A grand Ancient Land that had lost its shine after years of binding, and due to the fact that the Titan Dwarves had half of their forces wiped out leading up to the Long Slumber!
Their forces had their very lifeblood squeezed from them, and at this point in time, they were at the weakest point in their long lineage.
And at such a time, they came across Achilles—
The Ninth Adrastia Emperor King!
Forgemind of Titanfall Mountain.
A grand title, but it was one King Darrun Flamewake did not hold with pride.
He held it with anguish and pain, for under his leadership, a great number of Titan Dwarves had perished!
Because of his weakness.
Because he could not protect his people, the Hammerthrone—the very rule of the Titan Dwarves—was now under threat.
The Hammerthrone was composed of himself, the Flamekeepers, and the Stonebound—all vital Titan Dwarves who kept the rule shining brightly.
If any part faltered, all would be at risk!
And he lacked in power.
As King, he had not been able to stand against the terrors that came for his people.
Not just once. And now, after the Long Slumber… it wasn't Ancient Ones he couldn't withstand, but a Human!
Humans, once enslaved and pitied in ancient times.
Yet now, a Human King- a tyrant hidden in the shell of a young man- floated freely into his home after binding him and his people.
Beside him was another Human, likely his mating partner, and trailing behind them… an Ancient One like a pet.
It was utterly absurd. Yet such a being had entered the vibrant City of Titanfall.
His city of Titanfall was.
"So this is the City of Titanfall…the Cradle of Stone and Stars. Not carved, but born of one of creation's oldest breath on this Plane, and it stands as both a forge and fortress—a living city sculpted by Primordial Forgemasters…"
King Darrun Flamewake nearly stumbled from the sky as he heard the Tyrant King speak these words—this being who had released multicolored spores to bind him and his people!
"You… you know our history?" he asked, unable to help himself.
How did this being know things only passed down from Titan Dwarf to Titan Dwarf?
The Tyrant King smiled as he looked toward the outer rings of Titanfall City, where Runic Monolith Sentinels—defenders of Titanfall Mountain born of stone and fire—stood like Crystal Obsidian Titans. Living constructs and weapons forged by Titan hands.
He gazed at them with interest and nodded at King Darrun Flamewake.
"The history of Titanfall… yeah, I know a bit about it."
He spoke with a smile, as if he knew something none of them did.
"I know the City of Titanfall wasn't carved with tools but with intent, vibration, and Primordial Energy. The city within Titanfall Mountain is a vertical marvel—not built atop the mountain, but into and throughout it. What I'm seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg."
King Darrun Flamewake's expression shifted drastically.
The information he held.
The familiarity in his eyes as he looked at the grand structures of Titanfall.
It all made King Darrun Flamewake tremble as he lightly asked,
"Can you… tap into our memories? Mine and my people's?"
He asked with a heavy tone, and behind him, the Flamekeepers—who had yet to recover their strength—clenched their fists.
And the Tyrant King turned his head and gave a light nod.
It made King Darrun Flamewake feel immeasurably stifled as he gazed down at the city, where he saw thousands of Titan Dwarves looking up in their direction with caution.
Below, dozens of massive towers spiraled upward from the surface, composed of energy-reactive crystal—each tower glowing a different hue.
Amberlight Spires pulsed with knowledge, Obsidianflame Monoliths harnessed fire and decay, and Cyanreach Towers bent gravity and crafted illusions.
These spire-like towers channeled Primordial Energy, powering the city like a living web of conduits.
Before them loomed a massive wall, guarded by the Runic Monolith Sentinels, toward which the Tyrant King now floated.
King Darrun Flamewake watched this scene and spoke with his ancient voice:
"These are merely our constructs. They heed our commands alone. Their power now, without Ancient Primordial Crystals, reaches no higher than Meridian Transformation. The Ancient Ones ensured our reserves were emptied before the Long Slumber."
He revealed more of their dreadful past. But the human raised his hand toward a Runic Monolith Sentinel and nodded with a smile…
The massive sentient construct buzzed before melting into black liquid and disappearing into his body!
A Runic Monolith Sentinel, gone.
The dozens of other Sentinels grabbed their weapons and stood ready, King Darrun Flamewake's expression turning grim as he raised his hands to stop them.
"What is this?" he asked coldly.
The Tyrant King didn't even look back as he answered, crystalline vines sprouting from his hand and stretching toward more Sentinels, commanding them to stand down.
"Since I promised not to kill any of your people, I plan to honor that. What I did to that construct ensures none of your people go through that."
He was absorbing the constructs into himself… instead of doing it to the Titan Dwarves!
King Darrun clenched his fists tighter as he watched multiple Runic Monolith Sentinels—crafted from materials so rare they'd once scoured Ancient Lands to acquire them—all vanish.
They transformed into black goo that delved into the Tyrant King's body, his aura growing even heavier than before.
He nodded with a smile. Beside him, his woman beamed with joy as if she had absorbed it all herself.
"Let's head into the city…"
The Tyrant King motioned for them to proceed as they passed over the walls. He even nodded to the Titan Dwarves and lifted his right hand to his forehead, offering a greeting only Titan Dwarves knew.
They were all shocked and in a stupor.
But they could do nothing else but return the gesture, raising their own hands to their foreheads.