The King under the mountain

"What… does that even mean?" he asked, confused by the voice's mysterious way of responding to him. He tried to look for the origin of the sound, yet all he saw was a deep wilderness, not a trace of human tampering in sight.

"You saw the mural on the wall, yes?" the voice ignored him and continued, "there is only one person who should have come to this place at this time—"

"The child of destiny? Is that me?" Rex interrupted with uncertainty.

"You? Hah! No, you are not the destined one," the voice answered, unbothered by being interrupted. "You are but the catalyst. The start of a cyclical destruction that is foreordained to come. you are nothing but a small cog in the grand scheme of things…" a deep derision came from its tone.

Rex couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at its words. Considering all that he knew, and his own origins, he found it confronting to be called a mere 'cog'.

"Phew… that's refreshing…" he suddenly said, a smile fret of burden blossoming on his face. His tense shoulders relaxed, and he leaned back on his hands, staring at the rolling clouds, as if everything around him and the information he was just told had nothing to do with him.

"Ah- what are you doing?" the speechless voice asked.

"I'm making myself comfortable. If I'm not this destined one, then that means I don't have to care as much, right? I assume you'll begin talking in riddles, beating around the bush before eventually giving me the information I need to know in an around-about way, and only then will you let me out. Right?" he claimed casually, as if he was talking to an old friend.

There was a short silence as the voice seemed to be incredibly puzzled by Rex's attitude, clearly not expecting him to react in this way after knowing what the mural said.

As if knowing what Rex had predicted, the voice spoke again, yet this time its words were laced with killing intent, "after knowing the information on the mural, you still act so casually? the lives of countless people rest on this information being given to the child of destiny. How can you act like this?"

Rex rolled his eyes at its words, "give it a break. You still haven't told me what I have to do with this so-called 'child of destiny'. Why should I care about this? Besides, I think I'll be enough, even if this child of destiny fell on his face and died." He joked.

BANG!

A huge tremor travelled along the earth accompanying his words, as if a volcano had erupted. A furious bellow containing endless rage threatened to tear space apart emerged from the nearby mountain.

Turning his head in that direction, Rex saw a sight he would never forget, a massive silver-haired fist burst through dense rock like it was paper, giant claws sparkling with electricity travelled between its fingers. As the hand landed, the earth gave way, causing giant fissures to spread like wildfire.

The arm alone was already 100 meters in length, causing huge gales to sweep forth, uprooting every tree in its path. A head soon followed; a long snout laced with knife-like teeth snapped shut to end its bellow. Eyes brimming with wild lightning, madly rampaging outwards.

The monster before him dwarfed god mode Machamp by so much that it made the latter seem like a mere infant.

"Bastard thing, I never trusted those so-called divinations. It matters not... I'll crush this looming crisis in the cradle!" A murderous growl flowed out of its throat like rolling thunder.

Rex stared at the humongous polar bear as it stretched one of its arms over its head, seemingly hell-bent on touching the heavens. Giant snakes of lighting emerged from its long hair and accumulated on its outstretched arm before shooting into the infinite sky above.

An immense sense of danger fell down on his head, intent on bursting his skull. So potent that it felt tangible as his legs began to shake and his knees buckled. A painful hammering continued to pound at his brain as he forcefully raised his head towards the congregating clouds.

Nowhere to be seen was the fairy-like scenery. No longer were there any soft clouds, only tempestuous winds and ink-black smoke that devoured the light of the sun. He could swear he heard wailing demons as snakes of lighting streaked within the clouds, like dragons emerging from the ocean.

"Hey! HEY! It was a goddamn joke! There's no need to smite me!" he yelled. His relaxed expression had long been blown away alongside the paradisical scenery. Yet his words weren't even able to travel a few meters before being torn to shreds.

His gaze didn't linger on the storm, instead focusing back on the titan-like polar bear standing on the remains of what used to be a sky-piercing mountain. Giant, jagged crystal-like objects trembling with electricity emerged from its back and forearms. A long braid that seemed like an enormous rope ornated with a blue rune hung down from either shoulder. Metal leg guards covering the outside of its legs glowed red hot and dripping with lava, only further proving that this thing really was submerged deep within the earth.

Rex stepped back, a trace of fear welling up in his chest. But that fear was soon burned asunder by unyielding confidence. "Fear? I know none! I know not what angered you as such, but if you want a fight, a fight you shall have!"

A fire so pure that it seemed to burn the essence of space flared out of his body, covering his body in a blood-red cloud of energy. The hazy image of a stoic asura coalesced behind him. Yet, like a mother cradling her child, a soft expression appeared on its face as it looked down at Rex, slowly stepping forward to envelop him within its embrace. As the two became one, Rex emerged from the blood-red mist, a translucent body several times larger than him covering his fleshy body like armour.

As Rex raised his head towards the titan in the distance, the soft expression on the asura steeled instantly, a booming voice exploding from its chest.

"We meet again, first thunder!"

As if those words had a magical effect, the hellish sky froze in place, as if time had stopped.

"Why is it you!" The electricity in the titan's eyes grew thicker, small, majestic streaks of golden lighting condensing within.

Rex was also frozen in place, completely shocked at the voice that seemed to come from within him. He raised his head to stare at the translucent face staring solemnly at his opponent. Being ignored, he turned to the polar bear and unconsciously spoke his curiosity, "Who are you?"

His soft voice seemed to ripple through space, traversing across the land instantly and falling into the ears of the raging titan.

Its mountainous head turned to him, "I am Valhir of the first thunder. Destroyer of the white mountain. Carver, of the five Fjords!" Its booming voice caused the sky to darken further as the land froze over instantly.

Rex stared at the thin coat of ice over his feet in shock. as he raised his head once more, he was stunned by what he saw. The scenery had changed again. No longer were their rolling hills filled with endless grass, but massive glaciers, enormous and steep mountains covered in frost and ravines covered in endless broken weapons and dead bodies that littered the ground as far as the eye could see. A river of blood frozen solid stretched out from these poor souls like a winding path that led directly to the titan before him.

"First thunder, contain your rage, no battle needs to take place here," the voice above Rex's head spoke once more, a deep malice in its words, as if want the exact opposite to happen.

For the first time, there was a momentary look of apprehension on the bear's face. Yet before either side could say another word, a streak of lightning shot down from the sky, tearing a white line across space. black fissures opened and began to suck in the air around it like black holes in its wake as it descended on his head.

BOOM!

A tremendous explosion shook the tectonic plate beneath their feet, sending subsequent earthquakes rumbling into the distance.

"HAH! Pretender, your lies do not fool ME! Now lie there quietly, and let me devour your vessel's heart!" The voice of the bear said, full of mockery and savagery. Rex stared in stupefaction as the image of the asura, which once stood tall like a god, now fell apart, as if was nothing but ancient paper, disintegrating upon contact.

He lay in the crater, his face as pale as a sheet of paper as a sweet taste quickly rose up his throat.

"BLARGH!"

Rolling over just in time to avoid choking, a mouthful of blood shot out of his mouth. His face only getting paler as a result.

BANG!

...

BANG!

From the corner of his eye, the giant legs of the titan finally moved, as if pillars initially meant to uphold the sky, their movement caused space to groan and screech, as if unable to withstand the power contained within them.

It suddenly raised its head to the sky, sniffing momentarily, its baritone voice rang out again like rolling thunder, "Hmm. I taste iron on the wind…"

Lowering its head, the lighting around it getting thicker and thicker, "BLOOD!"

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An: The image of Valhir is in the chapter comments. All credit is given to Riot games, as this is not an original character of mine. Tell me what you think!