[30 Minutes Ago - The Canyon Surface]
The wind howled through the "Throat of Cinder," carrying with it the smell of iron and fresh blood.
Kaelen, the leader of the Silver Lance, crawled across the sand. His silver armor, once his pride, was shattered. His leg was twisted at an unnatural angle.
"Please…" Kaelen wheezed, reaching out a trembling hand. "We… we are A-Rank adventurers… citizens of the Empire…"
Stomp.
A heavy boot, armored in blood-red steel, crushed Kaelen's hand into the dirt.
"Citizen?"
Commander Valerius looked down. He wore the pristine white cloak of the Red Templars, now stained with splatters of gore.
His face was hidden behind a T-visor helmet that glowed with anti-magic runes.
Around him, the rest of the Silver Lance party lay dead. The Mage had been beheaded. The Priest was pinned to a rock with black spears.
"You are not a citizen," Valerius spat, his voice distorted by his helmet. "You are a mercenary. A parasite who sells his loyalty for coin."
