Chương 93: Condemned by Hope

Among the rocky mountains stood a vast makeshift camp, a tangled sprawl of tattered tents, wooden stakes driven into the ground and rusted metal enclosures. The air was heavy, saturated with the stench of sweat, blood, and dry earth. The sun hung high overhead, beating down mercilessly upon the prisoners, turning the camp into an open-air hell. Inside, beings of every race were crammed together: humans, elves, gnomes, fairies and countless other magical creatures. They all shared the same fate.

Shackled, filthy, starving, and weakened by hunger and thirst, they had been reduced to mere shadows of themselves. Some stared into nothingness with hollow eyes; others gazed silently at the ground, as though they had abandoned even hope itself. The camp was guarded by goblins. They laughed, hurled insults at one another, and amused themselves by tormenting the slaves, treating them like livestock. One of them seized a tiny fairy who was desperately struggling to take flight.

Her wings trembled with the effort, far too weak to carry her.

"Let me go!" the little creature cried, thrashing with all her strength. The goblin cupped a hand behind his ear and tilted his head with a mocking grin.

"What was that? I can't hear you!" His laughter echoed throughout the camp. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he lifted the fairy to his mouth and bit down. Her tiny bones cracked beneath the crushing force of his jaws. Her frail body was crushed between yellowed teeth as she let out one final, feeble scream. Moments later, nothing remained of her, leaving behind only an even more oppressive silence. The other slaves immediately lowered their heads. No one dared to speak. Among them was Teresa.

Her curly brown hair was tangled and coated with dust. Her once well-kept skin was dry and reddened by the relentless sun. Her royal garments had been reduced to filthy, torn rags. Around her neck hung a heavy iron collar whose weight seemed less like metal and more like a sentence. And yet, despite everything, her gaze had not changed. It was still proud. Xarath walked slowly among the prisoners, observing them with complete indifference, like a man strolling through a livestock farm.

When he stopped before Teresa, he crouched until he was at eye level with her and offered a faint smile.

"Good morning, Queen Mother". Teresa did not answer. She simply stared at him with a hatred so intense it seemed almost tangible. Xarath appeared amused.

"Hope…" he said calmly.

"A virtue everyone praises. And yet, in your situation, it serves only to prolong your suffering". With a casual gesture, he indicated the entire camp.

"Look at how the goblins treat the other prisoners. Why do they keep breathing? Why don't they bite off their own tongues and end their lives? Why don't they surrender?" He paused briefly.

"The answer is simple: they hope". His eyes slowly swept across the faces of the slaves. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"They hope that someone will come to save them. They hope this torment is only temporary. They hope tomorrow will be different from today". Xarath's smile widened.

"And it is precisely that hope which condemns them. Without it, they would stop suffering immediately". Teresa continued to stare at him without lowering her eyes.

"I hope…" she whispered, her voice weary yet remarkably steady, "…that you and every one of these goblins die in the most painful way imaginable". Silence lingered for several seconds. Then Xarath let out a quiet laugh.

"Once again, you cling to hope". He slowly shook his head.

"How curious. You rely on a virtue you consider noble to wish something so terrible upon your enemies". He looked at her with genuine amusement.

"Don't you find that ironic?" He slowly rose to his feet.

"Perhaps one day we will suffer. Perhaps one day we will die". He took a few steps, turning his back on her.

"But that day is not today". He gestured once more toward the slaves.

"For now, these prisoners will continue to be enslaved, tortured and killed". Then he glanced back over his shoulder.

"And you will continue to be my hostage". Without another word, he resumed walking, leaving her alone among the chains. Teresa followed him with her eyes until he disappeared between the tents. She clenched her teeth so tightly that her jaw began to ache. Two months earlier. Teresa had just arrived, accompanied by her royal guard, in the kingdom's rocky regions. It was an immense territory divided into four great regions stacked one above another, each lying at a higher elevation than the last.

These lands were renowned for their suffocating heat, barren mountains, and harsh landscape, but above all for the extraordinary diversity of their inhabitants. Humans, elves, gnomes, fairies and countless other magical creatures lived side by side here. No race formed a true majority. It was one of the few places on the continent where the balance among its peoples had remained intact for centuries. Before them stretched a great city carved into the mountainside. Loxia.

Its walls blended seamlessly with the surrounding rock, while terraces and bridges connected the city's different levels.

"There really are a lot of magical creatures here", Teresa observed, looking around with curiosity. A young female soldier with short blonde hair and brown eyes stepped beside her.

"Yes, Your Majesty. But you needn't worry. They're harmless. Conflicts between races are extremely rare in these lands, and when they do occur, they're seldom caused by racial differences. The peoples here have lived together peacefully for centuries". Teresa smiled.

"Oh, I'm not afraid". She studied the young woman for a moment.

"Tell me…what's your name, soldier?"

"Naomi, Your Majesty". She respectfully lowered her head.

"I'm not afraid, Naomi", Teresa said serenely.

"If anything, I think I feel safer here than I do in Virelia". With that, she made her way toward the city. The streets of Loxia were alive with noise and activity. Market stalls filled every corner of the central square. The aromas of spices, freshly baked bread, and incense mingled in the air as merchants of every race displayed their wares, eagerly trying to catch the attention of passersby. A gnome with a long, thick, unruly red beard waved a small glass vial.

"My lady!" he called enthusiastically.

"Would you be interested in a potion that will keep you young forever?" Teresa slowed her pace and approached him with curiosity. Naomi quickly stepped closer.

"It's a scam…" she whispered discreetly.

"My…lady". The gnome snorted indignantly.

"A scam? I scam no one! Try it and see for yourself! Only fifty crowns!" Teresa examined the vial for a few moments. Then, without bargaining, she took out the money and handed it to him. The gnome smiled in satisfaction.

"An excellent purchase, my lady! You'll remain young for all eternity!" Teresa returned his smile with a gentle one of her own before continuing on her way. Naomi hurried after her.

"Your Highness…" the soldier said.

"I seriously doubt that potion actually works. If something like that truly existed, it would cost far more than fifty crowns". Teresa looked at her with an amused expression.

"I know that, Naomi". She raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.

"Do you take me for a fool?" Naomi immediately turned pale.

"Absolutely not, Your Majesty! I never meant to offend you". Teresa glanced back at the gnome, who was already busy calling out to other customers.

"Did you notice his teeth?" she asked. Naomi frowned in confusion.

"He was missing his front teeth. His clothes were worn and patched in several places. He smelled unpleasant and his hands were rough from years of labor". She paused briefly.

"He needed that money". The young soldier remained silent.

"Besides", Teresa continued, "I don't mind helping money circulate across the continent. I possess the wealth of an entire kingdom. I doubt fifty crowns will make any difference to me". Naomi lowered her gaze.

"You're right…forgive me, Your Highness. I underestimated your wisdom and foresight". Teresa smiled warmly.

"You don't need to apologize". Then, in a more casual tone, she added,"And while we're here, treat me as your equal. We're not at the palace. In this city, I'm just an ordinary noblewoman". Naomi hesitated.

"I could never do that".

"It's an order". The soldier sighed before nodding.

"I'll do my best". And so Teresa and her royal guard continued exploring the streets of Loxia, allowing themselves to be swept away by the city's lively atmosphere. None of them had the slightest idea that, before long, that peaceful corner of the world would be consumed by a horror destined to shatter everything.