The adventurers could only stare in stunned silence as the smoke cleared. Ash still floated in the air where the creature's body had disintegrated and the circular scorch mark on the ground sizzled faintly with leftover heat.
Their eyes were wide with disbelief frozen on their faces.
They had seen something once before when Eccar fought for them. That time Eccar was manipulating the earth seemingly with his mind alone and leveling an entire few meters around him in the blink of an eye.
That memory had burned into their minds. And now, this stranger had just done something terrifyingly similar. He have the same overwhelming pressure, same air of effortless and absolute control. Only instead of stone and soil, this one used fire like it was part of his blood.
Hund exhaled slowly, whispering, "That… that was just like Eccar…"
"But fire instead of earth," Selene added. "Are there two of them now?"
"Looks like it," Mark murmured, his brow furrowed in thought. "And if that's true… then maybe we have a real chance."
Erend began walking toward them, his steps calm and unhurried. The heat around him was gone now but the memory of it clung to the air like a warning.
As he stepped past the bush line they instinctively tensed. Though none of them could have said why. He didn't feel like a threat. But he was something far beyond normal.
He stopped in front of them and looked each one in the eye, sharp gaze scanning for wounds or weakness.
"You alright?" he asked.
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the crackling embers in the distance. Then, slowly, they started nodding, remembering how to breathe.
"Yeah… yeah, I think we're okay," Esther said, her voice still a little shaky.
"Thanks for coming," Mark added, stepping forward. "But… who are you? And how did you even show up like that?"
"My name's Erend," he replied. "I'm Eccar's friend. I think he's already doing something important by now."
He tilted his head slightly upward, then his eyes shifted. A crimson glow ignited in them casting an eerie glint across his face. The adventurers flinched back slightly at the sight.
"Ha," Erend muttered, smirking. "I found him. I gotta go."
Before they could ask anything else, Erend gave them one last nod, then his back erupted with a burst of energy.
In a flash of light and sound massive wings unfurled like wings made of dark scales edged with glowing ember veins. The ground shook faintly as they spread wide.
The adventurers stumbled back with shock, again.
"D-Do you all see what I see?" Hund whispered, eyes bulging.
"What kind of wing is that?" Selene asked, stunned. "Does Eccar have that too?"
"Maybe," Jan said, still staring upward as Erend fly into the sky. "But that's not the important thing right now. We need to move again. Another wave of those grey things could come any moment."
They began gathering themselves quickly. The heat from the earlier battle had already faded, leaving behind only the scent of burnt wood and charred soil.
But before they could leave, Kaela looked back. "Wait… what about them?"
Her eyes settled on three familiar figures of their enemies – Darel, Yara, and Varn — slumped weakly against a tree. One of them were barely conscious and the other two's faces twisted in grimace.
Their bodies were scratched and drained, clearly having taken damage from the creature's aura and maybe more.
"What about them?" Thorne said coldly. "Just leave them. They tried to screw us over. Let them die here."
Mark hesitated, then narrowed his eyes. "No. We might need them. They didn't act alone. Someone in the kingdom ordered them to sabotage us. We need to know who and why."
He strode over to the three wounded adventurers. His eyes sharp and serious.
The others exchanged looks, then followed.
For now, they had no clear direction. But they had a lead if they ask the three adventurers.
Mark raised his sword and pointed it at them, the steel gleaming faintly in the light.
"Tell me who you are… and who gave you the order." His voice cut through the silence, calm but sharp.
Yara glared up at him, her face bloodied but still defiant. Her eyes burned with fury even as her body trembled from the pain. She pressed a hand to her side, teeth clenched.
Varn who slumped beside her didn't return the look. His gaze was fixed on the ground with pain and resignation. The fight had long since done for him and he knew that any pride left would only get him killed.
Darel groaned faintly while barely conscious. His lips dry and twitching as if trying to speak, but unable to.
"Are you going to kill us after we tell you everything?" Yara asked, her voice low and bitter.
"Fuck yeah," Hund snapped, not missing a beat. His voice cracked with rage. "After what you did, you think you deserve better?"
Yara scoffed, a faint smirk tugging at her mouth despite the pain. "I guess not. We knew what we were doing."
"But you can still ask for mercy," Mark said, taking a step closer. His sword didn't waver. "If you tell us who sent you, and why they wanted us stopped… we might spare you."
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Then Varn shifted, slowly raising his head.
"Just tell them," he said hoarsely. "We're failed anyway. I'll talk. Just… let me live."
Mark nodded once. "Alright. Who are they?"
Yara didn't stop him. For once, she remained silent. Her thought was just the same as him.
Varn swallowed hard, then met Mark's eyes.
"It's… it's the Syndicate," he said. "They paid us then gave us details. They told us about the path we should take, your goals, and your movements. They said you were getting too close to their client's purpose. If we didn't sabotage the mission they will lost so much money that the cult paid."
A cold silence settled over the group.
"The Syndicate?" Selene echoed, narrowing her eyes. "That mercenary network? I thought they were just rumours."
"No. They are real. And they're not just mercs anymore," Varn added. "They've grown. Their business have expanded to spies, killers, and saboteurs. Basically all underground things. Some nobles are neck-deep in their pocket."
Kaela crossed her arms, frowning. "Why try to kill us? Who is this cult?"
"I don't know everything," Varn said. "We were told you'd uncover something if you reached the temple. Something about the secret in that an old ruin."
Jan, Hund, Esther, and Annette looking at each other. They had seen the old temple. Now they become more certain about what they should do.
"That temple is the key," Jan said to them. "We need to know more so we need to let them live for now."
"Right. We still need to know about that cult and the Syndicate," Mark said.