Fragments of Ash Vol. 2 (Urban Fantasy)

Chapter Two: Amelia at Work

The desolate and sandy streets of Rekala were lined with buildings that lay in shambles, the inhabitants were hiding in their meagre houses in pure fear as two forces of absolute evil were standing face to face with each other. It was a capital city clutched in the hands of a dirty civil war, one side, the oppressive Empire of Abram, the other, the violent extremist cultists that felt no remorse in murdering innocents in hopes of liberating the country.

Amelia walked out of her jeep with two of her Spell Fencers, she had a look of annoyance on her face, although it was hard to see because of the protective scarf covering her mouth. She had better things to do, but she'd received a request from the Emperor himself, and her military was still under contract with him. Still, what a filthy, backwards hellhole. She had no place setting foot on such land. Best get it over with.

Waiting for her were over fifty soldiers and their leader, fighters for their county's freedom. They were all armed with rifles, wearing typical baggy brown clothes. The leader, merely in his thirties, but already littered with battle scars, stood proudly against Amelia. Almost as if he didn't know her reputation...

"Make this quick," said Amelia, her Rekalan was perfect, a mark of an educated warrior,

"You've only brought two other soldiers? So you're willing to listen to our demands?"

"No, I only had two soldiers with me and I happened to be passing by," she yawned, "I decided to grace you with my presence on a whim."

"So you refuse to negotiate?" he raised his rifle, "you still intend on looming over our people like vultures?!"

"I do like being on top yes."

"You think this is funny!? You've made a big mistake woman, bringing not but two girls with swords with you," the leader growled,

"I agree, they are a bit unnecessary aren't they?"

"Get them!"

Several of the soldiers behind him pulled raised their rifles and started to shuffle towards the trio, their plan to hold Amelia and her Fencers hostage was charming, but futile. It was, of course, what Amelia had expected. She'd dealt with such scenarios a billion times before, and every single time, people were too stupid to realise how much shit they'd fall in to when they were facing the Spell Fencers. Or perhaps it was Amelia's talent at maintaining such a chilled out and unthreatening nature during debates that always put her in such favourable situations. Situations where she had no choice but to kill. Amelia held the scabbard of her sword and pulled it out from her hip, she then quickly slammed it to the floor. It created a shockwave so tremendous that it sent every person, apart from her Fencers, flying back several feet, shattering their legs and in some cases, breaking their backs as they slammed into nearby walls. It looked almost comical.

Amelia didn't bother speaking. The sonic boom of the scabbard as it was thrust to the ground had partially deafened everyone.

She turned to her two soldiers and waved her hand, a sign for them to begin their assault. The two Spell Fencers immediately got to work, they were casting enormous fire spells that were tearing down the already dilapidated buildings. The screams of the people inside were drowned out by the roar of the intense flames that raged across the land. How pathetic.

"What are you doing!?" shouted the leader, "those are innocent people! There are women and children in those houses!"

Amelia smiled, the man was trying to cover the fact that people were hiding in the building to ambush them, charming, "For Abram this country is nothing more than a floating tank of minerals. The people who inhabit it mean nothing to us."