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Children of Demeter. Beautiful, but rare. Usually living in the Great Plains of North America, especially areas with large biodiversity and few humans, they are rare, with there believed to be only about 4,000 of the species left. This number has only decreased as humans have spread and become more advanced.
The only times they don’t live alone are when raising their young, are still young themselves, or are breeding. A child of Demeter will raise up to 5 chicks, only laying eggs once in their lifetime. Unless they are cross-breeding with other species (in that case, it’s hard to guarantee whether their mate will stay or leave), children of Demeter only interact with a partner once, during breeding. During the fall, males will leave their dens to find a suitable female. After breeding, the male will leave, and after six months, the female will lay her eggs. These eggs will stay in a shallow hole dug into the ground, covered with dirt.
It is believed that before the Europeans settled the Great Plains, the children of Demeter may have numbered around 30,000 and inhabited the entirety of the Great Plains. Around the 19th century, their populations began to drop due to colonizers starting to move West, killing the creatures as they traveled through the area and settled there. One of the main reasons they didn’t die out was because they preferred to have territories in areas with fertile soils. Farmers began to lobby for their protection, even though they were some of the main killers of the species. Many children of Demeter also died due to settlers shooting them for encroaching on their land, eating their crops, and attacking the settlers when they made attempts to get close. As of now, there are laws in place for their protection, but these laws are rarely enforced.
Children of Demeter are the second smallest species of demigod, with the majority clocking in around 54 inches. Their bodies are usually scaled along the belly and sides, mostly in greens, browns, tans, and dull yellows that blend in with the grasses of their habitat. Along their back are feathers, which are described by those that see them as a color and texture similar to healthy, green grass, serving as camouflage in high grass, where they’ll oftentimes be seen. Their legs are long, grey, scaled, and have long claws that they use to dig their dens, similar to a bird. Chicks are hatched almost completely bald, having little to no feathers or hard scales, and will grow them as they age.
Due to their solitary nature, adult children of Demeter are rarely vocal. During their mating season, occurring in the fall, males will let out calls similar to that of the Oriental Scops Owl in order to alert females of their presence when they were entering a new territory. Chicks may snort loudly, similar to a pig, when they are in danger, separated from their mother, or need to be taken care of.
Children of Demeter are technically herbivores, but they also have the ability to participate in photosynthesis due to their feathers. If these feathers are plucked or lost, they may starve and lose their life. The children of Demeter will lay down on their bellies right outside their dens for up to sixteen hours in a half-asleep state that could cause them to wake up at any moment in time. While not preferring it, they may eat grasses or seeds if unable to access the sunlight. Chicks eat more plants than adults, as they don’t have enough feathers to survive off just photosynthesis alone until they’re adults.
Children of Demeter rarely pose a threat to humans. Due to their skittish nature, they will instead run away, mainly into their dens, which are usually hidden under rocks or inside thick grasses. The only times they’ll attack is when cornered or when their chicks are in danger, though they almost never cause any actual harm due to their lack of claws or sharp teeth. Many have been killed despite this, being viewed as threats by those who do not understand the species.
After a total of three weeks from insemination, a female child of Demeter will lay her eggs in a shallow pit dug in the ground around ten feet from her den. This pit will house three to five eggs, and will be covered with dirt in order to keep them warm through the winter. During early spring, the eggs will hatch, digging themselves out of the pit with tiny claws that they will lose with age. The chicks will stay with their mother for up to six years before going to find their own territory. Once they claim that territory, they will dig a shallow a shallow den under rocks or grass. They will live here their whole lives, only leaving if they are a sexually mature male, in which case they will seek out a female during the fall and start the cycle again.
The few people who have eaten the meat of a child of Demeter have described it as disgusting, with a slimy texture that “can’t be enjoyed by any proper person.” The taste is described as rotten, and the smell as revolting. Additionally, it’s believed to be poisonous, having made anyone who has eaten it sick and unable to leave bed for up to a month. It is also harmful towards other demigods, with many in captivity unintentionally killing those around them (especially children of Apollo) while being dead themselves.
Children of Demeter are some of the easiest demigods to keep in captivity. Many zoos house them, usually with children of Apollo, even though they aren’t very receptive to humans. Conservation efforts have been successful, almost doubling their population from the 1970s. Efforts to preserve this species has only increased as it has been discovered that their presence can accelerate plant growth.
While hard to find, Children of Demeter are fascinating creatures yet to be fully explored. Further examination may reveal key factors of their behaviors and evolution.