"When someone lives as long as we do, the only thing that matters is the content of someone's character. Valeron was nothing but a poor farmer turned soldier who spent the first part of his life struggling to have three hot meals a day.
"Do you really expect someone coming from a hard life to be handsome and well built? What you saw in paintings was the result of body refinement and not what brought Tyris to him. The only thing that mattered was his heart."
Seeing that something ethereal like character didn't get through Balkor's thick human skull, Salaark sighed. Then she gave him a practical reason to believe her words.
"Do you know why Tyris and I have taken such an appearance before leading our countries? Because it makes it easier for us to obtain their obedience and respect. People love their rulers with their hearts, but first humans need to l.u.s.t them with their eyes."
"On top of that, if not for Tyris's love for Valeron, we wouldn't have power cores today."
"What?" Balkor said in amazement.
"Tyris wanted him to be capable of using his equipment to its fullest, but there's only so much time to think on the battlefield. A powerful artifact has many enchantments and managing them all requires a focus that real combat rarely allows you to have.
"That's why she found a way to give Valeron's artifacts the ability to be almost self-sufficient so that he would only need a thought to express his needs and his equipment would deliver.
"She is the inventor of the miracle called power core." Salaark said.
"If you're the god of Forgemasters, then how could Tyris be the one to invent power cores? On top of that, what does love have to do with their invention?" Balkor asked.
"Being the best Forgemaster doesn't mean also being the best inventor. I'm capable of crafting anything better than anyone else, but creativity isn't my forte nor is it Leegaain's. Fenagar is the god of discovery just like Tyris is creativity incarnate." Salaark said.
"What's the difference?"
"Discovery is finding something that already exists, creativity is using current knowledge to create something new. There's a reason why Lochra, Baba, and all of the Rulers of the Flames come from Garlen." She replied.
"As for your question about love, it's actually simple. You often hear about a man becoming one with their sword, but that's just a myth that only Tyris's invention made true.
"Blades are just sharp tools with no feelings nor loyalty, like a dog that would welcome the assassin who broke into your home in the hope for a tasty treat. A sword doesn't feel nor does it care for who wields it.
"Countless warriors died on the edge of their own weapon. No person can ever become one with a blade simply because with each swing the warrior changes while the blade stays the same.
"The invention of power cores changed that. The artifact learns from its user and vice versa, becoming an extension of their body. If not for Tyris's love and determination to have Valeron return to her alive, power cores wouldn't exist and neither would Blade spells." The Guardian said.
"I see. You mean that because of her feelings that she had the drive to achieve such a feat and it was because of Valeron's that he mastered the Saefel artifacts to the point of creating Blade tier spells." Balkor said while pondering the revelations.
"Exactly." Salaark nodded.
"Many people think that humans are just creatures of cold intellect and that to achieve true greatness one has to discard their feelings, considering them a burden. Yet I took you with me because you showed me through your family that you are more than your revenge.
"Intellect and raw emotions are the true recipe for greatness because no matter what humans tell themselves, in the end, they are just a particularly smart animal. Denying your beast nature doesn't make you better, it makes you weaker."
"Why didn't they use the Cube against me and are you capable of doing what Valeron, what Tyris did?" Balkor asked the last two questions that plagued his mind, wishing to go back to the Forge and learn how to Forgemaster such powerful equipment for himself.
"The Cube, just like the Saefel relics, still belong to Valeron and bear his will. To use them, you need his permission. The First King found the Kingdom guilty for what happened to you and so did the First Queen. Those undead, however, called upon his wrath.
"About your last question, once I understand how an artifact had been made, I can do it better than its inventor. So yes, I can, but I still owe Tyris for giving birth to runes, power cores, and all the tools that make Forgemastery the discipline I love." Salaark said.
Meanwhile, Belius's backup arrays had been activated and a full crew of Wardens and Forgemasters worked on repairing the damage that Dawn had dealt to the control center.
At the same time, Manohar tried and failed to probe the Cube to learn its secrets. Not only did all of his Royal Forgemastering spells fail to examine the artifact, but the Cube also refused to answer his thoughts anymore.
"Heroes my sweet ass! Come back here and tell me how to cast a spell of that magnitude. My escape odds, I mean, the fate of the Kingdom depends on it!" The Mad Professor said, but the Cube ignored him and Warped back to the Royal Treasury.
***
The city of Lightkeep, Haug's Travelling Tavern, now.
After Baba Yaga and Ilthin had left, there wasn't much Lith could do. Vladion had gone to sleep and so did Nyka. The Firstborn was capable of moving freely during the day, but he could exert only a fraction of his power, making him weaker than Lith.
During the day, the sunstones that illuminated the cities of the Eclipsed Lands were turned off, simulating a day cycle reversed to that of the surface. While Scarlett kept an eye on Nyka and Kalla, Lith had decided to go back to his contractor.
Much to his surprise, Parmegianno Haug had brought his entire establishment and staff along with him. Inside, the tavern was identical to how Lith remembered it from his first visit with Kamila.
The floor and the walls were comprised of small hard wooden boards, giving the place a warm and cozy ambiance.
Most of the tables were taken and the place was full of people, but everything had been spaced so that it didn't feel crowded, leaving to each group of customers their privacy.
Equally comfortable padded chairs and barstools allowed people to choose between sitting in groups at a table or at the bar counter at the top right corner with the bartender as their only company.
In the top left corner, instead, there was a bandstand from which musicians were playing, but this time the band was comprised of undead and the lead singer was a male Banshee while the Dryad served at the tables.
Inside Lightkeep, no one cared about hiding their real appearance or the nature of their food. Sentient plants ate their meal raw while most undead had a source of sustenance so gruesome that Lith had to turn around to keep his stomach from churning.
Yet aside from him, no one seemed to care. No matter their race, people at the same table passed spices and napkins to each other while having a good time.
