Chapter 62: Harmona's Plan

Chapter 62: Harmona’s Plan

“The next thing we need to discuss is the magic altar that lies within this very room,” Harmona says. “You five have already used the magic altar in the Great Falls. As you know, there are eight total in this country. Here in this room is another one of those altars.”

A wall opens up and reveals the altar, designed similarly to the one in the Great Falls, except it has four slots on the top of it for objects to fit in.

“You will use this altar to, once again, increase your abilities. It’s especially important for you, Zeth.”

“What do you mean?” Zeth asks.

“First, place the four divine stones you picked in the first room of the temple into the slots of the altar.”

Zeth walks up to the altar and places the stones in the slots, each one fitting perfectly.

Harmona continues explaining. “The altar’s upgrades to your abilities, along with the stones, will allow you to temporarily access divine powers during your journey. However, it can only be done in areas with sacred energies or other divine power in the air. Why is this important, you might ask? Your biggest goal currently should be to consume Crimson and regain your permanent divine powers. Without them, we have no chance of defeating the Dark Goddess before I fully recover. You also need them to be able to return to Heaven, which is your home. Your sister and I can’t bring you home in your current state.”

Joe pats Zeth on the shoulder with a smile. “Dang. You get to call Heaven, home.”

“The place that is beyond the stars?” Sasha asks.

“That is how mortals tend to look at it, which is fair enough but not technically correct,” Harmona replies. “Heaven exists as a separate dimension that is connected to Earth. It’s the same with Hell. Explaining how it works requires a more complex and in-depth explanation that I don’t think any of you are ready for yet. Anyway, we need to get back to using the altar so use it and I will continue.”

The heroes walk up to the altar. Light begins to emit from it, swirling around until it envelops their bodies. The light soon fades away, leaving them with increased powers.

They walk back toward Harmona, who resumes speaking. “While searching for Crimson, destroy anything and anyone that you see that is sided with the Dark Goddess. We have to weaken her influence here.”

She looks at Sasha, specifically. “And that makes this case special. Sasha, I know who you are…”

Sasha trembles and grits her teeth, trying to mentally prepare herself to hear what Harmona is about to say.

“You are the Dark Goddess’s daughter,” Harmona states firmly.

All five heroes open their eyes wide as their jaws drop open in their complete and total shock.

“That can’t be!” Sasha shouts. “I’m a good person!”

“I know and that is why you are special,” Harmona assures. “You have the powers of the Dark Goddess but can use them for good. Oddly enough, just like my children, your father is a human, or at least that’s what our intelligence has told us. But given that you do not currently have your natural eye color, that basically confirms it.”

Sasha raises an eyebrow. “My natural eye color?”

“Yes. Since you are the daughter of the Dark Goddess, you should have Dark Divine Eyes.”

“What do Dark Divine Eyes look like?”

“Imagine your current eyes but the white parts of your eyes are black. Dark Divine Eyes are mostly black except for the irises which are red. Your irises are already red so I imagine your dark power has been sealed and the mortal aspects of your eyes are at the surface because of it. That is why your sclera are white instead of black.”

Emily nods. “This explains everything I have noticed. If her dark power has been sealed then sometimes it starts to leak out a bit when she gets very angry. I saw it when Zeth took a big beating against Gorge.”

“The Dark Goddess must have noticed the benefits of having a child with the benefits of mortals,” Harmona says. “But why did she seal Sasha’s dark powers? I don’t have an answer for that.”

She looks at Sasha. “I also would not know how to break the seal and fully access your dark powers.”

Sasha falls to her knees, sadness and guilt etched on her face. “I guess I really am the devil’s spawn as my step-parents called me…”

Zeth places his right hand on Sasha’s left shoulder, looking down at her with a serious but comforting expression. “No, you are a good person that can use what seems bad to the benefit of all that is good. You will forever be someone capable of turning bad into good and that is what matters most.”

He grabs her hand and helps her stand up, but then she falls into his arms, crying. He hugs her tight as she cries happily in his shoulder.

“Thank you… You are right. It matters who I truly am on the inside!”

She ends the hug and smiles while she wipes the tears from face. “We will defeat the Dark Goddess. Together.”

“That’s the spirit!” Zeth says joyfully. “It’s time we get to work!”

Harmona smiles while watching them. She thinks, “A being of light… and a being of dark… Maybe this conflict will one day end, and both sides can be happy with each other.” She then speaks aloud. “Being a Dark Divine Being does not automatically make you a bad person. I know it seems odd, but Heaven and Hell are not supposed to be in conflict with each other. Both Heaven and Hell were made to fulfill a purpose. They are for giving the souls of dead mortals a place to go after death. Those who are good people go to Heaven and those who are bad people go to Hell. Our purpose isn’t to fight each other… and yet we’ve been in conflict for even far longer than I’ve been alive. It’s like it’s all part of someone’s sick twisted game to get us to fight each other.”

Zeth places his hand up to his chin. “A purpose, you say? Who gave them their respective purposes? What is the origin of our entire existence?”

Harmona stays silent for a moment and appears surprised by the question. “Going right for the big questions, I see. Zeth, I think it’s too early for you to learn about that. You have a lot on your plate already and need to focus on regaining your divinity. And besides, while I know a basic level about our origin, I don’t know everything. I think one day, when you’re in my position, you will get the chance to learn everything there is to know about the origin of everything.”

“Okay, I understand,” he says. “I guess that’s all we have to ask right now so we better get going.”

The heroes prepare to leave, but before they do, Harmona stops them.

“Wait, Zeth, just one more thing.”

“What is it?” he asks curiously.

“It’s been 18 years since you were born and I have not been with you since you were four months old,” she says as she walks up to him. She hugs him tight. “This is something I needed to do to make up for the lost time. Remember, I will always be watching over you.” She pauses for a moment before saying, “I look forward to the day you can finally come home…”

Zeth also stays silent for a moment before responding, “…So do I.”

The heroes now know what they must do! And in this first in a long-time meeting between mother and son, Zeth feels the true caring and love that his mother, the Light Goddess, gives!

Chapter 62 END

To be Continued in Chapter 63: Korobu and Crimson

END OF ARC