Chương 170: The Meaning of Life

Xarath walked across a battlefield littered with corpses and ash. It was yet another land conquered and, at the same time, another land lost by the coalition. A soldier who had lost one of his legs crawled through the mud. Xarath watched him with curiosity. The man continued to drag himself forward, though it was impossible to tell where he found the strength or how he had not yet lost consciousness. Eventually, he grasped a red bracelet.

It was not particularly valuable, but each of its red stones bore an initial, which together spelled the name "Annie". He brought the bracelet to his lips and kissed it. Xarath raised a hand. With a simple gesture, he snapped the soldier's neck. A fragment of bone protruded through the skin as the man's face sank into the mud. The bracelet remained clenched in his hand as his body convulsed with its final nervous spasms before becoming still.

Xarath was about to create a portal and leave the battlefield when, all of a sudden, he was teleported away. He found himself in a completely white room. A gigantic chessboard, devoid of pieces, stretched beneath his feet. In front of him, seated with absolute calm, Nikos sipped a cup of green tea. Xarath looked around, impassive.

"An illusion? Who created it?" he thought.

"Xarath the Void Atlas. A pleasure to meet you. I am Nikos Nervos". Xarath stared at him.

"You're human. You couldn't have created this illusion. Who did?" Nikos set down his cup.

"Who do you think is the only mage in the world capable of trapping people in an illusion from thousands of kilometers away?" A faint smile appeared on Xarath's face.

"The Seer Aelira. But she must be foolish or have a truly terrible memory. Doesn't she know that I can escape all her illusions without any trouble?" If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"She knows very well. In fact, this illusion isn't really a plan…it's merely a test to understand you better".

"A test to understand me better?"

"Yes. To truly understand how you think. Because you don't believe life has any meaning". Xarath regarded him with mild amusement.

"It isn't something I believe. It is simply the universal truth".

"Every truth must be proven. Can you prove to me that life has no meaning?"

"How?"

"With a test".

"A test?"

"Yes. This is a sort of magical game. If you pass the test by proving that life has no meaning, you will leave this place without any trouble. If you fail, however, not only will your theory be proven false, but you will remain sealed here". Xarath smiled.

"And why would I take such a risk for something so meaningless?"

"You have a point. But why should you be afraid? You've been proclaiming that life has no meaning for centuries. Or perhaps, deep down, you hope that isn't true and that is why you're afraid to play?" Xarath sighed and sat down on the chessboard.

"Very well…explain the test". Nikos rose to his feet.

"Come here, little one". A boy with short black hair, a freckled face, and a smile plastered across his lips stepped forward. He radiated happiness and lightness, the exact opposite of Xarath's empty, bored expression.

"What does that child have to do with this?" Xarath asked.

"Convince him that life has no meaning. If you can shatter his happiness, if you can make the child believe that life has no meaning…you win". Xarath cracked his neck.

"This game really is simple". In Virelia, beneath the royal palace, the dragon training continued with mixed results. Dragons were complicated creatures: highly intelligent and unpredictable. Oscar was mounted on his dragon, Death. He was trying to control it and coax it into taking flight, but the creature seemed determined to resist. Death suddenly jerked, agitated, and threw him from its back. Oscar hit the ground, slamming his back against the floor.

"Your Majesty!" the soldiers exclaimed as they rushed toward him. Oscar struggled to his feet.

"I'm fine…damn dragon. It refuses to be tamed". Teresa approached with measured steps.

"Why not focus on the other two hatchlings? They seem calmer", she said, pointing toward the two green dragons. Oscar shook his head.

"No…Death belongs to me. I'll tame him, even if it costs me every bone in my body". Without hesitation, he climbed back onto the dragon and tried to control it once again. Death began thrashing about, while Oscar did everything he could to keep it under control. Naomi approached Teresa.

"Queen Mother, how is it going?"

"The green dragon and its two hatchlings were tamed easily. The black dragon His Majesty wants to tame, however, is different. Very proud". Naomi gave a faint smile.

"My Queen, for tonight's meeting, shall I wait for you in the back of the garden at sunset?" Teresa nodded.

"Yes, Naomi. Wait for me there". Naomi nodded and walked away. Teresa then turned her attention back to Oscar, who had fallen to the ground once again.

"Your Majesty, would you like to take a break?" asked a Golden Knight.

"No…no breaks". Oscar climbed back onto the dragon, more stubborn than ever.