☆Chapter 17☆

As Maya entered the capital under the shroud of night, the city lay quiet, its streets cast in the cold, silvery glow of the moon. The worn cobblestones beneath her feet echoed with each step, and the distant glow of torches illuminated narrow alleys and grand buildings alike. Her goal was clear: find the king, shake up this stagnant kingdom, and satisfy her thirst for chaos.

But Maya wasn't naive. Xavier had warned her about the king's hunters, elite forces trained to pursue and eliminate threats to the throne. She brushed it off initially, but as she moved deeper into the heart of the capital, a tingling sense of danger prickled along her skin. She knew she was being watched.

The narrow streets felt like they were closing in, and the shadows seemed to dance and twist around her as if alive. She felt it, a presence, one that moved like a whisper in the night, silent but unyielding. Her instincts were on high alert. These weren't ordinary guards or mercenaries. Whoever was following her was experienced, skilled at blending into the city's nightscape, and dangerously familiar with the art of hunting gods.

Maya let a smirk play on her lips. She always loved a good challenge.

Turning down an alleyway, she ducked into a narrow space between two buildings, her back pressed against the cold stone wall as she waited. She could hear the faintest shuffle of footsteps, the softest intake of breath. They were getting closer. She closed her eyes, focusing on the rhythm of her heartbeat, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

And then, movement.

A dark figure slid into the alley, swift and silent, their form cloaked in shadow. They wore dark, fitted armor, the emblem of the king's seal glinting faintly on their chest. In one hand, they held a long, slender blade that gleamed with a sinister light, and in the other, a vial of something faintly glowing. Poison? A weapon against the gods, perhaps? She didn't care.

Maya's eyes flashed open, her flames igniting in an instant. "Took you long enough," she taunted, her voice echoing off the alley walls.

The hunter's eyes widened, but they moved with impressive speed, darting forward with a precise, lethal strike aimed directly at her heart. Maya sidestepped, her flames flaring as she deflected the blade, the clash sending sparks flying into the night. She barely had time to register the second movement, a second figure emerging from the shadows behind her, their weapon drawn and poised to strike.

She twisted around, unleashing a wave of fire that forced them back, but even as they staggered, two more figures appeared, their movements fluid and synchronized. These hunters were good, better than she'd anticipated. Their teamwork was flawless, each one moving in perfect harmony with the others, their attacks swift and relentless.

One of them threw a small, metallic device toward her. It exploded midair, releasing a burst of energy that felt like a shockwave through her body. For a brief moment, her flames flickered, weakened by the strange energy that filled the alley. She grit her teeth, fighting against the effect, but the hunters seized the opportunity, closing in with weapons drawn.

"Smart move," Maya muttered, her voice strained as she regained her balance, her flames sputtering before reigniting with fierce intensity. "But I'm not that easy to kill."

She swept her hand in a wide arc, sending a blazing torrent of fire in all directions. The hunters scattered, but she was already moving, her movements fluid and deadly as she closed in on the nearest one. With a swift punch, she sent them sprawling, their armor scorched and smoking from the impact. But even as they fell, the others regrouped, closing in once more.

They were persistent, she'd give them that. But Maya had faced armies before, and she wasn't about to let a few hunters get the best of her.

The leader of the group, a tall, lean figure with a mask obscuring their face, stepped forward, their stance calm and steady. "You can't escape us, goddess," they said, their voice cold and measured. "Surrender, and perhaps the king will show mercy."

Maya laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "Mercy? From a man who sends his lackeys to hunt me in the dead of night? I don't think so."

The leader's eyes narrowed. "We are not lackeys. We are the king's shadows, his right hand. And we will bring you to him, one way or another."

"Then bring it," she replied, her flames roaring to life, casting a fierce, orange glow that lit up the alley.

The leader didn't hesitate. They signaled to the others, and the hunters attacked as one, their movements precise, calculated. Maya dodged their blades, her flames dancing around her as she struck back, each blow landing with devastating force. But the hunters were relentless, each one moving to counter her attacks, their weapons flashing as they closed in.

One of them landed a glancing blow to her shoulder, the blade slicing through her skin, and she hissed in pain, the scent of her own blood mingling with the smoke. The wound burned, a strange numbness spreading through her arm, and she realized that the blade was coated in some kind of poison, designed to weaken even a goddess.

But if they thought that would stop her, they were sorely mistaken.

Gritting her teeth, she summoned her flames with renewed fury, the fire burning hotter, brighter. With a fierce battle cry, she unleashed a massive wave of fire, forcing the hunters back, their armor scorched and smoking. She moved forward, relentless, her flames consuming everything in her path as she drove them back, one by one.

The leader, seeing their team falter, stepped forward, their eyes filled with cold determination. They pulled a small, silver amulet from their belt, the surface engraved with intricate runes that glowed with a faint, sinister light. Maya felt a strange pull as they raised it, an oppressive energy that pressed down on her flames, stifling her power.

The leader's voice was calm, almost triumphant. "This amulet is forged with the blood of gods. It binds divine power, weakens it. You may be strong, but against this… you are nothing."

For a brief moment, Maya felt her flames waver, the fire within her struggling against the weight of the amulet's power. She clenched her fists, forcing her power to the surface, but the pressure was overwhelming, her strength slipping through her fingers.

The hunters closed in, their weapons raised, their eyes cold and merciless.

But Maya wasn't done yet.

With a fierce snarl, she drew on the last reserves of her strength, channeling her fury, her defiance, into one final, desperate surge of power. The flames roared to life, brighter and hotter than ever before, pushing back against the oppressive energy of the amulet. She could feel the strain, the pull of her own power fighting to break free, but she refused to give in.

The flames blazed around her, filling the alley with an intense, searing heat that forced the hunters back, their faces twisted in shock and fear. She took a step forward, her eyes blazing with fury, her voice low and deadly.

"You think you can bind me?" she growled, her voice echoing with a power that sent a shiver down the spines of the hunters. "I am the Goddess of Destruction. I am fire. I am chaos. And nothing, nothing, can contain me."

With a final, explosive burst of power, she unleashed her flames in a massive wave, the fire consuming everything in its path. The hunters cried out, their weapons clattering to the ground as they fell back, their armor scorched, their faces twisted in agony.

The leader staggered, the amulet slipping from their hand as they fell to their knees, their gaze filled with shock and disbelief. "Impossible… No one should be able to… break the amulet's power…"

Maya stepped forward, her flames flickering around her like a living inferno, her eyes cold and unyielding. "Looks like your king underestimated me," she said, her voice dripping with contempt.

The leader's gaze wavered, their strength fading as the flames closed in. "The king… will hear of this. He… will come for you…"

"Let him try," Maya replied, a fierce smile playing on her lips.

With a final, searing blast of fire, she sent the hunters scattering into the night, their broken forms disappearing into the shadows.

As the flames died down, Maya took a deep breath, her strength slowly returning as the oppressive energy faded. The alley was silent, the scent of smoke and scorched metal lingering in the air.

She knew this was only the beginning. The king's hunters were just the first wave, a taste of what awaited her in the capital. But she wasn't afraid. If the king wanted a war, then she would give him one.

With a smirk, she turned her gaze toward the towering castle in the distance, its spires reaching into the night sky like dark, twisted fingers.

"Time to pay the king a visit," she muttered, her flames flickering to life once more as she strode forward, ready to set the entire kingdom ablaze.