Dungeon of Niflheim

While the married trio engaged in some heavy love making that could make even the most adventurous individual hold their safe word on the tips of their tongues Khione guided Frost to Niflheim's national museum where the history of the realm and primarily Shivali was on display for any who wished to visit.

There was no charge to enter the museum but there was a donation box set up which the vast majority of citizens didn't mind tossing in what they felt was appropriate. Khione of course walked right on by not giving the box a second glance, if anyone was to be exempt from entering it'd be her and members of the royal family.

"I'm not following no group and I'm not having some goody two shoes guide with sparkles in their eyes and honey in their throat explain each and every exhibit, you'll have to make do with me and whatever's written down." Khione's mood soured the moment they crossed the threshold, the very air inside the museum irked her and brought back traumatic memories of boredom. She even developed goosebumps as the memories flooded in.

To survive such an ordeal she vigorously shook her head and body like a wet dog, causing those gargantuan melons of hers to sway and bounce in an alluring manner. Something that would normally draw the gaze of the sex starved young man accompanying her but instead his eyes were focused on the massive display set up in the museum's entry hall.

Before him and before everyone who entered the museum there was display that stretched from one side of the room to the other and reached all the way to the ceiling that stood close to 20 metres high.

Displayed was an enormous figure made of ice and snow. The entity had no fixed form, like a winter storm it moved and shifted into whatever manner it deemed most fit for its situation. It floated high above a multitude of creatures that stood no taller than regular ants, they kneeled and prayed before it with upmost reverence and in return the figure blessed them with power, buildings, resources and sanctuary. The entire time its only facial features being a pair of large cloud formed eyes that belayed an eternal kindness and warmth.

"What is that?" Subconsciously Frost waked closer towards it and could not help but ask his volunteer guide. He'd never seen or even heard of a monster as large and as imposing as this.

"Oh that, it's the old man." Her eyes already in a state being half closed from the mere thought of the upcoming boredom Khione answered his question with a yawn before standing by his side, eyeing up the monstrous figure that even as a mere lifeless statue invoked as sense of authority and power.

"…..old man….eh you mean?" Khione's answer stunned him for a couple seconds. "That's Shivali!, Uncle Shivali…your father?" The image of the smiling man with an appearance no less destructive as his own imposed itself over the massive creature on display. There wasn't a hint of resemblance between the two….well maybe the eyes, the gentleness and natural warmth was somewhat similar but the rest.

"What, did you think that the Primordial Ice King, a God that has existed since Nova's establishment and the being that the element of ice flows from looks like your run of the mill -albeit incredibly handsome- humanoid." Khione scoffed, mocking Frost's ignorance with her hand covering her mouth.

"Ok first of all, ouch second why not? My father looked like a middle aged man when I first met him, so I naturally assumed that was normal." He'd only been alive for roughly 18 months and his experience with the world and its inhabitants was still limited, mocking him for such thoughts was a little mean and to be honest Khione quickly regretted her attitude when she heard his response, but her pride kept her from apologising.

"Haaaaa I'll explain it then" Instead she sighed, shook her head and deigned to enlighten this ignorant grasshopper like a patient and understanding teacher.

"What you see in the display is the old man's Primordial form, his true and natural form if you will. Like all the Primordials their existence is one with their element and their sizes even the weakest among them are far larger than even the biggest behemoths. In fact all Gods can reach a size far beyond the scope of mortals but that's usually through their divine transformation or when in their divine forms, another form which they gain when they ascend. Different from the primordial form of my father and his colleagues the divine form is the one in which a God can best utilise their strength in battle, you'll see my father's once we delve in deeper." Despite her lack of interest in the museum itself Khione's eyes couldn't help but light up at the mention of her father's divine form, the form which allowed him to summon the entirety of his strength and stand tall as one of the most powerful individuals in existence.

"Finally the form which you have seen before with both your own father and mine is known as their passive or mortal form, the form that they chose to interact with Nova and more importantly the mortals that inhabit it. Most have a humanoid appearance since that reflects the most commonly seen figures across the planet, even monsters when they reach a certain level of strength tend to transform into a humanoid appearance for their day to day activities. The Gods are very similar in that manner, the forms which we see are their personifications, their transformations to better adjust to the world of mortals." When Khione spoke of monsters transforming Frost was reminded of the white beauty awaiting his return back in the Dungeon, the fierce yet lovable rabbit-like Fenrir who's true form was that of a huge, earth shattering wolf.

'So father is only transforming into that middle-aged man appearance.' If Shivali a Primordial that has existed since the beginning of Nova looked like the display and shared a similar shape to the figure depicted then he couldn't help but wonder about the true form of the God that existed before him and whom had but one equal.

He was more than a little shocked by this revelation, immediately questioning practically everything that he'd seen, wondering what was real and what was an illusion.

"Don't get bogged down with terminology too much as despite them having primordial forms, divine forms and preferred/passive mortal forms all three can be considered their true appearance as that's how they truly perceive themselves when in that transformation. Although my father may take on a form that's anywhere between the height you've already seen and anything up to 15 metres both his face and general shape are fairly constant. That annoyingly handsome face of his is his and his alone. There's no special alterations, that's just how he looks naturally when he's in that form just like how Auntie Undine, the Primordial Water Queen is always a ravishing beauty. It's a natural reflection of their souls just in a form that suits the mortal world." There was no illusion or false pretences, just shapes and images that were better suited to deal with lesser minds. Khione's further explanation brought peace to Frost's growing paranoia but his curiosity in wanting to see what his father originally looked like festered in his heart alas it was likely he'd never get see it in this lifetime, not unless he became a God himself and not just any God but one of the most powerful.

"This impressive statue that seems to come to life as it conjures up buildings and morphs its shape as it moves was generated by my father personally so as it give the people dwelling within his realm some idea of his past but it's nothing compared to the real thing." Khione frowned as a cold sweat dripped down the back of her neck as a certain memory flashed in her mind.

Back when she was very, very young she was filled with curiosity and always got what she wanted since she was the darling Princess of the royal family. One day when she was visiting this very museum she saw this display of her father and learned about his Primordial form. Not knowing about the ramifications involved she begged and begged her father over and over to show it her and finally after weeks of her unrelenting pestering and to be honest in opposition to his own heart he briefly injected an image into her brain allowing her to momentarily see his original state, the form in which he first coalesced and began establishing the element of ice that now spread throughout the entire planet.

It was just a millisecond, but the immense divinity held in that mere image knocked her unconscious and it was from that moment on she had learned the meaning of fear. Her father was so strong, perversely so. A mortal cannot look upon the true form of a God without being subject to their divinity and the weight of their essence. That's why they interact with mortals in more appropriate forms, it stops them from going insane and or downright exploding.

"It is said that the stronger you become the more you're able to understand this display and glimpse into the truth held within." Though Khione couldn't exactly be sure of this it was true that she felt more awe after reaching A-rank and that her siblings who had reached S-rank tended to frown and feel small when standing before this strangely life-like statue.

"Is that so." Frost did his best to peer into the statue's essence but all he managed to feel was a slight weight that was likely brought on by the size of the thing.

'Guess I'm still not good enough.'