Chương 16: Morvath

Felicity, Leah, and Xia galloped at full speed, the barren ground of the southern lands rushing beneath the horses' hooves like a dry river, when suddenly Xia pulled on the reins and her horse came to an abrupt halt. Leah nearly lost her balance.

"What's wrong?" she asked, breathing heavily. Xia remained motionless, her eyes wide open and her expression suddenly serious.

"Someone is coming". The air grew colder. Ahead of them, space warped like dark water, and a black portal opened. Xarath emerged from it. The mage observed the three women in silence. His gaze immediately settled on Felicity, then drifted to Xia, lingering on her with an expression full of contempt.

"For what reason is the last member of the Prinz Clan travelling alongside a monster like you?" he asked, without taking his eyes off Xia.

"We share a common goal", she replied calmly. Xarath tilted his head slightly.

"A common goal…I see. Tell me, is there truly no way to convince you to hand over the Prinz without a fight?"

"To have her, you'll have to kill me", Xia replied. Felicity clenched her teeth in irritation. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"Stop talking as if I'm not here. I don't need protection. What the hell do you want from me?" she asked, staring at Xarath. A faint smile appeared on the mage's face.

"I believe that this woman and I want the same thing from you". He then cast a sideways glance at Xia.

"Under normal circumstances, I would do anything to obtain a Prinz, but with these limiters on, a monster like you would devour me alive. Isn't that right?" Xia smiled faintly but said nothing. Xarath sighed.

"We will meet again". Then, looking at Felicity, he added: "Until next time, Prinz". The black portal closed behind him, leaving only silence and dust in its wake. Felicity remained still for a few seconds.

"Who the hell was that? And why did he want me?" she asked, still tense.

"A sorcerer. A very powerful one", Xia replied.

"I don't know what he wanted from you, but we were fortunate that he chose to retreat". Leah swallowed nervously.

"He seemed afraid of you".

"He was afraid of all three of us. Now let's go. The legendary sword is close". She urged her horse forward once more. Leah immediately followed. Felicity lingered behind for only a moment, her gaze lost in the distance, before spurring her horse and catching up with them. Meanwhile, at Camp 91, devastation reigned. Charred corpses covered the ground, burning tents illuminated the night, and the clash of weapons mixed with the screams of the dying.

Ethan cut down two mages with a wide flaming slash, then suddenly stopped. Morvath stood before him.

"It has been a long time since I last saw a legendary sword in action", the mage said, observing him with interest. Ethan did not reply. He unleashed a wave of flames at him. Morvath teleported behind him and immobilised him with a gesture of his hand. Ethan tightened his grip on the sword. The flames exploded outward, enveloping his body like a blazing aura. With a desperate effort, he managed to break free and launched a powerful fiery strike.

Morvath conjured an invisible barrier that blocked the attack, then answered with a shockwave that hurled Ethan several metres away. The knight rolled across the dry earth before struggling back to his feet.

"Every bone in my body is burning", he thought.

"If I don't hurry, I'll lose consciousness. Or worse". Morvath slowly advanced towards him, ready to strike again. Ethan raised his flaming sword and assumed a defensive stance.