The Matriarch

Sigurd Agnarsson

"God damn…Guess my imagination was way too weak to imagine all this."

Even though the city was guarded with towering stone walls, and supported by wooden beams. The inside was something else, there was a mix of treehouses and normal ones scattered everywhere through the street. After all, this city is surrounded by a large forest that appears to have stretched on for kilometers.

The homes of the city inhabitants were made from a mix of a stone base with pristine oak walls and carvings as decorations. Either they were secured on the branches of trees that matched the biggest one back on Earth, or nestled comfortably in a small patch of land around the trees.

Cobblestone paths were lit with lanterns that guided us to our destination. It felt like a parade with how many of us humans were being dragged through the street by the chains. The stares from the other races did not help at all. But I noticed something. There weren't just elves or Dwarves only. There were a few orc guards, but I spotted satyrs, nymphs, and even…tieflings. God, Am I in one of Albrecht's D&D games? 

Right. In a way, I am. It's just that the author of a particular book decided to be a jackass and transport me here. But my line of thought was broken when Akira nudged on my shoulder, "Sigurd…look at that."

Before us stood a cathedral made of stone and iron that pierced through the night sky, the clouds seemed to circle the peaks of the building as the stained glass revealed a story of elves and dwarves. Instead of statues of biblical figures or anything, they were more of just elves and dwarves. Cladded in majestic plate armor and wielding a towering weapon of destruction. Or a robed figure while holding a totem or grimoire. 

The leader knocked on the towering wooden gate, as they forced us to stop, "Open up! Lyra! I know you're listening!"

A small creak echoed as a nearby window opened, "What's the password, Ilphas~!"

"We don't have one! Cob off!"

"We do now!" An elf girl poked her head out of the window.

"Since when?!"

"Since now! I said so-!"

The elf leader which I assume his name was Ilphas face fumed, "You bloody rat…!"

Lyra cackled as she retreated inside the window, "It's Grimlow~! Remember that, cause I'm not telling you twice! Here you go-!"

With a few clicks, the cathedral door unlocked, allowing Ilphas to push it open with the support of the scarred elf and a few orcs, "Keep moving."

We were dragged along forward, entering the towering cathedral and gazing upon the whole structure of it. Around the stone pillars, engraved with stories and nestled on pearly clean marble floors, more statues of elves and dwarves stood tall. Stained windows were nestled on tall walls, the light of the moon shining down to the center hall of the cathedral.

A few dozen meters away from us were a few goliaths, plated in a glistening royal armor, standing beside a robed figure that stood on an elevated platform, wearing what I call an overgrown wedding gown. With a white crown nestled on her head.

After we stood a few feet away from her, Ilphas kneeled before her presence and the other guards followed suit. Not taking the risk, I kneeled as well. As much as it soured my tongue. Akira followed my example, and eventually, everyone else did. Though, Vladimir appeared to be kneeling, in reality, his knee wasn't touching the ground. Which was a pleasant sight for me, so in a way, he's not kneeling.

"Ilphas, Make that boy kneel. He's not doing it properly." A siren's voice echoed through the hall. A cold tingle crawled up my spine with every word she spoke.

Before I knew it, Ilphas stood up and pushed his heel on the back of Vladimir's knee, forcing him to kneel, "Done, Matriarch Vakian."

"Good. Now then…" She stepped off the platform, as the goliaths around her moved out of her way. Her gown slid through the pristine floor with a smooth elegancy, and a small golden glow emanated from her body as she approached us, "You weren't the first one to arrive here, Ilphas. You were particularly slower than the others."

"We…had an escape attempt."

"What happened?"

"One of them received a boon. To breathe hellfire, My matriarch. He distracted us for a while and allowed three to attempt their escape. Luckily enough, we dispatched of him, and captured the three again."

Matriarch Vakian glided through the floor, staring at us before laying her eyes on me, Akira, and Vladimir. And she stared at us for a longer while than the others, "I sent about ten of you out. Why are there only seven? Where's Shamar, Vulun…and where is my dear nephew, Eltaor? I hope you kept your promise and maintained his safety."

Ooh. Shit um…Yeah, Akira shared the same 'Oh shit.' look with me. Before the two of us turned to Vladimir. Who had a blank stare on his face, now what would Ilphas tell his boss? 'Oh yeah. One guy decided to kill your nephew. Take the keys and escape with two others. Oh! And he also killed Vulun and Shamar! But it's all good! We captured him again!'

"I see…" The matriarch rubbed her chin, that didn't sound right, "Ilphas? Answer me."

"I…" Oh, he's pushing his luck right now, I can see him sweating, "I'm…sorry. My matriarch. But the three of them were murdered-"

"By who?" A low rumble echoed through the cathedral, scaring most of us as we tried to maintain our balance, "Speak, Or I'll have your tongue cut off."

He was sweating bullets at this point, before swallowing his pride and answering her, "The boy with the black hair…And blue eyes."

The matriarch turned to Vladimir and me, her stare burning through my skull, "There's two with blue eyes."

"Black haired…blue eyes. He killed Eltaor… the blonde boy with oculars, and…the girl next to him, supported in the murder of Vulun and Shamar."

'That snitching bitch! Fucking rat!'

"He's not a rat in my eyes, pisspot." Her words sent a shiver down my spine, 'she can read my mind…?'

"That I can." She held her hand up, "You and the other two are quite the rowdy bunch. Going off killing my men. And my nephew. What do you have to say for that?" 

I can hear the scorn of anger in her voice. As much as she tried to hide it, and to my dismay, I really have nothing to say, as I had nothing to say with it. I may not have killed her nephew, but I still helped in killing the other two.

"Nothing to say huh? Either of you? Fine." She snapped her fingers, the goliaths behind her acted, marching towards us in a synchronized rumble of footsteps, "Take them to the deepest part of the dungeon. All three of them! Including the girl!"

"Woah woah woah-! Hey!" Akira was the first to be grabbed, then me, and Vladimir, as much as we tried to struggle, there was no way to break free from the iron grasp.

"I would gladly take the time to handle them myself-! But…I have more of them to deal with." The matriarch adjusted her robe, "Ilphas. My mercy upon you would be granted. If you make sure the black-haired boy suffers the most."

"Y-Yes…Matriarch Vakian." He ran up to Vladimir, grabbed him by the back of the neck, and dragged him to a corner, heading towards an unlocked door. The goliaths pulled us along with him. "The Matriarch will have her vengeance for Eltaor, one way or another."