Chapter 15: The Hall of fame
The ceremony ended in a haste.
A meeting with The Ancient Dragon Council was called immediately. And thereafter, a meeting with the heads of each House, including branch Houses followed.
In the end, it was concluded that Kyriaki was to bestow the title of Crown Princess. Later as Thanasios instructed, she'll become the Queen.
In dragon customs, there was no ceremony or coronation to promote one to the position of Crown Prince or Princess. With mutual acceptance of Ancient dragons and the House heads, one was to meet with the Celestial spirit of time, Thanasios and inform him of the change of title. That was all.
Kyriaki, now in her human form, walked along the corridor with her usual cat-like mysterious eyes darting around in ease. Her plump lips, tinted with the color of cherry blossoms, were softly turned upwards.
Anyone who saw her would freeze on the spot, awestruck by how mesmerizing she was despite looking only 5 years old.
Beside her was her twin, Kyrios. His appearance, looking similar to hers in every way except for the difference in the length of their hair and the moles under her eyes, was filled with an adorable expression.
It was fascinating how despite both of them looking almost identical, they excluded different aura from them.
While Kyriaki almost always displayed her distant yet gentle and polite demeanor with a hint of indifference boldly tinted all over, while also maintaining her elegance, Kyrios displayed a cheerful and bright demeanor.
He was very kind and innocent from the bottom of his heart, but his soft-spoken true nature made him unable to cover himself when he took on a cautious stance.
Thus, appearing as a wary puppy instead of ever intimidating anyone. His eyes always dripped with kindness and unmistakable playfulness. Seemingly naive, almost.
Kyrios rolled his lollipop candy in his mouth while looking around with his sparkling golden yellow eyes. The candy was a gift from his twin sister, whom he recently found to be more powerful than anyone else in the world.
In front of them was the King of Dragons and their beloved father; Elysium.
The chains and crystal hanging on his unique crown made a beautiful "tling" sound as he moved. The rustling of his sleeves was the only thing making him look real.
The silence, a bit unexpected yet still comfortable, surrounded them warmly as they walked past corridors and rooms.
It continued until they stumbled upon an unexpected person.
"Ah! Atlas Triton Argyris greets the 49th Monarch and The Dragon King Elysium, The Pride of Dragons, Crown Princess Kyriaki and The Glory of Dragons, Prince Kyrios."
A handsome young man who seemed to have barely set foot in the realm of 20s recently, knelt in front of them in the middle of the gold decorated corridor with sparkling Aquamarine eyes.
His long white hair that was tinted with aqua blue at the edge was neatly gathered and tied together with a navy blue ribbon in a low and loose ponytail.
Kyriaki observed him with interest.
[Ding!]
[Status window
Name: Atlas Triton Argyris
Race: Dragon Sub race: Pteron-Dragon
Age: 1050 Years
Core Rank: L (High)
Job(s): Grand-mage(High),Grand Sword Master(Low)
Title(s): Storm Born, Storm Mage, Genius of the Millennium, Opposer of Apollo, Benefactor of Midberest, Crazy Mage of Beohtig, Nightmare of Wealden, Smiling Psycho of Frerland, Mercenary King of Frerlan.
Attribute(s): Water, Ice, Lightning, Wind
Strength: L (low)
Defence: L (Medium)
Agility: L (High)
Sense: L (High)
Vitality: M (High)
Mana: ∞
Intelligent: L(High)
Charm: M(High)
Skills:
Unique: Polymorph, Dragon Breath, Dragon Fear, Dragon Domain, Dragon Blessing
Passive:
Active:
Warrior imprint:
Mage imprint:
'Pfft…Crazy what of Beohtig? And Nightmare of Wealden? Smiling psycho of Frerland, it says? What did he do in those continents to receive such titles from The Will of The World?'
After the 3rd growth pace, it was a tradition for adult dragons to wander around the world as an adult for various necessary reasons. Atlas must have gone on his journey, traveling around the world. And she was sure he had done some insane things for him to be titled with those omniscious names.
She was also sure the reason he hadn't caused any scene in the Lifianest continent was because it was under the watchful eyes of Elysium.
'How can he have the visuals of Choi Minho from SHINee and the personality of Cat Noir from Miraxuloux packaged together?'
Kyriaki couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, her eyes curving to crescent moons with delight.
Atlas lifted his face, making eye contact with her. He didn't flinch, on the contrary, he seemed excited.
The grey feathers on his earrings swayed like a mother rocking her baby. The blue Sapphires attached on those gleamed like the clear blue sky as he stood up after the royals acknowledged his presence with the dragon bow.
He was wearing a pale grey hoodie with a blue colored whirlwind symbol on the front. Those blue skinny jeans with white sneakers reminded Kyriaki of those celebrities who go on outings on random Sundays.
His outfit, fitting for a cyber punk city, felt ahead of time compared to the royal family, who were wearing medieval attire like they were from a medieval fantasy webtoon.
"Are you perhaps visiting The Hall of Fame by any chance?" As Atlas asked with a cheerful tone, brushing his bangs back, Kyriaki's mind came back to reality.
"Yes, young Argyris heir, it seems you were also coming from The Hall of Fame?" Elysium replied with a dull and uninterested tone. His entire demeanor was completely different from when he was with his family.
"That's right, Your Majesty. I visited my grandps for a bit."
"I see, well then…" Elysium nodded and walked past him without engaging in further conversation.
"Your Highness The Crown Princess…" Just as Kyriaki walked past him, he whispered softly.
Kyriaki paused. Her Yellow diamond eyes pierced right through him as she lifted her head to observe him. She looked only 5 years old while looked 20 after all.
"My cousin, He seems to be a bit interested in you. I hope your favor reaches him." He said, his eyes dancing as if he was about to commit mischief.
The "cousin" he was talking about was Euclid. But Kyriaki wasn't foolish enough to take his words seriously.
No one would, if they knew of his titles around the world.
"I'll think about it." And so, Kyriaki smiled gently, saying as politely as possible.
Then, just like Elysium, she turned around with indifference deeply hidden in her eyes and walked away without any worry.
She felt his gaze lingering on her back until she turned from the corridor and entered the elevator with her twin and father.
∆ ∆ ∆
The Hall of Fame.
A place so sacred it was placed on the moon… inside an ancient relic created by a Deity rank dragon.
A place so scared only dragons could enter. Not even dark elves, the assistants of dragons could enter under any circumstances.
A place so sacred it gained one protective barrier in each generation of Dragon Monarchs, currently protected by 49 layers of highly valued powerful barriers.
The Hall of Fame is that kind of place.
Once a dragon dies, their physical body turns to pure mana while their souls become immortal celestial spirits.
Yes, that was the natural result of life and death to those who embrace their end.
But what about those who were left behind?
What about those who yearn for the lost ones?
This place was for those who couldn't let go of the dead.
Just like the name suggests, The Hall of Fame was used to record and remember the fame of dragons.
"Hear the people call my name~, here I'm on the hall of fame~, unveil the rumbling, trails of hustling, jjigeo wiinjeon…"
While mummering a k-pop song she used to love in her previous life, Kyriaki walked into the so-called Hall of Fame, tailing behind Elysium.
A soft breeze that shouldn't be on the moon, inside a palace so ancient yet rich in technology, brushed past Kyriaki, ruffling her golden locks and the neat dress.
Kyrios beside her took a deep breath filling his lungs, the fragrance of countless flowers mixed into a pleasant smell sneaked through his nostril. He crushed the strawberry flavored lollipop inside his mouth from the trill he gained by gazing at the scenery before him.
"Welcome to The Hall of Fame!" Elysium chuckled, turning around to look at his children's reaction.
They were standing before a garden so vast they couldn't see the end.
"It's under a special magic spell to detect death and automatically create a space exclusive only to the dragon who passed away." Elysium pointed to the sky with sparkling eyes.
For a brief second, Kyriaki thought her twin brother had grown and was standing before her. Looking at his excited face, Elysium looked too similar to Kyrios, both in appearance and personality.
She sighed at her absurd thought, following her father's pointed finger. She failed to notice Kyrios doing the same at the exact same time.
If one watched them from the side, they would've been amazed at how perfectly in sync the twins were.
The twin's eyes widened and jaws dropped at the same time.
What caught their jewel like golden eyes was a massive arcane circle, slowly circling clockwise, pausing for a few seconds and resuming the movements once again. The yellow golden hue and the luxurious patterns unmistakably belonged to a mage of excellent ability.
The twins as well as The Dragon King admired the work of the first monarch with twinkling stars in their eyes similar in color.
Then the trio brought their lifted chins down, glancing at the garden with reverence.
The garden, overtaken by massive trees, various kinds of flowers and marble Fontaines here and there, seemed to be well maintained.
The tranquil space was filled with the gentle rustle of leaves swaying in the wind, carrying the euphony of melancholy. And somewhere far away, the wind chimes giggled together with the steam water of hidden fontaines as if to sooth the melancholy of the wind.
They walked through all the beauty one could find in the garden of Eden. Only the sound of footsteps accompanied by the rustling of their garments told the story of their presence as they advanced.
"Shaking the industry, quaking reality, making it iconic~" Kyriaki from time to time hummed in English or Korean, confusing Kyrios for speaking in languages still very foreign to him.
Who'd believe that The Dragon Princess is from another world and she also has a taste for K-pop?
English and Korean were present in this world too. But it was too soon for a hatchling like Kyrios to learn those languages before enrolling in EESOP.
Finding him adorable for showing great interest in her secret hums, Kyriaki had a relaxed smile on her lips.
Sometimes they walked past massive dragon statues, surrounded by flowers and a low platform crafted by gorgeous crystals and marble. Beside those dragon statues always stood a statue of a humanoid or animal figure.
The twins later learned that those were the most used form of those deceased dragons.
As they walked past countless dragon statues, they finally arrived at a maze, created by countless vines of yellow roses in full bloom.
"This is where Royal Arch-Dragons including their Apomeros' fame shines."
Elysium introduced it to the twins with a proud look on his face, the tiny chains and crystals on his crown made a pleasant sound, as if they recognized the presence of people who wore them in the past.
Kyrios gasped in admiration.
Kyriaki narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
It couldn't be helped. Being suspicious of everything was part of her nature.
A maze is a place that gives you countless options, but only a few leads you out of it. From the moment you step in, it challenges you to a mental battle of patience and endurance. It might push you to your limits, make you struggle with the feeling of loss, trapping you in dead ends. Just like life.
To Kyriaki, it felt sincerely annoying.
"Every maze has a way out."
A deep voice, molded by years of wisdom and unknown secrets echoed in Kyriaki's ears, pulling her out of her mind palace.
She lifted her head to look at the owner of the voice. Elysium was looking straight at her with an unreadable expression.
"Don't be afraid," He said in a soothing tone, the heart-shaking warmth she felt from it made her pupils tremble for a reason she couldn't understand.
"Even if you get lost, I'll always find you. I'll always hold your hand and lead you to a place you wouldn't feel at loss. Hmm?" Elysium bent down, then gently stroked her head while slowly but firmly uttering those words.
Like a drizzle of rain comforting barren lands, the soft touch she felt seemed to extinguish her burning thirst. A thirst she didn't even know existed. Even if the sensation was temporary, Kyriaki involuntarily nodded. Looking at her, a smile more beautiful than any flower bloomed on his face.
With that, the three golden dragons entered the yellow rose maze.
From time to time, they met the status of their ancestors. Including more famous ones like Xanthos I, Nike and Aether III.
"Ah, this is Penelope, your grandma."
Elysium didn't forget to introduce some important individuals either.
They paid respect to the status of a Makros-dragon. The human form of her had a gentle and calm look that unconsciously attached people.
"And this.." He walked past the statue of Penelope, to another place surrounded by thick rose vines.
"The person we'll meet before Thanasios."
They entered a spacious place. Just like any other place occupied by a statue, it was surrounded by flowers and a low platform before the statue.
Artificial sun rays poured down from above as if an unknown god was blessing the statue before them. Thick aroma of yellow roses, overpowering other wildflowers wrapped them in a pleasing breeze.
Before them stood a marble statue of a Fae-dragon, basking in sunlight like a holy relic. In size, she was undeniably small compared to other Fae-dragons, but for some reason, Kyriaki thought it was endearing.
"Who's this?" Kyrios tilted his head.
Kyriaki shut her mouth. She already knew who she was, but chose not to reveal her identity. That job belongs to Elysium. That was what she believed.
Elysium let out a pleasant chuckle.
"You'll know soon."
As he said, he took a few steps forward, raising both of his hands. Soon, his hand began to get wrapped in bright orange light.
「O' radiant celestial spirits who dwell in the essence of wood, thy children have fallen into a state of bemuse. O' radiant one, May thee hear the cries of thine children, answer our call, lend us thy ear. I summon thou; Hestia, The Celestial Spirit of Wood」
An arcane circle appeared on the low platform in the same hue of Elysium's mana. In a second, a brilliant light flashed, almost making them squeeze their eyes shut.
"Gasp!" Kyrios gasped so hard that the second lollipop he put in his mouth slipped and fell on the fresh grass.
A sight no living human had ever seen unfold before their eyes.
There stood a gorgeous Fae-dragon. The same one crafted by marbles behind the platform. Now named a Celestial Spirit, she seemed even before dazzling than a Fae-Dragon.
Her transparent body, tinted with a bright pink and black seemed to shine more under the golden sunlight. Her length, approximately 55 meters whereas her height was about 22 meters.
The symbol of Apemero gleamed on her heart as if it found the other end of its connection, resonating noticeably.
Brilliant wings, shaped like a butterfly's and glittering transparent like a dragon fly's, colored in many shades of mint green, bright pink and black colors looked so eternal that Kyriaki understood why she was called the most beautiful dragon in her time on the Primal plane.
But her eyes that captured stars in them…
Those beautiful eyes, the hue of mint green like topaz… they were directed at Elysium only, overflowing with love, as if they existed for that sole reason.
—My love…— She spoke, like a nightingale's song, her beautiful voice echoed in their ears.
"Ah…" Followed Elysium's trembling voice.
Kyriaki, startled, looked at Elysium though she was struck by lightning.
Big transparent tears rolled down his reddened cheeks, like a merman crying tears of pearls. As they dripped down from his chin, turning into golden particles resembling pollen, he remained unfazed, looking only at the dragon before him as if possessed.
Kyriaki couldn't understand why, but countless emotions stormed within her heart watching Elysium cry.
If she picked the most painful emotion and turned it into words, she would describe it as what she felt when she was barely ten years old, watching her mother leave her in previous life.
The emotion she felt that day, she thought it had reborn along with her.
Kyriaki lowered her head. Slowly, like a dying plant. The antsy watching him shed tears was so strong she couldn't bear to watch anymore.
'How laughable.'
Elysium cried the day she was born as well. But she didn't feel that way back then. No, even as she was busy panicking about reincarnating as a dragon, his tears sparked no emotions that pained the heart within her.
So what changed?
Was she getting attached? Was she getting too comfortable?
Oh…she already knew the answer.
After all the time she lived as a Prisoner of Time as well as now living as a dragon famous for their wisdom, how could she not? Otherwise, she might as well bite her tongue and die.
But she once again chose to ignore, neglect and imprison those unfamiliar emotions deep inside her.
She stepped aside, smiling bitterly while watching the Celestial Spirit transforming into a doll-like woman.
Even referring to her as a doll seemed to be an insult.
Her long pink hair, like fairy water, together with the mint green under layer and two black steaks on either side of her bangs added an unique look to her alluring appearance.
Big mint topaz eyes, cherry lips and a perfect nose, held together by a thin chin and a small face… no model or idol from Kyriaki's previous world could compete with the woman in beauty.
Kyriaki had a foolish thought of how it would be beautiful even if the woman opened her mouth to spout courses the next minute.
—Is it time now?—
She smiled gently, although her body was transparent, her every gesture was beautiful and humane.
"Yeah." Elysium replied. His tear soaked long eyelashes trembled slightly.
—Have you been waiting, my love?—
She slowly descended the platform, asking gently. There were mixed emotions of unmistakable sorrow and anticipation in her gentle voice.
"Yeah." Said Elysium.
—You look better—
"Yeah."
—You've gained weight since the last time I saw you—
"Yeah…137.2 Kilo grams."
She laughed beautifully. Her amused yet full-of-love laughter filled the small space with delight.
—You look happy now— She finally stood in front of him.
Elysium looked down at her with his reddened eyes, his jaw clenched and eyebrows slightly folded as if he was holding great pain within him. Yet he nodded, agreeing with her without hesitation.
"Yeah."
—Is it because of them?—
For the first time, her gaze landed on the twins. Sparkles born within her mint topaz iris as she tilted her head adorably.
"Yeah." Elysium admitted once again.
The woman retrieved her gaze, fixing it on Elysium as if they were yearning to see him over and over again. If one might see them, they might've undoubtedly felt as if their heart was stabbed by hundreds of needles.
It was very sorrowful.
—I see… are you less lonely now?—
She extended her small and delicate hand, and Elysium bent down as if it was only natural. Her hands touched his tear soaked cheeks in an instant. New tears began to flow down like a river. But Elysium nodded as if it was obvious.
"Yeah."
His confident and firm voice, unlike his messed up appearance, seemed more neat. He closed his eyes and leaned on her hand as if begging for her touch and attention.
Although one was crying and the other was trying not to cry, from afar they looked like a painting. A painting so beautiful it could be a crime to display in front of impure gazes of those who were tainted with dull lives and negative emotions.
—I'm glad. Truly— She whispered, caressing his cheeks like a true lover soothing a wounded beloved. —So, won't you introduce me to them, hmmm?—
"Yeah…as you wish. " Elysium sniffed once, adding a long sentence to the only word he had been replaying for a while.
She giggled softly and released him from her touch. Elysium turned to look at the twins watching them in silence.
"My dearest children, " He called out to the twins with a slightly calm tone. "Meet your beloved mother."
As both Elysium and the celestial spirit who was introduced as their mother smiled at him, Kyrios slumped his shoulders and hid behind his sister.
He was currently in crisis.
Everyone thought of him as bright, kind and cheerful as a person...yet naive as a dragon. Even though he knew, it never bothered him.
He had a wonderful father and a grandfather. And most importantly, he had an extraordinary twin sister. Even if he was a bit naive, he knew he wouldn't be neglected or hated.
He was aware why he had no mother, he was also aware how strong his father was for him to not give up on life after losing his Apomero.
But for the first time, he felt truly scared to face the people before him.
The way his father cried from the pain of losing his love felt heavy and unbearable to him. He felt like someone had placed the entire world on his heart and pushed him to a deep dark black hole.
He couldn't face them knowing he was the reason they had to be separated by the cruel wheels of fate.
Kyrios thought he couldn't bear the weight of his heart anymore, it pained him so much that he thought of tearing it apart for a moment.
At that moment, his earrings began to glow in a beautiful crimson hue, like the red sun at its last breath over The Great Desert of Exoriense, without the slightest bit of his permission.
Before even a second past, he felt something soft touch his tightly clenched fist. He lowered his head to find Kyriaki's small hand squeezing his hand gently.
A few more seconds passed by as they held hands. He felt Kyriaki's determination to reassure him that there was someone on his side no matter what sin he committed.
The red glow subsided, just as it came.
Kyriaki let go of Kyrios' hand and stepped forward with a polite yet distant expression.
"I bow before The Eternal Brilliance of The Dragons, Queen Hestia Tyche Stergios-Eleftherios. My name is Kyriaki Elpis Eleftherios." She bowed elegantly.
Yes, elegantly.
That was where her attention was.
She wanted everything to be elegant and graceful, it was something her dragon ego craved for.
After all, she couldn't lie saying things like she was happy to see her. Because frankly, she felt nothing. Even if she lied, it wouldn't be a believable lie since her earrings looked as normal as any other earrings right now.
Elysium's reddened eyes widened in shock. Hestia froze for a brief moment before smiling gently. She undoubtedly felt both Kyrios and Kyriaki's emotions towards her. It seemed to hurt her, but she was skilled enough to keep that in.
—...I see,—
She mumbled.
—You already know who I am—
A soft sigh followed.
—Lift your head, my lovely child— After her soft command, Kyriaki lifted her head while reaching for Kyrios behind her. She tugged his sleeves, communicating in her mind.
—Rio… I know how you feel, but you should at least greet her—
"Ah…" Kyrios fiddled with his fingers. He never lifted his face to properly look at Hestia as he bowed in a hurry.
"I-I greet the Queen m-mother and The Eternal Brilliance of The Dragons. M-my name is K-Korios Ermin Eleftherios."
—Yes, my dear. It's truly a blessing to meet you here—
Hestia giggled, the sound of her gentle bell-like giggles seemed like it was crafted in heaven by mixing dreams and melodies of lost yore.
—I've heard a lot about you guys—
'Hmm? A lot? What does that mean?'
"You flatter us, Queen mother." Kyriaki bowed once again with a smile so bright that it seemed to rival the sun itself.
The conversation dragged on for a long time.
Although at first Kyriaki wasn't even a little bit interested and Kyrios seemed very awkward, Hestia actively exchanged her thoughts and opinions, trying her best to break the ice.
It also appeared that Elysium had a desire to introduce them to their birth mother and make them close somehow.
In Kyriaki's point of view, it ended without much progress. It wasn't that she pushed Hestia away on purpose. It was simply that Hestia was just a stranger to her.
There wasn't anything she could do for Kyriaki in achieving her mission. Kyriaki simply saw her as a figure of the past if put it kindly and a useless variable if put it rudely.
Afterwards, they also visited Thanasios once again. Informing of her coronation and confirming a few other things.
The day ended with them fulfilling their official duties.
And the twins went to rest, thinking of tomorrow, which would start a very chaotic academic life for them, although they had no idea at the moment.
∆ ∆ ∆
"Did you know? Two dragons fighting always results in things like the extinction of rare species, disappearance of civilizations and ridiculous changes in topography of the world."
—From the book <1000 Fun Facts About Dragons>—