The Forgotten Prophecy

Chapter 37

Peter was getting strong. Every day he was less her equal, more and more she was the hunter and he the hunted prey. If it was difficult for him to take her down before, now it was nearly impossible. Their fights were rare, she being focused on her training with the elves, and he was kinda missing her untamable side.

He had spent most of his days training with the others, and the elves had got used to his presence by then. They mostly left him alone, but sometimes they let him practise with them too, probably because they were bored and needed something to laugh about. Their mocking whispers only gave him the drive to become better.

Little by little, their strikes were growing rarer. Matthew moved faster, his mind was often a step ahead, foreseeing his opponents' spells. Little by little, the elves saw his perseverance and acknowledged his undeniable strength and skills. He won them over with his determination on the field, which proved to the elves that he was someone they didn't want to mess with.

Matthew's mind emptied when he fought and for a time, he was freed from the buzzing thoughts in his head, until the training was over, and he was left alone with an empty space inside his chest. The truth was that each day he was always looking forward to the moment Peter would return from her lesson, nervously glancing at the bridge to see if she was coming.

During those weeks he had realised that by then it was too difficult for him to be apart from her. At the beginning he had dismissed the feeling of loneliness that followed him around like a ghost, but after sensing the smile that spread on his lips whenever he saw her, he was convinced that she was the source of those weird emotions.

Matthew couldn't deny that they had been through so much together and the hardships they had faced had drown them closer than ever. She had gone from being a prickle in his ass to being the friend he had never had in the past. She was the person who made him forget his worries and lifted his spirits when he needed it the most. He knew he couldn't bare losing her.

'Pull yourself together!' he moaned in frustration, polishing his sword by a tree.

His thoughts were constantly trailing back to her, her beautiful eyes, the delicate curve of her neck, her golden hair that glowed in the sun. He could hardly endure the intensity of his emotions whenever she spoke up for him or her gaze captivated his own in a mesmerizing daze. It turned out that she didn't just have that puzzled look, she had another, deeper and mystifying, and he was catching it all the time.

Matthew sighed in defeat, knowing that she wouldn't get out his head, so he quietly kept polishing his weapon immersed in his thoughts. The branches of the tree above him became dancing silhouettes in the evening sky. Night would soon spread its wings over the city, creating a blanket of starlight and dark shadows.

Like every other day he patiently waited for Peter to come back from the woods. He stole glances from his right, where the bridge was located, and was disappointed whenever he made a mistake and falsely thought he had seen her in the distance. After what felt like centuries, he finally spotted her walking towards his direction, but then he noticed Landos next to her and knitted his brows in annoyance.

He hadn't forgotten their fight a couple of days ago, or rather the bruises he carried didn't let him. Matthew watched them talk, their lips moving fervently, as if they were having a heated conversation. He didn't like how the elf's hand kept touching her shoulder, or the way she stood so close to him. It caused a heartburn to burble up his chest, and he didn't know how to cope with that sudden pang of jealousy.

He glared at Landos, wishing he could tear him away from her and punch the smirk out of his face. When his mouth reached the side of her face and whispered something to her, Matthew completely lost it. With clenched fists and gritted teeth, he tore down the path like a charging bull, ignoring the people gasping around him.