The Forgotten Prophecy

Chapter 70

Lightning lit the darkening sky, as wind-driven raindrops cascaded the world outside her window, frozen from the icy winter. They had all known they were coming, and they had been preparing for something like that since they had begun their training.

No one ever feels ready for a battle, but they were prepared as was possible to that point. It was their duty to face the dangers ahead. The wrongs of their ancestors were not theirs to pay, yet their enemy came nevertheless to take vengeance. Perhaps they were the innocent party, the ones so wronged, but not anymore.

Ines' hands trembled as she tried to buckle her armour. She felt fear stab her, her mind screaming in terror for the impending clash, so much she barely managed to stand upright.

'That bloody—' she cursed through her teeth.

'Let me help you,' she heard Matthew approach. With expert movements he fixed her breastplate and tied the leather belt around her waist. He helped her put on her boots and the metal protectives around her legs. Once everything was put in place, he stood up and tacitly stared down at her.

Shouting and screaming was suddenly heard from outside, making them glance out the window. Matthew let out a gloomy sigh and turned to her, his expression a mixture of sadness and fury.

'If anything goes wrong—' Ines began to say but she was silenced by his stern gaze.

'Nothing will go wrong,' he said with certainty. 'You hear me? We can do this.'

She simply nodded in confirmation. A lump had formed in her throat, and she wasn't sure if she could utter another word without breaking. The storm inside her was too overwhelming. That might be their last time together, and it was too painful for her to carry.

A piercing sound coming from the city walls blared in the night and signified a call to all soldiers. 'This is my cue. I have to go,' she said solemnly. She went to reach for the doorknob before the first tears fell, but a strong hand firmly grabbed her arm and pulled her back. His arms trapped her slender waist between them, and she couldn't keep a small gasp from escaping her lips when their chests collided.

A faint smile appeared on his face, although it didn't reach his eyes. 'Peter,' he whispered softly. 'To the stars that listen, I promise to find you. No matter what happens.'

'Make sure to return safe.'

'I will.' He tenderly caressed her cheek, and she leaned in his touch.

They looked at each other, their gaze full of love and hope. They didn't want to voice their fears, as if sharing them out loud would make them come true. Instead, they ignored their evil luck and prayed for a future after the war.

They stayed like that for a while, unmoving, unblinking. When the alarm blared once again and they finally knew it was time to part, Matthew slowly bent down, bringing his forehead to touch hers, and their lips gently connected to share one last kiss. One that Ines dearly hoped wouldn't be the last one.

. . . . .

Though the epic songs spoke of bravery and glory, the reality was far from that; it was pain and screaming of souls, of hell made by human hand. There was war out there, people were going to die and suffer. She belonged to them.

With a heart on fire and eyes that blazed in determination, she climbed up the stairs and rushed to the top of the wall. As she scanned the lands ahead, the faintest spark of light glimmered in the storm and thunders broke the heavens.

She squinted hard but couldn't see anything beyond the rain. She waited and waited, and waited some more, and then she could slowly see shapes in the gloom; shadows of men, dozens of them. The earth trembled as creatures of darkness spilled from the trees.

She caught a glimpse of bodies straining, weapons flashing. Like a black tide they swept down the dunes of snow, their war-cries echoing high in the air. The elf was bringing down his army.

Ines didn't waste any time. She glanced at the warriors beside her and saw their panic-stricken faces. They were as terrified as her. She knew they intended to pay their fare for a world of joy and freedom, but they were afraid of the price they had to pay. Truly enough, no one was really ready for his death.

Ines cleared her throat and jumped on the edge of the wall. From up there, she stared down at her fellow soldiers and saw them study her through their helmets. They weren't many, most of their forces having been positioned in the southern part of the wall, but they were enough. 'Warriors and protectors of our kingdom!' she called out. 'It's time we let our failures be our education, to stand together and win the war. We'll dig in and win this war, so that our children won't have to. We have waited long enough. Today we face death with our heads high and our weapons drawn. Today we bring our enemies their due. Today we fight!'

Those were the words that sent the men to their purpose. The soldiers shouted in approval and banged their weapons on their shields, casting any doubts aside. Ines took hold of the ropes hanging from the side of the wall. There was no going back now. She gripped the ropes tight and let out a warrior scream, raising her sword in the air. Then, she jumped off the edge and down to the battlefield, and the other warriors fell behind her, their screams echoing in the night.

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A/N: To battle young warriooooor! Throw your stars against the enemy and hope that we'll prevail! Thank you for reading <3

Phrase of chapter: τὸ χρεὼν ἐπήρτηται· ἕως ζῇς, ἕως ἔξεστιν, ἀγαθὸς γενοῦ / death hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good - Marcus Aurelius