Chương 112: The Heir to the Throne

In the underground chambers of the royal palace of Virelia, Oscar was training hard with his sword against one of the royal guards. The metallic sound of the blades clashing echoed along the stone walls. Oscar advanced with quick and precise movements, constantly forcing the soldier to retreat. Every strike was controlled, yet powerful enough to make his opponent's sword vibrate. Suddenly, Oscar heard footsteps coming from the corridor. He stopped. The soldier immediately lowered his weapon.

Oscar turned his gaze toward the entrance to the room. Matilda appeared shortly afterward, slowly walking toward him.

"Leave us alone", Oscar ordered. The soldier nodded without asking any questions and walked away, leaving the two of them alone. Oscar sheathed his sword and looked at his wife with a serious expression.

"I hope you have a valid reason for interrupting me".

"Yes, Your Highness", Matilda replied as she approached him. For a few moments, she seemed hesitant. Then she placed a hand over her stomach.

"I'm expecting a child". Oscar remained silent. Matilda lowered her gaze toward her stomach before continuing.

"Our child…the heir to the throne".

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. The doctor said that the symptoms are consistent with pregnancy. Besides, I've stopped bleeding…it's practically confirmed". Oscar remained motionless for a few seconds. Then, slowly, he smiled. He approached Matilda and placed a hand on her stomach. Immediately afterward, he kissed her on the lips, completely catching her by surprise. Such a gesture from Oscar was unusual. When he pulled away from her, he looked directly into her eyes.

"Forgive me for being so demanding these past few weeks, but I was under a lot of pressure regarding this conception". He gently caressed her face.

"But now, we've succeeded". Matilda stared at him, still surprised by his behavior. Oscar smiled again.

"I knew you would make an excellent queen. I was right, in the end. You're strong and beautiful, just as I always thought". Matilda slightly furrowed her brow.

"But what's gotten into you? It's not like you to praise me like this". Oscar let out a brief laugh.

"Just because I was a little harsh during this period doesn't mean I don't care about you, Matilda". His expression became serious again.

"You are the queen of the kingdom, my wife… and the future mother of the heir to the throne. Never forget that". Matilda slowly nodded. The goblins poured into the streets of Loxia like an uncontrollable wave. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. They were everywhere. They emerged from alleys, stormed into homes, and ran through the squares, attacking civilians indiscriminately.

The magical creatures, caught completely off guard, did not even have time to organize a defense. Desperate screams filled the streets. Shops were devastated, stalls overturned and homes destroyed as the goblins continued to advance. Some civilians attempted to flee through the side streets, only to find themselves confronted by other groups of creatures. Xarath simply watched the massacre. He stood motionless amid the chaos, like a spectator who had watched the same movie hundreds, if not thousands, of times.

But Loxia was not Olix. Loxia was the main city of the Rocky Mountain regions. It was the city that symbolized equality between the races, a place where humans, elves, giants, gnomes and other magical creatures had coexisted for centuries. It was also the wealthiest city in the region, built upon centuries of history, trade and prosperity. For this reason, the goblins encountered much greater resistance this time. Mages emerged from the buildings and began casting spells at the creatures.

Elves wielded bows and swords, while the giants charged into the goblin hordes with devastating force. One giant grabbed a goblin and hurled it at a group of its kind, knocking several of them down. An elf dashed across a street and decapitated two goblins with a single swing of his sword. A little farther ahead, a group of mages generated a gigantic explosion that swept away dozens of goblins, leaving behind nothing but rubble and smoke. The battle quickly transformed the streets of Loxia into a battlefield.

Several fairies, meanwhile, flew around Xarath, surrounding him.

"He's a mage", one of them said.

"We need to trap him with a seal", another added. Their tiny voices were faint, almost inaudible amid the roar of the battle. In unison, they pointed their hands toward Xarath. A golden light formed in the air. Within moments, a barrier appeared around him, completely enclosing him. It was perfectly circular and shone intensely, leaving him no means of escape. The fairies smiled. Xarath, however, remained calm.

"Fairies…" He raised his gaze toward them.

"It's been centuries since I last saw you. I thought your kind had gone extinct". He did not even move a finger. The golden barrier cracked. A fracture appeared across its surface. Then another. And another. In an instant, the entire barrier shattered like glass. The fairies had no time to react. They exploded one after another, transforming into glowing fragments that scattered through the air. Xarath closed his eyes. He concentrated. He could hear the screams. The sounds of battle. The noise of explosions.

Buildings collapsing. The destruction spreading to every corner of the city. He was accustomed to all of it. Some goblins were crushed by giants or slaughtered by elves right in front of him, but Xarath did not care. He was not there simply to destroy Loxia. He was there to absorb as many magical particles as possible. And so, his true assault began. Elves, giants, humans, mages and the few remaining fairies desperately attempted to stop him. It was useless. Xarath was far too powerful.

All he had to do was move a hand to generate invisible slashes that tore through his opponents' bodies, mutilating or decapitating them. With another gesture, he could make them explode into countless pieces. Every death increased the amount of magical energy he could absorb. Xarath continued walking among the corpses without showing the slightest emotion. He passed by the bodies, absorbing one magical particle after another.

"Perhaps today I'll finally be able to destroy the limiters imposed by Seer Aelira", he thought.

"I would finally be free from her chains". He was absorbing magical energy from a fallen giant when, suddenly, an incredibly powerful shockwave struck him. The ground exploded beneath his feet. Xarath was sent flying hundreds of meters, tearing across a street before crashing into a building. The wall gave way under the impact. Stones and debris fell all around him. Xarath did not even have time to get back up. A devastating punch struck him directly in the face. His body was sent flying again.

A moment later, an incredibly powerful kick struck him in the stomach, sending him even farther away. Xarath continued rolling for several meters before violently crashing into a large rock. For a few seconds, he remained motionless. Then he slowly got back up, clutching his aching abdomen. Standing before him was a young female mage with black hair and golden eyes that glowed intensely. She wore a white uniform. The woman stared at him with determination.

"Xarath the Void Atlas", she said firmly.

"We meet again". Xarath took a closer look at her. Then he smiled.

"Faelira…dear sister". She clenched her fists.

"I thought I would never see you again after you killed our parents". Her voice trembled slightly, but she did not look away.

"Why are you destroying Loxia? And why did you bring goblins with you?" Xarath tilted his head slightly.

"Am I obligated to answer you?" His smile grew colder.

"You'd better leave. Otherwise, you'll die too. I'll have to kill you". Faelira did not retreat.

"With those limiters?" She stared directly into his eyes.

"I doubt you can". Xarath studied her more carefully.

"She knows about the limiters…" The conclusion immediately became obvious to him.

"It makes sense. Otherwise, she never would have challenged me directly". The smile returned to his face.

"It doesn't matter. I'll manage to kill her anyway". The wind swept through the ruins of Loxia, lifting dust and small fragments of stone. Behind them, the battle continued. But for a moment, it seemed as though the entire city had disappeared. The two remained motionless, their gazes locked. They were ready to clash.