Please note, there is another chapter before this one that i uploaded, so please do not miss it by only clicking on the latest update. im uploading a series of chapters for the past week.
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Buffon, Rashael, Rina and a few other dwarves were all staring at the pile of schematics strewn over the large table. There were so many plans for changes they did not know where to start. Aside from the obvious request to construct more titan laser type weapons which were to take priority along with other war- oriented schematics, the rest were meant for improving the city and they were what made up 90% of the parchment on the table.
As they sifted through the stacks of parchment, Rashael’s face turned from a confused frown into a grimace, and then quickly changed into a smug. Picking out one of the parchments, Rashael held it high up in the air and announced that they should start with that particular project. It was regarding lighting the streets with his light posts, but with certain modifications done to his design.
There seemed to have been an ongoing secret war between Kiefer and Rashael, both besting and improving on the other’s creations and innovations without permission. Rashael looked at the modifications Kiefer had done to his light posts and smirked, planning his revenge on Kiefer’s next innovation. Right now, the score was tied at 2 – 2 and Rashael was determined not to let it stay there for long.
Rummaging through the stack of parchments furiously, Rashael quickly found what he was looking for and began striking out parts of the schematics and writing in new directions over them, all while laughing maniacally to himself. It creeped the others out so much they decided to leave him alone and just started planning the collection of materials for the new laser weapons.
Kiefer began working quickly after picking up the materials. Back at his home’s courtyard, Kiefer started molding the metals and shaving the crystals to form the laser. Meanwhile, Isana and Sher were busy directing some Arachne girls and dwarves as they moved furniture into their new home.
Feir sat motionless, with only his tail wagging slowly from side to side as he watched Kiefer work. Long silver threads extended from Kiefer’s body as they shaped and cut the materials to make the lasers. Intrigued, Feir kept studying Keifer’s motions and without warning, the cerulean blue horn on his head flashed silver for a moment, stunning both him and Kiefer.
Seeing that no harm was done, Kiefer returned to his work, ignoring Feir once more. However, his attention was once again diverted when he saw silver threads not unlike his own extending from Feir’s feet. Feir was too engrossed in his own world that he did not notice Kiefer had stopped working. Instead, he picked the other Fientral crystal that was laying on the ground with his mana threads and copied Kiefer, shaving it down to cylinder to make the amplification chamber.
“Feir.” Kiefer called out audibly, only to be ignored.
“FEIR!” Kiefer called out again, this time yelling loud enough for Sher to come flying out the window on the 2nd floor to see what the commotion was about.
Startled, Feir dropped the crystal, almost smashing it on the ground had Kiefer not caught it with his own threads. “Ye- Yes master? I’m sorry!” Feir apologised immediately, head bowing down dejectedly and tail now motionless.
“What were you doing just now?” Kiefer asked calmly, trying to show that he was not mad.
“J-just following and copying you master. I’m sorry I won’t do that again.” Feir stammered an apology again, still not sure what he did wrong to make Kiefer yell at him.
“Feir come here and copy what I’m doing.” Kiefer ordered, waiting for Feir to take slow deliberate and frightful steps towards his master. Kiefer then intertwined and wove his threads into a mana rope, and watched in amazement as Feir copied his exact skill.
“How is it that you can do that?” Kiefer asked, now going into full-on curiosity mode.
“I- I don’t know master. It just comes to me naturally.” Feir replied, unsure of what Kiefer was looking for. Luckily for him, Kiefer already understood most of the situation from the all too familiar answer.
“That’s ok. Feir, I want you to show me everything you know how to do. Every single skill you have.” Kiefer ordered, to which Feir nodded excitedly.
Feir first transformed into a smaller wolf, about the size of a fox. Next he transformed back to his original towering form after which he swung his tail and shot out multiple grey bristles that stuck into the ground. The grass in the area where the needles struck immediately withered and started rotting, after which the needles disintegrated into powder.
Feir then released a black mist around himself, and when the mist cleared, what stood there was an exact replica of Kiefer in his armour, except with a blue horn on his forehead. He then shot his palm forwards, launching several of the same grey needles into the ground again. With one arm, Feir in Kiefer form picked up a huge log laying outside the courtyard and tossed it far out into the sea.
When that happened, purely on instinct only, Sher blasted the flying log with her laser, atomising everything and boiling the sea water beneath it. Watching Sher, the silver mana threads that extended mindlessly from Feir’s body disappeared. After transforming back to his huge wolf form, Feir opened his mouth and shot a red laser forward just like Sher did moments ago, hitting where Sher had in the water.
Finally, without waiting for Kiefer or Sher’s astonished reactions to set in, Feir conjured up numerous images of Isana, Kiefer and Mini Sher. The images moved like they were real and it seemed like they had a mind on their own, being controlled individually by Feir who stood motionless.
Walking up to one of the images, Kiefer reached his hand out to touch Isana’s face and was surprised when his hand physically made contact with her face. Rubbing his hand along her cheek and chin, he observed the image Isana close her emerald eyes and enjoy the moment, then placed her own hand on his, before moving in to hug him. In the spirit of experimenting, Kiefer hugged her back, trying to feel for himself if the image had a physical form throughout the whole body.
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As his hand caressed her back and made its way down towards her butt, Kiefer suddenly heard the image Isana moan, as if it had a mind of its own and had feelings.
“Oh my… How bold of you. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to do this, Kii.” Isana moaned softly into his ear, still tightly embracing him.
Quickly separating from Isana, Kiefer looked around and noticed that all the images were gone, with only Sher and Feir watching the intimate scene. Then Feir opened his jaw and spoke out, “Master. That is not one of the images.”
“Watch your tongue, mongrel. You shall use ‘She’ to refer to me, not ‘That’. One more mistake and I freeze you into an icicle and shatter you into dust.” Isana barked back, unhappy that Feir interrupted her intimacy session with Kiefer.
“That enough Feir. Next time don’t touch my things without asking me first. Some of these things are extremely hard to come by and I don’t want to risk destroying them. From now on, you are to stay in your small form until I instruct you otherwise. Follow Sher into th city and listen for anything interesting. You are to listen to Sher’s instructions at all times and not leave her sight. Go now.” Kiefer ordered, trying to make room to think.
With that, Sher led the dog into the port city and left Kiefer alone with Isana. Kiefer returned to work on completing his lasers while Isana sat quietly on the bench nearby and observed her man at work. Finishing the 2 extra lasers quickly, Kiefer finally stored them inside his PD and then walked over to Isana, who had stood up and shifted a little to the side to make space on the small bench. Kiefer sat on the side of the bench, bumping shoulders with Isana.
Enjoying the warm sensation on her left arm, Isana savoured the moment, before finally turning to face Kiefer. “So what’s wrong Kii? I can tell something has been bothering you for a while since that dog left.”
“Isana, do you remember how you were born? Do you remember what you used to be before you were a titan?” Kiefer asked, still deep in thought and staring up into the dimming red sky and watching the sun slowly set over the horizon.
“What are you on about Kii? I was born a titan. I was never anything else before I was a titan. And I wasn’t born. I was hatched from an egg. When I hatched, I only saw Drigor burrowing deep into the ground, never to see him again for another 6000 years. I watched Wanda’s egg roll around in the wind as if it were light as a feather while my own egg shell melted into a small lake. Wanda hatched soon after and was carried away into the clouds the moment she spread her wings. I was left all alone on the top of a snowy mountain that overlooked an entire landscape of ice and snow.” (Isana)
“And who laid those eggs?” Kiefer asked, trying to get to the bottom of his quagmire of unanswered questions.
“Grandu then gathered us together 6000 years later, just as Drigor started rampaging and testing his abilities on the lands. He taught us about our origins and taught us the languages of the lesser beings that populated the planet. He said our eggs were born from the core of the planet, a special phenomenon where mana took a physical form unique to its origin and its surroundings.”
“I see. Then have there been cases where one of the lesser creatures evolved somehow into a titan?” Kiefer kept drilling, still trying to keep his suspicions hidden.
“No. I would say Feir is the first of his kind, if that’s what this is all about.” Isana replied, reading Kiefer’s questions and intentions like a book. “Magical beasts like seraplors and wyverns have come surprisingly close to becoming titans in the past, but none have ever succeeded, often failing to sustain a large enough mana source in their body before they disintegrated. The key characteristic of a Titan of Aioa origin is its ability to generate its own mana like the planet’s core.”
“So Feir is definitely a Titan then? His birth is much more… disappointing than I expected.” Kiefer sighed, secretly hoping that the birth of the 10th Titan as the prophecies in Arigan’s library dictated would come with a huge bang.
“Yes, his body and his skills would suggest so. I can detect a faint hint of mana emanating from his body, but you should consult Rashael to be certain. But it is almost certain the Feir is the 10th Titan. His skill do make me a little jealous, being able to copy anybody’s ability, kind of reminds me of a certain someone who defies all logic.” Isana winked at Kiefer and nudged his shoulder while smiling.
“Ahaha… well since I’ve got that cleared up, how about we go have dinner, then head back to our room for the night? Sher and Feir should be back soon too so I’ll go wash up and wait for the kids to return, then we can head to a restaurant. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, loading the fleet up and moving out for Drigor.” Kiefer said, while standing up from the bench and extending his hand to help Isana up.
Sher and Feir came back to the house just as Kiefer stepped out of the bath and got dressed. They had dinner in one of the more homely inns, enjoying home style cooked food in a private room. There Sher reported all that they had heard from the townsfolk while Feir stood silently by the door, his ears jerking up every time he hears someone open the door from the other side to bring more food in.
Most of the news he heard was about the town’s infrastructure, like how they were going to build this new building here, or what new business was going to open there. Other interesting things he heard were also the uses of Arachne silk. It would seem that most of the high quality fabrics being produced here were thanks to the Arachne girls who spearheaded the fabric production business in Mutare. Even the sails of the Red/gold fleet were made purely out of Arachne silk. The threads were stronger than steel and yet flexible and smoother than cotton.
All in all, Kiefer made mental notes on the best place to buy commodities to supply his fleet in preparation to go to Drigor. Meanwhile, he hatched a plan to confuse and trick Rashael as an avenue to alleviate his boredom on the month long journey to the shores of Fiora right next to the Drigor province border.