Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

"What is that?"

Orion shot to his feet, vanishing in the next instant. He reappeared at the Stoneheart military base's teleportation circle, then immediately transferred to the one in the horde's main subterranean plaza. From there, he moved with the utmost speed, crossing the continent to the city of Lysinthia, built upon the shores of the Mist Bay.

Since the dragon-purchased Sea-Devouring Warship and its Ocean Hunter escorts had been stationed there, a deep quiet had fallen over the Mist Bay. The neighboring Sea Race clans no longer dared to raid its shores.

At the end of the main harbor pier, a lone, beautiful figure stood against the horizon. A sea-blue gown trailed on the weathered wood, its silken fabric dancing in the wind in perfect sync with her long, flowing hair. Marina stood motionless, her expression serene, as if she were feeling a final farewell from the ocean itself.

The waves crashed against the rocks below. Seabirds cried as they wheeled through the sky. The cloudless heavens were a deep azure, a perfect mirror of the sea, and Marina seemed to have merged with the painting, becoming one with the seascape.

A large hand reached out, wrapping around her waist and pulling her back from the edge, back from the dreamlike vista.

"I thought I'd never see you again."

Orion pulled her into his embrace. This beautiful woman, so familiar and yet so changed, was someone he had long believed to be dead. Even with Lady Seraphina's assurances, he had always suspected it was just an excuse. As time passed and Marina never appeared, he had come to accept the demigod's words as a beautiful, kind lie.

"I knew you'd come for me," she whispered, her cheeks flushing as he lowered his head and claimed her lips in a deep kiss.

Tilting her head back, she gazed up at the face she had longed to see. The Marina of today was no longer timid or shy. She met his gaze without hesitation, boldly studying the man she loved.

"You've changed," he said, his voice thick with a complex storm of emotions. To lose her and find her again—it was overwhelming.

"I've been through a few things, Orion," she replied, her voice calm and strong. "I've grown stronger. Do you still like me like this?"

Gentle, poised, and confident. This was the new Marina, a side of her that had been hidden away, now finally set free.

"You are my Marina," he said, his voice raw. "No matter how you change, I will always love you. You are mine."

He swept her up into his arms, spinning her around twice on the pier out of pure, unadulterated joy. At that exact moment, a large wave crashed against the pier, sending a spray of white foam into the air, creating a perfect backdrop for their reunion.

The next morning, at the same pier.

After a night of passion, the deep longing they held for each other had finally found some release. The sun pierced through a thin layer of clouds, its light scattering across the surface of the sea in a million glittering diamonds.

Marina, now dressed in a simple white gauze gown, sat on the edge of the pier, dangling her pale feet in the water, letting the gentle waves lap at them.

"Aren't you afraid?" she asked, tilting her head and looking with curious eyes at Orion, who was lying beside her, hands clasped behind his head.

"Why would I be afraid?" he asked, opening his eyes to meet her gaze, his expression full of tenderness.

"You didn't just defeat Lady Seraphina's avatar," she teased. "You... well, you know. She's a demigod."

During their reunion, Marina had told him everything—her true identity and all that had happened after she returned to the mermaid race.

"Demigod is not so far out of my reach," Orion said, sitting up and pulling her into his arms. "Besides, she's sleeping now, isn't she? By the time she wakes up, I might be a demigod myself. And when that day comes, I'll make her mine as well."

He spoke with such bravado that Marina couldn't help but giggle.

"Orion," she said, her tone softening as she shifted, straddling his lap and looking down at him. "I have no home anymore. I can't go back to the mermaid race. You won't abandon me, will you?"

"I am your home," he said, his voice firm and absolute. "The stoneheart horde is your home."

It was a strange worry, born of insecurity, the kind that drives a woman to constantly seek reassurance from the man she loves, as if only in his sweet words can she find a true sense of safety. Even the new, independent Marina was no exception.

"I have a city for you," he said, standing up and lifting her with him, turning to face the sea as the wind whipped around them. "In the south. It's called the City of the Guardian, at the Ironveil Escarpment. It is the central hub connecting the stoneheart horde to the mainland and the Sea Race."

He held her tighter. "And if you don't like that, I have a massive island, ceded to me by the Sea-Drake race. With you there, I believe we could finally make it prosper."

The wind grew stronger, the clouds overhead began to race, and the waves crashed with a growing intensity. In the rising crescendo of the elements, Orion held Marina close and shouted over the wind.

"And if you still don't like it, I can find you an ocean of your very own in another world! As long as it's the sea, I know you'll love it!"

Marina said nothing. She simply smiled, basking in the moment. His words are so beautiful. I wish he would say more. She wanted to stay in this perfect, fleeting moment of happiness forever.

But two weeks later, their time was up. Orion took Marina from Lysinthia, and after a brief stop in Blackstone City, they returned to Stoneheart.

Silverwood Realm, near the Black Tower.

Orion's avatar hovered in mid-air, a deep frown on his face as he surveyed his surroundings. Not long ago, he had sensed he was being watched, but he couldn't locate the source. He had used his transcendent power to collapse the space around him, severing the connection. But now, as he drew closer to the Black Tower, the feeling of being spied upon had returned, stronger than before.

BOOM!

A low rumble of thunder echoed, and the feeling vanished again. Orion halted his advance. The closer he got, the more intense the sense of unease became. It was time to bring in reinforcements. The Deathly Soul-Reaper, carrying a will projection from Arthas, should be able to block the enemy's scrying. It was the safer play.

He took out an Arcane Astrolabe and began to pinpoint the Deathly Soul-Reaper's location.

Godforsaken Land.

Receiving the coordinates from Orion, the Deathly Soul-Reaper tore open a teleportation scroll, simultaneously sending a message to Arthas, who was deep within the undead tower.

A brilliant flash of light enveloped the avatar, and in the next instant, the Deathly Soul-Reaper vanished from the Godforsaken Land.