Chapter 61: The Earth Dens

Chapter 61: The Earth Dens

The heroes’ meeting with Harmona continues.

“I have a question about my ancestry,” Emily says in a serious tone. “A month ago, I used Blood Magic against a poacher and a powerful Hawk Clan soldier. I feel it taught me about my ancestry.”

Harmona nods. “I will explain Blood Magic, but first about your ancestry. Your ancestors were, physically, the strongest humans in the world. They were called the Earth Dens. They migrated to this country from the country of Denhaven of the western continent long ago. Upon moving to Harmone, the Earth Dens established a new home that they called Red Den. During the Great Chaos, I enlisted their help on the front lines against the Dark Goddess’s demons. Their strength, combined with the magic that I gave them, made them formidable soldiers. They were effective. They dealt the demons massive casualties. In fact, they were the biggest reason we were able to fight for 24 years before I became desperate. They were a huge help to my angels in combat. The eventual problem was that there were far more demons than Earth Dens. The demons could slowly lower their numbers over the years. Since most of the women were fighting as well, and there weren’t enough men at home for those that weren’t, the Earth Dens couldn’t reproduce fast enough. By the end of the chaos, there were only a couple thousand Earth Dens left of the over 300,000 that were alive at the start of the chaos.”

Harmona looks down in sadness. “Since then, most decided to leave their warrior way of life and go their separate ways. You will still find some at their original home at Red Den.”

Her sadness grows higher as she continues. “Please forgive me for overusing your people in battle. It was a terrible mistake.”

Tears flow down from Emily’s eyes, the story of her ancestors hitting her emotionally. “No… no, it wasn’t… Their sacrifice gives us a chance today to stop the Dark Goddess. They have no regrets. I can feel it in my heart. I finally understand my magic. Channeling Magic is a warrior’s magic. Therefore, I am a warrior!”

Even with her tears flowing, she stands firm with increased resolve.

Harmona returns to a neutral expression as she says, “I have been keeping track of the Earth Den population numbers. They will continue to grow over the next few hundred years, but if the Dark Goddess isn’t stopped before her next invasion, there will be no hope for them.”

“Then we will stop her,” Emily replies with determination in her voice.

“The next item to address is Blood Magic,” Harmona says. “You already know that only people who have magic in their blood, meaning born with it, can use Blood Magic. Blood Magic is activated when a chemical reaction occurs between one’s blood and the magic within it. This can happen when one or more outside factors start mixing with your blood and its magic.”

“My shotgun… and the residue left from the Shadow Sword on my wound,” Emily mumbles.

“The poison mist infecting me… combined with my own blood and the demon’s blood,” Zeth mumbles.

“Correct,” Harmona replies. “It can be dangerous though. You can cause unnecessary destruction and you may bleed out if you don’t use it correctly.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Zeth says.

“Blood Magic is not a natural occurrence though,” Harmona notes. “It supposedly originates from one known as the ‘Blood Deity’ and became a genetic curse that passes down in bloodlines that have magic.”

Her expression turns serious as she continues speaking. “There is something I need to warn you about during your travels. Watch out for the Divine Killers. Though their organization is officially called ‘Crow Beak’. They are a group of mortal people that want to rid the world of all divine influence. They think that only mortals should have influence in the world, as naïve as they are, and will try to kill anyone who does not originate in the mortal world. This makes them a wild card in the battle against the Dark Goddess. Zeth, if they find out you are a divine being, they will come after you. And you being the son of a goddess will only make you more important as a target. I’m sure more evildoers will figure that out, so be careful.”

Zeth nods. “I will. Do you know anyone in particular from this group I need to watch out for?”

Harmona shakes her head with a frown. “Unfortunately, I don't. When on official ‘Crow Beak’ business, their members wear a mask or helmet of a crow face so they keep their identities hidden.”

Zeth’s eyes droop a bit, feeling a bit uneasy. “That's unfortunate. I'll just have to be careful out in public.”

“Our meeting is almost over,” Harmona says. “We just have a little bit more to talk about.”

Harmona has answered the questions about Emily’s ancestors and Blood Magic! But there is still more business to discuss.

Chapter 61 END

To be Continued in Chapter 62: Harmona’s Plan