Chapter 8 - Clash of Destinies
"Traitor!" Valen shrieked, pointing a trembling finger down at Queen Eleanor, who had just stepped onto the lower platform alongside her son. "You poisoned me! You conspired with this filth!"
Eleanor raised her chin, her voice carrying magically across the silent, tensely charged plaza. "You stole a kingdom built on blood and lies, Valen! Your reign of terror ends today!"
Valen drew a heavy, rune-etched broadsword from a captain's scabbard, stepping down toward Julian with murder in his eyes. "If I cannot rule this kingdom, no one will!"
He lunged forward, swinging the heavy blade with malicious speed aimed directly at Julian’s neck.
The crowd screamed, covering their eyes.
But Julian didn't move. With a flick of his wrist, the glowing mark on his shoulder flared with blinding intensity. The massive beast stepped in front of Julian in a fraction of a second, catching the heavy sword strike with its bare forearm.
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CLANG!
Sparks flew in a brilliant shower. The impact sent a shockwave through the stone pavement, cracking the flagstones beneath Valen’s feet. Before the tyrant king could recover his balance, the beast swept its massive tail, sending Valen crashing hard against the base of the scaffold.
