The battle had grown ever more chaotic. With each passing second, the forest shook violently as if two giants were tearing through it with their fury.
Waves of unfiltered Magic blasted through the trees, leaving the air thick with it and the ground scorched. Even from afar the adventurers could feel it. The clash of immense forces that made their instincts scream for them to flee.
"We have to move," Mark said sharply, his gaze fixed on the southern stretch where the echoes of the clash thundered.
None of them knew what exactly was happening down there. It was like watching ants trapped between two fighting elephant. Utterly powerless and destined to be crushed if they lingered.
"I agree," Hund muttered grimly.
Jan nodded, taking in the faces around him. None of them looked eager to stick around. Fear was etched into their expressions, but beneath it, there was resolve too.
"Follow me," Jan said, and without another word, he began to move.
They traveled carefully neither too far from the ancient temple nor too close to the madness erupting in the southern battlefield.
The golems still guarded the temple with their relentless stillness and the adventurers didn't dare to test their vigilance.
Skirting both threats, they kept to the shadows and moving with quiet desperation.
Finally, they crouched low again, finding cover behind a ridge. Strangely, and perhaps fortunately, there were no grey creatures lurking in sight.
Whether it was a stroke of luck or a sign of something worse, none of them could say. But they were grateful not to deal with another fight for now.
Five tense minutes passed.
Then came the flapping of wings that soundes heavy and fast and its getting closer.
They snapped to attention, hands tightening around their weapons, eyes scanning the trees.
And then it landed before them.
A figure wrapped in dark brown and black scales with wings spread wide and golden eyes glowing like twin suns was in fron of them right now.
The power radiating from him made them freeze. Not out of fear alone but awe. It was a presence they had never felt before.
"Calm down," the creature spoke and as the scales around his face receded, Eccar's familiar features emerged.
Relief rippled through the group, but the shock didn't fade. None of them had ever seen anyone transform like that. The wings, the scales, the sheer Magic power — they could no longer deny it. Eccar was actually a Dragonborn.
"I need you all to do something," Eccar said without preamble.
Jan and Mark, the leaders among the two parties, were the first to shake off their shock. They stepped forward and nodded.
"What do you need us to do?" Mark asked.
"I need you to get inside that temple," Eccar said. "Observe everything that happens. I don't know what's about to happen but I suspect something big will or is happening there."
That task sounded nearly suicidal. They all glanced toward the temple. The golems still stood guard like statues of war, unflinching and impenetrable.
"That's impossible," Jan said. "There are fifty golems standing between us and the entrance."
"I'll create a distraction," Eccar replied. "When the time comes, move in. But I can't help you now after that. A powerful being just emerged and Erend and I have to stop it first. That has to be our priority."
His tone left no room for argument. The usual grin, the lighthearted mischief that often danced in his eyes was all gone. What stood before them was a warrior preparing for something dire.
Jan turned to the others. Some looked ready, jaw set and eyes determined. Others hesitated, uncertainty flickering in their gaze.
He didn't want to make this decision for them. Not when the risk was this high.
"What do you think?" Jan asked, his voice quiet but steady, opening the floor for the choice they all had to make together.
They all exchanged glances, the silence thick with tension. Then, slowly, Varn took a step back.
"We're not going," he said, voice firm. "This isn't our fight. I'm done with this shit."
Yara nodded beside him. "We've seen enough. If we stay, we'll only die for nothing."
Darel didn't say anything at first, but his eyes showed the same resolve. "We're heading back."
Esther hesitated, her brows furrowed as she looked at Jan. "This is madness… but I'll follow you," she said at last, though her voice trembled slightly.
Hund gave a slow nod beside her. "You're our leader. We stand with you."
Annette didn't speak, but she gave a sharp nod in agreement, ready for what lay ahead.
Selene let out a slow breath and turned to Mark. "Where you go, I'll go," she said softly.
Kaela and Thorne followed suit, both looking toward Mark before nodding in silent agreement.
"Your call," he said.
Jan looked over the group, those who stood ready with him. He sighed, the weight of leadership pressing heavier than ever.
"I know this is dangerous," he said with honest feeling. "And I respect the ones who are willing to keep going. It takes courage to face something we don't understand."
His gaze drifted to Yara, Varn, and Darel. "And I won't force those who choose not to. You've made your choice."
The three stood slightly apart now, tense but unflinching.
Eccar stepped forward, his golden eyes narrowing as he looked directly at them.
"I know who you are," he said quietly, his voice like steel. "Erend told me what you did about how you attacked Jan and Mark's parties earlier."
A hush fell. Varn tensed, Yara's knuckles whitened, and Darel bristled. But none of them moved.
"I'm not going to stop you from leaving," Eccar continued. "But know this, if I find you working against us again… I will find you. No matter where you run."
The threat wasn't shouted. The weight of his power, the memory of his transformation, the fire in his gaze, it was more than enough.
The three said nothing. But the look in their eyes told the truth. They believed him.
And with that, without another word, Varn, Yara, and Darel turned and slipped into the trees, vanishing from the group.
Jan let out a slow breath. "Let's move," he said, rallying those who remained.