Another terrifying blast of sickly pale green shook the ground beneath their feet but they did not even flinch. Two figures stood on the edge of a large crater—next to the ruins of the great cathedral—in a silence heavier-set than bedrock. As the rubble rained within the crater one of the men spoke.
"Can't you let them rest?", the voice was dry and tired, partially lacking its usual deep rumble.
"Aftershocks... such a big blast- it leaves crumbs", the other man responded. He seemed impossibly even more tired and spoke in a stilted way as if part of his mind was elsewhere.
The first man gave a brief groan of acceptance as he shrugged, shoulders weighed down by pauldrons of stark white metal. He adjusted the cloak over his full plate armor. Every piece matching, starkly whiter than ivory, save for the large splatterings of blood which told of what he'd been doing. He felt another shake under his feet and glanced at the other man, who stood just as motionless as him.
The second man was covered fully in his cloak, sown of cloth partly black and partly burgundy and embroidered with silver thread. His short salt-and-pepper beard served only to magnify his already angular features. His eyes glowed faintly of pale green. A chill ran down the first man's spine, this other man would and could gladly destroy near everything he was ordered to. The clergy should see themselves lucky each day he did not turn on them.
"Anything- you wish to say- father Ailon?", the second man spoke, eyes trained ahead at the heart of the crater, where just a few hours ago a castle had stood.
"May their souls rest or rot, whichever the fates see fit. And may we both be forgiven for each and every skull we brought them today. So I decree it in the name of the twice-seen fate, the work is done, the anvil struck, the fire beaten out. The world may weep."
As the white-clad man spoke the last word of his tribute the rain began falling. The man in the dark cloak gave a tired chuckle as the water reacted with the crumbs still in the crater and four blasts went off at once and yet another a second later.
"So, we remain blessed", father Ailon noted as he turned around, leaving the other part of his thought unsaid; "damn the fates, let us rest". The two walked away from the crater, each donning their hoods as they with heavy steps set sights on the next city.
