The Forgotten Prophecy

Chapter 32

Ines suddenly found herself in an empty space. Everywhere she looked, there was a thick fog that hid whatever was behind it. She scanned the area. She was alone. Her legs started moving towards the foggy blanket, hoping that she could get out of that desolate place. Each step led her deeper into the mist, and she ended up walking blindly in the unknown. She was still lost in the grey clouds, when, suddenly, she heard the hollow sound of running feet and screaming in the distance.

Ines looked around her, but she couldn't find its origin. She stayed completely still, her ears the only guide she could trust. At first nothing moved in the silence, but then in a matter of seconds all hell broke loose. Dark faceless figures attacked her from every direction. She swiftly took out her sword and threw herself against them. She jumped and turned instinctively, and struck them with her weapon, but the figures were like ghosts made of smoke. Whenever she was hit, her skin burned from the impact, like she was touched by ice.

The fight seemed to have no end, despite her efforts to escape. She was surrounded, and her legs were giving up on her. She was trying to clear up a way out through her opponents, but her final attempt to break free was cut off by an oddly familiar voice.

'Peter!'

Her eyes widened in shock. That voice belonged to no other than Matthew. Ines looked around her. She couldn't see where he was, so she blindly struck her nearest opponents. Their back-to-back hits were excruciating, and Ines felt her body going limp, her legs bending under the pain.

As she fell to the ground, Matthew's screams pierced the fog once more, closer this time. I can't let him get hurt, she panicked. She tried to stand up, to get to him, but she couldn't move at all. His screaming shook her to the core, a terrible shrieking sound full of agony.

Her body was in flames. Anger coursed through her veins as tears blurred her vision. She shut her eyes and yelled with all her power, releasing the rage and fear she had inside her, and felt all her energy disappear. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. Ines lied down, and let darkness come.

'Peter! Peter!'

She heard someone yelling at her. They sounded familiar. She opened her eyes and saw the old elf glaring at her.

'M-m-matthew...I have...I have to find him,' she mumbled desperately. She tried to stand up, but her legs were too weak, and her head was killing her.

'What are you doing? Stay down!'

She felt his firm hands push her down. 'He is in danger!' she breathed out.

'No, Peter! It was just part of the illusion! I did it to test you.'

Ines blinked at him shocked. At that moment she completely understood what had happened. It was all a test. She didn't know what happened in the end, though, if she had passed the test or not.

'Strange,' the old elf said more to himself.

'What is it?'

'I could not sense any magic in you. But how is that possible?'

'Maybe I don't have any powers after all?'

'No. You did this...blast of magic. No, you yield magic, but...you...you seem to draw it from others.'

Ines was too tired to follow his trail of thought. She stretched her neck, and massaged her temples. At least she was feeling better.

'I must monitor you,' he went on, his mouth set in a hard line. 'I cannot jump to conclusions without further evidence.'

'Hasn't anyone been through the same? We could consult them.'

The old elf looked her dead in the eye. 'Nobody has shown such skills.'

Ines stared at him with a gaping jaw. She surely couldn't believe that. Not only did she have powers, but she also was different than the rest. She needed to clear her head first in order to get her head around it. The old elf stood up and offered her his hand to help her.

'Come,' he said in a soothing tone, 'I will discuss it with the elders and—'

'So, it's true. You have a convention of elders.'

'Yes. Our people prefer to be governed by the wise and experienced. Not some aristocrats whose main goal is to retain their titles and wealth.'

Ines didn't comment anything; she knew it was pointless when he wasn't willing to see past that. The city had its cons, but it had good things too. She sighed and rose to her feet without taking his hand. They turned their backs to the temple and walked towards the village.

While crossing the tall bridge, Inerma saw them coming from the distance and rushed to them. 'How did it go?' she asked grinning with excitement.

'I don't know,' Ines answered unsurely.

'I will meet you later. Bear in mind that Matthew's presence is the one that triggered your instincts. You should ask yourself why,' the old elf said.

Ines wrinkled her brows. She hadn't thought about that; she didn't even know what had happened. Her emotions had got the best of her. 'Because I have known him since we were kids?'

The old elf narrowed his eyes and left without saying anything.

'So?' Inerma spoke again.

'So, what?'

'I told you so,' she flipped her hair full of pride.

Ines stayed silent. She just wanted to lie down somewhere and sleep until the next morning. She would have to think about that later. They reached the square where the infirmary and the training grounds were and sat on a bench that was shaded by a singing willow tree.

'Was it difficult?' the elf asked her.

'Not sure. It was...not what I expected.'

'He does that to every child. Believe me, you did better than them.'

'That's comforting,' she said with a scoff.

'When I was tested, I was so angry at him, he had to put me to sleep for his own sake.'

'That wasn't necessary.'

'Did he tell you about your powers?'

'He said something about special powers and people not having similar ones.'

'So, what can you do? Fly? Breathe fire?'

The women laughed loudly. At least she had someone to take her mind off the complicated side of her life.

They stayed there for a while, and little by little Ines relaxed; she felt calmer and more optimistic. She stared at the people passing by and wondered whether she wasn't so different from them after all, whether she could find a part of herself amongst them.

'You should go check on Matthew' Inerma interrupted her thoughts.

'Why? Did something happen?' she asked worriedly.

The elf shrugged her shoulders and stood up. 'You'd better go, or you'll miss the show,' she yelled with her back turned at her.

Ines immediately jumped from the bench; she didn't want to see the illusion of the test become a reality. She ran towards the training building, fear clouding her features, and burst in through the open doors. Her eyes darted left and right anxiously. She had forgotten any fatigue she was feeling earlier and was ready for anything. She was running all possible scenarios in her mind in which she had to find a safe way out of the city, until something in the training grounds caught her attention. Something she had never imagined witnessing. 

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A/N:  Thanks for reading! If you leave a vote, I'll tell you what Ines is witnessing, but don't tell nobody ;) Now you people go do somthing fun or somthing. Do whatever you want just be happy! Hope you all have a wonderful day/night ✨💫

Phrase of chapter:  tempus edax rerum / time, devourer of all things  - Ovid