20 Chapter 20. Aftermath

Hiro, Angelica, and Nasir left Griamore after King Sora had locked away the magic of the High blooded elves. Griamore was a mess after the invasion but the reawakened king had inspired the remaining elves to rebuild the city. They had changed the name of the city to Incarnatus to represent the rebirth of the elves and the city. Hiro realizes that he had family left it was hard for him to want to rage against every demihuman. However, now that his original goal was accomplished he had no idea what he was to do next. The used the magic teleportation item given to them by Theo to teleport to his location. They arrived back in Dwarvenguard into an inn where Theo had been staying. Nasir was still suffered from injuries that couldn't be fixed by the healing items.

"Pick him up and lay him on the bed."

Hiro picks up Nasir and gently lays him down.

"I'm surprised you can even move elf. It seems like you have several broken ribs, a few fractures in your lower vertebrae and some internal bleeding. If you weren't an elf you probably would be paralyzed or dead already. But it's nothing I can't fix I could even fix a little bit of death."

Theo laughs

"If my elven physiology is correct it would appear that I just need to heal your core and stop the bleeding and your body will take care of the rest."

Hiro is stunned for a second.

"What do you mean by core?"

Theo gives Hiro a disappointed face.

"Don't you listen to anything boy. I've already told you about this I assume you were too pig-headed to hear me clearly so I'll repeat it once. The core is the center of all creatures with magic. It's the central core of magic. It can be damaged by overextending your magical limits like Nasir here or by using magic more powerful than you are capable of wielding. Unlike organs healing the core can't be healed with traditional medicine. It takes precise and delicate magic to carefully reform it. You aren't capable of doing this kind of healing with the brutish ogre-like way you use magic preferring power to skill. It works for fighting but not delicate tasks such as this. As long as the core is mostly intact it can be healed by a skilled wielder of magic. Your magic sealing works on the principle of forcibly separating the host from their core and isolating it from accessing it."

Hiro nods his head understanding the fundamentals of the core.

"what about the core of humans?"

"Humans don't have a core they can be transferred from another being with a core or slowly built over a lifetime. I fabricated a core for you that's why you can use magic now. Eventually, your core will be just as organic as any other demihuman."

"So I'll stop being human?"

"Essentially yes. You'll have your mind and adaptability but the rest of you will be like a blank slate for magic."

Nassir looks at Hiro

"How interesting I've never heard of such a thing."

"Enough about the boy. Brace yourself because this is going to hurt like a lot."

"I've been tortured every day since my capture. I'll grin and bear it."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Theo's hands start to glow and he writes symbols on the air unfamiliar to everyone else and they imprint onto Nasir's chest.

"Is that all I barely felt a thing."

Theo makes a hand sign with one hand and forces magic into Nasir's body. The pain is excruciating causing Nasir to scream out in pain. Angelica is scared. She runs up to trying to intervene Theo uses magic to push her and stick her to the wall.

"Don't interrupt this process elf girl unless you want him to die. I know how much pain he's in but I must finish.

Nasir screams of agony were more than Angelica could bear. Theo's hands stopped glowing and Nasir became calm and looked relieved.

"He should be fine now. He just needs time to rest. "

The magic pinning angelica to the wall dissipated and Angelica could move again. She rushed to her father's side seeing that his hair had grown back and his injuries were disappearing.

"Boy, come with me we need to talk."

Hiro followed Theo out to the street and they stood outside looking at the moon.

"You've gotten your revenge on the warring clans that destroyed your village so, what now?"

"Well I got my revenge but I don't feel satisfied at all. I thought after I got my revenge I'd feel a little better and in a certain way, I do. There's still so much injustice in this world and I feel powerless to stop it."

"Revenge is like a cup being filled with ale you drink and are merry until it's gone but to keep it going you need another cup. You'll never truly be satisfied no matter how much you get as long as you still thirst for it."

"So what do you suggest?"

"I say truly living free is the best path. Not listening to the rules of others but only to yourself. Here in Dwarvenguard, the smiths can live without persecution because everyone uses them to benefit themselves. But they aren't living freely they are slaves to the will of others. Everyone before the gods is like that in one way or another."

"It seems like the gods would be to blame for all this suffering."

"And if they were what would you Hiro the human do about it?"

"I'd show them what it's like to feel helpless. But that's only a dream."

"Remember when I said we would have something to talk about after your little rampage?"

"Yeah? What were you talking about?"

"Well ever since we've met that fateful day at the riverbed I'm sure you've been curious what I am."

"Yeah, but I assumed you were a human or some kind of demon."

Theo laughs.

"I suppose that's not too far off depending on whom it is you ask."

Theo scratches his head and has a face of contemplation trying to think about what to say.

"I'm not actually here. I don't exist or at least not what you see."

"Okay, that's just confusing."

"I'm like a golem but made to look like a human."

"Why would someone making such a thing?"

"I'm still the Theo you know speaking and controlling this golem like a marionette."

"Then where is the real you?"

"I am on a mountain chained up like cattle by Zeus. I made this golem to find someone strong enough to free me."

"If you could make such a powerful golem why haven't you freed yourself already."

"There is a ferocious creature guarding and tormenting me. It kills anything that gets near me and is nearly unkillable. The chains I'm bound by are meant to trap a titan and I can't break them."

"A titan? What is that?"

"Before there were gods and even the old god there were creatures known as titans. I'm sure you've heard of the mightly Atlas that holds the world up or the ever fruitful Gaia, the mother of all life."

"Yes, my mother told me stories about how Zeus punished Atlas for trying to kill humanity and as punishment had to separate the living from the Tartarus and protect us."

"That isn't the truth my boy. It was us titans trying to protect you from Zeus."

"I don't understand."

"I will explain it all and it should be clear."