By Kayla Matt
The first obstacle that Luke Callindor has to face in Beginning of a Hero, one could say this demon started him off as a hero. While it doesn’t really evolve due to its role, the Hellfire Elf is a little more than an expendable assassin. Its existence introduces the world of demons to the reader and holds a special theme for Luke. There is also a smaller theme.
Fear of the First Step
One of Luke’s themes is courage, so it isn’t too surprising that the Hellfire Elf holds a theme of fear. It is much stronger than Luke and the Chaoswind Blade gives itan even bigger edge. With a blade that causes extreme pain to an enemy, the demon is obviously the superior. In fact, the only thing that keeps Luke alive at some points is the demon’s belief that he isn’t a threat. So, it never pursues beyond its orders until it realizes that this ‘whelp’ is a danger.
The Hellfire Elf acts as a being of terror for Luke even though he doesn’t show that he’s afraid. Through the demon, he is given his first scar and nearly dies. A shock to the system of a cocky hero, which plants him rather firmly on the path to being a more careful hero. It is a small theme in the grand scheme of things, but an important one for a fledgling warrior. It’s the fear of nearly dying and the memory of what the Hellfire Elf put him through that looms up to either drive him forward or take caution.
Growing ‘Human’
A minor part that gets explored more in a scene with a Spurge, the Hellfire Elf demonstrates that demons slowly become more ‘human’. By ‘human’, I mean that they develop emotions instead of remaining bound solely by their orders. Many times they adopt the emotions and habits of the mortals they spend their time around. You can see the Hellfire Elf begin to enjoy its rivalry with Luke and develop similar traits. Will this play into a later book or another series? Definitely.
