Chương 99: The Story of Ugly: Final Part

Loxia refused every attempt at negotiation. To its people, sitting down to negotiate with a goblin was unthinkable. It was not merely absurd. it was downright insulting. Not even Gareth's prestige and influence were enough to change their minds. Instead of dialogue came threats and ultimatums. Aixol had to be evacuated immediately. If its inhabitants refused to abandon the city, Loxia would destroy it by force. The news spread quickly, plunging the entire community into despair.

That little paradise, built through years of sacrifice and hope, had suddenly become a target. Ugly did everything he could to reassure his wife, but fear had already taken hold of her. She wanted only one thing: to flee. To save themselves and their child. But Ugly had spent his entire life running away. He had been born fleeing. He had spent his childhood in hiding. He had survived by constantly moving from one refuge to another, never able to call any place home.

And yet, after countless escapes, he had finally found what he had always been searching for. Aixol. A place where no one judged him for what he was. A place where a goblin could live without being treated like a monster. A city where violence was nothing more than a word, not a law. Now that he had finally found all of this, he could not turn his back on it. He no longer wanted to run. He would not abandon his dream. He would defend Aixol, whatever the cost.

He rejected the ultimatums and continued seeking dialogue until the very last moment. He even offered to hand over part of the city's provisions every month. He was willing to endure hunger himself if it meant preventing bloodshed. But to the people of Loxia, those offers were not acts of peace. They were an insult. A goblin daring to negotiate with them as an equal. Every proposal was rejected. Then, one night… it happened. Loxia attacked. A massive army marched toward Aixol.

Humans, elves, mages, gnomes and countless other races advanced together like a single unstoppable tide. Aixol had no army. It had no soldiers. It had abandoned weapons because it believed violence would never build a better future. That was why the city fell within minutes. The houses were consumed by flames. The sky turned crimson. The screams of men, women and children echoed everywhere. Only a handful chose to fight so that the others could escape.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Among them was Gareth. He was the strongest of them all. With his sword, he fought off four or five opponents at once, even managing to drive them back. But their numbers seemed endless. Every enemy he struck down was immediately replaced by another. Little by little, his strength began to fail him. Then, a mage hidden behind him slowly raised a hand. A beam of light tore through the air.

The laser pierced straight through Gareth's chest. A gaping hole opened in his torso. He staggered. His sword slipped from his hands. He fell to his knees, and moments later collapsed into a pool of blood. Ugly saw him. He abandoned everything and ran to his side. Dropping to his knees beside his friend, his hands trembled so violently that he could not even bring himself to touch him. He did not know how to help. There was nothing he could do. Gareth slowly lifted his eyes. He looked at Ugly one last time.

Then he smiled. A faint smile, but a sincere one.

"Thank you… thank you for making me part of your story… when I see my wife again… I'll tell her everything…" His breathing grew weaker and weaker. Then it stopped. Gareth died with a smile on his lips. At peace. Ugly broke down in tears. He had just lost his very first friend. The first person who had ever treated him like a living being instead of a monster. Beside Gareth's body lay the manuscript he had been writing. Ugly's story. His suffering. His dreams. His achievements.

A gnome stepped forward, gently picked up the manuscript and held it tightly against his chest. Ugly saw him. His eyes filled with tears, he gave the gnome a slight nod. Then he begged him for help. They had to save his wife and son. Amid the chaos, the screams and the burning buildings, they managed to reach them. They hurried them into a carriage. The gnome seized the reins. Ugly picked up his son and held him as tightly as he could, as though he wished to engrave that embrace into his memory forever.

Then he kissed his wife. They were both crying. She cupped his face in her hands.

"Come with us… please… we can still make it…" Ugly closed his eyes. Then he slowly shook his head. If Aixol was destined to die… then he would die with it. The gnome lowered his gaze. His own eyes had filled with tears. With a snap of the reins, the carriage lurched forward. Ugly's wife kept turning back toward him, weeping desperately, until the smoke finally swallowed her from sight. Ugly stood motionless, watching. Her. His son. His family. Only when they disappeared beyond the horizon did he turn around.

Before him stood the entire army of Loxia. He slowly raised his hands. He offered no resistance. He allowed himself to be captured. They tied him to a stake. They piled firewood around his feet. Then they set it ablaze. Ugly remained perfectly still. He did not even try to free himself. At that very moment, the sky darkened. A mighty beat of wings shook the air. The Green Dragon appeared above the battlefield. It was the very same dragon that Ugly had once fed without asking for anything in return.

The entire army froze. No one dared to breathe. The dragon saw Ugly bound to the stake. Its eyes blazed with fury. Slowly, it opened its jaws. A crimson light began gathering deep within its throat. It was about to reduce everyone below to ashes.

"No!" Ugly's shout shattered the silence.

"Stop!" The dragon halted its attack a heartbeat before unleashing it. Slowly, it lowered its gaze toward him.

"Don't kill them…please". For several long seconds, they simply stared at one another. The dragon understood. It realized those words were sincere. Reluctantly, it closed its jaws. It let out a long roar filled with rage and frustration. Then it spread its wings and disappeared into the sky. Only then did the people of Loxia regain their courage. The flames began to engulf Ugly's body.

"Die, filthy goblin!"

"Monster!"

"Thief!"

"Murderer!"

"Demon!" Their shouts blended with the crackling of the fire. Ugly, however, smiled. Tears continued to stream down his face. Strangely, the pain of the flames was not nearly as intense as he had imagined. All he felt was a warmth that kept growing stronger. Perhaps it was because he had already suffered so much throughout his life that he no longer feared even fire. Or perhaps it was because, if only for a short while, he had managed to fulfill his dream.

He had created a place where goblins and other races had lived together in peace. And now he would die alongside that dream. Thus ended the life of Ugly. Despised by the people of Loxia. But deeply loved by everyone who had truly had the privilege of knowing him. The gnome slowly closed the book. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Silence filled the room for several moments. Teresa was the one who finally broke it.

"The gnome who picked up Gareth's writings…that was you, wasn't it?" The gnome slowly nodded.

"Yes. I witnessed his execution from afar. I saw with my own eyes that he could have ordered the dragon to wipe them all out, yet he stopped it instead. After that day, I took it upon myself to complete the manuscript. I gathered the testimonies of those who had known him. I even reconstructed the story of his birth. I wanted his story to be told for what it truly was". Naomi lowered her gaze to the book.

"Why were you so against reading it to us?" The gnome sighed.

"Because this book is forbidden throughout Loxia. I keep it only out of respect for Ugly…and for everything he sacrificed. If anyone discovered that I possess it, I would be banished from the city. They would accuse me of sympathizing with goblins. And I cannot allow that to happen". Teresa slowly rose to her feet. There was nothing in her eyes but determination.

"Where are the ruins of Aixol?"