The Earth After Rebirth

Kiro saw a side of Hubris he never imagined. He was playing with his puppies, actually on the stone floor, letting them climb him — biting and scratching. A cute sight no doubt.

"Cute pups."

"Ahem, ah yes master, sorry. Little ones, this is my master."

They stopped what they were doing, walking over to Kiro and sniffing him, looking him up and down. He felt as though he was taking a test.

"But dad is a king." One said.

"Yeah, how can dad have a master when he's the master of the world?"

Kiro stopped himself from laughing, this was all so very cute in his eyes. He planted his hand on his chest and pretended to have been hurt.

"Oh Hubris, you failed to mention me?" He asked in a weirdly voice.

"Very sorry master, there was no time to say anything about this since returning to Asgard, besides, I wanted to show you them myself." Hubris said taking a stand and ignoring his child's question.

They were still surrounding him, all ten of them. As if waiting for a single command from their father to pounce on the prey, Kiro wasn't weak but he did a great job to hide his strength from the curious puppies. He didn't want to traumatise them with Kaos energy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Good on you Hubris, you found a mate." Kiro ignored the little guys and showed he was proud of his mount, he didn't need to say it, Hubris could feel it but he said it anyway.

"Mates, it's more than one. There are three, they live in different wings of the castle. To ensure that there's no bad blood amongst my children, I made it a rule for them to spent time together here in this room. Their mothers must be here somewhere."

Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire

Kiro shook his head, he didn't want to meet them. Not now when he wasn't exactly sure about the situation up there in Asgard, they didn't have time to have a dinner party or whatever Hubris was hoping for.

"I'll meet them next time, we still have a job to do." He declined as politely as he could.

"You're right, I got carried away. In everything I do master, the only thing I look forward to are your praises. I know you wouldn't just compliment me for inane things, you are too honest for that. Your approval to me means a lot." His eyes twinkled, they were still connected but Hubris was sure even if that wasn't the case he would feel the same way.

"Thank you for trusting me." He smiled scratching him under his maw, which made every muscle in his body melt.

"I haven't named them, I was hoping to get your permission to name one after you." Hubris finally managed to say when Kiro stopped petting him.

Kiro thought for a minute, "you know my name is not master right?"

Hubris let out a laugh.

"Of course I know that much master. I have ears, I've heard what others call you, Master Kiro."

He nodded, "alright you can do what you want, whatever makes you happy."

The puppies looked at their dad with expressions that were clear that they didn't want to be named after someone so weak in their eyes. They reminded Kiro of young Hubris, he was just as stubborn when he was their age.

"No way, I refuse." The one that jumped Hubris before said, he was the one being given the name. "Why can't I be Hubris the second? I'm older I should get that name."

"You know I got the name Hubris from the same man you don't want to take his name?" Hubris mused.

The young hellhound looked at his father skeptically before believing him completely because his expression wasn't changing. He looked to Kiro and not understanding how or why his father was so taken by this scrawny little being. Even though his height was much smaller than Kiro's, he was used to hellhounds who were giants, so Kiro didn't seem all that great to him.

Hubris used his senses to see whether Belial was back but there was nothing, so he looked to his children and smiled awkwardly.

"I'll tell you a tale of when your dad was still lost in a foreign land as a pup as old as you are."

They must've loved his stories because they didn't argue instead they ran to stand closer to their father as he started his grand tale of when he woke up in a foreign land that was riddled with monsters that could've killed him with a single swipe.

They listened attentively, so did Kiro. The children's eyes glimmered with admiration for the stories of the adventures their father had with this strange man. To ensure that they didn't interrupt him they kept their gasps and exclamation minimal.

Hubris didn't leave out anything from that cave where they met to when they climbed the mountain where they eventually encountered a harbinger for the first time to fell down into the underworld and fighting his uncle for the throne.

By the time he was done they were jumping up and down, reenacting what they'd just heard, each claiming they would be the one to be stronger than their father.

"Do you still not want the name?" Hubris finally asked his eldest who seemed to be the one more excited than ever.

He considered Kiro for a second, not with eyes of skepticism this time but of wonder and admiration. He couldn't believe that as small as this being was, he had power even his father couldn't hope to reach the heights of and the fact that he could control Kaos was already amazing on its own.

He pouted, "I guess I can take the name." Little Kiro said louder than he intended. He turned to his namesake, "are you really as strong as father says?"

"I would spar with your dad but I doubt we have time for that but I guess I can show you a few tricks?" It was lucky that the ceiling was very high to accommodate hellhounds so Kiro started walking on air.

"Th-that's so cool master Kiro!"

"Hell no," Kiro said stepping down. "I will only allow you lot to call me uncle or something."

There was giggling amongst the young hounds and they look to their father for approval when he nodded his head they didn't stop hounding Kiro for the entire time they were waiting for the meeting to start.