(KOTG) Ch 3: Respect To The King!

The towering woman loomed above me, her blue eyes sparkling like sapphires caught in the sunlight. Or maybe it was my imagination playing tricks—after all, I was still trying to wrap my head around everything. Her light brown hair cascaded around her shoulders, and her armor... well, let's just say it wasn't the practical kind you'd expect from a warrior. It revealed a lot, and I had no idea where to look without feeling like I was committing some sort of crime.

She was massive—easily over 100 feet tall. Way over. Honestly, her size was so mind-boggling that the rational part of my brain refused to process it. By all accounts, she shouldn't have been able to see me at all. I was like a speck of dust compared to her, and yet here she was, staring down at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.

Then she did something that nearly made me trip over my own feet.

"I pay respect to our great king," she said, lowering her head with such reverence that her hair swept the ground like a golden-brown waterfall. I had to stumble backward to avoid being buried in it.

"King?" I repeated, baffled. Was she talking to me? Did I look like a king? I was wearing scuffed shoes and a shirt, for crying out loud. This had to be some mistake.

The giantess lifted her head, her gaze locking onto me. Her eyes twinkled with an almost mischievous amusement, and I felt my face heat up. I wasn't used to anyone—let alone a woman, let alone a giant woman—looking at me like that.

"Yes," she said, her voice soft but firm. "You are our long-awaited king. The king of Vorshalda, the land of the Titan-born." Her words were elegant, ancient-sounding, but the gravity of them hit me like a punch to the gut.

"What?" I stammered, my voice cracking. "No, no, no. You've got the wrong guy. I'm not a king. I'm just... Thron. I just came from a job interview!" My voice rose with panic, and I immediately hated how ridiculous I sounded.

The giantess giggled—a sound like a thousand wind chimes ringing in unison. It wasn't mocking; it was more like she found my confusion endearing. "Worry not, my king," she said, her smile growing. "I'll explain everything in time. But first, shall we return to the kingdom?" She extended a hand, her palm facing upward like an inviting platform. "My name is Kyvareth, and I am destined to be your right hand."

"Swell," I muttered under my breath, staring at the massive hand she was offering me. Climbing onto it felt as absurd as stepping onto a moving bus without brakes, but what choice did I have? Staying in the forest wasn't exactly appealing after that red-eyed monster nearly ate me. I sighed and took a hesitant step forward. "Alright, fine. But if you drop me, I swear I'm haunting you."

Kyvareth's laugh echoed again, and her eyes sparkled with something like amusement. "I'll be careful, my king. You have my word."

I began climbing up her fingers, which turned out to be way harder than I expected. Each one was like scaling a tree trunk. I grabbed onto her smooth, warm skin, muttering curses under my breath every time I slipped. She didn't move a muscle the whole time, which I appreciated, though I couldn't shake the feeling that she was watching me closely.

Once, as I struggled over the curve of her knuckle, I glanced up and caught her wide, curious eyes locked on me. She had this look—like she was staring at the cutest puppy she'd ever seen. It was equal parts flattering and weird.

Finally, I collapsed onto the center of her palm, breathing hard. "This is ridiculous," I grumbled, sitting up and glaring at her. "Do you have a ladder or something?"

"You did wonderfully," Kyvareth said with a smile so genuine that I didn't even have the energy to argue.

With that, she began walking, her steps surprisingly smooth despite her size. She carried me through the forest like I weighed nothing, her strides so massive that trees blurred past us in a green haze.

As we walked, she began to explain. "We are the Akyri, a race of Titan-born women created over a thousand years ago by a great being whose name has been lost to time. He was the Creator, a god of unmatched power, and he forged us to protect this world."

I blinked up at her, still catching my breath. "Okay, but why am I your king? I'm just a guy. I don't even know how I got here."

Kyvareth glanced down at me, her expression softening. "The Creator left us with one guiding law: we would only be led by a king chosen by his will. That is why we summoned you. A spell created by the Creator himself brought you here, from wherever you were, because you were chosen."

"Chosen?" I echoed, incredulous. "But why me? I have a family back home, a life—well, sort of." I trailed off, thinking of my mom and the interview I was supposed to nail. Would I even get to go back?

Kyvareth's gaze fell to me, her blue eyes filled with something tender. "I cannot say why you were chosen, Thron," she said softly. "The spell's purpose is beyond our understanding. But I like to think it selects someone who is kind, courageous, and resilient. Someone who can carry the weight of our hopes."

Her words hit me like a punch to the chest. Kind? Courageous? Resilient? That didn't sound like me at all. I was just some guy trying not to screw up his life. And yet, hearing her say it—believing it—it stirred something deep inside me. Something I hadn't felt in a long time.

I blushed, looking away. "Yeah, well, don't get your hopes up," I mumbled. "I'm not exactly hero material."

Kyvareth smiled knowingly. "Give it time."

The forest began to thin, and sunlight spilled through the gaps in the trees. As Kyvareth stepped out of the shade, I looked up—and my jaw dropped.

In the distance, an enormous wall stretched so high it seemed to pierce the sky. It was miles tall, made of gleaming stone that shimmered faintly in the light. Massive gates stood at its center, carved with intricate designs of Titans and stars.

"Welcome," Kyvareth said, her voice filled with pride, "to the kingdom of Vorshalda."

My mouth hung open as I stared at the sheer scale of it all. "Holy crap," I whispered. "This is insane."

Kyvareth laughed, the sound light and musical. "You haven't seen anything yet, my king."

And with that, she carried me toward the gates, my heart pounding with a mix of awe, fear, and something I hadn't felt in a long time—hope.