Chapter 44: [Interlude] A Cloudy Place (Part 2)
[Clock - ???]
[Calendar - 20/03/2003]
[Location - Fortress of the Glażar Family - Boundless Blue, Elemental Plane of Air]
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POV Change
Atlas
With a mental nudge, Atlas activated the [Interdimensional GPS] and a rush of energy softly left his body in an almost imperceptible wave that stretched out thousands of miles in a single burst, travelling with the winds of the eternal blue skies and easily melding with the Weave, dissipating harmlessly into the atmosphere. Thanks to this, Atlas could now find other places and locations! Thanks to his system, he was able to find where he was. Differently from the planet he was from, where you would be able to find yourself by using latitude and longitude, in an Elemental Plane of Existence, Atlas had to rely on points in the general space! Cities, dens of certain creatures, motes of other elemental energies taken form, and even carcasses of gargantuan creatures that endlessly float upon the Boundless Blue. "[Apparently, we're in the home of the Glażar family... Don't know much about them, but- Well, what I know about Cloud Giants is that they're gambling addicts, so we could just steal from them... or we could meet them, make a bet, and then win the bet and get things from them. I mean, being friendly to them might be advantageous? Voting? Who votes for stealing and who voted for maybe diplomacy?]"
"[Let's steal! I wanna commit crimes! I wanna be an Interdimensional crime doer!]" Sobek's voice in his small lizard body- that squeaked like a dog's chew toy in excitement -was a bit disproportionate to his actual little lizard body, so hearing this grown man's deep voice speaking such words and knowing they were coming out of the equivalent of a divine gecko, it was pretty funy. But Atlas could understand the enthusiasm Sobek had- he was in another dimension, floating amogst endless clouds and stading before a castle made of solidified cloud that apparently has riches inside. "[You think they have some sort of booze? Anything with alcohol? I mean, I would have- but would giants?]" Ah, this was why he was so excited, huh? Little alcoholic divine gecko was excited by the prospect of drinking his weight in alcohol the giants have, which most likely is enough to get him and 900 little copies of him drunk in one gulp. It would be pretty adorable to see the little gecko Sobek drunk, though...
"[...thinking like a King, I think we should approach this with diplomacy in mind- But I wanna steal shit from these people.]" Waylon grumbled like a child, pouting softly and making Atlas feel a little gushed and tempted to just let Waylon steal something, but he was a King... I mean, they're not exactly known to be royalty in this place- they're in the Boundless Blue for Sobek's sake, but they can't make stealing a habit! This was an opportunity to make a friendship if they play their cards right. "[But I am a king, so I guess we can approch this diplomatically... and then steal from them.]" Ah, there it is- the decision Atlas knew Waylon would be making! Atlas can play along and make a rigged bet that the giants will lose... But they'd have to start small, with small things so they might win small thimgs and make the Cloud Giants lower their guard. He can think of a few bets that would guarantee them the win, but not enough harmless ones that will make the Giants lower their guards...
"[Very well then, my be- king.]" Atlas almost slipped up and called Waylon "my beloved", which would have been embarrassing because he would have to awkwardly explain why he considered Waylon his "beloved" when their relationship was sexual at best. "[We shall approach this in a diplomatic way... while trying to steal from them as much as possible.]" Meanwhile, Atlas was thinking to himself and not projecting his thoughts through [Telepathic Bond]: 'Get it together, Atlas.' Because he was feeling rather flushed and embarrassed about his near slip up... Maybe its because he spends most of his time with Waylon, but he does like him quite a bit- is it because he was a horny bottom? Oh gods, that would be so embarrassing. No, Waylon already teases him too much. It would be humiliating (and not in a good way) to let him know that he has started to fall for him because of how good he is- in bed and out of it. That would make the lizard man both smug and with the impression that Atlas is the easiest whore on the planet. "[L-let's just... find the front door and knock.]" Calm down, Atlas! Keep your little ass closed, it's not the time nor place for you to feel softy like that.
With a wave of his hand, Atlas guided them towards the entrance for the castle that he could see with the mapping part of the [Interdimensional GPS] function. The entrance gate was an enormous, soft white wood with dark grey metal nails the size of a truck's wheel while the soft white-grey rocks had these soft marks where they were carved with runes that Atlas took just a few seconds to learn what they were with his [All Tongue] perk that he had- He was able to easily read the runes for [Reinforcement], [Protection], and [Recovery]. He was surprised for a moment- So Giants have their own way to enchant things, huh? Knocking on the castle "door", Atlas casted [Thunderclap] on the door, letting the thunderous sound echo- he did look apologetically at Waylon when he winced at the sheer volume of his knocking at the door. Atlas waited for a few moments before there was the soft echo of footsteps, and in about a minute, the door was opening. A pair of big soft white-blue eyes stared at him as he looked back, and with a smile, he said: "Hello, nice to meet you, I am Atlas. I apologize for knocking at your door, but I was told there was a Master Gambler at this castle, and we've come to compete with a few bets." Speaking in Giant, Atlas kept the same smile on his lips as he discretely casted [Tongues] on Waylon (sadly, not making out to cast it).
"...Ah, you must've heard of my father then-" The door was pulled back further, showing Atlas the full height of the magnificent giant before him. 14 feet tall, so this one probably was a teenager or maybe a tall boy, but Atlas did not want to make any assumptions: "-Come in! Come! Father will be very happy that travelers have heard of his gambling feats!" He smiled and welcomed them inside- Atlas simply floated inside, being followed by Waylon who looked at the kid with wide eyes. Atlas could feel the big croc's man confusion and realization when he understood the giant in front of him was a child at least or a teenager at most. "It's been a while since a traveler has come to visit my family for gambling- The King of Gambling is pretty famous still, I take it? Oh, father will be so happy to start another Gambling Games! There will be shooting competions, magic competitions, fighting competitons-"
"Żamgas? Who was at the door- Oh, my goodness, it is nice to meet you, little ones." As soon as they entered through the gates into the castle proper, Atlas was met with the corridor of white walls and ceiling, the soft ground dented a bit when the kid took steps forward. Soon, pushing her head out of the end of the corridor (the 50 feet tall corridors, 30 feet long) was a beautiful, silver haired woman. Her hair was long, reaching a barely the ground with its curly tips. Her eyes were just like Żamgas' eyes, a pale white-blue that resembled thin ice. Her pale white skin was a soft contrast against her deep blue dress that had the same color of the sky outside. "Welcome you two-" Sobek made a squeaky sound, upset that he was being ignored: "-you three? Oh my, he is so adorable! I am Iżvir, Iżvir Glażar, and you must've met my son Żamgas Glażar? He is quite the polite boy, isn't he?" She sounded like a very proud mother! The boy in question looked to be a bit embarrassed about his mother babying him in front of strangers, and Atlas couldn't help but smile.
"You taught him good, miss. Lessons are the treasure that parent give their children, treasures that increase in value with each day." Atlas didn't know where that came from, but he was pretty sure it was a Giant saying? It felt natural to say right at that moment... It was like he knew the saying for a long time and understood the language he was speaking deeply: "But such pleasantries are just that- Pleasantries. I apologize for being direct, but would you like to make a guess? Partaking into the game of chance. I don't want much, only if you get it wrong, that you allow us to stay for a meal." Atlas understood Cloud Giants and the sheer love for betting, games of change, and games that they had- of all the giants, they are the ones who makes the most bets, who study spells and act as Wizards, and the ones who love art and games. "If you correctly guess our relationship, I shall grant you my finest piece of art." By tempting the woman with a piece of art she had never seen, Atlas practically granted himself and Waylon some time to relax in this beautiful dimension!
"Huh." The lady smiled, her eyebrows lifting as she said with the biggest aura of smug confidence: "I am very good at games of chance and guessing games- Judging by the way you've been close together, the way you have shown respect to the lizard man beside you, and judging by the way he has been looking at you for guidance... I say that you're his adviser, or deeply trusted friend." Oh fuck, she had read them completely! Atlas sighed softly, read to admit she was right and that she had the eye to look through them, when-
"Well, you're wrong." Waylon suddenly said, with the smug happiness of someone who had just won something: "He is, in fact, my wife." The Giant word for "wife" literally meant "my fortress", "the rock I earnestly hold", "the one who weathers the storm alongside me", and "my queen". So, basically, Waylon just declared that Atlas was the one and only for him- This was the formal way a giant would call the person they loved most. "Isn't that right, my love?"
"...ah, right!" Atlas felt a rush of blood go directly to his face as he kept a smile. He tried to keep his heart from beating way too fast, instead focusing yo keep the lie up so they could win the bet- this wasn't a very important bet, but if Waylon wanted to win it so much that he invented this lie on the spot, then Atlas will go along with it! He chuckled as he made a thoughtful expression: "We have been married for... was it 8 years? No, It's been 10 years already." He dragged his fingers across his hair and pulled back his sleeves a bit, ignoring how Waylon had the same smug smile he always had: "I still remember our Ka'nuuhak. It was the most beautiful, happiest day... of my life." The word Ka'nuuhak roughly translated to "the night after the tying of fate's threads", which would be the nuptials nights or the start of the honeymoon? Well, it was a celebratory day for Giants, one where the newly wed couple shows their devotion to one another by giving each other seven gifts, each representing each quality a giant sought out in a partner.
Strength. Resilience. Endurace. Craftsmanship. Mind. Might. And Soul.
"Ah, young love." The giant woman smiled brightly, just by hearing that they were so happy and in love, she didn't even care if she lost the game: "May I see the gifts you receive for your Ka'nuuhak? I would slso show you mine, they're beautiful! My beloved Gażas gifted me the most beautiful things. We have been married for 366 years!"
"Of course." Atlas smiled- Where the fuck is getting these seven items!? He needs seven gifts, each that represent Waylon's Strength, Resilience, Endurance, Craftsmanship, Mind, Might, and Soul! "...I would love to."
Meanwhile, Waylon: Heh, wife, huh? I can get used to that.