Chapter 39: Blood Matron

“How was it? What did you find out?” A lean man, wearing a fur jacket over his shoulders, sat languidly on a wooden chair as he addressed another man before him.

“Lost shepherd, all our men have been captured, none of them made it back. The ones who were captured were executed and their head was displayed at the market square of the Dark shadow lands. The Alpha tortured them himself.” The man replied with his head lowered.

Upon hearing that the rogues he sent out had met their end, the lost shepherd had no change in his expression and instead a small smile appeared in his eyes.

“As expected, Damien is a strong force to behold. I actually did not think he would really show himself. Seems like I made the right bet.” The lost shepherd said, his voice calm and emotionless.

The rogue before him frowned, seemingly unable to understand how the lost shepherd thought process was.

“But what’s the point of the attack if at the end of the day our people were captured?” He asked, genuinely confused.

The lost shepherd lowered his head and replied lightly, “You won’t understand even if I explained. Just follow orders.”

The rogue knew how secretive the lost shepherd was, so he did not press further and nodded before turning to leave.

Just as he reached the threshold of the entrance of the dark room, the lost shepherd’s voice drifted into his ears.

“Have our people in that mansion make a move, it is getting too silent and boring over there.”

“Understood.”

After the rogue left, the room regained its silence until the lost shepherd stood up. The chair he was sitting on made a loud creaking sound as he turned around.

He took slow and deliberate steps towards the stone wall nearby, his fingers brushing against the uneven pavement as though he was studying something from it.

Then, he suddenly stopped and pressed down on an inconspicuous spot that did not look different from the other parts of the wall.

Then, he took a step back.

Nothing happened, but after a second, the wall rumbled like something had shifted. A low grinding sound echoed in the room as the hall shifted backward surprisingly to reveal a narrow passageway with lanterns lining each side to brighten the entire space.

The lost shepherd did not seem surprised by the development, and even looked as though he was familiar with it. Clearly, this was not his first time doing something like this.

His boots made dull sounds as he walked into the narrow way, the stone door automatically closing with a bang as soon as he made his way in.

The air in the passage smelled odd and could be described as unclean. It was as though the atmosphere here was different and it was foul, a sign of a dark energy that lingered in the air.

At the end of the passageway was a hidden chamber carved deep in the earth, eerie and ancient.

Strange tunes glowed faintly in the wall like veins that were alive, and at the center of the chamber lay an odd altar that seemed to be made of blood.

On the altar was the head of an odd creature that seemed like a bird, a wolf and a human. Its eyes flashed a dark green, giving it a dark aura that sent shivers down one’s spine.

In its mouth, blood flowed continuously in drops, falling to the earth and for some reason, as soon as that drop falls, it dries up quickly as if something was sucking it.

The source of the blood also remained unknown, it was like it was coming from the throat of the creature which was obviously a statue but seemed as though it was alive.

The lost shepherd removed his fur jacket and placed it aside before kneeling slowly, reverence marring his pale face.

He retrieved a dagger from his pants and without any expression on his face, he slashed his palm and dropped the blood on the ground with runes.

Then he began to chant in an odd voice, one that if heard by anyone would have induced goosebumps.

The runes responded in an instant, flashing with a deep green glint that illuminated the chamber that seemed like a shrine. The runes, as though they had a mind of their own, swirled and compressed together like numerous green serpents atop each other.

This continued until a surface like a water screen was formed, and a face emerged.

Seeing that face, even though obscured, the lost shepherd lowered his head even further.

The face spoke up, “Why did you summon me?” It was obviously a female voice, strong but firm. But the age could not be discerned.

“Blood matron, the plan failed.” The lost shepherd said calmly. “Although we had guessed that Damien would react, his reaction had been too fast, giving my people not a chance to carry out the full plan. The rogues were eliminated.”

Silence ensued after that.

After a few seconds, the blood matron spoke again.

“As you know, that was never the main plan.” She said lightly, but her tone carried weight. “Move to the second plan then.”

The lost shepherd raised his head slightly, “The woman?”

“Yes. She might have some connection to pearls. I have been trying to look into their future but surprisingly, it wouldn’t work on her and her fate remained closely sealed from prying eyes. In addition, these days, I have not been able to do so to Damien as well. It is as though a veil was blocking my vision, giving me no chance to see anything.”

Hearing that, the lost shepherd’s eyes widened with shock.

The blood matron was a very powerful divinity witch, and there is no being on earth who could escape her eyes.

So, why was that woman different? And why was there a variation with Damien now?

The lost shepherd had so many questions, but he knew it wasn’t in his place to voice them out.