CHAPTER I - BLOOD SAPPHIRE

"Mors, isn't next week is the harvest day? Have you told people around the village to come?"

"Mom.. When it is about harvest day, I don't need to tell them.. they'll come.. and it will be the biggest harvest time in this 10 years"

Mors smiled at his mom, walked to the door and took his favorite hoe with him outside. "Mom, I'm gonna go to Uncle Smith's Shop to do some shopping and to check on this baby"

"Will you come late again?'

Mors smirked and run from his house. After he open the fence, he started to walk slowly watching all the fruits and vegetables, from apples to spinaches, that will be harvested next week. He started to whistling around the road happily. After 5 KM walk from Demeter Garden, which he live, houses started to appear to his sights. Traditional houses with rooftop made from haystacks, wooden pine walls, you can smell the scent of tranquility miles away.

People of Solay Village greeted Mors well, well yeah.. Of course it is because they live mainly from the good of Mors's Family. Even after the apocalypse 20 years ago, Demeter Garden is the last standing garden in the world that the soil wasn't corrupted by the dark energy.

"Ah! There it is Uncle Smith's Shop! I wonder if Zol and Ari inside"

Krieg.. He open the door which looked like come from cowboy 70's era and the smell of burned coals and steel hit his nose. He saw Ari looking at his father, Uncle Smith, forging a sickle, vigorously yet calm and in beat.

Zol walked ninja step, tried to sneak on Ari, but Ari sees his intention very well. She took a step back of her right feet, turn around fast, grab Zol's hand and smacked him like a queen.

"AW AW!! OUCH!! IT HURTSSS MISS TOMB GIRL!! DO YOU WANNA BREAK MY ARMM??"

"Call me tomb girl again, and I will break your balls next".

"Sorry sorry, Ari hehe"

Uncle Smith stopped the forge. "Isn't next week the day? Have you prepared everything for it rather than playing around here and get beaten by Ari?"

"I have everything under control. Don't underestimate me, Uncle. I am here just for buying some stuffs for the day and please check on my baby. I think it needed repair". Mors gave his hoe to Uncle Smith without any hesitation because his hoe is what matters for him. Everything in his garden is done using his hoe. Even Mors can't even think living without it.

The thing is, Uncle Smith told him that his hoe need a real careful fix, because its in condition of maximum capacity to be used again. He told Mors to search for Orichalcum Ore in the Satobia Cavern, west from Solay Village. Mors agreed and ready to go, but he needs weapon. Mors asked Uncle Smith whether he have spare weapons, and Uncle Smith gave him a crossbow. Mors have never been good using weapon rather than a crossbow and hoe. Crossbow for hunting, and hoe for farming, but sometimes for killing.. monsters.

He started off his journey right away. Near Solay Village entrance, he saw Zol talking seriously with a Dragon Knight, looks like from Kalahan Kingdom.

"Is that Zol? Why is he talking to some Kalahan shit here? He's a week out from village and back with Kalahans? I.. miss.. ngh.. but I better get going".

He took a deep breath and run.

***

He faced some monsters along the way. Yeah, monster relatively go more rampant and violently these days. Maybe because of the super exploitation of natural resources, energies, and magic elements by the Kalahans. Other than that, drought plagued the entire region and somehow, Demeter Garden not affected by drought. This thing made Kalahans want to take over the garden too, but Mors and the villagers always against it and defend the garden.

In the middle of his journey, he saw a beautiful chocolate-pinked mison attacked by harpies.

"No no, I need to help that mison. Harpies weakness is their heart. Okay time to kill harpies". He bend his right feet, sit on the other feet, took a several bow and insert it in the crossbow. Checked the wind, its all good and SHOOT! Shooshhh!! Shooshh!! Shooshh!!

2 down, but the last harpy managed to evade. Knew that being attacked, it flapped its wings fast and faster, dive the air, plunged to Mors's way. In a split second, it faced Mors, flapped its wings to Mors's crossbow, its claw grabbed Mors's shoulder. Mors struggled to get it off, he took a bow manually and stab its stomach.

"MIARGHH!!". The harpy lost balance, and flew away.

"Damn harpy! You ruin my day!". After the harpy gone, Mors grabbed his crossbow and ran to the injured Mison.

"Are you okay? So much blood cause of that harpies and you don't look like an ordinary Mison. Nah you can't answer my question. Obviously you are an animal. Duh". He smiled to himself and took of medicinal herb which he got from Uncle Smith. "Cmon eat it. You'll be better soon. Just look a safe after this. Ok?". He patted its head and left. He continued his journey to the Cavern.

***

The day become darker, the moon started to arise. Mors finally found Satobia Cavern. The air in the cavern smells like blood, have many red stalagmites and stalactites, and feels colder than the outside. Sound of water drip really clear, even his step further echoed louder. There was no monster until he found the end of the cavern. It was a really big red orc with scythe in its right hand defending Orichalcum ore behind him.

"CRAP~ After harpies, harpies is owkay but Red Orc? The hell how I'm supposed to beat it? I wish my mom was here with me and kill that Orc in a flash with Earth Magic". Mors kept mumbling to himself which made the Orc realize that someone is in the cavern.

Dag dag dag, The Orc ran towards Mors and swang its scythe to Mors. Luckily Mors have a good reflex and evade it. He rolled his body to the ground and shot The Orc with his crossbow. 1,2, and 3, it managed to hit the body but the damaged is just a little. The orc swang its scythe carelessly and Mors kept evading it. In some point, Mors realize that his attack only damaged The Orc a little, he tried to find away to just paralyze The Orc and run with the ore. He saw a giant stalactite hanging, and he thought if only he can break it while The Orc under it, it might slowed The Orc down. He didn't have time to think anymore, and tried to execute his plan.

"Hey stupid orc! Ari is scarier than you~ Come and get me!". He tried to insult The Orc which not really effective, but The Orc eat the words! Nah maybe it is just because Mors is so annoying so The Orc want to kill him faster. The Orc ran towards Mors again and stopped exactly under the giant stalactite. Mors moved to the back of The Orc and use his crossbow skill.

"Roundabout Tri-Snipe!". He jumped making a roundabout in the air, bend his body back a little to give the crossbow more shooting power and released 3 bows. Before it hit the stalactite, the bows surrounded it like a triangle and pierce the giant stalactite with a full speed. CRACK!! It fell right into The Orc's body. The Orc lost its grip to its scythe and down to the floor. Mors quickly grab the giant scythe and slashed it to The Orc's neck. The Orc's head split from its body and blood poured like rain. Mors sat down the floor and bathed by The Orc's blood and rest awhile. He didn't think that he could kill The Orc and where is the power to swing even lift The Orc's Scythe so easily? After that thought, he move to collect the ore and go home. But before he leave the place where he battled The Orc, he saw a shiny red-blood colored sapphire stone in the blood swamp of Orc's Blood.

"Ouch! It is hot! Literally hot! What is this stone?! It's not ruby but red blood sapphire stone? THIS IS AWESOME!! I'm gonna take it and give it to Ari.. But nah, I'll give it to my mom~". He took the stone to his pocket. The stone feels a little warm and keep shining. Mors took it without knowing what really is the stone and leave the cavern. While he didn't know to that something or someone followed him after the battle. He played the stone, tossed it to the air and grab it, somehow he feel power come from the stone. It felt like electricity pump his blood, but Mors think that it is because the fatigued from the fight with The Orc.