### **Chapter 10: The Unyielding Flame**
The wind howled across the battlefield, carrying the acrid scent of smoke and the distant echoes of conflict. It was the calm before the storm—the fleeting moments before everything would erupt into chaos once more. Riven stood at the frontlines, his eyes narrowed, his muscles tense. This time, it wasn't just soldiers they were up against. It wasn't just beasts or tools of war. This time, they faced something else entirely. Something that could burn everything to the ground.
Riven's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his grip firm but not yet tightening. The ground beneath his boots felt oddly solid, but the weight of what was coming was heavy, an invisible force pressing down on him. His eyes darted from one side of the field to the other, scanning for any movement, any indication of what would come next. He felt it, the change in the air, the heat that was rising.
"Riven."
Lia's voice cut through the tension like a blade. He turned to find her standing next to him, her usual calm expression now replaced with a glimmer of wariness.
"They're not just coming with soldiers anymore," she said, her voice steady despite the growing threat. "There's something... different this time. I can feel it."
Riven nodded, his gaze fixed ahead. He knew it too. The reports they had received were vague—rumors, whispers, but nothing concrete. But one thing had been clear: this battle would be unlike any they had fought before.
They had barely had time to prepare. The enemy forces, now led by someone far more dangerous than any they had encountered, were closing in fast. And with them, they brought something far worse than just brute strength—something that could turn the tide of war in an instant.
From the trees, the sound of hooves pounding the ground echoed through the air, the unmistakable clatter of armored riders. Riven's eyes narrowed, focusing on the distant silhouettes emerging from the forest. But it was not just the soldiers that caught his attention—it was the creature riding alongside them.
A massive, hulking beast, unlike anything Riven had ever seen before. It was a creature of fire—a towering figure, its body wreathed in flames, its eyes burning with an unnatural light. The heat emanating from it was enough to scorch the air, to bend the very atmosphere around it. It moved with an eerie calm, its molten red eyes fixed on the defenders of the fortress.
"That's him," Lia murmured, her voice tight with dread.
Riven didn't need her to elaborate. He knew who the rider was—the one who had been orchestrating the enemy's advances, the one who had been hidden in the shadows until now. A beast tamer, a master of war, and a harbinger of destruction. His name was Ashram, and he was as ruthless as he was dangerous. The beast beside him, a creature born of flame and fury, was a weapon unlike any other—one that could level entire cities in a matter of moments.
"Stay alert," Riven ordered, his voice low but filled with resolve. "We can't afford to let them get close."
The soldiers around him adjusted their stances, preparing for the inevitable clash. But Riven knew—no matter how many men they had, no matter how prepared they were—it wouldn't be enough if they couldn't deal with the beast. Ashram had been a specter on the edges of their awareness for far too long, but now, his presence was undeniable.
Without warning, Ashram's beast roared, a sound that shook the very earth beneath their feet. The flames surrounding it intensified, flaring into the air like a living inferno. Ashram stood tall atop his beast, his figure a dark silhouette against the fiery backdrop. He was the perfect image of destruction—unyielding, unstoppable.
And then, as if sensing Riven's gaze, Ashram's eyes locked with his. The heat from his creature seemed to intensify, directed at him as though the flames themselves recognized Riven as the one who would stand in their way. Ashram smirked, his lips curling in a cold, knowing expression.
"You're in my way," Ashram called out, his voice carrying across the battlefield. His words were calm, almost casual, but they sent a chill down Riven's spine.
"We'll see about that," Riven replied, his hand tightening around his sword.
With a sharp motion, Ashram's beast lunged forward, its fiery form a blur of motion as it charged straight toward the fortress walls. The soldiers shouted in alarm, scrambling to get into position, but Riven knew there was no time for hesitation.
"Fire!" he commanded.
A volley of arrows shot toward the beast, but they were little more than droplets in an ocean of flame. The arrows disintegrated in midair, consumed by the heat before they could even get close. The soldiers' weapons were useless against such power.
"Move!" Riven shouted, his voice rising above the chaos.
He sprinted forward, his boots pounding against the ground as he made his way toward the beast. Lia was right behind him, her eyes fixed on Ashram's beast with a mixture of awe and fear.
Riven's mind raced, calculating the odds. They were outmatched in strength, outclassed by the sheer size and power of the creature. But Riven had faced worse odds before. He had survived against impossible challenges, and he would survive again. The question wasn't whether they could win—it was how they could survive long enough to find a way to defeat it.
Ashram's eyes never left Riven, and as the beast neared, he raised his hand. The beast responded immediately, its fiery maw snapping open as it unleashed a wave of flames toward the oncoming soldiers. Riven acted on instinct, leaping to the side just in time to avoid the blast. The heat singed the air, and the roar of the flames drowned out all other sounds. The soldiers closest to the blast were engulfed, their screams swallowed by the fire.
Lia darted forward, her daggers flashing as she took down several of the smaller soldiers rushing toward them. But she knew that even she couldn't face the beast head-on.
"Riven, we can't fight this thing directly," she called, her voice filled with urgency. "We need to find a weakness!"
Riven's mind raced. There had to be something. Ashram wouldn't have brought this creature to battle unless he knew it had an Achilles' heel. Every beast had one—it was a matter of finding it.
He glanced at Ashram, who remained seated atop his beast, watching with an eerie calm as the inferno raged around him.
Then, a thought hit him.
"Lia!" he shouted. "We need to get him off that beast!"
Before she could respond, Riven was already moving, sprinting toward the center of the battlefield where Ashram stood. His mind was set—if they could take the beast's master down, the creature would be easier to deal with. But getting past the flames and Ashram's control would be no easy task.
He ducked under a burst of fire, his heart racing as the heat threatened to overwhelm him. He could see Ashram now, standing tall, his eyes still locked on Riven, waiting. The time for words was over. This would be a fight to the death.
Riven closed the distance, the world around him turning into a blur of heat and sound. He reached Ashram's beast, his sword raised, ready to strike.
But in the next moment, Ashram's voice rang out, cold and calm.
"Foolish."
The ground beneath Riven's feet erupted in flames, a wall of fire that forced him back. He barely managed to roll to the side, narrowly avoiding being engulfed in the blaze. His eyes met Ashram's again, and this time, there was no mocking smile—only a look of absolute certainty.
"I've already won," Ashram said, his tone final. "The only question left is how long you can survive."
Riven gritted his teeth. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
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**End of Chapter 10**