The Elemental Relics

A fire ability in the shape of a ballista bolt flew down the hallway, ripping through defending soldiers. Those not killed instantly by the ability were burned alive, their screams only lasting seconds before they were silenced. With the path cleared, two men ran down the hall towards the door at the end. They were clad in full red armor that did little to slow them down. Both men had a sword in their left hand and shield in their right. The tiger emblem on the shields was said to come to life to those who had seen it. When the duo kicked open the door, they walked into a small room where a man in clay armor faced them. The man stared at the floor, muttering something.

“Erius, your reign ends here. Surrender now and we promise you a swift execution.”

“Surrender?” Erius laughed as his fingers traced along the intricate design on his clay armor. “You two have arrived too late! The revolution has been set in motion!”

As the man’s fingers followed the design, more of the carvings lit up in response. The two swordsmen charged in with one targeting Erius’ neck and the other his torso. The laughter ceased the moment Erius was beheaded but the smile on his face never changed. As the other sword was pulled from the dead man’s torso, the clay armor began splintering. The duo quickly backed away with their shields raised. The resulting explosion sent the two men crashing into the walls.

“Are you okay, brother?” asked one of the men as soon as he recovered from having the air knocked out of him.

“No injuries I can sense.”

The two men stood up to see the walls covered in holes like they were made of cheese. Erius’ body was buck naked as none of his clay armor remained anywhere in the room. The room was eerily quiet as long as the duo didn’t make a sound. The silence dragged on for a full minute.

“Brother, the mad wizard’s plot has been thwarted.” The man raised his arms to celebrate but stopped short. “Brother?”

“He said he set something in motion.” The man sheathed his sword. “We must report to the emperor immediately!”

The brothers walked down the hallway in silence. Their left hand was placed on the hilts and their eyes scanning left and right. Their shields were only lowered when they encountered their men who had dealt with the enemy soldiers in the courtyard. Once the corpses were all set aflame, the duo and their men began their march home.