Matriarch's Summon

The waves of fire could be seen from far away. Nea's footsteps halted for a second as she witnessed the technique of the Matriarch. She urged her feet to move faster. That thing must have been a lot more trouble if the Matriarch showed herself. Yet before she could get close the barrier stopped her.

"Let me in!" Nea slammed her fist to the barrier.

She scanned her surroundings and caught sight of the hole. Her eyes widened in surprise, never expecting that the beast would be so strong to rip through the array. Pursing her lips in determination, Nea jumped up a branch of a tall tree and began to make her way up. When she was high enough, she leaped to the barrier, planning to scramble her way in through the hole. However, the barrier unexpectedly repelled her. Nea fell and caught hold of a branch.

"Damn it." Nea could only wait for someone to let her in.

***

A throbbing headache assaulted Liana as she surfaced from her slumber. She frowned and slowly opened her eyes, finding herself in her room. Seconds passed before she could gather her scattering thoughts. When she remembered, she gasped. She looked around but there was only her in the room. She jumped out of her bed but her feet wobbled and she crumpled to the ground.

"Ouch!"

Her noise alerted someone outside and Brianna quickly entered. Her cautious gaze eased when she saw Liana awake.

Brianna helped Liana up and sat her down on her bed. "What are you doing? Stay on the bed."

"Davyn! He-"

"I know. Calm down, everything is under control." Brianna poured a cup of tea for her.

Liana reluctantly drank it. The familiar smell could not erase her worry. "What happened?"

"He tried to enter the vault using you and managed to escape. Sometime later a strange beast attacked the Sanctum. We still couldn't find Davyn yet."

"It's my fault." Liana covered her face. "He said he wanted to make a gift for Nea and he wanted me to try the chocolate he made so I-"

"It's not your fault. No one imagined that Davyn would do this." Brianna patted Liana's back.

"Why did he do this?" Liana asked. She couldn't understand why someone as kind and gentle as Davyn could do this. He had taken care of him when she was young. Although they were not related by blood, she considered him as a family but now… Why does he want the artifacts? Or is it the Divine Artifact specifically? Most information regarding the Divine Artifact were rumors and hearsay, to based a plan on such a thing would be too unthinkable.

Brianna said, "We don't know yet but… it must have something to do when he went missing on the continent."

Liana said, "It's related to Nea's mother."

"Perhaps. There is a lot of uncertainty regarding this incident. We can only be sure when we catch Davyn."

"I see… wait, where's Nea? If it's related to her mother then she could be in danger!" Liana stood up, planning to find her friend.

"Unlikely." Brianna pushed her down again. "But if it will make you feel better I will order someone to find her."

"Thank you."

Brianna forced Liana to drink another cup and ate some fruit before she would ask someone to search for Nea. Liana could only force them down her throat under Brianna's eyes. It was this time when someone knocked on her door.

"Finish the meal," Brianna said and left the room.

Liana chewed on her slice of apple as she tried to listen in on the indistinct conversation. Before long, Brianna returned, her face rather pensive.

"Something's wrong?" Liana asked.

"The Matriarch wants to see you," Brianna replied.

Ava was the current Matriarch of the clan. It had only been a decade since she took the mantle. To become a Matriarch was to become a vessel for the Esteemed Elder. Long ago when the second Great War ragged on. The Esteemed Elder brought down the tyranny of the Council, ending the bloody war. Then she brought the remaining members of the clan to this island. Unfortunately, the battle had wounded her severely. In her dying breath, the remnant of the ancient tree woke up and offered her a haven. From then on she watched over the clan and protected the peace through the Matriarchs. Ava had just recently become a Matriarch she shouldn't have woken up yet. It usually took a decade to synchronize with the core, for her to wake up…

Liana quickly tidied herself and let Brianna bring her to the inner hall where the Matriarch resided. It was a solemn place with carvings of ancient history on the wall, reminding people who walked past the bloody and bleak past that they needed to go through to achieve this peace. At the grand chair sat the Matriarch. Her deep gaze settled on Liana.