Elemental Fighters

Chapter 4

The next day they had about half a day's travel to the camp. They were about halfway there when they were ambushed by a large group of bandits.

The bandit leader said, "Dismount and remove all your weapons and put all your money on the ground. After that, well, that depends on whether I'm in a good mood or not."

Blaze looked at Arthur and they both laughed.

"What's so funny? I just threatened to kill you and I'm robbing you" the bandit leader asked, confused.

"Well," Blaze replied with a smile, "I don't think that you know who you are trying to rob." The bandit leader shook his head. "We are Elemental Fighters. One of us could take you down by themselves and there are eight of us. How do you think that is going to end for you?"

The bandit leader, fuming, yelled, "Kill them!" Arrows flew and people lunged with swords drawn. The arrows disintegrated in midair and the bandits all of a sudden had cuts all over them from the air around them. One guy was a frozen statue while another was imprisoned in stone. A couple were still holding on to their swords which were floating in the air.

The bandit leader fell to his knees, defeated.

Looking at his comrades Blaze asked them, "Well what do we do now?" They all shrugged their shoulders not knowing what they should do. They knew that killing them went against everything their people stood for but on the other hand they had to pay for their crimes.

Alice then spoke up, "What if we make them pledge their loyalty to us as their punishment. They wouldn't be slaves of course but our own small legion of men sworn to fight beside us until the day we fall in battle or until the war is over."

They all nodded their heads in agreement. "Ok so you have two choices. We either turn you into the rebel army to be put in jail or you will come with us and join the rebel army. If you choose to pledge your loyalty to us you will do so under the conditions that you will follow us until the day this war is over and if you do, you and your men would be under my command and treated like normal soldiers. The only difference is that you only take orders from me. We would forget all this happened and your comrades will all be healed."

The Bandit Leader looked up from where he was sitting on the ground flabbergasted. "What do you mean?"

"You would be under my command and be treated like heroes and be taken care of."

The Bandit Leader, almost crying, asked, "You swear it?"

"Of course."

"We'll go. We are forever in your debt Commander ... um?"

"Ignis, Commander Ignis. And what is your name?"

"Fitch, sir."

"Now I want you and your men to line up and pledge your loyalty to each and everyone of us. As you do this you will be healed and then you will form rows of two behind us." Blaze said with an authoritative voice.

After everyone had made their pledge and lined up Blaze said "Well, Fitch, time to move out. We march to the camp."

"Yes, Commander Ignis. You heard him, men. Move out!" Fitch and his twenty men started to march behind Blaze and his seven friends.