May Ahura Mazda guide you to further conquest of evil." The Rebel captain said while gazing at the Sonn prisoners in his custody.

"Thank you, may Saint Michael watch over you and your warriors." Hadish took over for Kion and began speaking faster Persian. Kion couldn't understand this, but Kopa clearly could, and he nodded with approval.

"We're on the right track." He said.

Hadish almost sounded giddish and eagerly turned back to Kion.

"We're close! So very close!"

"Allons-y!" Bunga cried. The company continued down the road as the sun began to set. Since arriving in Persia, Kion and his forces were careful only to harass the Sonn occupation forces, hitting slave outposts, horse grazing, and camps like the one that day. Additionally, they helped any Persian rebels they came across, who, in turn, provided them with clues on Harisa's whereabouts.