Keeper of Life - NaPoWrMo Entry

“Rise Matriarch Valor,” the queen said. “I see you have brought a gift for me?”

“Yes your majesty, this is their leader, it's a broodmother,” Valor said. Coal squinted trying to make sense of the scene before her.

'Something... isn't... Isn't what?' Coal thought struggling to fish out words as if they were being washed away. 'I should... be...'

“I understand my city remains infected with their kind though,” the queen said, any hint of praise disappearing from her voice.

“They won't be able to operate without their leader,” Valor lied, “and soon we'll track them down, and kill them.”

“Perhaps next time you should come to me when you've completed your duty as matriarch and not before.”

“Yes your majesty, the threat will be taken care of soon. What would you have me do with it?” Valor asked pulling on the chain.

This was insulting, here she had found and defeated their leader, brought one of their others to heel, and fractured them. The only true invasion and threat they had in two hundred years, ones that slipped past the guards and killed their commander, and she had brought them to heel within a day. Yet there was no praise here, no recognition, what did she expect? Instead of seeing her name raise with the other matriarch’s she would be marred with this, as unsuccessfully dealing with the threat. How dare they when her predecessors had to merely had to make sure the tenders kept watering The Tree! The Queen was as ignorant as the rest. 'Solar will come to understand,' she thought. The feeling of having control over her successor eased the pain.

“I don't care, dispose of it,' the queen said with a wave of her hoof.

“As you will Your Majesty,” Valor said bowing.

As the doors opened they all turned. A guardian came rushing in, sweat pouring from under his ill-fitting helmet.

“Matriarch!” he said running up. “We found the other one he-” yet as soon as he got close his scales shifted, and his disguise faded. Didn't matter, he was close enough. With a lunge he brought down one of the guardians. Valor missed as he rolled between her and another. He lunged forward, missing her, but grabbing the chain, it skidded along the floor with him.

The marble floor incinerated as Fang was sent against the far wall, he heard the glass cracking behind him. “Lady!” he yelled. Yet she only stood, dazed.

They surrounded him, magic at the ready, even the air rippled as they restrained under Valor's order. She could feel the queen's gaze, her furrowed brow, the hot breath as it spilled from her disapproval. 'I'll kill them all,' Valor thought, 'I'll make them suffer for this!'

“Kill it!” Valor ordered.