Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

Chapter 435: CDXXXV. The First Meeting

"Where? I can't see anything, I can distinguish the details of the mountain!" Egill said, squinting and putting his jaw forward, trying to use the full potential of his gaze, weakened by old age.

"I think the one in the middle is Kranus. His white beard is clearly visible down from here. Next to him, there are two huge beings, bigger than the Jotunns! What the hell are they?"!" Dag exclaimed, who could not immediately give an identity to the shadows he saw from afar.

Looking around, Dag, Egill, and Reidar tried to figure out if, in addition to those three figures that only Dag could immediately distinguish, there was someone else, hidden somewhere.

"Skaldr said his biggest concern is the caves. Look, there are about ten of them, in the middle of the mountain, a few tens of meters high" he continued, who, reworking all the information he had at his disposal, tried to associate the thought with the images in front of his eyes.

"Yes, now I can see both the three people and the caves! There seems to be no one inside them, even if they are very dark. For now, we must not think about it, I'm telling you again, it's just a precaution. Focus on Kranus" Egill said, helping Dag stay focused.

In front of them, the three figures became closer and closer, until it was possible to notice the details: the man in the center, as Dag guessed, was Kranus, on a white horse wearing heavy armor with metal spikes. Right next to him, two huge beasts were ridden by two Jotunns.

"What the heck are those things?! They're not horses, they're gigantic!" Reidar gasped, who had never seen anything like it in his life.

"Those are called rhinos. They are animals with skin as thick as the bark of a tree, which can be very aggressive if provoked... I've never seen one live either, this is the first time. But I remember the pictures on my school books" Dag promptly answered, looking on the two magnificent specimens with interest.

The Jotunns guarding Kranus were riding giant rhinos, much larger than normal, wearing heavy armor covering their necks and heads, consisting of a knitted crush and messy metal scales. In the back of the body, huge wooden spikes were attached to a side strap, useful to prevent horses or people from getting too close to the beast.

Dag noted that even on the two rhino horns there were golden ornaments in the shape of a blades, one smaller and one larger.

Slightly pulling the horse's reins towards him, he stopped a few feet away from them and his allies did the same, just behind him.

The two large beasts that flanked Kranus's white horse, which despite being a massive stallion, looked like a pony in comparison, vented from their noses, slightly shaking their backs and raising a cloud of snow, which quickly dissolved into the air.

Dag took courage and did not speak immediately, but waited for the leader of the Giants Of Ymir to be the first to have the floor, standing still and looking at him with a very serious expression, beginning to study his behavior.

The gaze of the two Jotunns, meanwhile, was pointed at Egill and Reidar, who respectfully advanced about a metre, positioning themselves next to Dag, in a mirrored way with those in front of them.

"Dag... I finally know you in person" Kranus said, his usual cold voice and piercing gaze, as a gust of wind moved his long white hair and beard, which floated sideways for a moment.

"Kranus. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time" Dag said, convinced of his words, as his two allies stood unmoved by him.

"I imagined you different. Even though they told me you were just a kid, I didn't believe it until now." 

Dag did not respond to the taunt and stood still looking him in the eye, fearless.

Meanwhile, Reidar and Egill, trying not to be noticed by the two Jotunns, who had their eyes on them, as soon as they had a free moment, looked up, trying to see better what was inside the caves above their heads.

"So, Dag from Earth... what is this? Is it a joke? What do you have in mind?" Kranus asked, who, despite having before him the man who had killed his son and dozens of his warriors, maintained a frightening calm.

"My men and I have come here to Krypstorm peacefully, to explore what is unexplored and to learn from the great warriors who live on its cold lands. From the beginning, we never sought war with you, but unfortunately, it was the war to find us" Dag replied, trying to be as cryptic as possible, to observe the reaction of his interlocutor.

"Where's your messenger? The one you sent to me... the guy with the chains... he told me you know why I attacked Okstorm. Is that true?" 

Dag did not answer immediately, but he paused to think for a few seconds.

Soon after, he placed a hand on his belt, covered with a fur coat that served to keep his legs warm during the ride.

The two Jotunns immediately got ready to extract their weapons but were blocked by Kranus, who with a slight gesture of his hand, ordered them to remain motionless.

Dag detached his axe from the magnet and raised it towards the three men in front of him, proving that what they really wanted existed and was in his hands.

Egill and Reidar, as soon as they saw the Giantbane, swallowed empty, believing that Dag's move had been very bold, but that perhaps it was not a good idea to immediately show the axe, which apparently was the real reason behind their enmity.

As soon as he saw it, Kranus was enchanted and his eyes twinkled, becoming watery, as if the vision of that object unleashed uncontrollable joy within him, having never been able to watch it live.