The next day, Thepa inhaled the excitement around Beachwick as the air buzzed with the spirit of Sulack. From the Council of Sisters to the youngest of younglings who understood what was going on, everyone was caught up in the glee. The usual seriousness often fixed on the Matrons' faces had vanished, replaced by laughter and liveliness. Even the most solemn Matrons now bustled about the thatch huts and dirt-trodden streets, gossiping like younglings gathered beneath the scattered palms all the while reenacting their glory days in the arena.

Even her mother, a Saintian who had never shown any enthusiasm for Sulack, had an odd expression on her face while humming a tune Thepa had long ago forgotten. At first, Thepa didn't notice. She assumed the melody was coming from outside, but when she picked up a cup of gruel to consume for breakfast, she caught sight of her mother's expression that shocked her so much, she promptly dropped the mug on the floor.

"Really, Bean?" her mother said with a ghost of a smile. "I just cleaned that up."

Thepa fumbled for words, grabbing a broom in a futile attempt to clean the mess. "You... just..."

"I see those etiquette classes worked wonders. Looks like I would've been better off teaching you how to mop," her mother teased, tossing a rag her way.

Blushing furiously, Thepa caught the rag, but truthfully, she enjoyed the gentle jabs. The light-hearted side of her mother had become her favorite thing about returning to Beachwick. If she was a different person, her mother was even more so. It was as if her mother losing her horns had caused her to lose all the things that had been holding her back from being who she really was. Now, no longer burdened with the leadership, responsibility, and pressures of matronhood, she was now the mother Thepa always wanted. They spent hours talking now—really talking—sharing tears, fears, and even laughter. She cherished the intimacy, especially the smaller moments like when her mother called her Bean, even if it was only between them.

Not even secrets were off the table, save for the one that bothered vexed Thepa the most: the fire that sometimes consumed her very being. It wasn't that Thepa feared telling her mother, in fact, she was sure her mother had the answer to why it was happening in the first place. It was because Thepa didn't know how to bring it up. Part of her was sure it was unnatural, while another part just wanted to ride the high of finally finding joy in their relationship.

As Thepa crouched down to finish cleaning the mess, a knock on the door diverted her mother's attention. She left to answer, and though Thepa couldn't be certain, the way her mother walked, made her believe that the odd expression still clung to her mother's face.

"Sister Ciary!" her mother greeted as she opened the door and bowed with outstretched arms. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Please, come in."

Thepa looked up from the floor at Ciary. The Sister, much like Onna and Vivian, was fierce. Two large horns protruded from her forehead, adding to her already towering height, a full head taller than Thepa. Untamed blonde hair spilled behind her, unkempt for months. Her golden skin, kissed by hours spent in the trees, was a stark contrast against the warpaints on her arms, legs, and belly and pink ceremonial top. In one hand, she carried a large wooden quarterstaff, and atop her head sat a wooden crown nestled between her horns.

"Sister Lockti," Ciary responded with a bow of her own. "I've come to call upon the mat—"

Her eyes fell on Thepa, still kneeling on the floor, and her stoic face shifted to one of mild disapproval, as if catching her Matriarch in an unseemly act.

"Ah, Matriarch," Ciary began, correcting herself. "I came to see if you were ready to join the festivities. Should I return?"

Oh shoot! I'm not ready!

Thepa's pulse quickened as she glanced at her disheveled state. She had spent the morning attending to her daily duties, forgetting to don her ceremonial outfit. Hastily, she finished her task, tossed the rag into a corner bucket, and darted towards her bedroom.

"No, no. I just need a few minutes. Please, make yourself comfortable," she called over her shoulder.

Ciary looked like she would rather be doing anything but sitting. However, Thepa did not stick around to find out. She rushed into her room, where a pristine white ceremonial dress her mother had laid out for her on the bed.

The bed itself was a strange sight in the Beachwick. Most Matrons used a roll, but not Thepa. Since her time returning to the Beachwick, it was one of the few comforts she allowed herself as Matriarch, after having spent five completions in its embrace.

Beside the dress, a silver tiara adorned with diamond-tipped spikes gleamed in the morning light. Thepa had never worn it before, but today was no ordinary day. The Sisterhood expected their leaders to be on full display. Swiftly, she slipped out of her work clothes and into the ceremonial gown, letting the fabric cascade down her frame. She placed the tiara carefully on her head and glanced into the mirror.

For a moment, she froze. The figure staring back at her was both familiar and foreign. She had always been meticulous about her appearance, from the perfect folds of her military garb to the flawless simplicity of her childhood smock. But now she felt different—transformative. She straightened, adjusting her posture to stand tall, chin slightly lifted. The dress clung to her chest and cascaded down her hips avoiding most of the small hairs that clung to her legs.

For the first time in her life, she felt like the Matriarch.

"Beautiful."

Startled, Thepa turned to find her mother standing in the doorway, her eyes misty with pride. A matching grin tugged at the corners of Thepa's lips as she took a step forward. They embraced, desperate to share the moment together.

"The crown's weight may be heavy," her mother whispered, "but wear it with pride. It's held up by the spirits of many Warbols."

Thepa squeezed her mother once more before pulling away. She wiped the mist from her own eyes, preparing to head for the door. But before she could leave, she paused.

"Something wrong?" her mother asked.

"I forgot something," Thepa replied, moving towards the chest at the end of her bed.

With care, she lifted the lid and retrieved a green composite bow resting atop a collection of knickknacks and old books. It had been sitting there for almost three months, and most likely needed a new string, but the words engraved on it glistened as if they were magically placed.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

To my one True Sister, may you always find your mark.

She moved back to the trunk and rummaged around for the small container where she kept her spare bowstrings and beeswax. Setting the wax aside, she carefully notched one end of the string and bent the bow to secure the other. Its stiffness was a little unfamiliar in her hands, having not used it in a while, but she was able to accomplish the feat in only a few minutes. She then took the wax and carefully applied it along the string all the while rubbing it in with her fingers. When she finished, she plucked the string lightly, the clear, crisp note vibrating in her ears—a perfect sound.

"Better not keep Sister Ciary waiting, Bean," her mother's voice called from the doorway.

Thepa smiled softly. "Can I expect you there, Mother?"

Her mother shook her head. "I think, for your first Sulack as Matriarch, it's best not to divide the attention. But don't worry, I'll be there for your event. Expect me hiding in the crowd during the third act."

They embraced one more time before Thepa left to join Ciary. Together, they headed outside, the cool breeze contrasting the warm excitement in the air. By now, most of the crowd had dispersed towards the arena. A distant roar echoed, signaling the start of the first event, and Thepa could tell by Ciary's brisk pace that she wasn't thrilled about being late.

Still, she arrived in one piece, rather disheveled. She quickly fixed her tiara and found her seat next to the other Sisters at the high booth. Ciary was kind enough to wait for her to sit and while the Onna and Vivian started to stand, Thepa waved them down, instead focusing on the games themselves, already in mid progress.

The Sisters of Skerrit was the first of the three events. They had decided to focus on the power of the druid as a large arena of wild animals were currently going battle royale style against one another. Thepa wasn't sure how many had started, but currently there were only six left in the initial horde consisting of a large boa, horse, crocodile, tiger, hyena, and a hulking rock elemental.

"Who's winning?" Thepa asked, intrigued by the chaos unfolding below.

"My money's on the boa," came a familiar voice behind her. "Almost lost my hand to one once."

Thepa turned and saw sporting some short pants and bright pink hair, her human friend from the east.

"Lily!" Thepa exclaimed with surprise. "How long have you been here?"

"Since this morning. You might not know it, but my people always come for Sulack. You'd be shocked at how much gold flows through this event."

"Not that shocked," came Onna's voice, her eyes still locked on the arena as the rock elemental forced the hyena back into her satyr form. "I've got twenty gold that says the bear beats the rock elemental in the final round."

"My kind of lady," Lily grinned, reaching into her bag. "Sure, you don't want to make it twenty-five?"

"How about thirty?"

A cheer erupted from the crowd. The unconscious satyr was being dragged away, and the horse, seizing an opportunity, attempted a high kick at the rock elemental. The elemental responded with a brutal slam into the horse's stomach, sending it crashing into the tiger. When the dust settled, both animals lay unconscious. Meanwhile, the boa had the crocodile in a choke hold. The crocodile flailed and rolled, but no matter how hard it tried, it could not shake the boa whose whole being was wrapped around it.

"Deal!" Lily dropped her bag of coins at Onna's feet. Leaning towards Thepa, she whispered, "Easy money. There's not even a bear out there."

Onna didn't flinch, her eyes glued to the fight as she dropped her own bag of coins. Moments later, the crowd erupted in cheers as the boa completed its task, rendering the crocodile unconscious.

The cheers were short lived as the elemental wasted no time. It lunged at the boa, slamming into it before the snake could retreat. Grabbing the boa's tail, the elemental began swinging it like a whip, smashing it against the ground. Blood and fangs flew into the crowd with each impact, and only when the snake lost its form did the elemental relent.

"Looks like I win!" Lily flashed a triumphant grin, her fingers already curling around the pile of gold coins. "Honestly, who bets on a bear when there's not even one in the arena?"

Thepa smirked, her eyes following Onna as she abruptly stood and charged toward the arena gates. "Someone who doesn't know Sister Onna."

"Huh?" Lily turned, puzzled, but Thepa didn't need to answer.

Before Onna reached the gate, a deafening roar erupted from her. In an instant, she transformed into a massive black bear, barreling through the arena's entrance. The crowd roared in delight as wood splintered and debris flew. A chunk of timber smashed into the elemental, but before it could react, Onna pounced. She came down with her full weight, claws digging deep into stone, a low groan escaping from the creature's maw. Desperate, the elemental tried to crawl away, but Onna yanked it into a bone-crushing hug. One final cry echoed before the elemental shattered back into its Matron form, unconscious on the arena floor.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as Onna threw both paws in victory. Somewhere a chant started "Onna, Onna" where even Thepa joined in on the celebration.

Lily stared down at the bag of gold lying at her feet, shaking her head in disbelief. "You know, you could've warned me."

"Where would be the fun in that?" she replied, as shouts of "Onna!" continued to echo around her. "I didn't tell you to make the bet. Gamble at your own peril."

"Ugh!" Lily said with a mischievous smile. "Maybe some of my other bets will play out better in the next round.

After the cries of the crowd died down, there was a break for lunch to give the Matrons time to set up the next event. Thepa spent the time to catch up with Lily, but nothing serious was discussed, save for a lot of jokes at Lily's expense. At some point Onna had come over and the two even shook hands allowing any lingering tension to dissolve into good humor.

The second round was led by the Sisters of Blood. Unlike the free-for-all of the last event, Vivian had set up an obstacle course with her usual ruthless precision. Twenty-five Matrons stood ready in front of a towering twenty-foot wall. Beyond it, they faced a low crawl through mud and water, then three sets of ladders, a trench of fire to leap over, and a gauntlet lizardmen chained to different posts, ready to lash out at anything within reach. At the end of the course stood Vivian, her great axe gleaming beside her, waiting to challenge the survivor.

"This should be good," Lily said, leaning forward in her seat.

Thepa nodded. Strength, agility, combat prowess, and bravery—all would be tested, and then, the victor would face Vivian.

I do not envy them.

"The first to make it to the end of the obstacle course be allowed to advance to the final round with Sister Vivian," Onna announced to the recruits. "On my mark."

The Matrons stood tense, muscles coiled at the ready. Onna held her hand aloft, and the arena fell into a hush, every eye locked on her, waiting for the signal. The wind seemed to still. Without even realizing it, Thepa held her breath.

Onna smiled—just a flicker, gone as quickly as it came. With a slow, deliberate movement, she curled her fingers inward, gathering a shimmering orb of light between them. Then, with a flick of her wrist, the ball of light shot upward, bursting like a star.

"Go!" Onna shouted, her voice breaking the silence as the orb ignited the sky.

Off they went, and the cheers of the crowd roared once more. Thepa could hear individual names being shouted, but she couldn't tell who they were talking about. She thought it mostly had to do with the first to arrive at the wall, because once they got there more cheers erupted.

Four darted up immediately, while others fumbled for footing, slipping against the surface. The fastest of the group scaled it with ease, but the second-fastest was not so lucky—before she could reach the top, the leading Matron kicked her squarely in the chest, sending her plummeting down into a tangle of five others below.

"Oof, that's gotta hurt," Lily winced.

Thepa chuckled. "Agreed. But I don't think she's finished."

Far from it I bet.

The lead Matron waited for the next climber, her stance cocky, but the one below was ready. As the lead Matron swiped down, the other grabbed her ankle and yanked herself up. The momentum caught the higher one by surprise. She tried to grasp the ledge, but instead caught a mouth full of hoof as the lower used her head to find footing. Then, with a single bounce, she finished her vault over the wall while sending the leader spiraling into the mass of climbing Matrons below.

Lily cringed. "Correction... that's gotta hurt."

With a commanding lead, the victorious Matron tore through the rest of the obstacle course, navigating the mud, ladders, and fire with such grace that she made it look like a simple woodland dance. By the time she reached the final stretch, her clothes were singed, and her legs splattered in mud, but she stood unfatigued, facing Vivian at the far end of the arena.

The crowd's roar was deafening, but Thepa barely heard it. Instead, her attention was locked on on her friend and mentor suddenly worried.

Oh Vivian. Please be careful.