To Thaw a Hero's Heart

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Legend of Gojira

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Legend of Gojira

Abigail tried to cheer up Mathias to no avail. He slowly began to eat less which wasn't healthy for him and she had to literally had to force the stubborn man to eat at times. He would stare out at the castle at night with a look of longing in his eyes and occasionally cried when he heard her from the castle. It broke the young woman's heart seeing him in such a state every night in the guestroom, she could see him crying silently and she felt completely useless not knowing how she can help ease his pain. She didn't need Mathias to tell her what happened since she heard it from a few guards around town talking about the events that took place at the castle. She was shocked to know that two people were killed and what was even more surprising they claimed to be Alice's parents.

"It still doesn't explain why he left in such a state." She said to herself one day as she cleaned up her shop for the fifth time that week. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the slow heavy steps in the room till a shadow caught her attention. Mathias stood near her and his eyes were glossy and he seemed tired both physically and mentally. If anyone else saw him they would of thought he was sick but Abigail knew better and could easily read his eyes and tell he was still coupling with his pain. The dark circles that formed beneath his eyes confirmed her suspicions that he hardly slept since he starting staying in her home. She knew there was something else that bothered him and already heard the announcement a few days ago about the queen's engagement to the prince of the Northern Isles. She knew he needed out of the house so she set her broom on the nearest wall and gave Mathias a small smile.

"Come on, let's go for a walk, and get you some fresh air." She said as she took lead and Mathias followed a few steps behind her. She was relieved when Mathias actually started to talk to her willingly but everytime he spoke it was like almost a whisper at times. They were walking around the docks and Abigail saw some foreign crew members loading up their ship till the elder one looked over in their direction and froze as if he was shocked and mostly likely seen a ghost.

"G-Gojira!" The man shouted and she turned to the man's direction but apparently Mathias had heard it too and was tense. A few of the crew members stopped and looked in their general direction till she realized their attention was on Mathias. She turned and saw the shocked look on his face as if he recognized what the man said. He growled a bit but it was loud enough for her to hear and this made her curious as she gazed back at the men suspiciously. They began to murmur to themselves in a language that she couldn't understand but stopped when Mathias stepped forward and erupted an earsplitting roar. They were quiet for a few moments along with the few people around the area who watched cautiously. She was shocked when the elder smiled in return and the rest of the crew did something that surprised her and everyone else, they silently knelt down to one knee even Mathias was confused by their actions.

"They must be the ones who knew of my existence, the ones who still believed in those legends told by their elders who once saw me roam." He thought as a smile crossed his lips knowing he's still respected by some humans. He gently grabbed Abigail by her arms and lead her away but stopped and gave the crew a last look before they went back home. He can still hear them cheer calling out the name they given him all those years ago. Abigail pondered about what happened especially what they called him.

"Gojira? What does that even mean?" She thought as she stared at the man in question in wonder. A Lot of things still didn't make sense to her as she pondered on the word for a bit.

"Mathias." She called to him and he turned his head letting her know he was listening.

"D-Do you know them?" She asked nervously and was surprised that he shook his head.