Elementals

Chapter 8

"Afraid of what?" Rico asks as they walk towards the smoking building. "Our powers of course." Bruce answers. "Some of us can be quite... dangerous in the right state of mind." "You guys sure we should be walking so slowly?" Jerome asks. "They seemed to be in a hurry to get us here to help." "Screw them." Ro says. "We'll get there when we get there. In my world we call it colored people time." "What are colored people?" Alisa asks as Ro smirks at her. "People like me."

They finally arrive at their destination that just so happens to be on fire.

The building is three stories high with fire and smoke spewing from the top floor. "When did we become firefighters?" Ro asks. "C'mon let's just go." Jerome pulls a reluctant Ro into the first floor of the building. The room is of average size and filled with miscellaneous things and clothes someone had strewn all over the floor. "Someone is in here." Bruce says cautiously looking around the room. "Otherwise they wouldn't have sent for us." Ro holds his hand out to signal them to stop. "Let's find them then. I've always wanted to use the special ops tactics from videogames and TV. Now follow me, stay quiet and only whisper when necessary." They line up single file with Ro in the front followed by Alisa. Jerome is in the middle and Rico and Bruce bring up the rear. "Check your surroundings." Ro whispers as he signals them to move.

They make their way to a staircase and Bruce sits on the first step as the rest of the group fan out and secures the first floor. Finding no one they return to the staircase and prepare to do the same thing on the second floor when they hear glass breaking from above.

They rush up the stairs only to be blocked by a huge tree trunk. "Did you see any trees outside?" Ro asks Alisa "I don't think so." Jerome thinks for a second as Ro cuts through the tree with his power. "Eco. Does anybody know where they went?"
"Nope." Rico answers as they step past the tree onto the second floor. "Well I guess we've found them."

Five people all wearing green on some part of their body stand in front of the staircase leading to the third floor. "It's about time you showed up." A man says turning towards them.

The man is dressed in black pants and a green camouflage t-shirt. His hair and eyes are both black and he stands with an air of authority that leaves no doubt that he is the leader of his team. "So you're the other team from the tournament?" He says as he sizes them up. "Feel free to watch what your opponents would have done to you had they continued."

Ro and the rest of his group follow the green bunch up the stairs and come face to face with what seems to be an ambush. Suddenly the stairway behind them collapses and they find themselves surrounded by a group of men clad in black and carrying shields and crossbows. "You guys do you know you trapped yourselves when you blew up the stairs right?" Ro points out. "It doesn't matter." The leader says from behind his shield. "If we lose you at least you will die in flames." Alisa holds out her hand and shows them a flame. "You mean like this?" The man sucks his teeth in response and yells a command. In an instant all of his men close ranks around the elementals with their crossbows on the top of their shields.

"Well trained aren't they?" Bruce observes. "Yeah, kind of like the Romans." Ro says. The members of Eco all watch with bored expressions as their leader puts his hand up. "I alone will deal with them." The wood of the floor suddenly shoots the shields into the ceiling and expose all of the men in the ambush. "Fire!" The crossbows all fire in unison as a large wooden cube surrounds the group of magic users and block all of the bolts. "I think it'll take quite a while to reload those, don't you?" Eco's leader asks the ambushers as fear begins to creep into their eyes. "This is why we hate you!" One of them shouts.

"And this." Eco's leader gestures around the room. "Is why we kill you."

"We didn't even get to do anything." Rico pouts in the cart on their way to the castle in the center of the city. Eco was sent to an armory after the mission to do who-knows-what while Shady was sent to the castle to meet the king at his request. "Maybe next time." Jerome says clearly glad he didn't have to fight anybody. "That guy was really strong though." Ro says excitedly. "His name was Dion right? I wonder if all the elementals in the capital are like that." Alisa yawns. "I hope not. That makes our job harder." "But we get better as we fight stronger people." Ro counters. "Let's get stronger so we can beat all of our future enemies."

They arrive at the castle doors and stare up at it in awe. From a distance it was the only building to break the skyline and up close it was no less impressive. The large brown doors were at least two stories tall themselves as they opened into a grey fortress that overall was at least ten to fifteen stories tall at its highest tower. As they exit the cart they all crane their necks towards the sky as an important looking fat man greets them outside surrounded by a detail of guards.

"Your business here?" He asks rudely. "You should've been expecting us." Bruce tells him. "The king asked for us personally." The fat man sniffs and cracks his neck. "Did he now? Oh I see. You must be that new elemental group they put under my command." Ro steps forward. "Your command?" "Yes my command." The man says poking Ro in the chest. "You got a problem with that."

Ro looks at the man's pudgy finger on his chest with a blank expression before twisting it. "I might have a problem actually." He looks around at the guards surrounding them and releases his grip on the fat man's finger. "It seems we got off on the wrong foot there so let's start over." Ro holds his hand out to the man who currently is picking himself back off the ground. "My name is Ro and we are shady. It is a pleasure to meet you Commander." The commander smacks Ro's hand away and waves for the guards to open the doors. "You will pay for your insolence." "I'm looking forward to it." Ro says as the Castle doors open and a number of maids beckon for them to enter. "Wait is this Great Hall Masters and Mistress." The head maid says. "His Majesty will be with you shortly.

"I like this view a lot better." Rico says as he admires the younger maids in the large space. "I agree." Ro says glancing around at the architectural wonders of the Great Hall before waving at the fat commander still standing outside as the large doors close. A few guards follow them inside but they maintain a fair distance. "I've never even been in a building as large as this room." Alisa says. "This place is amazing." Jerome chimes in. "The chandelier makes me kind of uncomfortable though." Ro sides steps around the underside of the huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling. "Yeah me too."

A horn sounds suddenly as a man in kingly clothes slowly descends the stairs and everyone in the room bows. "Good evening my five guests and of course the rest of the staff here." He says gesturing to everyone in the hall in turn. "I am King Ronny and you are now in my employ. I invite you to dinner to celebrate your victory and induction into my person guard."

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