What do you say, Commander?

The portal opened, and as Lilith and I stepped through, we were greeted by the harsh light of day. We had left the mystical chamber behind, and now we found ourselves in the midst of a vast desert landscape.

The sun beat down relentlessly, casting long shadows across the golden sands. Before us, a group of armored mercenaries was in the midst of preparations, readying themselves to leave.

Recognition washed over me as I spotted familiar faces among the mercenaries. Captain Kael, their grizzled leader with a scarred face, was orchestrating the packing of supplies and checking weapons. He turned his gaze toward me, his eyes locking onto mine.

"Adrian! You're back!" Captain Kael's voice was gruff but filled with genuine relief.

"You made it! We thought you, uhm... you know, died while trying to locate the cave."

I nodded, a mixture of understanding and concern welling up within me. "Well, here I am," I admitted, my gaze shifting to Lilith, who stood beside me, her presence still radiating an air of enchantment.

Lilith couldn't help but capture the attention of the mercenaries with her innate seductive charm. They paused in their tasks, momentarily entranced by her allure, their gaze casting looks of desires at Lilith.

My gaze shifted from the lustful looks of the mercenaries before me to the mischievous expression on Lilith's face. "What's going on?" I asked no one in particular.

"Lorian?" I called, following his line of sight; they were all staring at Lilith's bosom.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" He said with a dreamy and lustful voice.

Lilith drew in a deep breath of satisfaction and let it out. Anger surged within me, and I suddenly became furious. Why? I honestly didn't know, but the fact that they were all staring at Lilith like they wanted her got me all pissed off.

I drew my sword out of its sheath, the blade reflecting the sunlight, pulling them out of their trance.

They stared at me with questioning looks, and I wrapped my hand around the hilt of the sword.

"None of you have the right to look at her that way," I gritted.

"And you do?" One of the mercenaries, Mike, asked. "You didn't introduce her as yours, so I guess she can be anyone's."

"Oh... I didn't introduce her? Allow me to do the introductions," I said, summoning a fiery chain. It shot towards Mike with insane speed and wrapped around his neck, dragging him close to me in seconds.

"This is Lilith. And I better not catch you looking at her or I'll gouge out your miserable eyes," I warned, then released him to the floor.

I grabbed Lilith by the shoulder and took a few steps away from the mercenaries. "What do you think you're doing, using your powers on them?" I asked through gritted teeth, my voice coming out in hushed tones as I tried to keep the conversation between the two of us.

"I needed to just feed a little, considering you wouldn't reply if I had asked you," she said with a mix of an unapologetic and pleading gaze.

"Well, you didn't ask, did you?" I retorted, my gaze briefly flickering back to the group. Mike was already up, rubbing his neck.

"I won't want that repeating again. Now, stay here for a bit while I go talk to them," I instructed.

"Fun spoiler," Lilith mumbled as I made my way back to the group.

Captain Kael cleared his throat as soon as I got to them. "We're getting ready to leave this forsaken desert behind," he said, his gaze sweeping over the vast expanse of sand. "We've heard rumors of Draegonian activity in the area, and we can't afford to stay."

My heart sank at the mention of the Draegonians, my thoughts returning to the formidable adversaries I had faced in the past. I knew that to confront them, I would need allies and strategy.

"I need your help, Captain Kael," I began, my voice determined. "I'm on a mission to defeat the Draegonians, and I believe you and your mercenaries can make a difference. Will you join me in this battle?"

Lorian's laughter rang out, a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "Do you have a death wish or something? First, it was the Cave of Seraphia; you're lucky you made it out alive. Now you want to go against the Draegonians? The same people who tossed you to the edge of death and left you hanging by a thread."

I nodded solemnly, acknowledging the danger. "I know I can't do it alone, that's why I was asking," I replied. "What do you say, Commander?" I turned to Captain Kael, seeking his opinion.

Kael scratched his beard thoughtfully. "Well, I'm only a Captain here; they all have the choice to decide if they would love to join you or not."

But not everyone shared Kael's willingness to consider my request. Mike, one of the mercenaries, voiced his dissent loudly. "Well, you can go kiss my ass. I don't know about others, but there's no way I would join you on your little revenge trip. You can't accept that they kicked your ass, and just because you got a pretty beside you, you think all will go pretty?"

Mike's opinion should have provoked anger in me, but instead, I couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of amusement. A slight chuckle escaped my lips, and I smiled, my confidence unshaken.

"You know, for a while, I thought you would learn a few things from my demonstration earlier, but it seems you're daft," I remarked calmly, stepping slowly toward Mike, my eyes ablaze with dark flames. The mercenaries parted, allowing me to approach Mike with ease.

I summoned two chains with a flick of my wrist, and they shot into the ground, sprouting up within seconds, just inches away from where Mike stood. The chains seized his legs, rendering him immobile. He struggled desperately to break free, but they held him fast.

Without warning, I drew my sword and launched it with precision, driving it straight into Mike's heart. He gasped in shock, then slumped to the ground, lifeless.

"I was asking politely before, but unless you want to join him, you'll do exactly as I said," I declared, addressing the remaining mercenaries.