Chapter 16: Chapter 16: A Big Dragon Family
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Surtr, the Fire Dragon King, Ruler of Muspelheim, and the "last son" of Muspel, the Primordial Fire Dragon Mother. Among all the dragons who visited today, he is believed to be the only one who can nearly rival the Divine Dragon King, my great-grandfather.
His powers are vast beyond measure, and so is his strength. I have heard he is feared throughout Yggdrasil; whenever trouble arises, he resolves it swiftly. He is also renowned as the Greatest Blacksmith, having surpassed even the Onyx Hammer Venerable ten thousand years ago.
Despite his overwhelming power... he is an incredibly laid-back man who spends most of his time at home with his family, quietly overseeing both the world and Muspelheim in particular.
But why is he in his dragon form? I don’t know. I designed him as a character, and I’m fairly certain he can assume a Dragonoid form.
"Surtr, that’s enough. Why stay in dragon form when you’re causing such a mess?" one of his wives asked, visibly annoyed. She was a tall, muscular, red-skinned Fire Giantess with long white hair and golden eyes, crowned with horns.
"Heheh, sorry about that. Our husband can be quite the airhead sometimes—he just loves showing off," chuckled his second wife. She was much leaner and carried the air of a magician rather than a warrior.
Both women radiated powerful fire divinities, their heat carefully restrained. Their children, half-dragon, half-fire giant, exuded the same overwhelming presence, if not stronger.
"What’s wrong with staying in my dragon form? I’ve grown so used to it—I’ve spent most of my life like this!" Surtr complained.
"Just do it, Dad. Don’t be boring," his daughter sighed. She strongly resembled her mother but bore scales, dragon wings, a dragon tail, and sharp golden-red eyes.
"Ugh..."
BOOOM!
In a burst of flames, King Surtr shifted back to his Dragonoid form, suddenly appearing smaller than both of his towering wives, who stood over three meters tall.
He was... around two meters? Compared to everyone else here—who were all so tall—he was the smallest, only comparable in height to my mother.
Unlike his wives, his Dragonoid form looked far more human. Tanned skin, long red-gold hair, and red scales covered his muscular yet slender, athletic frame.
He had large claws, an exceptionally long dragon tail, blazing wings, and a crown of dragon horns adorning his head. A gentle, almost fatherly smile graced his face.
This was King Surtr’s Dragonoid form—wow. I had never seen it before, and aside from one of his wives, I hadn’t designed anything else about him.
It’s so amazing to discover there’s so much more I never imagined!
"Is this more presentable then?" he laughed. "Nice to meet you three, Louis, Mirai, Elizabeth. I’ve been itching to visit Earth for a long time. I just reunited with my sister after ages apart, it felt wonderful to see her again after we parted so long ago. I still remember when we couldn’t return to Earth because this world was too weak—I mean, it lacked sufficient Mana and everything else."
"Huh?" I turned to him and my father. "What does that mean?"
"Back then, this planet wasn’t fully hospitable to beings as powerful as Surtr," my father explained. "Not because they couldn’t breathe here or anything like that. It means their sheer strength could shatter the entire world and potentially mutate it into a corrupted Fantasy Realm."
"Yeeeah, it was really boring," Surtr nodded. "But now that these two kids saved the worlds, we can roam relatively freely! Though the Divine Dragon King’s presence might still damage the planet a little. Earth will need to expand at least ten times over to properly accommodate him. I’ve heard that now that he’s finally allowed to leave Yggdrasil and travel, he accidentally destroyed three uninhabited planets just by landing! Seriously, what is he doing?"
"Great grandpa is that strong?!" I gasped. "And can’t he control his power or reduce it?"
"He should be able to, but... he’s grown lazy over the years, I’ve heard," Surtr laughed heartily. "Well, whatever the case, Earth has officially begun evolving into a Fantasy World now. There really was no other option, right? The Dimensional Labyrinth was attempting something similar, but in a forceful, destructive, and corrupt way, it would have eventually swallowed the planet whole."
"Oh..." I nodded, absorbing incredible new lore I hadn’t known before.
"So what your parents did was seal that damned Dimensional Labyrinth, destroy most of it, and then rewrite the Fantasy Dimension," Surtr continued. "They didn’t do it alone, though, we all helped. We created a world where you can finally roam freely: visit Yggdrasil, Spiritias, Zipangu, or even wander the Cosmic Sea! Alien civilizations have recently been discovered, and there’s even a Galactic Alliance that your great-grandfather now oversees alongside many other cultures. Really fun stuff."
"Ooh! I wanna go to space!!!" I exclaimed with excitement.
"Believe me, it’s not that exciting, my daughter," my father said. "It’s mostly empty space—you have to travel so long to reach anything worthwhile that it’s hardly worth the effort."
"Eeeh, I think it might be fun, Dad!" I replied. "Also, I wanna walk—let go of me...!"
"Fine," he finally released me from his arms. I stood on the grass and looked up at Surtr’s towering family.
"Waow, you have a big family, mister," I said.
"Hahaha, I really do, don’t I?" he chuckled. "I have way more kids, but only my two eldest decided to come... the rest... well, erm, they didn’t care much about this. Sorry."
"It’s fine!" I said. "Nice to meet you two! What are your names?" I asked innocently.
The two half-fire-giant, half-dragon siblings smiled and knelt, gently petting my head together.
They were both muscular and powerful—and, most amusingly, taller than their own father.
"I am Mirtr, son of Surtr and Mina!" the man declared in a loud, rumbling voice. He had long red-and-white hair and was... very handsome, just like his dad.
"And I am Sudiartr, daughter of Surtr and Nadia. Nice to meet you, sweetie," the woman said. She was as beautiful as her mother, with long red-white hair and golden eyes.
"Ohhh, are you strong?" I asked.
"We are!"
"We can even wield Dad’s Origin Flames if you’re interested."
They opened their palms, conjuring beautiful white-gold flames that radiated an almost celestial essence, very similar to Harmony itself.
"Wow..."
If I could learn from these flames, I wondered whether I could wield Harmony in a different way. They seemed highly compatible.
"Can I touch them?"
"W-What?"
"Wait—no, it’s dangerous!"
They quickly pulled their hands away before I could reach them, leaving me a little disappointed. But then I felt those flames calling to me again.
"Wait... maybe I can do this!"
"What?"
"Wait—what are you doing?"
As they stared in confusion, I raised my small palms and drew the flames directly from their hands into my body.
"Ooohhh!"
A surge of blazing power coursed through me. Harmony reacted instantly, absorbing the flames and briefly turning them white.
"Cool!"
I conjured a small white flame of my own, as though I had copied the Origin Flames.
"W-What?!" Surtr gasped. "D-Did she just... copy the Origin Flames?!"
"Is that even possible?!" Nadia asked.
"I didn’t know?" Mina wondered.
"E-Elizabeth! Are you okay?" my father asked, worried.
"Are you really alright?" my mother insisted.
"Eh? I’m fine!" I nodded. "I just felt like those flames were calling to me—they’re compatible with Harmony."
"Is that so?" Surtr mused, rubbing his scaled chin. "Interesting... she truly has unseen potential! Hmm... I’ve wanted to stay on Earth for a couple of years anyway, so... why not? Once this is over, I’ll give you a test, little one. If you pass it, I’ll become your Fire Magic tutor. How about it?" he smiled.
"Really?!" I gasped, nodding eagerly. "Yes, yes, yes!"
My parents panicked, they clearly hadn’t made this arrangement yet, and with someone of Surtr’s stature, it couldn’t have been easy to convince him. Or perhaps they hadn’t even dared to ask?
Whatever the case, he was willing to teach me personally.
"Hey, you’re not the only one good at it," his wife Mina said.
"I can teach her a little too!" Nadia added.
"And us as well, right, sis?"
"For sure!"
Even his eldest children seemed excited about the idea. I also noticed their grandchildren hiding shyly behind them with their parents, both fire giants.
"Wow, you’re Elizabeth, right? Did you really wield Origin Flames?"
"I saw her...!"
The two grandchildren of Surtr ran toward me. They were utterly adorable, around my age or perhaps a year or two older, with long white hair, fiery gold-red eyes, red skin, and golden horns on their foreheads. They had fewer scales than their parents, only a bit around their hands, legs, and neck, and tails but no wings.
"Y-Yeah!" I nodded. "Wait, is it some kind of power specific to your family?"
In the game, Origin Flames was a high-level fire magic Surtr could wield, but it was just a made-up skill anyone could learn from a skill book.
Here, things seemed very different.
"Well, are you sure about this decision, King Surtr?" my father asked cautiously.
"Hahaha! Louis, you’re the grandson of my great friend—there’s no need for formalities," Surtr laughed, patting his shoulders. "Yeah, I’m sure!"
"Oh wow..." Mirai said. "Well, I’m really thankful! Also, we would gladly welcome you to the castle! We have so many rooms, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like."
"Sounds good for a vacation, right, sweethearts?" Surtr asked his two wives.
"Well, this little girl does inspire me to teach her!" Nadia nodded.
"And a new friend for our grandkids would be nice too, it’s a pleasant change from the scorching lands of Muspelheim!" Mina agreed.
"Alright, it’s decided," Surtr nodded. "But only if you pass my test, got it?"
"Uh-huh!" I nodded eagerly. "I’ll pass it, easy peasy!"
"Heh, you don’t even know what it is yet, don’t get cocky, little one," he laughed, patting my head. "Alright! I’m starving. Shall we go eat something, everyone?"
"Bye! See you at the ceremony!" Surtr’s grandkids waved at me.
"Byeeee!" I waved back enthusiastically.
It seemed they would also awaken their dragon forms soon, interesting, and a little reassuring that I wasn’t the only one.
"Phew...!"
As soon as they walked away, the three of us sighed in relief. Being around them had been a little exhausting.
"Haaa... the rumors are true, they’re quite the overbearing family, making decisions on their own without barely asking us," my mom said, shaking her head. But then she smiled. "Still, they’re good people."
"Yeah..." my dad muttered. "The heat they emanate together, though... we should warn everyone else who isn’t strong enough to stay close, they might quickly become overwhelmed."
"Right..." my mom sighed. "Ah, right—there was someone else we had to meet, wasn’t there? Your grand aunts! And that Sea Dragon Emperor too, hm?"
"Yeah," my father groaned, swallowing hard. "I’m already exhausted... but this is what it means to be a king, I suppose."
My father was already worn out from so many interactions. Despite always trying his hardest, he was definitely an introverted man, he tired quickly after talking with so many people.
And me? Well, I’m kind of the same, but somehow, now that I’m a kid, I don’t really fear being extroverted. People dismiss any mistakes or lack of manners as just being a child. It’s a privilege I’ll lose once I grow up, so I’m enjoying it to my heart’s content.
"Aha! There you are."
"Louis! Mirai! Ooohh! And who is that baby girl?! Kyaaaaaa!"
We didn’t get much rest before the two grand aunts my father feared appeared together out of nowhere.
"A-Ah! Aunt Kate?! Aunt Yudra...!" my father gasped as their immense divine auras washed over us—barely restrained, perhaps because they were a little clumsy. "I’m sorry for not welcoming you properly."
"It’s fine, dear!" Yudra giggled. "Hello, Mirai—how have you been? I see you’re pregnant and— Aah! Baby!"
"Eek!" I cried as Yudra scooped me up and lifted me high. "Eugh... H-Hi..."
"You’re so cuteeeee!" she squealed.
This was my grand-aunt Yudra, current Empress of Zipangu, assigned by her father, the Divine Dragon King. She also served as a protector and overseer of Yamato, working alongside Empress Mikoto and her family.
She was a beautiful dragon lady in Dragonoid form, pale white skin, long fluffy white hair, and white fur covering her arms, legs, and neck, making her look like she was always wearing a winter coat.
She had a long fluffy tail, long white feathered wings, a slightly darker snout, and fluffy chinchilla-like ears, a truly unique dragon.
"Are you surprised by my appearance? I’m my daddy’s daughter with his third wife, Yuki!" Yudra explained cheerfully. "Mama couldn’t come today, unfortunately—she’s out in space with Dad. Ah, right—my mom belonged to the Winter Chinchilla-Monkey Beastmen Tribe! Or rather... I heard she used to be a monster, but your great granddaddy recruited her as a friend, and over time she evolved into the beast tribe. Crazy, right?"
"A-Ah... Uh-huh," I nodded nervously, overwhelmed by her energy. "It sounds cool! Um... can I pet your ears?"
"Hahaha! Okay!" she nodded cutely.
I reached up and ruffled them gently. She blushed a little and chuckled adorably.
Is this really supposed to be an old lady? She acts like a teenage girl.
Still, they were incredibly fluffy. I wished I were fluffy like her, but I’m more on the scaly side, aside from my wings, which have feathers.
Yeah, even my black wing eventually grew feathers to match my white one. They’re rather soft, though they sometimes itch.
"Yudra, you’re hogging her all to yourself," my other grand aunt muttered. "Hi, I’m Kate... I’m your grandma’s little sister."
"Hi!" I said.
Aunt Kate was also a dragon, of course, but her appearance differed greatly from Yudra’s. She was smaller, slender, with no fur or feathers, just metallic scales here and there, and blue circuit-like tattoos that occasionally gleamed across her blue-skinned body.
She had short, bob-styled hair that shone like metallic silver, as though it were made of metal rather than normal hair. A single silver horn rose from her forehead, and she remained mostly expressionless, though she smiled occasionally.
I hadn’t designed her as a character, just like Yudra, so they were both largely new to me.
From her metallic, mechanical wings and tail, and her shimmering silver metallic dress, she was what my father called a "Technomancy Dragon."
So far, she was the only one of her kind, born that way, apparently. I assumed she was some mutation or evolution of the Metal Dragon species.
Unlike Yudra, Aunt Kate had never had children... I suppose she preferred solitude.
"Are you interested in my wings?" she asked. "Or technomancy itself?"
"Yeah!" I nodded. "What’s all that technomancy stuff? Is it metal magic?"
"You could call it a branch, but not really," Kate said. "I was born with it, along with another special magic I’ll use on you later." She offered a rare, gentle smile, beautiful in its quiet way. "So look forward to it."
She was quite mysterious. She patted my head lightly and walked away.
"Hey, you’re so boring, Kate—come on, why not talk more with the girl?" Yudra called after her. "Ah, at least I should introduce you to my son—Where is he?! Ah, did he disappear somewhere again? Oh no..."
"Her son?" I asked.
"That’s Yudrak, my baby boy!" Yudra chuckled.
"Baby boy? I’m fairly sure he’s an adult now," my father said. "And I think he dislikes it when you call him that."
"Naaah, it’s fineeeee!" Yudra insisted. "Yudraaaaak!"
Yudra ran off in search of her mysteriously vanished son. Honestly, it made sense—she was a little overbearing.
"Who’s the dad?" I wondered.
"Nobody knows. Some say she just appeared with an egg one day," my father said, shrugging.
"Female dragons at her level are capable of having children without the need of a partner, I believe," my mother added. "I guess Yudra never found a partner but wanted a son, so she laid an egg... I’ve heard the Primordial Dragon Mothers all did the same! Dragons are a truly fascinating species."
"Whew, I didn’t know it was that easy..." I muttered. "Wait—can I do that once I’m an adult?"
"D-Do you want to be a mommy already?!" my mom asked, shocked.
"N-No! I was just wondering..." I laughed awkwardly.
Though... once I’m old and lonely, maybe having a kid or two for company wouldn’t be so bad, right? If I don’t find a partner by then.
"Looks like Triton hasn’t arrived yet," my father said. "Hm—huh?! Wait...!"
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, a giant crack tore open in the sky. Azure light flashed, and...
Water.
Ocean water poured down onto the castle.
SPLAAASH!
It was a tsunami!
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