Chapter 320: Aftermath (1/2)

The throne room was in shambles, two big craters digging nearly fifteen meters into the white stone, revealing the ordinary rock starting further down. Not even rubble was left behind, most of it simply turned to dust. The gates had been bent and mangled, allowing the Guardians from outside to enter. It seemed though that after the initial wave, those waiting farther back in the great hall didn’t rush towards the throne room anymore.

Now that the Praetorians are dead. Maybe they’ll return to their normal positions. An explosion resounded, the shock wave traveling towards the group of waiting people, Ilea’s black hair moving back, settling again a moment later. Heranuur had downed his Centurion first, the blast sending him flying. He rolled a couple times before crashing into the wall with a wet thud. Still moving, Ilea noted. The laughter was indication enough, Seviir and his Centurion battling each other the only noise remaining in the hall now that most of the machines had been cleared out.

Some of Maro’s skeletons had rushed out of the hall to push them back even more. “Can your summons fight the Guardians?” She asked after a while. Ilea was in high spirits, both knowing she had successfully saved the lives of all present but mostly because she had helped in the killing of two Praetorians. Her contribution had been significant. It would have been interesting to know if herself or Maro had dealt more damage. Probably him… damn range.

Elfie gasped behind them, Terok looking over from his impromptu workbench provided by Neiphato. The elf had formed himself a chair of wood, sitting down with a sigh as he started meditating. Ilea nearly asked for one too before she remembered her own ability to make one out of ash. She was just about to make one when the elf woke, the purple veins showing on his pale white skin. He was already slim but the toll this experience and entering the dungeon had taken on him definitely showed. His cheeks looked a little sunken in and his eyes only opened halfway before he groaned in pain.

He scratched his head before shooting up into a sitting position, eyes wide open as he stuttered something to himself. “Is that normal Neiphato?” Ilea asked. The wood mage opened his eyes and smiled.

“Oh yes it is. Very painful. He’s going to feel that for the next couple weeks. I think it’s a good experience in the end, one to make us stronger in the long term. Freeing too. Finally rid of the horrors of our kind.” He spit on the floor, his blue eyes fierce.

“I… betrayed… everything. All of it.. gone.” Elfie said, holding a hand to his face. Ilea wasn’t sure if he would rip off his face or start to cry. What she certainly didn’t expect was the manic cackling that followed. Even Maro looked away from the fight happening near the gates, glancing at the elf.

“See? Freeing.” Neiphato added, self satisfied as he closed his eyes again and continued his meditation. Terok looked a little annoyed, forming armor pieces with the steel provided by Maro.

As quickly as his manic state had come, the elf calmed down again, his eyes focusing on Ilea. “You.”

Ilea pointed at herself and looked around in a questioning manner. “Hey, your choice mate.”

“Niivalyr Olanis. For many years… I believe, I have known the way. I had not expected a human as annoying as you, to finally bring me here.” His expression was sincere, his eyes showing more emotion than she had seen out of him so far. Other than his fear of the oracles and their laws he had sometimes shown.

“Hey I’m not that annoying!” She retorted, pointing a fork at him as she sat in her newly formed ashen chair, much more comfortable than she had expected. It moved to her will after all. Keyla’s cooking couldn’t be topped by anything right now. Maybe a shower but it was close.

Terok lifted his one eyebrow and shook his head, continuing his work. Niivalyr smiled softly, “Annoying, yes. Also reckless, naive and young. Yet brave and powerful, in spirit and heart. You are truly exceptional, Ilea.”

She lifted her fork and took a bite, noodles in an egg and cream sauce with pieces of bacon. Garlic and cheese were present too as well as some other flavors she couldn’t place. Definitely some sort of Carbonara. “Half of that was negative.” She commented after swallowing.

“Of course. I wouldn’t want you to think too highly of yourself, warrior. It is too easy to think oneself infallible, especially at such a young age.” He said and quickly glanced towards the fighting Seviir. “We all learn in time. Some faster than others.” His tone was bitter before he gulped, his eyes turning a little glassy as he seemed to look past her.

“You took the step Niivalyr… nice name by the way but I need a nickname. Too many elves around now for Elfie.” Ilea commented and thought about it, “Niivalyr… the Ni elf? The elf who says ni? Val? I don’t know.”

“I defied the oracles… broke the unbreakable law.” He looked at her again and shook his head, “This is no time to think on nicknames…,” The words spoken not to her but the general vicinity.

“Calm down, they broke the laws too. I broke a bunch of laws as well.” Terok said and laughed, molding a robotic head. “You’re old as fuck, high time for a teenage rebellion.” He added.

Neiphato opened his eyes and stood up, his face serious as he approached the sitting elf before him. “Master Olanis. You knew the truth, knew that the laws were restricting, shackles binding our people in suffering. Now you are free. Think on the possibilities, the power you have gained through this understanding.” Ilea stopped chewing as he stepped next to Niivalyr and held out a hand, “Now stand, noble warrior. For all the domains, those alive, those long dead and those yet to come.”

Niivalyr’s expression turned serious, a glint of fear remaining but he grasped the hand with a determined grip, standing up before he hissed at the other elf, a broad grin showing his sharp teeth. Neiphato followed suit, hissing too. Ilea looked at Terok, the two of them a little lost. Maro on the other hand was smiling ear to ear. “Are you crying?” Ilea asked him in a whisper.

He kept staring at them, “I think there’s onion in your food.” He said, “This is great. I wish I was an elf.”

That’s not how this works. Ilea thought but just shook her head, smiling at the two elves before a boom resounded behind them, the shock wave traveling past. Moans of pain followed, the clattering of metal falling to the stone floor audible throughout. “My cue.” She said and stood up, taking another bite as she blinked twice to reach the deformed body of Seviir, her healing mana immediately reaching him through her limbs. “That was one centurion.” She said in a low volume, taking another bite and chewing.

Ilea realized most of his injuries hadn’t come from the battle just now, especially his left side being mostly mangled. Heranuur cackled from the side as he stumbled towards them. “I win.” He said and collapsed, an ashen limb landing on him softly before the healing commenced.

Is this what it’s like to have children?

Their injuries were taken care of, the others except for Terok joining her at the front of the hall. Niivalyr spoke up, glancing at the two elves sitting up and finally the wood mage, “Neiphato, now that this is done with. Could you please explain to me why in the name of all domains… you chose to face Praetorians?”

The confidence on the wood mage’s face waned quickly, his gaze averted as he started stammering out a response, Seviir saving him the trouble, “It was a test. To see if we could conquer the dungeon. Once we were inside I suppose me and Hera got a little overexcited. You know how it is.” He hissed, Heranuur hissing his affirmation.

Ilea was surprised she could tell some differences by now, the hissing just a part of their language. “Yes. Well I will add Pain Tolerance training back into the routine for a while. Just in case you get halved like Ilea here. Soon enough we will be able to face Praetorians, don’t rush things. I am nearly seven hundred years old, there is plenty of time. Learn something from these humans. Steady progression will lead you to greater strength.”

Seviir hissed in annoyance, looking at Ilea and Maro, “They are outliers… humans do not…,”

He was interrupted by a barrier slamming his back, “Ilea overtook you, quickly. She knows how to calculate risks, knows when to retreat despite her pride as a warrior. Her healing gives her an advantage but you have two classes as well, it’s your own fault if you can’t keep up. Most humans live a more secure life, with values and goals hard to understand but we can learn from them, as we can learn from any race or people.”

Niivalyr bowed to the humans as he continued, “I haven’t heard of a Praetorian killing in a long time. Though news from the Cerithil hunters is scarce, what elves have failed to do reliably in centuries was accomplished by the people present here. Most of the work I assume was done by the two of you. I doubt someone below three hundred can reliably damage the shields. As you should know.” The last sentence he dedicated to his students. “Now that I can stay in mana dense places I will guide you more strictly, alongside Neiphato who has finally accepted his second class. Congratulations.”

He sighed and looked up to the heavily damaged ceiling. Neiphato stepped next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, “You will find your way my friend. In time. For now, let us focus on this dungeon.”

They’re childish and mature at the same time. Ilea smirked, watching the ancient beings talk about finally being rid of the abusive relationship of all powerful oracles. The idiots rushing in wasn’t a completely stupid thing to do after all. She glanced at Neiphato, questioning if he had anything to do with it. Especially with how supportive he was acting now. The other two didn’t seem to care much, more annoyed about the Pain Tolerance training which was just a fancier word for torture.

“Emotional lot. Come on, I’m sure there’s treasure abound here.” Terok joined, a new machine suit on him that looked much less complex. He had still managed to get one done in less than half an hour, impressive work Ilea thought. The metal was dark gray and somewhat matte. He had added small forward facing horns to his helmet but Ilea refrained from calling him a copy cat. She had gotten that from the original Juggernaut armor in the first place.