Chapter 144 No Excuses

"She is the reincarnation that was supposed to have died killing all the Blood Witches. Looks like that was never the plan. Why Xena knows so much about us, I have no idea, but I promise that I will keep you safe," I said, and Tallia stepped back from me with a frown.

? "Why do you keep implying that I can't take care of myself?" Tallia asked me, but this time there was no fire, just a question.

"I have never met this Elfinia, but I can tell you that she would be killed in a fight with Xena or any blood witch. They are literally the counter to your very existence. You are Positive Energy incarnate, and they are Negative. Basic math says that two positives make a positive, but what happens when you mix negatives and positives? They become negatives. Positive and Negative Energy is the exact same because they are measurements," I explained, and Tallia nodded, but she looked concerned now.

"What does this mean for the other Goddess that is infected?" Tallia asked, and I nodded.

"I have a way to deal with that, and now I can release Morgana. Coming here was a mistake, and I am sure that Nemoria is going to be having a word with Xena. She should have been here to kill, not taunt me. That was not her true form, nor even close to the limit of her power. In the right circumstances, a Blood Witch can sacrifice herself and others to become a Lesser Riftwalker. A bit smaller than the one that I fought," I explained, and Tallia frowned.

"If it is smaller, then we should have no problem dealing with it, right?" Tallia asked, but I shook my head.

"Think about the after-effect with a barrier in place that I put up. Not only that but imagine her shifting where Xena was? The damage to the city might have been controlled, but think what it would do to your people," I explained, and Tallia looked down.

"Why do I suddenly feel like I am a mortal champion standing in front of a Goddess? Why are you so strong?" Tallia asked, and I smiled.

"I have to be strong enough to protect this world. You are in it, so I don't really need much else reason, but I have more than just you to protect now. Star crossed or not, I am here to protect you and everyone in this world to the best of my abilities. I can't save everyone, nor can I force them to bend a knee to me, and I understand that now," I said, and Tallia sighed.

"I wish that I knew why you cared about me so much. It feels disgusting to hear the words that creature spat at you. I do not think you are dirt; I just don't know how to handle you. You are supposed to be under my rule as a human, yet you are the one leading me around. I have been a goddess for a long time, so you have to understand how this would make me feel," Tallia explained, and I nodded.

"I get that, and that is why I have decided to let things be. We learned to love each other five hundred lives ago, so we can learn again, but there is no rush. Take your time, and continue to be here when I call for you. I will ask nothing more than that," I explained, and Tallia nodded.

"I will go now. You have had a very long and drawn-out day, and you look tired," Tallia said as she opened a portal and left, leaving me to stand outside the glowing manor that was covered in countless protection spells.

I took a moment to lock everything in place, and all the spell circles disappeared, but they were still there. This would give me at least a warning if something tried to attack up and prevent any Blood Witches from getting in incognito.

Once I was done, I headed into the house.

All the girls were on the other side of the door, literally filling the hallways with worried looks. This was a clear indication that I was starting to collect enough people to start a few baseball teams. That was an interesting idea that might be fun at a later date before leaving.

"Is everything okay?" Eliza asked at the front of the pack with Senna tight beside her.

"For now, and I set some protection in place. That was a Blood Witch, but I was able to take off one of her arms, so I don't think she will be back soon," I explained.

"You didn't kill her?! You and Tallia weren't strong enough?!" Senna exclaimed, and I waggled my finger at her.

"This is a lesson that you reminded me about. Not everything is about strengths. Blood Witches are masters of Chaotic Entropy and controlling it. They can literally cause chaos from a lack of it, and the effects are extremely varied. They measure the chance of random occurrences of chaos, and the less likely, the stronger the effect. Getting close to one is dangerous because you never know what could happen. This one didn't want to fight, or we would be in a great deal of trouble," I explained, and the girls all looked scared, and rightfully so. This could have been a catastrophe.

"Why did she come?" Breya asked.

"She was here to taunt me and try to scare me, but it was already information that I knew. She actually unlocked some information to be able to defeat them, but it would require me to get close. I am not ready for that, and my Astral friend, Leo, drove home just how little I know about myself and my potential," I said, looking down at my open hand.

There was untold power hiding just beneath the surface, but Leo was right. I couldn't just keep going like this, pulling bits and parts like this. That was how mistakes were made, and people died.

"Tomorrow, you are all training with me in the morning. No excuses," I said, looking up from my hand.

"What?!" Most of the girls exclaimed.

The best way to learn a skill better was to teach it to others, but I wasn't going to be just teaching the girls.

They would be teaching me.