The dinsional portal advanced through the void like a living corridor of light and intertwined roots. Around Kael and Elion, golden currents ran along the translucent walls of the magical tunnel, illuminating fragnts of distant worlds that appeared and disappeared in a matter of seconds. At tis, oceans suspended in space could be seen; at others, ancient cities shone below them like forgotten constellations. The path itself seed to breathe, expanding and contracting gently as the transport magic traversed the deep structures of the World Tree.
Kael walked beside his mother, his hands in his coat pockets, observing his surroundings without showing much surprise. After everything he had already faced, traveling through a dinsional tunnel built within the roots of the cosmos ceased to seem impressive and beca just another inconvenient Tuesday.
Elion, on the other hand, seed perfectly comfortable. He walked lightly, his red hair waving behind him as his black dress followed his steps with almost irritating elegance. She maintained a calm expression, clearly pleased that she had managed to drag Kael along for this impromptu visit.
For a few monts, only the distant sound of dinsional energy filled the space between them. Then Kael finally looked away from the luminous roots and decided to ask the question he had been putting off since agreeing to participate in this.
"So," he began calmly, "what exactly is Nidhogg like?"
Elion imdiately smiled slightly.
"That depends on the version."
"There’s more than one?"
"Many." She raised a finger, counting casually. "The apocalyptic, root-destroying version. The murderous, territorial version. The ancient cosmic version. The emotionally needy version. And the dostic, cookie-baking version."
Kael remained silent for two seconds.
"The last one is still the hardest to believe."
"You’ll understand when you sll her kitchen."
She took a few more steps before continuing, now with a slightly more thoughtful tone.
"Nidhogg is... intense. Very intense. She feels everything on an exaggerated scale. When she likes soone, she likes them too much. When she hates soone, she usually tries to devour entire existential planes."
"And you’re friends with her."
"That says a lot about ."
"It says worrying things."
Elion seed to take that as a complint.
"Legends paint her as an irrational monster," she continued. "But honestly? Nidhogg is more emotional than cruel. Most of the destruction she caused ca because higher entities insist on provoking a creature capable of chewing up the foundations of the universe."
"It seems like a terrible strategy."
"It is a horrible strategy. Yet they keep doing it."
Kael nodded slowly as he watched a stream of stars cross the translucent ceiling of the tunnel. Then he returned to the main subject.
"And she can actually take us to Yggdrasil?"
Elion crossed his arms behind his head as he walked.
"You can do it. But it will require effort. Yggdrasil has hidden the Original Kingdom absurdly well for the last few centuries. Even the main roots have shifted position."
"She’s avoiding visitors?"
"She’s avoiding you."
Kael let out a tired sigh.
"Yes. I’ve noticed."
Elion glanced sideways at him for a mont. Despite his relaxed tone, there was a certain silent understanding in his gaze.
"You really miss Sylphie, don’t you?"
"Yes."
The answer ca imdiately.
This made Elion smile slightly.
"Then it’s worth persisting."
Kael didn’t answer this ti. His silence already spoke volus.
The tunnel curved slowly around a colossal root that pulsed with bluish energy. Tiny, shimring particles crossed the air like cosmic fireflies. Elion watched one of them briefly land in his hand before speaking again.
"But before that..." She narrowed her eyes dramatically. "There’s sothing very important you need to know about Nidhogg."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Elion stopped walking.
Then she turned completely to face him with an absurdly serious expression, too serious for soone about to say what she was about to say.
"Be careful with her body."
Kael blinked once.
"...What do you an?"
She continued to stare at him with the solemnity of soone conveying critical military information.
"She’s too sexy."
The ensuing silence was almost offensive.
Kael stared at her for a few seconds, waiting for a logical continuation. None ca.
"Elion."
"I’m serious."
"You brought through a dinsional corridor to warn that a dragon is attractive."
"Not just attractive." She pointed dramatically at him. "Dangerously attractive."
Kael massaged his temple.
"That doesn’t make sense."
"It makes perfect sense." Elion resud pacing, now gesturing with increasing energy. "Nidhogg is the kind of woman who walks into a room and imdiately reduces the emotional life expectancy of anyone present."
"That sounds like an exaggeration."
"You haven’t seen her breasts yet."
Kael closed his eyes for a full instant.
"The universe really hates ."
"They’re enormous," Elion continued with utter nonchalance. "Like absurdly enormous. Ancient kingdoms probably went to war over less."
"Please stop describing it."
"I’m just trying to protect you."
"From what?"
"From the enchantnt."
Kael slowly turned his face to look at her. "You’re warning about breasts."
"I’m warning you about a biological weapon."
"That’s ridiculous."
"Kael." She placed her hand on his shoulder with extre gravity. "That cleavage has already killed n spiritually stronger than you."
"I’ve faced cosmic entities."
"Exactly." Elion nodded. "You have no experience against real threats."
Kael let out a long sigh that carried ancestral exhaustion.
"I should have stayed in Eleanor’s room."
"You say that now," she replied with a malicious smile. "But wait until you et Nidhogg."
He looked ahead again, choosing not to continue that conversation because he would clearly lose his sanity in the process.
Unfortunately, Elion wasn’t finished yet.
"Besides," she continued casually, "Nidhogg likes to hug people."
"That’s not a problem."
"She hugs using her whole body."
Kael imdiately perceived the danger implied in that sentence.
"...Ah."
"Exactly."
She smiled victoriously, noticing the understanding dawning on his face.
"Then maintain ntal discipline."
"You’re talking about her as a seductive legendary creature."
"She is literally a legendary creature."
"That wasn’t the part of the sentence."
"You’ll understand."
Kael ran a hand slowly over his face.
"If this journey ends with being suffocated by an ancient dragon," he said, "it will be your fault."
Elion seed to consider that honestly.
"Probably."
The dinsional tunnel began to slow down around them. The luminous roots grew denser, larger, forming structures resembling natural pillars traversing the void. In the distance, a golden light began to grow among the currents of energy.
Elion smiled contentedly.
"Ah." She pointed ahead. "We’ve arrived."
Kael observed the enormous flat root erging on the horizon of the dinsional passage.
Then he heard, in the distance, an extrely excited female voice echoing through the roots.
"ELIZINHAAAA!"
Elion imdiately put his hand to his forehead.
"Oh no."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
She looked at him with absolute seriousness.
"Prepare for impact."
Then the impact happened.
Two gigantic arms enveloped Elion and Kael simultaneously before any defensive reaction was possible. The force of the collision was enough to push them both back a few steps, and Kael imdiately lost his vision as he was pressed against sothing absurdly soft, warm, and dangerously comfortable.
Silence.
A very specific silence.
His brain took exactly two seconds to process what had just happened.
Ah.
Her breasts are really very nice.
The thought ca with irritating clarity.
Kael remained motionless for a full instant, partially suffocated between generous curves while the warm scent of spices, tea, and so impossible draconic essence filled his senses. The embrace was overwhelming on an almost supernatural level. It didn’t feel like simple physical contact; it felt like being swallowed by divine cushioning.
Beside him, Elion let out a muffled sound of imdiate exhaustion.
"I told you so..."
"YOU BROUGHT KAEL!" exclaid Nidhogg with pure joy, squeezing even tighter without realizing the emotional structural damage he was causing.
Kael finally managed to raise a hand between that extrely comfortable wall of soft flesh.
"...Air."
"Oh!"
The pressure imdiately lessened.
Nidhogg released them both at once, clearly startled by nearly murdering important guests with excessive enthusiasm.
Kael took a half step back.
Then he blinked slowly as he regained his vision.
And imdiately understood the rest of Elion’s warning.
Nidhogg was tall. Very tall. The dark, form-fitting dress accentuated absurdly exaggerated curves, but the real problem was that her very presence seed designed to destroy male concentration. Her long, dark blue hair flowed down her back like a night ocean, small scales glistened near her collarbone and arms, and her enormous golden eyes radiated genuine animation.
But honestly?
The breasts really were a strategic issue.
Kael understood this imdiately.
Elion observed his silent expression and crossed his arms with utter satisfaction.
"See?"
Kael continued staring ahead for two seconds.
"...I understand."
"I’m never wrong about breasts."
"That whole sentence was unnecessary."
Nidhogg tilted her head to the side, confused.
"Did my breasts do sothing?"
"Yes," Elion replied instantly. "Dinsional cri."
"Ah." Nidhogg seed genuinely concerned. "Sorry."
"Don’t apologize for natural talents," Elion said solemnly.
Kael massaged his forehead.
"I hate this conversation."
Nidhogg then turned her full attention to him with a gleam in her eyes, moving dangerously close.
"So you’re Kael..."
She looked him up and down with blatant curiosity, like soone analyzing a newly discovered rare creature. The size difference between them was even more evident up close. Despite her warm appearance, there was sothing overwhelming about her presence—an ancient, colossal feeling, like a mountain deciding to be temporarily friendly.
"You’ve grown a lot," she comnted.
"That usually happens with ti."
"He’s beco handso too," said Nidhogg, looking at Elion.
"I know," his mother replied imdiately, overly proud.
Kael sighed.
"Please don’t do that together."
"Too late," said Elion.
Nidhogg then smiled broadly at him.
"You have her eyes."
"Unfortunately," replied Kael.
"And Eleanor’s emotional exhaustion."
"That’s hereditary."
Nidhogg let out a loud, warm laugh, clearly chard by him from the very first minutes.
Then, without warning, she took both his hands in hers.
Kael imdiately noticed another problem.
She was absurdly warm.
Not "human warmth." Literally warm. Like holding hands near a cozy fireplace.
"You’re warm," he comnted without thinking.
Nidhogg grinned too happily.
"DID YOU HEAR THAT, ELIZINHA? HE CALLED HOT!"
"Congratulations," Elion replied. "Now she’ll rember that for the next eight hundred years."
"I liked him before," Nidhogg declared with complete sincerity. "Now I like him even more."
Kael realized too late that this ancient dragon was emotionally dangerously simple.
And that sohow made everything worse.
Nidhogg then pulled Kael by the arm toward the house.
"Co on! I made food!"
"You always make too much food," Elion comnted.
"Because happy people eat well."
Kael was still being dragged by the colossal creature when he glanced discreetly at Elion.
"...She really is intense."
"I told you so."
"You downplayed it."
"I was trying to protect your sanity."
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