To say that I was nervous to meet the Matriarch of the Dayadra would be a big understatement. Although the Matriarch promised in her invitation that I would never be harmed in her Sanctuary, I didn't want to take it at face value. Once I entered the Dayadra's territory, I would be putting myself under their mercy whether they gave me a promise of safety or not.
Of course, the dryads have long declared me their friend during my first visit and I probably have no reason to doubt them, but still. After experiencing the events in Halros, I learned that a healthy dose of paranoia would pay great dividends in keeping me alive. The amount of paranoia that could be considered healthy is still up for debate, though.
That was why I was currently in my room in the headquarters contemplating how much firepower I should bring with me to the meeting with the Matriarch. Standing in front of me were my most important puppets: Manny, Mr. Marion, Taloress, Tedd, Spider, and Squeaky.
“Alright, who wants to go with me to visit the Matriarch?” I asked with my arms crossed. Everybody quickly raised their hands (paw, in Squeaky's case) in perfect unison. “Hey now, I can't bring everyone with me.”
To be honest, I did want to bring everyone with me. More puppets meant more protection, but there was a limit to how many I could bring with me before the dryads started seeing my entourage as a threat. Antagonizing the dryads was the complete opposite of what I wanted, so I decided to bring only two puppets with me.
“I'll be bringing Taloress and Squeaky with me,” I finally declared after a moment's deliberation. Taloress would serve as my main bodyguard while Squeaky was for reconnaissance purposes in case I needed to gather information covertly. “Mr. Marion would be coming too, of course, since I'd be riding him.”
“Yay!” Taloress cheered while Squeaky danced on her shoulder.
“It is a pleasure to always be of use, Master,” Mr. Marion said formally with a crisp bow.
“While we're gone, I expect everybody else to handle things around here,” I said. “Spider, you're on guard duty. Cull the monsters around our territory and make sure nobody but our workers are allowed into the cave. Manny, I am now authorizing you to start training workers in clothing production. By the time I return, I expect the sewing machines to be manned. And Tedd, I give you full authority over all decision-making in my absence. You're responsible for keeping all our shit together while I talk with big Mama Tree. And keep an eye on the goblins, alright?”
My puppets all gave their affirmatives. Manny shouted a hearty ‘yes sir’ with a salute, Spider wiggled his tentacles and smiled with needle-like teeth, and Tedd gave a thumbless thumbs up from atop Spider's head. They looked like ridiculous characters in a comedy skit, and I started to worry whether I'd still have a headquarters when I returned.
But despite my misgivings, I was actually looking forward to my return. In the three weeks that I spent in my headquarters after coming home from Halros, I taught Manny most of what I knew about sewing so he could then teach the other puppets. Once Manny finishes teaching some of the workers the art of sewing, the mana-powered sewing machines would finally be of use and the mass production of clothes would start in earnest.
My preparations for our departure seemingly didn't amount to much, simply consisting of a single cloth handbag containing my daily necessities that I had Taloress carry. In truth, most of my preparations were hidden: my puppets carried no visible weapons, but hidden inside their bodies were dozens of sewn magic circles that I could activate at a moment's notice as well as a lot of compressed fabric that I stuffed inside them as a portable supply. If we ever got into a fight, I was confident we would win or at the very least escape with our lives.
As another precaution, I had Spider secretly store caches of fabric all over the forest that led to the Dayadra's Sanctuary so that I would never run out of ‘ammunition’ for my Authority. I also had two teams of puppets, each consisting of ten members, to lay in wait near the Sanctuary in the unlikely-but-still-possible event that I needed reinforcements.
I'm sure all of this is just a healthy level of paranoia, I thought to myself as I and my companions left the cave while riding inside Mr. Marion. Waiting for me outside were Wennena and Disserla, the former looking at me smugly while the latter beamed at me with excitement.
“Ready to be taken to the Matriarch?” Wennena asked with a smirk, wording her question as if I was off to be sent to the guillotine.
“Oh yeah, I'm pretty excited,” I deadpanned.
“I'm excited too!” Disserla exclaimed. “I'm going to tell everyone about my fun experiences here once we get back home!”
“Hopefully all good things. And while you're at it, make sure to show off your dress to your friends and ask them if they'd like one too,” I said.
The two dryads were no longer running around my home in their birthday suits. Instead, they wore elegant but practical clothes consisting of a long-sleeved shirt and tight pants, both of which were made of fabric woven from jackalope fur. Cloaks made from dire wolf fur were clasped around their shoulders to complete their attires, giving them a wild huntress-like appearance. Wennena's fierce eyes and expression matched her clothes perfectly, although I'd have to think of a better style for Disserla and her goofy smiles.
“I still don't see the point of these clothing,” Wennena scoffed as she poked at her attire.
“I don't know, I'm actually starting to like them,” Disserla said as she ran her hands on her cloak repeatedly. “They look nice. So soft!”
“Right?” I said proudly. “Too bad Wennena doesn't have an ounce of fashion sense in her, though I never expected it from her anyway.”
“Fashion sense won't save you when a monster rips your throat out,” Wennena sniffed.
“It won't, but if you're gonna die anyway, why not do it in style?”
Taloress and Squeaky nodded in agreement beside me.
Wennena scoffed. “Enough nonsense. We depart now. I've already sent a message to the Sanctuary to expect our arrival.”
“Let's go!” Disserla cheered.
The trip was extremely quick. With the Dayadra's territory virtually clear of monsters because of their Sentinels, nothing interrupted our peaceful walk aside from Disserla's senseless blathering.
But the peace was just on the outside, though. For every step that we took, I knew we were getting closer and closer to the Matriarch and I couldn't help but feel a mounting dread inside me. Thoughts of the invitation being a trap played inside my head again and again. The only thing keeping me from losing my cool was the huge caches of fabric stashed in the forest as well as my hidden puppets just waiting to reinforce me if things suddenly went south. Calm down, Brogen. The dryads are not my enemies. They're not going to turn on me like Rella did.
We soon arrived outside the Sanctuary where Ferti the Big Bush opened the path forward while rustling its branches in greeting. I noticed that the huge friendly bush looked a bit greener and healthier than the first time I visited.
We emerged on the other side of Ferti, and once again, I beheld the exotic beauty of the Dayadra's Sanctuary. The entire basin looked far lusher and more beautiful than before, and the noise of teeming life greeted me as we entered. Bright peals of laughter from beautiful dryads mingled with the singing of birds while their Hometrees swayed their branches in quiet glee, the rustling sounds providing a gentle atmosphere to the entire place. There were more animals than before, and the dryads and their Hometrees brimmed with vitality.
For the briefest of moments, my constant worries disappeared as I admired the picturesque scene with bated breath, my problems temporarily forgotten as I seared the image in my mind. The first time I visited the Sanctuary was in winter, and it was beautiful. But the Sanctuary during spring was a paradise.
“Like what you see?” a stern voice asked, pulling me out of my reverie.
The brief peace of mind I attained while admiring the Sanctuary shattered like a dream as my paranoia and wariness returned. The beautiful sight had distracted me from spotting the towering Sentinels in their battle forms waiting on either side of the entrance to the Sanctuary.
“Elder Ennoren, we have returned,” Wennena said formally as she kneeled on one knee.
“Elder Ennoren! It's so good to see you again!” Disserla greeted excitedly.
“Welcome back, sisters. I see that your excursions in the outside world have been fruitful,” the Elder commented with a raised eyebrow as she took in their new clothes.
“We learned a lot of new things,” Disserla nodded enthusiastically. Before she could begin sharing her stories, however, the Elder put up a hand to stop her.
“We shall hear of your stories later, Steward. A more important matter awaits,” Elder Ennoren said as she shifted her cold gaze to me. “The Matriarch waits for the Masked Ascendant. He must be brought to her at once. The Matriarch has already waited long enough for this meeting, and I will not have her honor disrespected any longer by a human.”
The Elder's condescending remark set a frown on my face. “The Matriarch should be grateful that I deigned to accept her invitation, for that was what it was: an invitation. I could have well refused to come, yet I did. If I knew this was the kind of hospitality that the Matriarch had promised, I wouldn't have come at all.”
The atmosphere turned tense as the younger Sentinels stared at me, more with shock than anger, as if they couldn't believe that I talked back to one of their Elders.
Elder Ennoren's face turned dark with smoldering anger as she listened to my words, but I held her gaze steadily. I will not let her treat me this way, or else it will set an unpleasant precedent. I refused to let the Dayadra think of me as something who was beneath their Elders.
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Elder Ennoren seemed like she would explode in a furious tirade to defend her Matriarch, but her smoldering anger eventually turned cold as she schooled her expression into neutrality. “Let us go to the Matriarch. Steward Disserla and Sentinel Wennena, both of you are dismissed.”
Disserla looked like she was about to protest, but Wennena quickly took her arm and dragged her away after bowing to the Elder.
Without waiting for me, Ennoren began walking at a brisk pace toward the center of the basin where the massive Matriarch awaited.
“I am glad you put her in her place, Master,” Taloress whispered not-so-softly as she walked beside me. “A bitch like her has no right to speak to Master that way.”
I saw Ennoren's shoulder tense.
“Shush, you idiot,” I hissed at Taloress. “And where did you learn to swear? I don't remember teaching you that.”
As much as I agreed with Taloress' words, I didn't want to further damage my relationship with this particular Dayadra Elder. Standing up to her disrespectful remarks was reasonable, but outright insulting her served no purpose. Taloress was right on all counts, though.
But despite all my bravado earlier, the truth was that refusing the Matriarch's invitation was out of the question. Despite the possible risks in coming here, I had to come, because with all the problems I faced now, the Matriarch was one of the few friends (if I could call her that) I had and one of the even fewer sources of information I had access to. After Esta's revelations, I knew I had no chance of getting past my problems without outside help. So if I wanted to increase my chances of survival, I was going to have to secure assistance from Big Mama Tree.
Like the first time I came to the Sanctuary, naked Dayadra peered at me as I was escorted to the Matriarch. The spring season made their hair of leaves literally glow with vitality, giving them an ethereal look. I don't remember Wennena or Disserla's hair glowing like that, though. Maybe because they weren't in the Sanctuary.
We eventually arrived in the central area of the basin where the older Dayadra resided. The trees here radiated ancientness. Staying in this part of the Sanctuary felt like living in a place frozen in time. Even after a decade, a century, or a millennium passed, this place would remain the same.
The small lake where the Matriarch resided finally came into view. The massive tree still looked the same, and looking at it made me feel like an ant before an elephant. Elder Ennoren stopped by the edge and kneeled, her Sentinels following suit.
“Honored Matriarch, I bring before you the Masked Ascendant.”
A powerful groaning noise reverberated throughout the basin as the branches of the gargantuan tree rustled and showered us with a rain of falling leaves. The water in the lake turmoiled as if a massive sea creature swam near the surface. A long dark silhouette appeared in the water, growing in size as the thing neared the surface. The source of the silhouette eventually surfaced, which turned out to be a gigantic root of the Matriarch. It connected the edge of the lake to the island where the Matriarch was, acting as a bridge.
Elder Ennoren stood and fixed me with a stern glare. “The Matriarch waits for you. A piece of advice: if you think you can be as impudent as you are with the Matriarch, then you will sorely regret it.”
I ignored the Elder's foreboding warning and stepped on the massive root. It had a circular cross-section, but I didn't need to worry about slipping on the sides. The root was so wide that I might as well be walking on a flat road.
“Here goes nothing,” I murmured as Taloress and I started walking toward the Matriarch's island. Squeaky was not with us. I stealthily sent her off earlier to gather as much information about the Sanctuary as she could while I talked with the Matriarch.
Ten minutes into the walk and I realized that it would probably take us half an hour more before we arrived on the island. The Matriarch's massive size threw off my perspective on things. What I thought was a small lake was actually a veritable body of water that looked minuscule when compared to the Matriarch.
Just as I resolved myself for a long walk, the root where we stood on suddenly shuddered and rose into the air. Mr. Marion and Taloress quickly stretched their arms and stabbed them into the bark to anchor us, preventing us from taking an untimely dive into the lake below.
The wind buffeted us as the root rose hundreds of meters into the air. I had to cast several Force Shields around us in a panic to reduce the impact of the powerful winds, although Taloress didn't seem to have an ounce of worry as she cheered.
“Master, look over there!” Taloress shouted through the noise of air rushing around us.
I looked to the west where Taloress was pointing as I reinforced my Force Shields and was greeted with the majestic sight of the Wild Woods sprawling all the way into the horizon. Our high vantage point also allowed us to see the entirety of the Sunrise Mountains and the hordes of flying monsters near their peaks fighting for dominance.
If our west was filled with the green of the Wild Woods and the Sunrise Mountains, then our east was the shimmering blue of the ocean as far as the eye could see. I squinted my eyes at the distant dots on the horizon and realized they were islands. That would be a nice place to hide in if everything goes to shit. Provided I'm still alive at that point.
The root brought us to the crown of the massive tree where the branches parted to reveal a small circular platform suspended by thick vines. The platform was bare save for a small table with three ornate chairs placed around it, one of which was occupied by the most beautiful dryad I've ever seen. Her emerald-green hair shone vibrantly as it fell all the way down to the floor, and where other dryads ran around in the nude, this one was dressed in an exquisite day dress that impressed even me.
But aside from her state of being dressed, there was nothing else that outwardly differentiated her from another dryad. Still, there was no doubt that the dryad seated at the table was the Matriarch. She looked just like another dryad from the outside, but to my mana sense, she brimmed with tightly-controlled power. Complex channels of extremely dense mana flowed throughout her body, pulsating with every breath she took. They weren't limited to her body, but rather connected with an even larger network of mana channels that probably ran throughout the entire massive tree we were standing on. With how massive the tree was, I could only imagine the amount of magical power pulsating through it. The only reason I wasn't overwhelmed by her sheer power was the Matriarch's perfect control over her own aura.
The level of complexity and power of the Matriarch's mana channels froze me in my spot. I already knew I was weaker than her before I even came here, but seeing it for myself had an entirely different impact. I always thought of myself as hot shit when it came to power, but comparing the Matriarch's magical power with mine was like comparing an ocean to a lake. There was no competition at all.
“I'm afraid the tea's going to get cold if you stand there all day,” a melodic voice said that snapped me out of my reverie. The Matriarch smiled at me patiently as she waited.
“Right, of course,” I babbled distractedly as I directed Mr. Marion and Taloress to sit down at the table. Good thing I had a puppet to ride in because my legs felt like jelly in the presence of a powerful being like the Matriarch.
The Matriarch served the tea herself, pouring the golden-brown liquid into wooden cups carved with elegant engravings. The fragrance was on another level, topping even Bran's best tea, but it did little to calm my nerves.
“Thank you for accepting my invitation, Mr. Marion,” the Matriarch began as she poured my tea. “I know it can be quite an inconvenience to walk all the way from your home to our Sanctuary, not to mention that you're probably busy with the coming of spring. But I'm afraid that it is of great importance that we meet.”
“It's quite alright, honored Matriarch. I find visiting your beautiful Sanctuary quite therapeutic after everything that happened the past few weeks,” I lied through my teeth. “In fact, I should be the one apologizing for being several weeks late.”
“Please, just call me Nilara. And a few weeks of delay doesn't matter much to me. It is but a passing moment when one has lived for centuries,” Nilara said with an unreadable smile.
“Living for such a long time must be quite a heavy burden,” I commented as I took hold of my cup. I raised it, but I didn't drink from it. I wasn't about to take the small chance of it being poisoned.
“It is, indeed. Centuries of memories, both good and ill, can be quite taxing to the mind. Most immortals I know have ways of dealing with it. Some choose to willingly forget their past while others choose to slumber for decades at a time. But they are temporary measures, and more often than not, they eventually succumb to madness.”
“‘Immortals?’ There are plenty of others like you?” I asked with equal measures of awe and terror. The thought of a bunch of individuals as powerful as the Matriarch running around made my head spin.
“Yes, and we try our best to have an amicable relationship with each other,” Nilara said. “For people like you and me, friendships and rivalries that last through the ages are of more import than petty riches. They serve as anchors to keep us from descending to insanity, not to mention that having an enemy that could live as long as you is quite inconvenient.”
“Wait, what do you mean by ‘people like you and me?’” I asked with mounting realization.
“Educating you about your nature is actually one of my purposes for inviting you to my home,” Nilara said as she sipped her tea. “As an Ascendant, you will never die from old age. You are as ageless as the land you trod upon, Masked Ascendant, and you must know this because your actions will always have an inevitable consequence somewhere down the line. Mortals don't have to worry about the consequences of their actions after their deaths, but for us, we carry those consequences for as long as we live.”
The revelation shocked me, although not as much as I would have thought. Not having to worry about dying of old age was a priceless boon, but as I have never reached old age both in my previous life and my current one, I couldn't truly understand its value. Constantly facing situations that put my life at risk also killed any enthusiasm I would've felt under normal circumstances. Immortality wouldn't help me when I fought against the entire continent.
The thing that interested me more than my supposed immortality was the reason behind it. “How come Ascendants are immortals?”
“To answer your question, I will tell you what Ascnedants are,” Nilara began. “The term ‘Ascendant’ is just one of many names that different societies choose to call you. In Gigas, they call your kind ‘Ascendant.’ The Orthodox Churches in the continent of Tunari call you the Blessed, while the city-states of the Dark continent call you the Accursed in their hatred for your kind. If you ever find yourself in Janggu, the tribes of wild men and beasts there will call you Ar'shaka, which means ‘King of the Jungle.’ But no matter how many names your kind goes by, they all mean the same thing: a demigod.”
“Hold on, isn't it a bit blasphemous to call someone a demigod when there are literal gods existing? Calling me part-god seems like a good way to incur their wrath.”
Nilara gave an amused smile. “It is not. Why would it be blasphemous when even the gods were once demigods themselves?”
It took my brain a few more seconds before I could fully comprehend the meaning of Nilara's statement. When I finally did, I stood up from my seat in shock. “Are you shitting me right now? Are you telling me that I'm going to be a god?!”
Nilara's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “I apologize, I am not familiar with the current vernacular nowadays. If you mean your question literally, then no, I am not defecating on you, Mr. Marion. My kind does not produce solid waste.”
“Please ignore my first question.”
“Then the answer to your second question would be yes,” Nilara said with a somber tone. “Provided that you survive long enough and satisfy all requirements, of course.”
A childish sensation of glee swept through me as the thought of being an omnipotent being filled my imagination. For some reason, my Authority's urges resonated with it and a smile crept up on my face. “How does one become a god?”
“There are a lot of factors to consider to successfully turn into a god, but essentially, it boils down to two things,” Nilara said as she raised a finger. “The first is that you must be an Ascendant, of course, before you can ‘ascend’ to godhood.” She raised another finger. “The second is to surrender to your urges.”
Nilara's statement was like a bucket of cold water thrown at my face. “Surrender to my urges? Won't that turn me into a mindless beast?”
“That's basically what the gods are, Mr. Marion,” Nilara said with a shake of her head. “Some people believe that the gods exist on some other plane and benevolently keep watch over our world from there. In reality, they live here in Thera with us, sleeping. But when they do wake up, then you will see that they are no benevolent masters. They are beings consumed completely by their instincts and driven only by the urges of the Authority they hold. That is what it means to be a god.”
Like a puppet whose strings were cut, I fell back down on my seat. Being a god didn't sound so good after all. I didn't even know what came over me when I started fantasizing about it. Since when did I start having delusions of grandeur?
“Do people even know about this stuff?”
“My last interaction with human civilization was more than a century ago,” Nilara replied. “Back then, most people have remained ignorant of the true origins of the gods. Either by design or by sheer forgetfulness, I am not sure, though I am leaning toward the latter. The most recent being who ascended into godhood was the Holy Mother after all, and that was more than a thousand years ago. It is probable that most people have forgotten the secret to godhood, but that was more than a hundred years ago. I am not sure of what people know today.”
“Why are you even telling me all this, anyway?” I asked once I regained my composure. “Surely you didn't invite me here just to give me all this important information for free. As much as I'd like to believe you as a benevolent immortal, I don't believe in people being naturally good that much anymore.”
“I think that is quite a big understatement of your paranoia, Mr. Marion,” Nilara said as she eyed my untouched cooling cup of tea. “To answer your question, I've already said it before. Immortals value friendships. You and I are immortal, and as far as I know, we will remain neighbors for years to come. Having a friend for eternity is better than having a bitter enemy, don't you agree?”
“Yeah, sure. And your other reason?” I asked blankly.
Nilara kept a blank face. It didn't last long before she broke out into loud laughter while clapping her hands. “You got me, Mr. Marion. It seems your paranoia has served you some good.”
I grimaced. I would have preferred if my paranoia was proven to be unnecessary. Instead, things around me seem to keep proving to me that I was right to be paranoid. Everything was out to get me.
“Before you think of me as deceitful, I only have one request, Mr. Marion. More of a proposal, really,” Nilara said placatingly. “I know we have already declared you as a friend of the Dayadra, but I would like to establish our relationship on more concrete terms. I propose a formal agreement of alliance between the two of us. A guarantee that we will never end up on opposing sides, and a promise that if one is under threat from an enemy, then the other will come to their aid to help defeat that enemy.”
When the last word left Nilara's lips, the paranoia caused by my Authority's urges strengthened, just like when Esta told me her offer of alliance. It told me one thing: the Matriarch sought to manipulate me for her gain. Granted, it didn't necessarily mean she intended to harm me, but the fact that she dared to manipulate me after making herself appear as a kind person was infuriating. Thankfully, two can play at that game.
I hummed in thought as I pretended to consider her proposal, making sure my body language didn't give off any sign that I already came to a conclusion. After half a minute of contemplation to sell the act that I was seriously considering my decision, I finally gave my answer. “I accept your offer of alliance.”
Nilara smiled right then. A mischievous smile of someone who believed they won. “I'm very glad to have our alliance formalized, Mr. Marion. Our alliance is a very fortuitous thing indeed, for I am in need of help against a mighty foe.”
“I'm impressed,” I nodded. “I didn't think you had the gall to invoke our alliance mere seconds after it was established.”
“You'll have to forgive me, Mr. Marion. I am normally forthright in all my dealings, but my situation has become desperate,” Nilara said, her eyes tinged with a bit of guilt.
“I'll be glad to assist you with any enemy you may have, although you'll have to forgive me as well, Matriarch,” I replied with fake regret in my voice. “You see, I also happen to be in a dire situation. I've been outed as a rogue Ascendant and the entire continent wants my head. Before I can help you with your enemy, I'll have to ask for your assistance in that matter first. After all, I can't help you if I'm dead, can I?”
Nilara stared at me dumbfoundedly as comprehension dawned on her face. “Oh my. It seems that I've been had.”