The captain came at Adrian with a powerful swing, the sheer force of the attack threatening to knock him off his feet. Adrian raised his sword to block, his chains whipping out to deflect the blow, but the impact was stronger than he anticipated.

He staggered back slightly, his eyes widening in surprise.

This wasn't going to be an easy fight.

Adrian quickly regained his footing, his chains swirling around him defensively. The captain came at him again, swinging the glowing broadsword in a deadly arc.

Adrian ducked under the swing, his chains lashing out to strike the captain's exposed flank. The chains struck with the force of a battering ram, but the captain barely flinched.

"These aren't just regular soldiers," Adrian growled, his eyes narrowing. "They're stronger than they look."

Medea was a short distance away, facing off against two other captains, her dark fire blazing around her like a wild inferno. Her movements were a blur as she dodged and parried, her sword carving a trail of destruction in its wake.

"Tell me something I don't know," she grunted, narrowly avoiding a swipe from a glowing spear.

The two captains pressed forward, their weapons striking with deadly precision, but Medea was relentless. She wasn't a war goddess for nothing.

"You're not getting past me," she snarled, her voice filled with determination.

With a sharp flick of her wrist, Medea sent a stream of dark fire lancing through the air, searing into the nearest captain. The fire consumed the captain's armor, eating through the metal as if it were paper.

The captain screamed, staggering backward and flailing wildly, but the fire was relentless.

"Who's next?" Medea demanded, her eyes burning with fury.

"I've got your back," Adrian called out, his chains lashing out at the nearest captain, knocking him off his feet.

But the fight was far from over. The enemy's ranks had swelled, and Adrian knew there was no way they could win this fight without help..

As if reading his thoughts, the village head raised his voice, his tone mocking and scornful. "You think you can win this fight? You're outnumbered and outmatched! The Shadow Court will grind you under its heel."

Adrian's expression darkened, but he didn't respond.

Instead, his fiery chains danced around him, slashing and cutting at the enemy soldiers with deadly accuracy. The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the air, mingling with the shouts and screams of the dying.

The village head and the rest of the Shadow Court forces pressed forward, their sheer numbers slowly pushing Adrian and Medea back.

"Dark Fire Explosion!"

Medea's shout was accompanied by a deafening explosion of dark fire, the force of which sent several soldiers flying backward.

As Adrian ducked and caught a spear aimed for his head, he remembered something the goddesses usually say... Lilith and Medea especially. "Our powers flow in you," they had said. "All we ask is that you never hesitate to use them."

Well, now was the time to show what he could do.

A wave of intense heat washed over him, and the familiar sensation of his own power flowing through him, his blood boiling, the hairs on his arms rising.

"Come forth," he murmured. "My dark fire."

A burst of black flames erupted from Adrian's sword, the dark fire licking up the length of the blade. It was as if the flames were alive, writhing and dancing like serpents in the wind.

"How's that for a trick?" he said to the village head with a smirk.

The village head and his soldiers paused, momentarily stunned by the display of power. But then, the captain with the glowing broadsword raised his weapon, a confident grin on his face.

"So you've got a few tricks up your sleeve," the captain sneered. "I'm sure our mages will enjoy studying them when you're dead."

As the captains advanced once more, the dark fire swirling around Adrian grew, spreading out across the battlefield and engulfing everything in its path.

"Let's see how you like this," he muttered, infusing the dark fire into his fiery chains. The chains began to crackle and spark, the flames leaping and dancing along their length.

With a primal roar, Adrian swung the chains through the air, unleashing a storm of dark fire upon the enemy soldiers.

The flames devoured everything in their path, incinerating the soldiers and melting their armor like wax.

"Burn in the darkness!" he roared, his voice filled with power.

The battle quickly descended into chaos, the dark fire raging out of control as Adrian and Medea cut down the enemy soldiers.

Adrian and Medea leapt backward and unleashed a combined attack, a massive blast of dark fire swept the battlefield and cleared out a wide swath of enemies.

For a moment, silence fell over the field as Adrian and Medea stood side by side, their weapons raised and their eyes filled with determination.

But even with their incredible display of power, the soldiers left were still numerous, and they continued their advance.

"We can't let up," Adrian said through gritted teeth, his chains lashing out and striking a nearby enemy.

"I'm with you," Medea agreed, her sword glowing brightly as she readied herself for the next assault.

****************

Meanwhile, Lilith, Selene, and Ava had been riding hard from Zarpha for two days straight, their horses pushing through exhaustion as they raced toward Brenden.

The tension between the two goddesses and the priestess had subsided since leaving the palace, and now they were united with a single goal: to find Adrian.

As the village of Brenden finally came into view, Selene, who had been riding ahead, slowed her horse. In the distance, beyond the fortified walls of Brenden, an ominous sight awaited them—a vast army marching toward the village, their dark armor gleaming in the faint early morning light.

"I hope we're not too late," Selene said quietly, her calm voice betraying the worry in her eyes as she gazed at the approaching army.

Lilith grinned despite the grim situation. "Too late? Never. We'll get to Lord Adrian on time. And when we do..." Her eyes glinted dangerously, her grip on the reins tightening. "They'll wish they'd never come."

Ava, ever the pragmatist, wiped the sweat from her brow and nodded. "Let's not waste time talking about it, then. We have a champion to save."

Without another word, they urged their horses forward, the pounding of hooves echoing across the barren landscape as they sped toward Brenden.

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