The Forgotten Prophecy

Chapter 39

His axe's sharp blade cut the firewood with precision, easily splitting the longs in two. In the silent night of the forest his laboured breathing was the only thing that could be heard as he worked tirelessly to finish his task. It was clear he was straining to be quick, but the big pile of wood beside him that remained to be chopped was never-ending.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead and resumed to his work without taking a break. He wanted to return to the city as soon as possible and check on Peter back at the infirmary to ensure that she had completely recovered. His grip automatically tightened around the handle of the axe at the memory of someone purposely attacking her, and his jaw clenched in anger.

'At last, we meet.'

A velvety eerie voice sounded from behind him, and Matthew's hands froze, still holding the axe in midair. He slowly lowered the tool to the ground and reluctantly turned around to see who had spoken. His eyes narrowed at the sight before him.

A tall man calmly stood a few metres away from him. His face looked young, but his eyes were cold and empty, like they had witnessed all the ruins of their world ahead of his age. His jet-black hair was sleeked back and his dark cloak brushed the snow under his boots. For some reason he looked really familiar. Have I seen him before?, he wondered. He quickly dismissed the thought. There was no way for them to have met in the past.

Matthew didn't respond. He silently observed him with suspicion, touching the hilt of his sword. He had to learn his motives first before he jumped to conclusions. He might only be an elf from the city who was snooping around.

'Did you like my surprise?' he nonchalantly asked him, looking at his nails. 'It wasn't easy, you know, to...hear them scream.'

Matthew immediately connected the dots, and a sneer overtook his face. 'You burned that building!' he snarled at the stranger.

'I am full of surprises, aren't I?' The satisfied smile on his lips infuriated him even more.

'You will pay for what you did,' he threatened with malice, making the elf scoff.

'Tell me. How? You are too weak, and I am too powerful.'

'What do you want?'

'Just to cleanse this world from evil,' he said matter-of-factly. 'Humans are corrupt, while elves are conceited. They deserve to be purged.'

'And you get to decide who are deserving and who are not? That makes you worse than them!'

'You still don't see the bigger picture.'

'What bigger picture? This is madness!' Matthew couldn't stand listening to his lunatics anymore. He had to act fast, or else he would get away with his evil doing unscathed. He had to alert the others and let them take care of him. It was right at that moment when he suddenly heard leaves ruffling. He glanced at the source of the sound and cursed at his luck. Peter had appeared through the trees and was staring at them questioningly. So much for rushing to get back.

'Well, well, well. Who do we have here?' the elf smirked at her. 'Isn't that your brave companion. I've been watching you for a long time now.'

'Get behind me,' Matthew grabbed her arm and pulled her back. 'He lit the fire today.'

'What? Really?'

'Yes.'

'Have you told him your little secret?' the elf went on ignoring him.

Peter avoided his gaze, pursing her lips in anxiety. There was only one secret Matthew could recall and that could turn into a weapon in the wrong hands. He wished he was wrong, that the wicked elf was referring to something else altogether. Their encounter was getting more and more sinister.