Chapter 31: The Titans
"Miss Levana, is something on my face?"
"H-huh?"
"You've been staring at me for half an hour now." Kyriaki turned her head to the right, looking straight at Levana who was panicking like a child after getting caught by her mother while stealing candy.
"I was wrong! No-that's not it-i-i'm sorry!!!" Levana bowed her head, clutching the hem of her black & white uniform.
"Hmmm…" Kyriaki observed Levana without moving a finger.
The way she was crossing both her arms and legs as she sat there would have been cool if she wasn't in a five year old human body, so the picture that came out was a beautiful doll with mysterious eyes titling her head adorably as if asking for attention. Watching this, Euclid shook his head and went back to his cheerful conversation with his other team members.
"What do you want?"
"Huh? Uh?" Levana stuttered like a broken machine, not getting Kyriaki's stern words into her head properly.
"You need something from me, no? Otherwise you wouldn't have started at me like that." The conversation between a 100 year old and a 300 year old, who looked like a five year old and a seven year old continued like that of a detective and suspect.
"I-i-"
"Tell me what you want, Miss Levana. If you don't voice your thoughts I wouldn't know anything and might misunderstand." Kyriaki smiled politely, her mesmerizing smile as dazzling as the sun itself seemed to make Levana more and more nervous as she looked away in a hurry.
"P-please don't misunderstand! I meant no harm!"
"Is that so?"
"Y-yes! I-i just have a question…a tiny bit of curiosity… it wasn't that important so you don't have to worry. Oh! I'm not implying that you'd be worrying about someone like me…I mean- you have so many important things to do, so-Ah! Nevermind! Please don't mind me…I'm causing you trouble." As Levana started her speech with the urgency of a royal messenger, she stuttered terribly.
After a few seconds of error, she looked like she was suddenly aware of her own clumsy speech and finally went quiet, hunching down like she was about to vomit out of frustration. The last sentence in particular sounded like it was spoken by a hamster in a very quiet yet adorable tone.
Several seconds passed by.
As the silence wrapped up the air, Levana's back seemed to hunch like a camel's. Watching this, Kyriaki couldn't hold back her laugh anymore.
"Pffft." She laughed out loud, making Levana flinch.
'Ah, first I found Cat noir. Now it's Marinette?'
Kyriaki let her tears turn into tiny mana pollen as she barely managed to turn her expression back to a poker face.
"Speak." She said in a more friendly tone.
The moment her words came out, Levana flinched once again.
"Speak what's on your mind, it'd be troublesome if my teammates had unresolved questions that'd get in the way of our team mission."
Levana lifted her upper body as if she was possessed by a string. Her grey eyes like the silver moon on a winter night were as round as the moon itself. Disbelief was evidenced in those beautiful eyes.
"Can I? Really?" When she asked for a final confirmation. Kyriaki nodded with a Solomen expression in response.
"I-uh-we first met at the Alchemy laboratory, do you remember? Oh! what am I asking, of course you remember, you are a mighty dragon after all! Anyway, I was really impressed by the
"I see. I definitely remember you often getting electrically shocked by Tempest mushrooms next to me." Kyriaki admitted with a calm expression, as if she was talking about what she ate for lunch on a random Sunday.
"Ack!" Levana blushed as if she was picking on her consciousness.
"However I had no idea you thought of me that way. Frankly speaking, I tend to use people like tools. But then again, I treat myself as a tool too, so in a nutshell, I treat everyone except my enemies and trash equally?"
Kyriaki spoke in a clear voice, but her expression displayed that she was talking to herself instead of Levana. As if she was confirming something for the first time. Then she smiled brightly.
"So what are you curious about?" She asked gently. Levana took another deep breath, then smiled faintly along with her as if she was more comfortable.
But the next second, that illusion shattered like a glass.
"So I'm curious, do you have any friends? No I mean- do you want to have friends?" Levana stuttered once again. She lowered her head and began to mumble while blushing. "Ah that's not it…it all came out disgustingly rude. That wasn't my intention. Ugh, what should I do…I mean, friends-"
"Friends? What are those mythical creatures?" Asked the mythical creature herself.
"Huh?" Levana's grey eyebrows arched. Kyriaki was still smiling as if she was truly curious.
"Why suddenly friends? Why ask me about friends like it was something important to have in your life? How weird."
"Then, do you not like friends?"
Kyriaki shrugged her shoulders in a carefree manner. "That's not it. How can I dislike something that I never understand?"
It was the truth.
She never really understood relationships. Not even platonic relationships like friendship. It wasn't that she was telling she never had someone that named themselves as her "friend". She remembered someone in her previous life declaring proudly that he was her friend.
It was simply that she did not understand what a friend truly is. What a friendship is supposed to be like.
What was the beginning?
What was the right thing to do once it started?
What was so great about it?
And most of all, could that relationship be trusted?
"I am genuinely curious. And I am also open to that kind of relationship. But that doesn't mean I can fully trust it though. Since I don't fully understand it, I am naturally cautious."
Yes, since she doesn't understand, the best she can do is to try her best to grasp it.
This was one of the reasons she wanted a second chance at life. To experience things she had dismissed as useless and unworthy before, to have things she was never able to have, to feel emotions and act on them as often as she could.
"Uh-then…would you like to be friends with me?"
"Sure."
Thus, that day…
Kyriaki made her first friend in her second life.
∆ ∆ ∆
"Ohhhh! It's pretty!!!" Euclid exclaimed in admiration, pressing his face against the glass window.
The scenery that came to their view was a beautiful island. Not the kind that evoked worldly desire like the British when they saw south-east Asia, but the kind that seemed so mysterious, ancient and otherworldly it made you feel like you were in a dream.
It felt like it was forbidden for them to gaze at every inch of that beautiful world. The more they got closer, the more they realized it. When Asgard, the capital of Isaz was finally on full display, the cheerful duo Euclid and Levana even clapped with excitement.
Everything radiated an aura similar to dragon culture.
Ancient,
Massive,
And captivating.
The snow covered trees, carefully crafted fontaines, buildings made of Lava blocks and even animals…everything was three times the size of its average. No, not three, maybe even tens if measured by human standards.
Like the building their spaceship landed in front.
Hissssss—
"I'm going first!" Euclid grinned playfully and ran towards the slowly opening gate.
The snow white scenery and the excited children resembled a new year festival, full of winter's cozy warmth and joy. Fresh snow crushed under her boots as she took confident steps out of the space ship. When they all left the spaceship one by one, a notification rang in their smart watches.
[Calling back the private passenger spaceship]
The door sealed with a soft pressure hiss.
[Please note that you will not be given another spaceship unless you finish your assignment, excluding emergencies]
[I hope you have a good time, Team KyrioswithoutKyrios-13]
Kyriaki sighed loudly as the spaceship turned into a stealth mood while automatically set off into the sky once again. Her sigh was louder than before. Not because the spaceship was leaving, but because the taboo name of her team was spoken out loud. She sent a resentful glare at Euclid who grinned like a fool in return.
"Ria seems so pleased!"
"Th-then it was a good idea to put His Highness Prince Kyrios' name in our team!"
"Of course, she loves her twin brother very much!"
"What kind of team doesn't listen to their team leader and do whatever they want?" When Euclid and Levana chatted excitedly, Kyriaki pointed out something that had been bothering her since the moment the name was chosen.
Just before they landed on Isaz island, they chose a team leader and a name for their self-satisfaction. Although Kyriaki wasn't planning on becoming the team leader, with ¾ votes, she was chosen as the leader.
She wasn't particularly excited or sulky because of the responsibilities. For someone who has to twist a massive timeline of a prime dimension and also has to sit on a throne and win a bloody war in the future, leading four kids around 300 years old wasn't particularly challenging.
Or so she thought,
Until the topic of the team name came up.
'There are so many people with no sense of naming', that's what she learned today after watching her teammates.
Team studentswhodreamofagoodsalary,
Team DefinitelyWin,
Team multiple_culture,
Team beautiful@people…
Those were only the tip of the iceberg she saw. She thought her naming skills were zero, but compared to her, her teammates had below zero skills in naming something.
That was when Euclid, who watched Kyriaki's expression sour in real time—uncharacteristic of her polite and elegant personality—proposed a name.
"How about team Kyrios?"
"Huh? Isn't that His Highness' name?" Levana expressed her surprise.
"Yeah! That pretty friend that looks exactly like our team leader!" Euclid cheerfully grinned. "From what I know, our team leader loves him more than she does for His Majesty!" When he innocently said that, Levana and Adam gasped softly, sneaking glances at Kyriaki.
Kyriaki didn't deny it.
What's wrong with favouring her twin over her father?
Why would she have to be embarrassed over liking someone over someone else?
Euclid must have brought up that conversation thinking she might get flustered, but Kyriaki was not in sync with his thoughts. He obviously didn't know how strong their bond was.
When Kyriaki politely smiled without denying it and nodded to confirm his deductions, all four of their eyes widened. It seems each person felt different kinds of emotions. Nevertheless, Kyriaki hit them with logical facts, still smiling like a true princess.
"Using Kyrios' name when he was not even there was not a decision we should make without his permission."
Euclid, who was determined not to back down and had the will power and brains to back him up with his determination, pointed out something else. Their friendship as a cover he mixed the team name into something ridiculous, finally getting 3/5 votes in his favor.
Thus the birth of "Team KyrioswithoutKyrios-13" was confirmed that day.
"Ahem… we welcome you to Isaz Island, Moon children." A language that was rough yet rich in pronunciations and nasal vowels reached their ears. "My name is Bjorn Mimirson, May the battle of peace be within your heart."
Kyriaki turned around, meeting eyes with the person who spoke in a language that sounded similar to a blend of modern Norwegian and Central Swedish on a planet far away from Earth. From what she gathered, it was a perfect recreation of Old Norse, called "Titan Runic" in this world.
Kyriaki smiled gently and bowed politely to the titan before her, taking his image into her photographic memory.
There is only one word to describe them; Beautiful.
Titans were beautiful.
But then again, what is beauty?
Having clear skin, high nose, rosy lips and a curvy body?
No, no.
Beauty is a standard that is different from each culture, nation and individual. One might find a clear skin beautiful while someone else might find freckles like stars beautiful on their skin. Some might find a curved body appealing while someone else might find natural fat and body shape beautiful. While one from one side of the world might find white skin their basic standards, someone from across the ocean might find tanned skin more beautiful.
Beauty has no universal set standards.
But there are some rare cases where some people might break those standards people have in their minds and genuinely get praise from most picky beauty followers for their looks.
Elves were one of those people. And so do the Angels and Dragons.
Fairies, Phoenixes and Gumihos also don't fall far behind.
But even so, there are some more races that look so mysteriously mesmerizing that they could bewitch even those so called "Beauty stand breakers".
Titans were that kind of race.
As tall as a well grown Crepe Myrtle tree, they had somewhat muscular bodies. While they resembled a humanoid, they had four arms and light blue skin without any flaws. It was like looking at a spring blue sky in the morning after a healthy breakfast. Their clear eyes, sparkling with thousand stars, were limited to some shade of Blue or plain black & white. It was also the same for their hair color.
But the most bewitching and surprising part wasn't their body size nor color, it was their faces.
The forehead, cheeks and around the eyes. It was as if a milky way had been painted on their faces carefully by a divine painter with a brush blessed by the universe itself.
The art was so delicate, so mesmerizing… Anyone would wonder; how can someone be born with such a face, bearing the Galaxy on their face?
It would have been better if that was the end.
But no, their beauty doesn't end there.
As if someone had meticulously painted with a silver brush, over their beautiful milky way were Titan runes on one or both sides of their cheeks, dream down from under their eyes. There were more beautiful symbols and patterns in the same hue on their forehead too, giving them a tribal, yet stunning appearance.
Those too, they were born with it.
The runes were a unique bloodline talent they gained from their birth, thus it was different from each bloodline.
However, that wasn't the only way they could gain a power rune.
By cultivation, enlightenment or even from strong desires, they could gain a rune or two. Although it was limited to three runes, the enormous power they gained could rival angels and demons with ease.
Kyriaki carefully examined the titan that was guiding them into the city of Asgard. He had an average height of five meters, with four hands and a muscular body. The way he dressed reminded her of a martial artist mentor rather than a viking. He too had the beautiful characteristics of a titan, and two runes on top of it. Although he wielded no weapon, crushing an elf skull with his bare hands would be a child's play for him.
[Ding]
[Status window
Name: Bjorn Mimirson
Race: Titan
Age: 1700 years
Core Rank: EX (Medium)
Job(s): Great Mage(Medium)
Title(s): Blessed by the Wisdom
Attribute(s): Mind, Water
Rune(s): Rune of Knowledge, Rune of Dreams
Strength: EX (Medium)
Defence: EX (Medium)
Agility: EX (Medium)
Sense: EX (Medium)
Vitality: EX (Medium)
Mana: L (Medium)
Intelligent: L (High)
Charm: L (High)
Skills:
Unique: Titan Transformation, Titan Runes
Passive:
Active:
Mage imprint:
'A Mimirson, interesting.'
Kyriaki smirked.
As soon as they crossed the immigration office building's gate, they were greeted by a view of a fairly developed city. Although there were traces of tribe culture, the technology wasn't far from those of Phoenixes and Elves.
"Outsiders?"
"But they are children. Did they got lost and then rescued by Lord Bjorn?"
"Not just any children, they are Dark Elves, you know what kind of race it is."
"Then the other two children must be Dragon hatchlings?"
"Of course! Can't you see the aura?"
"Golden hair and eyes, that must be a golden dragon then?"
"Why is a royal dragon here on our island?"
"My intuitions are telling me something big is about to happen."
Amidst all the chatter, Bjorn guided them through the main street at a fast pace and soon reached the palace gates. Not a second passed and they were walking inside the massive palace that matched the Winter weather that looked dark most of the times.
Although Bjorn told them it was a palace, it felt more like a complexed castle, guarded by a mysterious guardian.
Maids, palace officials and guards they met on their way all bowed down to them, clenching their two left arms and pounding the right side of their chest twice.
That was the traditional greetings of Titans Kyriaki only learnt in classes and saw in memories of someone else. She was fascinated by every little detail.
Titans were the second race.
The second race she saw with her own eyes after she was reborn. Dark Elves were the first, excluding dragons—her own race. Those two races were extremely remarkable and interesting. But Kyriaki had spent her entire life with them, so it felt nothing special compared to Titans, who she were meeting for the first time.
Tak.Tak.Tak.
As the footsteps came to an end, they stood before a heavily guarded massive gate. Engraved with two battle axes, it looked like someone who admired art of war had carved them.
"We are here." Bjorn announced.
∆ ∆ ∆