CHAPTER 9: Ofelia's Parents

CHAPTER 9

OFELIA'S PARENTS

After I defeated The Mohan, Sugunsua contacted Ofelia and me, asking us to return to the Iguaque Lake. I tried to ask why, but he never replied. However, he sounded like he needed us there as soon as possible.

With no other option, we left town the next morning. Ofelia is still hurt, but she insists she has been through worse. I have to admit, I'm worried about her, but despite her petite frame, she has proven to be incredibly tough, so I give her the benefit of the doubt.

And so, my first quest is over. I recovered my sight and part of my power, but it seems I'm still human. As I told the mayor, things will only get harder from now on, but at least I have a better chance of putting up a decent fight.

Before I close this chapter about The Mohan, let me give you some spoilers about the town's aftermath. The day The Mohan died became a special date for everyone. It is now known as "Memory Day." During this celebration, people go to the river where so many lives were lost. They light candles, pray to the gods for their relatives' souls, and then they sing, dance, and feast until the next day.

Despite The Mohan being dead, the blood from his corpse actually kept the forest lush, the land fertile, and the river full of fish. The town never suffered from droughts or famines again and even helped nearby towns and cities by sharing their food and resources. Believe it or not, until the day The Mohan died, the town had no name. The inhabitants never felt the need to name it, but after I helped them—and despite asking them not to worship me—they named the town *"Chía". They erected a statue in my honor and pray to it every day, not asking for protection, but that I may carry out my mission successfully and that the moon will once again illuminate the nights. And, like old fairy tales say: They lived happily ever after.

*Author's note: There is actually a town in Colombia named "Chía". It's located near Bogotá, the capital city, and despite having a Chía statue in the town's square, the town in my story is not inspired by the real one. And no, Memory Day, as far as I know, is not a real celebration in Colombia either—I made it up.

Back to the story…

Although the road to the Iguaque Lake is still as long and tiring as always, at least this time it is much more bearable now that I travel with company… *giggles* It kind of reminds me of when Bochica and I traveled around the world. Little Ofelia has been a terrific travel companion so far. She's a great listener. I tell her stories about my past as the goddess of the moon and the adventures I had with Bochica. I also tell her my stories as Huitaca. After all we have been through, I think she deserves to know everything about me—everything, including my dark past. However, I try to keep my stories appropriate for her. She's still a kid, after all.

Ofelia also talks to me about her life, though she's too shy to do so openly. She says she feels unworthy of sharing her life with a goddess, despite my constant reassurances that I don't mind and that I'm not a goddess… *sigh* I really need to do something about that inferiority complex, kiddo.

That night, at a campfire…

—So, your mother comes from the Foreign Lands? That's incredible! —I say.

—Yes, ma'am," Ofelia replies —. My father was always looking for adventures. That's why he became a Demon Hunter. When he traveled to the Foreign Lands to continue his training, he met my mother, who was also a demon hunter. They fell in love, got married, and returned here to continue protecting people from monsters and demons.

—That's nice. You know, when I was the goddess of chaos, I once tried giving myself a foreign name. I called myself "Molly", but it didn't sound menacing, so I went back to Huitaca.

—And why didn't sumercé keep her original name as Chía?

—Bochica named me Chía. Maybe I changed it to Huitaca to show that I didn't want anything from him anymore.

—I'm sure that hurt him.

—Not as much as being banished to the moon. But yeah, I bet it did.

—Well, what matters now is that sumercé has taken back the name he gave you. I bet Lord Bochica will be happy when he knows.

—I hope so, kiddo… Okay, it's late. Let's sleep. We'll arrive at the lake tomorrow.

—Um… Miss Chía?

—Stop calling me "Miss Chía", Ofelia.

—Oh, right! Sumercé is a goddess, then Lady Chía?

—Just call me Chía, Ofelia. Please, don't be so formal with me. We're friends now.

—No, ma'am, I can't do that! You're an authority figure, and you deserve respect!

—*sigh*. Whatever. What is it?

Ofelia blushes...

—M-May I comb your hair, please? Mother always lets me comb hers before sleeping.

—Nope. Your "Lady Chía" thing just annoyed me.

Ofelia's eyes water…

—Okay, okay, geez! I was just kidding! Go ahead, kiddo, suit yourself.

—Yay! Thanks!

The next day…

We finally arrive at the Iguaque Lake. Ofelia looks excited to see the place where the strongest gods of all were born, but once she realizes she's actually going to meet them in person, she gets super nervous and hides behind me.

—Oh, c'mon, Ofelia! Relax a little, please? They're not gonna eat you… I hope.

—You hope?!

—I mean, they won't! They may be ginormous snakes, but they're pretty friendly with humans.

—They're giant snakes?!

—Friendly snakes!

—Will you stop scaring her, Chía? —says an angry voice coming from the lake. By the tone, it's definitely Bachué.

—There, there, Bachué —says another voice. That's Sugunsua —You promised to be nice to Chía this time, remember? She saved the town, after all.

—*sigh* … Fine —Bachué replies.

Bachué and Sugunsua emerge from the lake—except this time, they appear as humans instead of snakes. Sugunsua is a very tall, muscular man with dark skin and long black hair that covers his deep golden eyes. Despite his imposing presence, his kind smile lets us know he's not a threat. Bachué is a woman of medium height, with rainbow-colored eyes, infinitely long brown hair, dark skin, huge breasts, and wide hips.

—There you are —I say —. Now as humans, I see. It would have been nice if you had received me like this instead of as snakes last time.

—This is different —Sugunsua smiles —. We don't want to scare our little guest, now do we? You're Ofelia, right? Nice to meet you, my girl. I'm Sugunsua.

Hearing his calm voice, Ofelia relaxes a little and steps forward…

—N-Nice to meet you, Lord Sugunsua, Lady Bachué. M-My name is… huh?!

Ofelia suddenly stops speaking. Her face turns bright red, then she screams and covers her eyes.

—What happened, my dear? —Sugunsua asks gently —Please, don't be shy. It's fine.

—Y-you're…! —she stutters.

—We're what?

—You're naked, you dummy —I say.

—Oh right! I forgot they're ashamed of being naked in public —Sugunsua chuckles.

Bachué, who until that moment had tried her best to remain calm and composed as a serious goddess, couldn't hold back any longer. She suddenly dashed toward Ofelia.

—KYAHHHHHHHHH!!! – Bachué screamed – YOU'RE SO CUTE, MY DEAR OFELIA!!

She lifted Ofelia off the ground and hugged her tightly.

—Kyahh! —yelled Ofelia —Miss Chía, Lord Sugunsua, please help!

—Now you're making it more awkward, Bachué! —I say.

—Give her some credit, Chía. She really tried —Sugunsua replied.

—But she has a broken rib!

Bachué ignored us and Ofelia's protests, continuing to squeeze the terrified girl.

—Oh, my goodness! You're so hurt and skinny! Are you alright? Are you hungry?! Here, my dear Ofelia. Don't be shy!

Bachué attempted to breastfeed Ofelia, which only terrified her even more.

—Mmphhh!! – Ofelia tried to speak… but it was difficult with a breast in her mouth.

—Now you're making it creepy!! —I yell.

—Bachué, stop! – Sugunsua commanded firmly.

Finally, Bachué calmed down and gently placed Ofelia back on the ground.

—I'm sorry—Bachué mumbles –. Here, let me help you, my dear Ofelia.

She placed her hand on Ofelia's abdomen, and with a flash of radiant magic, the girl's broken rib was instantly healed. Ofelia stared in shock at the sudden relief from pain.

A few minutes later, after everyone settled down, the gods finally explained why they had summoned us.

—First of all —Sugunsua says—, we thank you, Chía, for saving our children in the town. We know it must have been difficult, but in the end, everything turned out well. I knew you would find a way to absorb your magic again.

—So, back when you said you returned part of my powers, you meant…

—Yes, I only gave you the Dream Breath and the ability to absorb chaos magic. From now on, it's up to you —Sugunsua then looks at Ofelia —… and you as well, Ofelia.

—M-Me? – Ofelia asks, confused – Why?

Bachué then conjurs two objects before us: a pair of bracelets and, most significantly, a machete.

The moment Ofelia saw the weapon, her face went pale. Horrified, she stumbles backward.

—T-The Demon Butcher! —she screams.

—Kiddo, are you okay? —I ask —What's wrong with that machete?

—M-My parents… They were here? Are they okay?!

—Calm down, Ofelia —Bachué reassures her —.We know you're not fond of this weapon. Your parents told us what happened. But trust me, they wouldn't have left this machete to you if it wasn't important.

Ofelia looks down, sadness washes over her face. It is obvious the machete carries painful memories. I can feel the concentrated evil radiating from it.

—Ofelia, what happened with that machete?

She doesn't answer. She simply glances at me before looking back at the weapon.

—It's okay, kiddo —I continue —. You don't have to tell me if you're not ready.

—That machete —Ofelia sighs —It's my father's… I… I'm not supposed to use it. Not yet… I'm not quite myself when I wield it.

—You're not yourself? What do you mean?

Bachué approaches her and gently touches her cheek.

—Everything will be alright, sweet Ofelia. That's what these bracelets are for. They carry my blessing. As long as you wear them, the machete won't control your mind. You'll even be able to wield it at full power… for ten minutes.

—Wait, wait, wait a minute —I interrupt —. Care to explain what the hell is going on with that machete?

—It's Ofelia's family weapon: The Demon Butcher —Sugunsua explains —. The blade has slain countless demons over the years, and the accumulated blood has amplified its power beyond imagination. The more demons it kills, the stronger it becomes. However, when a demon hunter retires and passes it on, the blade must be cleansed and exorcized to rid it of the hatred and grudge that fuels its strength. A veteran slayer has the mental fortitude to resist the blade's corruption, but an inexperienced rookie… well, let's just say they might not recognize friend from foe. Naturally, once exorcized, the machete's power resets to its weakest state. But as its wielder gains experience and kills more demons, its power grows again, continuing the cycle.

—My parents were supposed to pass this machete to me at the end of my training, but…

—you got kidnapped – I finish her sentence.

—Yes, ma'am —Ofelia continues —. My training is far from over. And the machete hasn't been exorcized. I… I can't use it.

—Trust your parents, little Ofelia —Sugunsua says —, and trust Bachué as well. These bracelets will protect you from the machete's influence.

—However, listen carefully, my dear Ofelia —Bachué adds—, you cannot wield this machete for more than ten minutes. If you exceed the time limit, you and everyone around you will be in serious danger. Furthermore, over time, the bracelets will lose my blessing, so this is not a permanent solution, understand?

Ofelia doesn't answer. She only nods, looking troubled.

—Why? – I ask— Why are you giving Ofelia such a dangerous weapon? Why not tell her where her parents are so she can finish her training?

—Because they're helping us with an even more critical matter —Sugunsua replies —. Chía… a war is coming. A terrible war. We need all the help we can get, both gods and humans.

A horrible chill runs down my spine. A war? What was he talking about?

—A war? —I ask again —Against who?

—Goranchacha – Bachué answers.

—Who's that?

—You'll learn in due time, Chía. But for now, you both must go to the city of Hunza. There, you will not only reclaim more of your chaos magic, Chía, but you will also find allies who can help Ofelia complete her training.

—The city of Hunza, huh? This just took a turn for the worse.

—We apologize for dropping this on you so suddenly —Sugunsua says —. But we have less time than we anticipated.

—Chía —Bachué pleads —if you truly seek redemption, prove it. Please… stop Goranchacha and save the world… save my children.

A war was coming…

TO BE CONTINUED…