Maxi found himself being dragged once more-this time deeper into the heart of the castle. Angelina led the way with zero patience, her hand gripping his wrist like she meant to pull his entire soul with her.
They spiraled down a long staircase, stone steps winding tighter and tighter, until-
Thud.
They reached the bottom. The moment her feet hit solid ground, Angelina let go of his wrist with a sharp motion, as if flinging off something sticky.
Maxi stumbled, dizzy from the descent. He braced against the wall, trying to steady himself. The overwhelming aura of the castle had made him weak in the knees, but...
Then it hit him.
The air shifted.
Sweetness.
Mango. Banana. Apples. A hint of pineapple. Like a fruit salad had exploded and bloomed in the air itself.
He blinked, stunned, then smiled-no, beamed. All his worries vanished, his aching body forgotten.
"History, here I come!" Maxi shouted as he dashed forward.
With a wild grin, he leapt onto a rolling library ladder. The wheels clicked against the smooth marble floor as he zipped past rows of ancient tomes and towering shelves.
Books blurred past him-hundreds of them. Gold-lined spines, leather-bound tomes, scrolls older than his memories. He was in heaven.
Angelina watched him go with an expression caught between disbelief and how do I still work for him?
She rubbed her temple slowly, closing her eyes, trying to contain her brewing frustration. Light summer ocean blue spiritual energy shimmered faintly from her body-gently, like a slow exhale-before it wrapped around her form and vanished.
Then, she bolted after him.
Maxi had reached the middle of the main library. The dome-like ceiling above shimmered with faint light runes, and the magic floating orbs casting Hughes of light depending on how far they where from the ground but all the lights together made a beautiful spectacle casting down on the long central table reminding him of the prestigious coffee table and spot in his dreams.
He hopped off the ladder mid-slide, landing with a little stumble before catching his balance.
No Colen.
Huh... guess I beat him here for once.
Maxi wandered toward the massive table at the center, that seemed to be taller and taller the more he looked at it. He pulled out a chair and sat, eyes drifting to the books stacked at the far end.
A minute passed.
Then two.
Still no Colen...
He tapped the table impatiently.
Suddenly-THWACK!
A sharp pain landed on the top of his head.
"OW! What was that for!?" Maxi yelped, clutching his skull.
Angelina stood beside him, arms crossed, her face twisted into that all-too-familiar I'm-holding-back-my-rage expression.
"That..." she said through clenched teeth, "was for making me run after you."
She dropped into the seat next to him, arms still tightly crossed.
Maxi gritted his teeth, a frustrated breath caught in his throat. He was about to snap back, words lining up in his head like soldiers-but then he saw something over her shoulder
Maxi blinked in confusion, still rubbing the spot on his head where Angelina had landed her punch. But then-
A chill swept through the air.
The temperature dropped instantly, as if winter itself had stepped into the room. Maxi turned his head slowly, and there he was.
Colen.
Draped in a white and dark blue blazer that hung from his shoulders like a cape, he moved with the elegance of a noble untouched by time. His suit, dark blue with sharp lines, contrasted against his crisp white shirt and jet-black pants. A neatly tied jabot hugged his neck, and his polished shoes reflected the library's dim glow like mirrors.
His presence was like frost on glass-quiet, but impossible to ignore.
"You know, maid," Colen said, voice cold enough to freeze breath, "you can't just hit your master like he's some punching bag."
Angelina stiffened. It was as if Colen's words shackled her in chains of ice. Her breath caught, and her body went still.
"I know he's more or less a mistake," Colen added sharply, "but that gives you no right to treat him as less than yourself. At the end of the day-he's a Bloodheart.
You are not."
Maxi blinked in surprise. Colen... defended me?
Colen turned his eyes to Angelina once more. "So treat him with respect."
Then, with an elegance that defied gravity, Colen lifted one foot. The air beneath his shoe shimmered-then froze. A perfect snowflake formed under his sole, catching the light like crystal. He stepped forward, and as his other foot raised up higher in the air, another snowflake bloomed beneath it.
Step by step, he went acrossed the long table looking like walking on air itself, and only when he reached the plush ground carpet did the snow vanish.
He took his seat across from Maxi, folding one leg over the other with precision.
Before Maxi could say a word, Colen's voice cut through him like a gust of wind.
"And you, Maxi. Don't let your maid get out of line. She isn't your friend-she's your maid. Keep her in check, or she might mistake your kindness for weakness."
Maxi chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. "Yep, will do, totally..."
Why did he say that? She's right there. He glanced at Angelina, who was now perfectly silent. I guess when you're as strong as Colen... you don't worry about anyone.
He shook his head and shifted in his seat.
"Anyway," Maxi said, trying to pivot the tension away, "before we dive into the Journey Through the Realm of the Earthly Gods, I wanted to ask about those siblings you mentioned last time. The ones who could teach me about the Ranking of Fire."
Colen gave a small nod, indicating he was listening.
Maxi leaned forward, eyes flickering with curiosity. "One of them-does he have pointy elf ears and dark skin? And the other guy... does he have two katanas and wear, uh..."
He paused. He didn't know what the clothing was called in this world. It looked Japanese-specifically, black hakama pants and a traditional warrior's robe-but they didn't speak Japanese here. Maybe someone had reincarnated earlier and left a cultural imprint?
Colen raised an eyebrow and spoke smoothly. "Yes. The "guy" with pointy ears and dark skin is named Mōkō. He's a Night Elf. And the man with katanas wearing what I assume you're trying to call Kamatī clothing-that's Dallas. his a demi human. Yes, those are the siblings I mentioned."
Maxi nodded, clicking the names into memory.
"So, uh... could you quickly tell me the history of Kamatī clothing?" Maxi asked, eager.
Colen thought for a moment, then nodded. "It was created during the era of the Foxikan-what we called that generation of Fox Uki at the time. The style was born from a deep alliance and friendship between the Elves and the Uki."
"Wait," Maxi interrupted. " is Uki the proper name for the Oni people?"
"yes," Colen confirmed his voice cold and calm unbothered by the info he just gave to Maxi
Maxi nearly asked why didn't you tell me this earlier, but he swallowed it. He wanted the rest of the story.
"There was a man," Colen continued, "named Shiho. His original name was forgotten, but he's remembered for his love of Elven culture. When he came of age-as all Uki must, to explore the world-he journeyed deep into Elven lands he was even first to rediscover the Elves who vanished after the war. He integrated fully, meeting every king and queen of every Elven race."
Maxi's eyes widened.
"In time, he forged a permanent alliance between the Uki and the Elves-though mainly with the Foxikan. And to commemorate that moment, he designed the Kamatī style. It symbolizes a new beginning. A fresh, beautiful start or determination to start something new something more beautiful then the last."
Maxi nodded slowly. That confirms some parts of my theories... but not all of them. He tucked the knowledge away.
"Did he also create the katanas?"
"He designed them. Like the Kamatī clothing, he didn't forge them himself-but the blueprints were his. There are many other things he designed... but I won't be getting into those today."
Maxi leaned back, letting it all settle. "Alright then. That's everything. Let's begin the main history."
Colen exhaled slowly, his tone deepening as he placed a single finger atop the table as the table slowly started to freeze
"Then let us begin," he said, "the history of the Journey Through the Realm of the Earthly Gods."