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Chapter Text

Upon leaving Tyr's temple and the Huldra Shop, Kratos and his now two children, Atreus and Calliope, were returning back to their cabin as they took the door to the realm between realms. They walked in silence for about five seconds before Atreus decided to break the ice.

"So...now that we know that Calliope can fight, does this mean we will have to start training her alongside me?"

"Perhaps." Kratos answered. "But it will be difficult. The snow has made it harder for us to find any proper game."

Atreus replied "True, but we can start off small. We don't have to leave the Wild Woods for her to hunt. And we don't have to worry about too many monsters since the Draugr can't seem to survive in the blizzard for so long ."

"Aye. Fimbulwinter keeps all enemies such as those bloody Draugr from spawning." Mimir decided to join the conversation. "But there are still Hel-Walkers and even Reavers. And I'm not so sure the lass is ready to fight those foes."

"Well, if we have to face any of those today, we'll protect her. Right, Father?"

"Hmm...Yes." In some way, Kratos was proud of his son for proclaiming that he would protect Calliope, and he wanted to do much the same, now that she was somehow back.

Calliope herself was unable to pick up anything her newfound brother and aged father were talking about, still being unfamiliar with the language, and only picking a few specks of words. Atreus did attempt to teach her a few things, and she did accidentally pick up a swear word from the short blue guy she believed the name of was "Rock" and his brother "Cinder", but she wasn't picking it up fast enough. She still had no idea how she was alive once more, or how she got here, but she will have to learn to adapt. This wasn't Sparta, let alone Greece, that much as clear. But as long as Calliope had her father again, and a new brother, she will see to it that she grew strong enough to make the old spartan in her father proud.

"Πατέρα, τι θα κάνουμε μετά; Αλήθεια θα με εκπαιδεύσουμε; (Father, what shall we do next? Are we actually going to train me?)" Calliope spoke in her native tongue. Atreus listened carefully, interested to learn about the language of his father's homeland. He only ever heard him say a few words growing up, and according to his mother, it took him a while to fully adapt to the language they spoke here.

Then Kratos spoke "Πρώτα θα επιστρέψουμε στο σπίτι και θα φροντίσουμε να σας φέρουμε μεγαλύτερη θέση. Και μετά, θα δούμε. (First, we shall return home and see to getting you more situated. And then, we shall see.)"

"Hey, Father." said Atreus. "Do you mind if I take another look at your own journal when we get back? I'd love to see more of what you drew in your time."

"Hmm...Very well. And if you wish to learn Greek, to better communicate with your sister, you need only ask."

"Awesome." Atreus silently said to himself and he turned to Calliope, giving her a smile. "We might be able to fully understand each other soon, Cal."

...The girl still barely got any of that, but Atreus' smile made her feel warm, and that nickname did not slip past her mind. "Cal." She thought to herself, she liked it. Maybe she would think of a nickname for her brother... "Tre'." She thought to herself.

Soon enough, they exited the Realm Between Realms and found themselves back in front of the cabin, where Kratos walked towards the door, opening it before gesturing his two children inside. Walking in himself, he watches as Atreus and Calliope sit on the boy's bed.

"So, Calliope learned to fight from her mother." The boy said with his sister nodding, catching a little what he said about her fighting. "And you said that she still had a lot to learn?"

"No doubt her mother taught her only the basics of self-defense, along with a few of her own techniques that would stagger normal enemies." Kratos said, bringing out his old book and handing it to Atreus, who wasted no time looking through page to page. "Now, it is up to me to see her training through."

Atreus continue to look through the book as he said "Well, if she's gonna be staying with us, maybe we could...make more space? Get her her own bed?"

Kratos took a moment to think about it and said "...Perhaps." Before turning towards his daughter "Καλλιόπη, θα προτιμούσες να στρώσουμε άλλο κρεβάτι; Μόνο για σένα, Μικρή Μούσα; (Calliope, would you prefer we made another bed? Just for you, Little Muse?)"

Calliope then takes her moment to ponder, looking around the cabin, seeing the only other bed belonged to her brother. "Θα το ήθελα, πατέρα. Αλλά δεν με πειράζει να κοιμάμαι δίπλα σου. Με κάνει να νιώθω ασφάλεια. (I would like it, Father. But I don't mind sleeping beside you. It makes me feel safe.)

"Hmph." Kratos caresses his daughter's hair. "Αν πρόκειται να μεγαλώσεις, θα πρέπει να έχεις τον δικό σου χώρο. Θα κάνουμε χώρο για εσάς. (If you're going to grow up, you should have your own space. We will make room for you.) And then he turns to Atreus, who peaks up from the book. "We will have to rebuild part of the house in order for there to be more space for her."

"Sounds good." Atreus agreed, finishing up on Kratos' old journal. "Your drawings are really nice, father."

"Each one carries a vivid memory." The old warrior picked up the chisel shard, gathering essentials for anything they needed today. But when he stopped at the blades hanging by the wall, his staring at them caught the attention of the children, especially Calliope, who recognized the weapons. When her father first returned him with them, upon hearing that he was now in service of the God of War, Ares, she thought it an honor for her father to be his champion, yet her mother seemed livid, as she never took to her father's crusade, waging war against neighboring kingdoms when he was made general, saying that is was so that the Glory of Sparta would be known to all, but Lysandra believed otherwise, that Kratos only ever fought for himself. After that, the relationship between her parents was complicated at best. Her father was barely ever home, for what seemed like a year in Ares' service, and Calliope missed the comfort her home was once filled with. But the day her life was taken by her father's hand was a day she would never forget, especially when it came to weapons that ended her life. To see them again made a shiver run up her spine.

Kratos could sense the discomfort his daughter by the sight of the blades, so he decided to reopen the hatch beneath the floor once more and almost immediately tuck the blades back into their place.

"You're hiding them again?" Atreus asks. "Why?"

Kratos replied "For Calliope's sake. She is...afraid of them." And that is when Atreus took notice of his sister, who had just huddled up close to him. To him, the blades were...something almost incredible to see in action, but he could see the bitterness in his father's eyes whenever he simply looked at them. He'd yet to understand the bitter history those weapons carried, along with the one they're bound to. "...Atreus, you will lead in our hunt today. Show your sister how we survive around here."

"Yes, sir." Standing up from his bed, Atreus gestures to Calliope to come along with them. Wanting to take her mind off the memory of the blades, Calliope got up and ran towards her brother. "Come on! We're gonna start hunting!"

"...H-Hun...ting?" Calliope was still trying to learn the language.

"Ναί. Ο αδερφός σου θα δείξει πώς να κυνηγά. (Yes. Your brother will show how to hunt.)"

And with that, the girl gave a nod as Kratos led them out of the cabin. Atreus took the lead from there on out, running ahead of his father and onto the path while Calliope was standing by her father. "Μείνε με τον αδερφό σου, Καλλιόπη. Θα χρειαστεί να δείτε. (Stay with your brother, Calliope. You will need to see.)"

"Αχ. Ναι, πατέρα. (Ah. Yes, Father.)" She replied before running to catch up with Atreus. She heard the boy say "We usually hunt for deer. They are used everywhere around the woods. Now, they're a little harder to find because of the snowfall." And yet, she could still barely get any other that. Calliope followed her brother through the snow, and Kratos could see that there going through the same path they had taken before the start of the journey to spread Faye's ashes. A fitting start, he believes, and hopefully one not most disturbed.

"Look here, Cal. Deer tracks." Atreus points to the ground and his sister sees the tracks deep in the snow. "Heading towards the Old Temple, from the looks of it. Huh, it's almost coincidental." He gestures to Calliope to keep following him. Kratos followed in silence, evaluating Atreus' abilities to lead the hunt and teach his sister. He sees how the boy has Calliope follow him through the simplest of actions and gestures. It was a start, but not enough for teamwork if his daughter was to fight alongside him and her brother. It was still conflicting, teaching his daughter to survive. Spartan woman were not usually meant for the battlefield, only to care for their homes and the young. Lysandra had displayed some skills in combat, but Kratos would never have thought she'd train Calliope, a child who was often ill, behind his back.

Calliope's illnesses, while he had managed to cure it the first time around, were unsure how to deal with the new sickness the second time around. Could it have been like Atreus? Hiding the truth about his true lineage and nature? Or was it something else entirely? Nevertheless, Kratos admitted to himself that his daughter did not seem to look ill now, which was a great relief, but for how long would that last?

"Brother, you're falling behind." Mimir spoke, snapping Kratos back to reality, and made the old man run towards his children, who were way ahead of him. "Still thinking about your little lass, are ya?"

"Calliope's condition. I can barely remember a time when she was off her bed." Kratos explained. "When she wasn't paling, coughing, seeming to be at death's door. To see her now, full of life and keeping up with Atreus...I am unsure how to feel about this."

"You have her again. Remember that and you'll do fine by both of them. You've already begun to spend some time, having fun instead of the usual routine. It's never to late to have a family together."

Though silent, Kratos did agree with Mimir. He would not fail her again and would truly cherish whatever time he had left with her, determined to make it last as well. It was then that he made it to the Old Temple, Atreus, and Calliope waiting for him at the entrance.

"What took you?" Atreus asked, with Calliope saying "Το περιμέναμε, Father (We had been waiting, Father.)"

Kratos said nothing as he opened the stone doors of the temple once more. Calliope was expected a grand hall of some sort, but instead whatever was here collapsed a long time ago. Across the big gap was a deer, which she quickly pointed to.

"Αυτό ψάχνουμε αδερφέ; (Is that what we're looking for, brother?)" She asked, to which Atreus replied "Yep. That's the deer. Come on, we'll need to get it closer." And that's when she saw her brother jump over the gap that led downstairs. Though hesitant at first, Calliope looked at her father, who gave her a nod before she went ahead and jumped herself, landing on their other side successfully. She continued to follow Atreus while Kratos continued to observe how the boy was leading.

"Father and I came down here about a year ago," Atreus said to Calliope as they walked down the stairs. "Ended up fighting a troll and-"

"Losing your temper." Kratos interrupted, ruining the mood for his son.

"Yeah."

"Έρχεσαι εδώ πριν για hunting? (You come down here before for hunting?)"

Atreus replied "Yeah, we've been here hunting once before. My Mother told me never to come here, but Father said otherwise. It was dangerous, but it's all clear up...I hope."

"Should be fine," Mimir said. "An old place as this isn't exactly the best place to hide through Fimbulwinter."

Following his brother down the path he and their father went down some time ago, Calliope trod carefully through the snow, a little worried as she tried to interpret what he was saying. It was still slow going, but she did catch a bit of the world's "danger". Luckily, her father was there to calm her down.

"Δεν χρειάζεται να ανησυχείς, μικρή μούσα. Δεν θα πάμε μακριά. (You need not worry, little muse. We will not tread far.)" Kratos says to her daughter as they head uphill. There, on the cliffside, Atreus spotted the deer, and both his Father and Sister stood by as the boy took out his bow and arrow.

"Watch...and learn, Cal." He said with confidence as he aimed the bow steadily, stretched its string back, and with concentration, loosed the arrow. Calliope watched carefully, yet her eyes widened as she saw her brother's arrow land directly into the animal's hide. She did not know whether to be amazed or simply shocked by how good Atreus seemed to be with his weapon. "Come on!" She heard her brother say as he jumped down from the edge. She seemed hesitant at how far high they were, but Kratos gave her shoulder a pat before he jumped down himself. He then gestured to her with open arms, saying that he would catch her. And with a little bit of a step back, Calliope takes one big jump and finds herself being caught in her father's arms.

"Καλά έκανες Καλλιόπη. (You were doing well, Calliope.)" He said to her as he put her down. But then the child asked "Είναι ακόμα ζωντανό το ζώο; (Is the animal still alive?)" To which they both look and head over to Atreus, who is standing over the wounded animal. The arrow had drawn blood, but the deer was still breathing Calliope looked sad for the creature.

"Huh. This feels almost nostalgic." Atreus said before turning to his sister. "Why don't...you finish the job, Calliope?"

Though the girl seemed confused, Kratos clarified for her saying "Σας ευχόμαστε να τελειώσετε τη δουλειά. (We wish for you to finish the job.)" And that is when she was wide-eyed. Though she had some rough training in the past, Calliope never really spilled blood. She was hesitant, but she didn't want her father to keep her looking at her, constantly worried for her well-being. Taking out her new knife, she looked into its metal, seeing her reflection on the flat surface. A face of determination reflected upon the blade as she clutched the handle tightly and stepped forward. Holding the knife in a reverse grip, she hovers the knife over the dying deer, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. But even as it was inches away, she halted and could feel her hands shaking...that is until another pair of hands wrapped around hers, seeing that they belonged to Atreus, and another big hand on top of theirs, belonging to their Kratos. Looking at both her father and brother willing to help her, Calliope felt calm as she faced the animal again and allowed her knife to sink into its flesh, hearing some gasps from the deer before it drew its last breath.

This was her first kill. Sure, her brother did most of the work, but the beast's blood stained the knife as she began to slowly pull it out. Calliope had only ever been trained to defend herself, but to actually take a life is something she didn't know what to feel about, especially since she was still a kid, even as much as she wanted to prove herself. Seeing his sister looking sadly at her own knife, Atreus places his hand on Calliope's shoulder.

"It never feels easy the same time, Cal." He said to her with a reassuring expression, one that made Calliope feel better. "You had done very good, Lass." Mimir also commented.

And though he could never express it as much, Kratos felt proud of his children. Proud of his son for having matured, leading them throughout the hunt, and showing his sister the way, and proud of his daughter for showing that she was stronger than he once thought. Though she has much to learn, being much like Atreus, if not lesser, than when they started on the path, she has potential. And Kratos will see to it that she reaches it fully, despite the worsening conditions of Fimbulwinter, he will not fail her again, as he then places his own hand on her other shoulder.

"Calliope..." He began to say. "...Τώρα, είσαι έτοιμος. (...Now, you are ready.)" And that made Calliope smile as the three of them shared this moment together..

Chapter Text

It was then that Kratos had picked up the deer and hoisted it over his shoulder, while Atreus and Calliope walked ahead of him, Kratos' daughter looking slump at the deed she had just preformed. Atreus stood beside her, keeping his arms around her shoulder, as a sign of a reassurance.

"Trust me when we say that it will get easier from here on out, Calliope." He told her. "We'll get to show you all kinds of things while you're here with us! It...just won't be easy getting to them, but trust me. It'll be fun."

"Ευχαριστώ αδερφέ. Θα προσπαθήσω και θα κάνω ό,τι καλύτερο μπορώ. (Thank you, brother. I will try and do my best.)" Calliope replied. Seeing the two get along warmed Kratos's hardened heart, feeling proud of his son for assisting his daughter just as he did for Atreus some time ago.

"You know, I'm just surprised by how easy this hunt was this time around." Atreus began to say. "I was almost expecting to run into-" But, that is when caught with enemies appear out of the snow. "Hel-walkers. I just had to jinx it."

The sight of the frozen undead left Calliope in shock as she took a step back. But that is when Kratos dropped the dear and got in front of his daughter. "Μείνε πίσω, Καλλιόπη. Αυτό, δεν είστε έτοιμοι για αυτό. (Stand back, Calliope. This, you are not ready for.)"

"Don't worry. We got this, Cal! Just sit tight." Atreus said as he brought out his bow and both Father & Son engaged in battle all while Calliope watched in awe. Kratos knew without his blades, hand-to-hand combat would be the way to go against the Hel-Walkers as he began bashing both his fists and shield at the one closest to him. Atreus fought against the creatures with more speed and agility than his father, and with just a little bit of his own aggression as he slammed his bow at one as if it were a wooden club. When it came to ones that did range attacks, he acted quickly under his father's command and shot them with several arrows at each chance he got, though he couldn't help but notice that his shock and light arrows were growing rather weaker as Fimbulwinter thrived.

Calliope watched as her Father and Brother fought mercilessly, but it didn't last as she then saw a Hel-Walker coming at her with a broadsword in hand. Acting quickly, she dodged to the right as the sword barely missed her, accidentally putting herself in the battleground as she accidentally backed up against another monster. It would've gotten her if its head wasn't embedded with arrows as Atreus uses his bow to pull his sister close to him.

"Get back here, Cal!" He told her as she was pulled behind him. Continuously firing arrows at ones that were straight ahead of him. But one coming from the side was one he wasn't ready for. Calliope, however, took the opportunity to defend and managed to punch the Hell-Walker back. Atreus saw this and added a second attack, slamming the head of his bow to the Walker's head. Calliope saw another coming and got down to swipe its leg from underneath, knocking it down as Atreus stabbed the lower end of the bow into the stomach of the undead and fired arrows at some more Walkers near his father.

Kratos continued to hold his own just fine, knocking out Hel-Walkers left and right, but when he saw both his children fighting together, it was yet another surprise for him. While he recently discovered that his daughter has been trained by Lysandra, having seen Calliope spar with Atreus, she never would've expected to handle a situation like this surprisingly well, let alone show a bit of strength to hold her own against these frozen undead creatures. It made him wonder...could she be...?

"Behind you! Look out!" Mimir said.

He was pushed out of his trail of thought when he felt a blast of ice land on his back. He got back into the fight as Atreus and Calliope managed to take out several scouts. While the girl was breathing heavily, never having to fight like this before, Atreus felt like he was barely breaking a sweat.

"You're actually really good at this, Cal'!" He said to her sister, to which she replied with a smile. But then, Atreus quickly pushes his sister away, yelling "Watch out!" as the two barely dodged an Ice-covered mace. A Hel-Viken appeared and went for Atreus as Calliope looked up to see her brother going against a rather powerful-looking foe. Fortunately, Calliope was pushed right next to a rack of weapons, and she acted fast, grabbing a spear and holding it with both hands. The spears here felt heavier and lacked the red tassel spartan spears had, but it would have to serve as Calliope held it strongly and charged the Vikin.

"Calliope!" Kratos yelled as he saw what his daughter was about to do. But he was once again surprised as he saw her jump, letting out a roar that would make any Spartan proud as she stabbed the spear directly into the head of the Hel-Vikin. Still, the undead brute did not go down as Atreus used the chance to move out of the way. Kratos then used the chance to finish it, grabbed the spear Calliope embedded and twisted it, snapping the Vikin's neck before ripping it off entirely. The fight was now over as Kratos stabbed the spear with the head on it to the ground as he turned to Calliope, with Atreus coming over to her.

"That was amazing, Calliope!" Said the boy. "You were so good out there! Right, father?"

Both turned to see Kratos, stoic as ever, but his eyes pointed directly towards his daughter, who seemed rather fearful, having gotten to fight, despite her father's wishes. She knew her father was overprotective of her after she had returned to his life, she understood that. But she wanted to be strong, for him and for her brother

"Λυπάμαι... συγγνώμη, father. (I'm...I am sorry, father.)" she began to say. "Απλώς... έπρεπε να υπερασπιστώ τον εαυτό μου. (I just...had to defend myself.)"

Walking over and getting on a knee, Kratos placed his hand on Calliope's shoulder and spoke "Δεν χρειάζεται να λυπάσαι, Μικρή Μούσα. Συνεχίζεις μόνο να με εκπλήσσεις. (You need not be sorry, Little Muse. You only continue to surprise me.)" He then turns to his son, saying "We will oversee Calliope's training and ensure she can survive more than this." He moves to where they left the dead deer and picks it up once more. "Until then...home." And with that, he turns and leads the way back to the cabin.

Calliope and Atreus followed behind and Mimir was looking at the girl with a smirk.

"That was quite some defensive prowess ya had there, lass." The head said, getting her attention. "Ya sure you've never been in battle before?"

Calliope was not sure if she'd ever get used to the idea of talking to a severed head. She's only heard stories of where you remove the head of a specific creature, it can be put to use. But that was only in terms of a weapon, not a...conversationalist.

"Yeah, I was pretty surprised with the way you fought." Atreus brought up. "And the way you handled that spear? Maybe we should get you one."

Seeing his sister tilt her head in confusion made both boy and head internally slap Facepalm themselves, as Atreus said "Uh, a spear, like, uh...how do you say...?"

"Ένα δόρυ." Kratos spoke.

"Yeah, that! A δόρυ."

"Το δόρυ? S-S-Spear?" Calliope managed to get out.

"Yeah! That!"

"Α, ναι. Είναι το πρώτο όπλο στο οποίο εκπαιδεύεται ένας Σπαρτιάτης. (Ah, yes. It is the first weapon a Spartan is trained in using.)" She said. "...A spear."

Atreus replied "Maybe we should get you one of your own. What do you think, father?"

"...Perhaps. But the wooden spears around these woods will not suffice as a primary wooden. They lack durability, causing them to break easily."

"You would know, brother." Mimir said. "You've destroyed many among their travels."

Kratos replied with a groan

"Should we go back to Brok and Sindri then?" Atreus asked. "Get them to build a new weapon for Calliope?"

"Ya already gave her the dagger. It would only make sense to have the lass fully armed."

The old Spartan pondered this. Never did he think he would ever had put his daughter through this form of training, let alone give her weapons she needed for survival. But it was a necessity now; if Calliope truly wasn't sick anymore, he would see that she's still protected.

"We will need to find some resources for the making of the spear."

Calliope barely got any of the words spoken, just the few she managed to learn. She was starting to hate not knowing the language, it made her feel invisible, even when it sounded like they were talking about her. What she got out of it was that they were gonna go see "Rock and Cinder" again and that she was gonna get a new spear. That made her feel happy, getting her own weapon, as they reached the path back to the cabin. Calliope felt like she was starting to get used to the environment this wilderness provided for her and her family, yet it didn't help that the snow reached halfway up her legs and only seemed to be getting worse as the temperature didn't seem to be rising anytime soon. She grew up in such a warm place, not ever having experienced the snow until now. It was nice, yet she only wished it wasn't so...dangerous. But, the danger is mainly what Spartans lived for, not that she ever experienced such a burden growing up. She wondered if this was how the agōgē was for the young trainees...and if would she have to pull through it every day, as they finally made it back to the cabin. Kratos got to prepare food, something Calliope didn't want to see after having watched Atreus play with a Bunny's skinned carcass. Both siblings headed inside the cabin and left their father to make dinner.

"I still can't get over how good you were back there," Atreus said as walked by his bed and turned to face Calliope, who headed over to warm up by the firepit. "I mean, you handed yourself pretty well. And you and me, fighting side by side like that. Once we make it through your training, you and I will make a pretty good team."

Calliope could still barely understand her brother, but what she got was they would be training some more, and that made her smile. "Θα ήθελα πολύ να προπονηθώ μαζί σου, Atreus. (I would love to train with you, Atreus.)"

Her brother nodded as he then said "Now, we just need to work on your weapon. What would you want your spear to look like?"

Hearing the words she was for with, Calliope headed over to a journal belonging to her father and flipped through the pages until she got to a sketch that contained what she was looking for. A Spartan Spear and Aspi Shield, the Arms of Sparta themselves. She showed the pictures to her brother, who got a good look at them.

"So these were weapons from your homeland, huh?" He asked and Calliope nodded. "They would definitely suit you. I'm sure father would want you have weapons like this."

He handed her back the journal and Calliope began looking through it again. It surprised her to know that these were drawings made by her father of all people. Never did she think he would take to actually sketch anything. But the figures and the scenery drawn into the book were just as good as Atreus' sketches. While the pages were old and dirty, the images held up rather nicely. She continued to flip through the pages until she stopped a picture that almost made her freeze in shock. It was one of her and her mother, holding each other closely. Her mother, Lyssandra, remembered every moment she spent with her and her father. Whenever they cared for her when she was sick when they would be there to tuck her in at night. She cherished every memory she had of her family, all except...for one. The day they found themselves at a temple belonging to Athena, they didn't even know how they got there in the first place. But when they were there, the place being set ablaze was what made them hold each other close. Refusing to ever let go, the two huddled in the back until the doors of the temple blew open. When the smoke covered the place, they were frozen stiff as they heard screaming, and slashing, and before they knew it, a familiar figure came close and cut their lives short that day.

She would never forget those blades...and that monster.

Atreus came by when he saw his sister have a face of sadness. She caressed the face of her mother, holding back tears as she didn't want them to drip onto the page. The boy saw the page too and asked "That's your mother, isn't it? And you miss her, don't you?"

Calliope turned to her brother, unable to keep the tears from running down her face as she then caught her Atreus in a hug. Atreus knew what she was feeling all too well, and knew that she needed warmth and comfort as he embraced her as well.

"I know what it's like." He said before taking her by the shoulders and having her face him as with a smile of reassurance. "But we're here for you, Cal. You have me, Mimir, Father. We're all here if you ever want to talk about it."

The girl caught on what he said, and it made her smile, but then she frowned again as she couldn't get what she remembered out of her mind. Does her brother have the right to know? Had Father told him before? About everything?

"Atreus..." She began to say. "Υπάρχει κάτι που πρέπει να ξέρεις...(There is something you should know-)" But before she could continue, the door of the cabin opened and Kratos walked in, carrying a load of deer meat. He walked over to the fire pit and began to set it ablaze before grabbing a metal pot and hanging it over the flame. And that is when he turned to Atreus.

"Get to cooking, boy. We'll have to do it after we eat."

"Yes, sir." Atreus replied, getting up from where say, leaving Calliope with the journal in hand. She looked back at the drawing, thinking that maybe it was best till later to tell him. Kratos walked up to Calliope and kneeled before her, seeing the drawing of her first wife, one he drew long ago.

"Father..." She began to say. "Θυμάσαι μάνα; Θυμάσαι τη Σπάρτη; (Do you...remember mother? Do you remember Sparta?)

"Τις αναμνήσεις τις λατρεύω καθημερινά, Μικρή Μούσα. (I cherish those memories every day, Little Muse.)" He answered. "Ενώ διατηρώ ελάχιστα από την προηγούμενη ζωή μας, αυτό...δεν θα το αφήσω ποτέ. (While I retain little of our past life, this...I will never let go of.)"

That made her smile warmly. She often remembered her father being stoic and fierce, like any Spartan should. Only softening when he had the chance to spend his time with his family. How he was now made her think he was different, but perhaps that was a good thing. He had matured from the ruthless warrior he was before, and was far more wise and merciful. Calliope made a promise that she would do the same, now that she was given another chance at life.

Placing the book on the bed she was sitting on, both she and her father went to help Atreus prepare their food. The book was still opened though, left on the page of Lyssandra's drawing, where she looked to have been smiling in the page...

Chapter Text

After a rather more pleasant meal, since the beginning of Fimbulwinter, the family had called it a day and rested. This would mark their second night together with Calliope now living with them. The sight of his sister resting beside his father was something Atreus was still not used to, let alone having a sister in the first place. But after seeing her fight by their side, he was really beginning to enjoy her company and hoped that he could help in her training just as he was progressing on his own. He held to those thoughts as he slept peacefully that night since he hadn't really had a good night's sleep as much these days. If it wasn't the bitter cold, it was the dreams that kept him awake. That dream about the menacing cloaked figure showing up at their door never left his memory, as it felt very real to him whenever he replayed it in his mind. He was certain it was an omen, a warning of things yet to come, but his father had told him to speak no more of it, telling him that whatever would come their way in a not-so-distant future, they would be ready.

But now it got him thinking "Where does Calliope fit in all this?" She wasn't in the dream. And Atreus didn't know that she even existed, let alone was part of his father's life before he was even born. He didn't want to question it, he wanted to be thrilled about having a sister, as she seemed sweet and kind, maybe even a little innocent. But he can't help but ask himself, "Why is she here?", and even he would be scared the find the answer to that question. He dared not think about it now as he slept and dared to dream. It was nice, as he found himself on top of a misty hill in a world blanketed by white and snow. The hill he was on seemed to stretch downward for miles, and he could barely see what lay at the bottom. But it was then that a sleigh was seen halfway buried in the snow, and Atreus took the opportunity to bring it up and use it to slide down. Upon doing so, he realized how steep the hill was as he was gaining speed and...started to lose control.

"Oh no. Slow down. Please slow down!"

However, before the sleigh could fly off the hillside, a wolf came from out of the mist and was running alongside the sleigh. Atreus could see a rope attached to the wolf and wasted no time grabbing hold of the reigns, with Wolf now pulling the sleigh, Atreus now had better control over his speed as he continued down the hill.

"Woah! Okay...this is good." He said as the wolf was taking him...who knows where.

There seemed to be no end in sight, not with the mist covering everything forward. But Atreus allowed the wolf to be in control of where they were going. And after what seemed like an eternity, the snow seemed to flatten, meaning they'd reached the bottom of the hill. The Wolf and the sleigh came to a stop as Atreus got up and gave the animal a pet on its head.

"Thanks." He said as it barked happily, and gestured to Atreus to look forward. The boy did so and up ahead he saw a light in the middle of the mist. He didn't know what it was, but it was there and it was the only thing visible around the place. Atreus walked and stretched his hand towards it. But just as he was about to touch it...he woke up. He was back in the cabin and he woke up to hear to sound of the groaning coming from the bed right next to his. Turns out that Kratos and Calliope were waking up at around the same time he was. Calliope sat up from the bed and rubbed her eyes while Kratos stood up and headed for his essentials at the table.

"Καλημέρα, Atreus. (Morning, Atreus.)" Calliope greeted her brother. "Πως κοιμήθηκες? (How did you sleep?)"

"Morning, Cal. I sleep fine, thanks."

Their attention turned to Kratos opening the door, already having the Axe and other assorted items in hand as he turned to his two children.

"Get yourselves ready." He told them both. "We'll need an early start for today."

"Gotta work on finding things for Calliope's staff, right?" Atreus asked.

"Yes, and for food. Yesterday, we got lucky. But today, we must go past the stave."

Getting up from the bed, Atreus grabbed his bow and arrows while saying "Let's do it." Calliope armed herself with her knife and followed her brother and father out the door. Wasting no time, Kratos led Atreus and Calliope down the path of the Wild Woods, heading to what was once the river they used to travel across the woods and onto the Lake of Nine. Though it was supposed to be morning, the sky was covered in a grey that light could barely break through, leaving the impression that Midgard was under an endless night of snow. Kratos and Atreus knew the paths well and did their best to try and clear them as much as they could. But often, they find themselves knee-deep in snow, that there was no use in leaving behind a trail to make their way back. And since the snow relentlessly built upon itself, it made it hard sometimes to even get some good footing, so they had to take it slow.

"Father...do you think we could make a sleigh?" Atreus asked. "Make it easier to maneuver around here?"

"That wouldn't be such a bad idea." Mimir said. "Make it easier for yourselves in order to not walk everywhere. I'm fine either way, as long as the snow does not reach me neck stump. What say you, brother?"

"Hmm...perhaps," Kratos replied. "But we would need a beast to pull the sleigh in order for us to get anyway."

"I think...I can handle that part." He turns to his sister. "You hear that, Calliope? We're gonna be getting a sleigh?"

"Uh...s-slay?" Calliope said, confused. It wasn't just the language, but there were some things she never got to experience back home, like riding a sleigh.

"Ένα έλκηθρο, κόρη. Μπορούμε να το χρησιμοποιήσουμε για να κινηθούμε στο χιόνι πιο γρήγορα. (A sleigh, daughter. We can use it to move through the snow quicker.)" Kratos explained and Calliope nodded in understanding. "For now, we must focus on collecting resources. Some of the strongholds we've been through may still have materials that can be collected."

"Wishful thinking, but I'd think you'd clear everything out of the places you've been to by now." Mimir said.

Atreus then said "There are some things we may have left behind due to poor timing. Hmm...maybe we can check our Tyr's vault again. There's sure to be stuff in there we can use."

"Aye, but I believe that any and all mechanisms of the Temple have been left frozen solid ever since Fimbulwinter hit."

"There's sure to be places we've missed around the lake," Kratos said. "If not...then I'm afraid the spear will have to wait."

"Που πάμε, τέλος πάντων; (Where are we going anyway?)" Calliope asked.

"We're...kinda mulling through our options."

The girl didn't get what her brother said, but decided not to ask as they approached some trees that appeared to have glowing branches. A space in between is where the glowing stopped, almost like it was an opening to a huge parameter around the woods.

"This is our Protection Stave, Calliope," Atreus explained to her. "It originally kept us safe from anything outside the Wild Woods, but since Father cut down the trees that my mother had marked, it's been left open like this.

"Καλλιόπη, αυτό το πεντάγραμμο είναι αυτό που αρχικά κράτησε αυτά τα ξύλα. (Calliope, this stave is what originally kept these woods.)" Kratos explained to his daughter. "Τώρα αυτό έχει σπάσει, να είστε έτοιμοι για οτιδήποτε έξω. (Now that is broken, you be ready for anything outside.)"

"Ναι, Father. καταλαβαίνω. (Yes, Father. I understand.)" Calliope responded, determined to prove herself ready to face the challenges this world has to throw at her.

As they continued to walk through the snow, it was then that they noticed something in the distance. Looked to be a hut built from a small cave and some oak wood. Smoke was coming out of a bit of a makeshift chimney, so chances are that someone was home.

"Who could be crazy enough to settle in this snow?" Atreus asked.

"Take caution, my friends," Mimir said. "Aside from Hel-Walkers, the only other threat here..."

"Would be those savage enough to survive through Fimbulwinter." Kratos finished what Mimir was saying as they approached the hut. A door was the only way in and out as they opened it up to find a familiar face. Sindri, just the dwarf they wanted to see, worked on weapons in the warmth of his forge's fire.

"Sindri?" Atreus asked, getting the Dwarf's attention.

"Oh! Hey there, fellas!" Sindri replied. "Didn't expect to see you all here."

"What are you doing here? Is this...your house?"

Sindri chuckled a bit after hearing that. "Oh, no! This is just another one of my shops I...surprisingly managed to move outside of Týr's temple."

"A forgery out in the middle of a never-ending blizzard?" Mimir said. "Who would be stupid enough to come near a place this?"

"Uh...you really want me to answer that?" Sindri said. "Anyway, how's Calliope's new knife holding up? Up to the standards you wished for?"

Calliope, having heard her name, walked up to Sindri and presented her blade. "Σε ευχαριστώ και πάλι που το έφτιαξες, Cinder! Λειτουργεί πολύ καλά στη μάχη! (I thank you again for making this, Cinder! It works really well in battle!)"

Sindri didn't get that, but Atreus translated "She said it's working well and thanks you again."

"Ah. Well, you're welcome. I must say, I've never heard that language before, but it sounds...beautifully foreign."

"It is that of my homeland." Kratos said as he brought out his own journal again. "We require another weapon for my daughter's progression in combat." He shows the picture of the Dory to Sindri, who examines the details of the weapon. "Additional resources may be required for her to use it against greater enemies."

"I see..." Sindri said, keeping his eyes on the page as he pulled out what looked to be pliers and grabbed the book with it. Since he discovered the journal was old and dirty, and also stained with dried blood, he wasn't going to touch it as normally as he handles the weapons he upgrades for his friends. Putting the journal on the table, he gets a good look at the sketch and its notes. "And once again, your design of these weapons intrigues me. "Designed specifically for defensive capabilities over infantry", it seems. I can work with this. And you say you're looking for resources for this? Well, I'm afraid I'm a bit short on some myself, and any places you've previously encountered have either been picked clean or have been blocked."

"...Is there any other place you can think of?" Atreus asked.

Sindri thought about it for a second before something came to mind and started to explain "Well...I have noticed some recent activity happening somewhere up north from the Lake. They appear to be...human. But you know how they could be at times like this."

"Think they're Reavers?"

"Maybe even worse than that." Sindri said as he got to work on his merchandise. "Best to get yourself prepared if you're going down there. Speaking of which, I took the liberty of preparing some fresh coats of armor for the little lady. Wouldn't hurt to give her some clothes that fit, since those were obviously your son's, am I right?"

"Hmm..." Kratos agreed since he always provided what was needed for him and his son during their past journey. Even if the dwarves' prices were outrageously high, their armor did hold out well for them in the past. Even so, the last thing he wished for was for it to become more difficult, now having to provide for his daughter. For him, nothing was too good for her. Looking into what Sindri had in store, he decided to buy Calliope a vestment with a reasonable amount of fur and leather as a mix of protection and functionality. The tunic shirt that went underneath was in a white color compared to the greyish one of Atreus', and with a bit of blue embroidered into the sleeves to make up the native Norse artwork. To Atreus, it resembled the black tunic he wore during the time to honor his mother after her death (Death Vow's Tunic, God of War (2018)), but was a white version that fitted Calliope's form perfectly.

"It looks great, Calliope!" Atreus complimented.

"Μου αρέσει αυτό. Νιώθω πολύ ωραία. (I like this. I feel very nice.)" Calliope said.

"I'm quite impressed myself with how it came out." said Sindri. "Now, you'll be able to find where you're going North East of Týr's Temple, just is stuck facing the Jotenheim Tower ever since the Lake froze over. You'll know where to go when you get there."

Atreus nodded "Thanks, Sindri. See you...wherever."

"That, I can almost guarantee." The Dwarf remarked as he got back to work. And with that, the trio left the shop and headed back out.

"Well, Little Sister, how nice is it to have a fresh pair of garbs?" Mimir asked. "Because I wish I could still have some myself."

Almost immediately, Atreus whispered into Calliope's ear about what the head was talking about, and it made the two snicker. Kratos turned his head back and hid a smile, continuing to love how his children were getting together.

"So, how are we gonna get to the place Sindri told us about? From what I remember, North East of the Temple was just the quarry of the Lake."

"Aye, but perhaps there's a canyon we may have overlooked. The waters of the lake held many secrets before we uncovered them. Perhaps Fimbulwinter could've unearthed another."

"We will use the travel door to make our way to the lake as quickly as we can." Kratos said, as the family backtracked to the cabin and headed to the travel door. Upon setting the travel to Týr's Temple, did the Old Spartan open the door and they all found themselves in the Realm Between Realms again. Calliope and Atreus moved ahead and the young girl took a moment to spin around and enjoy the sight of the World Tree's Branch."

"Δεν νομίζω ότι μπορώ να το συνηθίσω ποτέ. Αυτό το μέρος είναι τόσο όμορφο! (I don't think I can ever get used to this. This place is so beautiful!)"

Atreus chuckled "Trust me, Cal. You'll never forget your first time traveling through here."

"Aye. Too bad we cannot show the lass how to Realm Travel. I believe she would love to see all the realms we've visited in their majesty."

"Hmm...Indeed. She was often fascinated with new things." Kratos said as they left the realm between realms and found themselves back at the Huldra Shop. Much to Calliope's surprise, alongside Brok, was Sindri, working as he was before.

"Hello again." He said. "Just in case you need a reminder, Northeast of the Temple, a huge crevasse in the quarry, you can't miss it. Oh, and I spotted a few territory markers, so you're probably doing for some company up ahead."

Calliope looked a bit bewildered, pointing at Sindri while looking at her brother with confusion. How could he be here if they just saw him out in the woods?

"Heh, heh...Yeah, we forgot to mention that Dwarves can step...between...realms." Atreus awkwardly said, realizing how crazy that sounded, even if Calliope couldn't fully understand what he was saying. He turned to his father and said "I don't really know how to explain that to her. Let alone if you can translate."

Deciding to give her a basic understanding, Kratos turned to his daughter and said "Calliope, οι δύο νάνοι έχουν την ικανότητα να εμφανίζονται σε μέρη την κατάλληλη στιγμή. Μας είναι δύσκολο να το καταλάβουμε, αλλά σε ορισμένες περιπτώσεις...μοιάζει σαν μαγικό. (Calliope, the two dwarves have the ability to appear in places at an appropriate time. It's difficult for us to understand, but in some cases...it seems like magic.)

"Ah..." Calliope nodded in understanding before looking at the dwarves and giving them a wave before walking toward the door. Sindri seemed to get the gist of what left her so confused.

"Right. I forgot she's new around here. Probably should've told her we could do that." He said as he got back to hammering. But turned to Kratos, saying "I hope your daughter is quick to adapt to things around here. It's not exactly safe for a little girl."

"As do I..." Kratos said as he and Atreus met up with Calliope at the doors. And so, Kratos opened the door and the family met with a burst of cold air coming at them. Calliope could see that the Temple they came out of had a bridge that led to a tower at the far end; the symbol at its top, the best way she could describe it, appeared to be a double-sided hook. That's not the only thing that amazed her, as she decided to take a look at what she could see from where they were. They were high above a frozen lake, with the Temple at its center, and she could see many places afar, other towers, and this was just one side of the whole lake. It would've been a sight to see...about a year ago. Now the place looked rather desolate for anybody to travel across.

"Yep. This is the Lake of Nine." Atreus said without much excitement. "...Or what's left of it."

"The lake's still there. It's just now considerably frozen solid." Mimir correctly. "Shame we may never be able to go on boat rides like we used to. Huh, brothers?"

"Yeah. It did give us a chance to relax, and I did love all the stories we shared."

Calliope walked to the left end of the bridge and asked "Ποιο δρόμο πάμε; (Which way do we go?)

"Sindri said somewhere to the Northeast. The...Βορειοανατολικός." Atreus tried to explain to his sister. Calliope nodded as Kratos walked over to the lift.

"Come. We must move while there is still light." He said and his children followed them. As she saw her father turn the crack to bring the lift down, Calliope wondered what other challenges wait below on the frozen lake...

Chapter Text

It took a year's time before the whole of the Lake of Nine had been frozen over on its surface. Yet, just below its shaft, the waters still flowed. If anyone were to walk on the ice now, they best be careful from where they step, lest they plunge to the freezing depths below. But, that's just what Kratos and his children were going to have to do, as they took the lift down by the side of the temple. Where they would usually meet a boat, they now met with the icy terrain of the lake. The quarry that Sindri believed there to be an uncovered trove was ahead of the lift, near the remains of the oarsmen and the former shores of nine. A crevice had been opened up, and that's where the three survivors had to go if they were going to find resources for Calliope's weapon.

The moment the three of them stepped on the ice, they almost immediately heard cracks beneath their feet, that seemed to echo around the lake and it almost made Kratos' two children panic a bit.

"Easy, little brother and sister," Mimir reassured them. "Ice doesn't break that easily. We'll be fine as long as we stay light on our feet. Though, I...I can't stay the same for your father." He chuckled at his own joke.

"Head." Kratos quickly called out, silencing Mimir as he looked back at his kids. "We need not stay on this terrain for long. Come, let us find the place the dwarf had spoken of."

As they began to walk, Atreus said "Sindri also told us to look out for some kind of markers. That something else was around here?"

"Aye. Even in a place that has become such a glacier barren as this, there are always those who either have a knack, or stubbornness, to survive."

"Έχει τόσο κρύο εδώ. (It's so cold here.)" Calliope said, rubbing at her forearms. "Δεν αισθάνεται πιο ασφαλές από το δάσος. (It doesn't feel any more safe than the forest.)"

"Don't worry, Cal. We'll get out of the cold soon." Atreus said to comfort their sister as they continued to move across the frozen lake. The snow began to pile up under their feet as they headed by the Alfheim tower. Due the the cold and ice, some of the tower's supporting structures were starting to shift out of place. As if realm traveling weren't any more inaccessible, to have a complete structure that's part of the process knocked out of place makes it far worse than before. It was only the rocky quarry that the three needed to see and find that Sindri was telling the truth. A man-made tunnel was carved into its side, and a pelt of animal fur marked its territory. Whoever made this may have possibly been human, but as the dwarf said before, there are things that could be even worse than the Reavers.

"Well, this is certainly new." Mimir remarked. "I don't think we've come across this one before."

"Definitely not Reavers. I don't think we've ever seen them put animal skins around their territory."

"Proceed with caution. From here on out." Kratos said as he pulled out his axe. Atreus was soon to follow but stopped when he looked back to see Calliope standing still, shivering.

"Calliope, come on. It'll be alright." He said, offering a hand. "Just like we did before, right? You have to be strong. ισχυρός."

The young girl looked at her brother and nodded as she slowly followed him in. But, while doing so, she looked back outside, and couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Once inside though, her mind was dedicated to the mission that she and her family were here for. Whatever resources were being held in this cave, there could surely be something of use to them in order to make a new weapon for Calliope. Looking around, Atreus could see that the cave was made and held up fairly well, as whoever built it wanted to make sure that it stayed up well enough to support life and structure.

"How could this place have been carved into the side of the cliff? And in just one year of all things?" He asked. "This seems to go on for a while, and we just headed in."

"It would surely take a lot of hands and ingenuity to build a cavern such as this." Mimir said.

Then Kratos replied "It doesn't matter how it was built. So long as we find what we're looking for. We must not take long."

"Υπάρχουν άνθρωποι εδώ μέσα που θα πολεμήσουμε; (Are there people in here we're going to fight?)" Calliope asked. "Ελπίζω να μην είναι σαν τους παγωμένους νεκρούς που έπρεπε να αντιμετωπίσουμε. (I hope they're not like the frozen undead we had to face.)"

"Ό,τι κι αν είναι εδώ μέσα, θα αντιμετωπίσουμε όλα αυτά που είμαστε. (Whatever is in here, we will face with all that we are.)" Kratos said to his daughter. "Απ' ό,τι έχω δει, είσαι ήδη πιο δυνατή από όσο ξέρεις, Καλλιόπη. (From what I've seen, you're already stronger than you know, Calliope.)"

"Ευχαριστώ, Father. Ξέρω ότι μπορώ να το κάνω αυτό, απλά...δεν πίστευα ποτέ ότι θα ήταν τόσο έντονο. (Thank you, Father. I know I can do this, it's just...I never thought it'd be so intense.)"

Kratos hid a tiny smile as they ventured deeper into the cave. They soon entered an open area, which had given Kratos and Atreus a reminder of what they had to go through just to get to the top of the Mountain in Midgard. A lot of the area had been mined and had some fires...and they looked to have only been made recently. Other than that, there were also wooden defenses and racks for weapons, crates, and arches built for attack at a distance.

"It's almost as if whoever's here is expecting company." Atreus commented.

And then Kratos ordered, "Be ready for anything." As he held his axe high, Atreus pulled out his bow and Calliope her knife. They looked around to see if they would be surrounded by now. But that is when coming out of the shadows was one that seemed mortal, wearing a rather more barbaric attire with clothes and furs stitched together, a layer of leathers on top, and above all that was this person was a skull of a deer on its head. His eyes widened at the sight of the trio, the father taking a protective stance before the man yelled out.

"ᛏᚺᛖ ᚨᛋᚺᛖᚾ ᚷᛟᛞ! ᚺᛖ ᛁᛋ ᚺᛖᚱᛖ!" He said in Old Norse before pulling out a horn and blowing on it. And now, did the trio find themselves surrounded by more of these mysterious new foes. They carried makeshift weapons, blades, and clubs made of wood and bone, almost perfect for surviving with only your wits and instinct. By the sheer look of them, Kratos could tell that these enemies were more beast than man.

"Who are these people?" Atreus blurted out.

"Does it matter?" Mimir asked back. "All you should know is that they're after your father!"

"ᛏᛖᚨᚱ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛒᚨᛋᛏᚨᚱᛞ ᚨᛈᚨᚱᛏ!" roared out the one that spotted them as all the enemies then advanced upon the three. But almost immediately, was life cut short when Kratos lunged at him with the axe and chopped him in half. The Old God ran through the foes fast and true, slamming down on them and cutting them down. And he could see, while he took care of those coming after him, that his children joined in the fight and fought as valiantly as he did. But as Atreus was having his fill of these new threats, launching arrows into each of the feral warriors, he could see that Calliope looked scared, shakingly holding the knife in her hand.

"Calliope? Come on! We can do this! Just like before!" He said to her, in hopes of bringing up her confidence.

"Δεν χρειάστηκε ποτέ να παλέψω με τέτοιους ανθρώπους! (I've never had to fight people like this before!)"

Atreus recognized this kind of fear. It was the same kind of fear that he experienced when he and his father first encountered the Reavers. The first time he took the life of another living being. Now his sister was going through the same thing, and against these savages, there wouldn't be enough time for her to get away from this fight, as he used his bow to quickly pull her back and close to him.

"Stay behind me, Cal! We got this!"

He had Calliope leaning over his shoulder while he moved around and used defensive movements to keep the savages at bay while his father finished them off. It was an ongoing battle where the foes just seemed to keep coming from out of the shadows. Atreus now felt like they opened a can of worms by heading in here. They needed to finish this battle soon, or else they get overrun. And he knew that it would be going a lot faster if everyone was pitching in. Calliope needed to get herself in on the fight. She fought the undead; hell, she had been dead once before. Nothing should scare her now, and yet, here she was, acting her age at the wrong time. And that's when her brother spoke to her.

"Calliope, I know it's scary, but this is nothing!" She heard her say while he kept on launching arrows left and right. "You're stronger than you know! And braver too! I know it! Father knows it! You have to close your heart to them! We're just trying to survive!"

Kratos could overhear what his son was saying to his daughter and realized where it was going. Calliope needed the encouragement, the determination to fight, to survive by any means necessary. To take the life of another trying to take her. He will not see hers taken away so quickly.

"Έχει δίκιο ο αδερφός σου, Καλλιόπη! Να θυμάστε ότι είμαστε Σπαρτιάτες και δεν αφήνουμε ποτέ την πλάτη μας να χτυπήσει στο έδαφος! Πρέπει να είσαι δυνατός! Πρέπει να πολεμήσεις! (Your brother is right, Calliope! Remember that we are Spartans, and we never let our backs hit the ground! You must be strong! You must fight!)"

To hear that both her brother and father believe in her awakened something in Calliope. She had endured so much to survive, training with her mother, fighting through sickness, and living in loneliness in Elysium. She'll never forget the day her father gave her up, because he'd rather they'd both exist apart rather than spending a few last moments together. They're both alive now, together again, and she would not allow any cowardness to burden her family. Seeing another one of the feral men come their way, she took her knife, held it firmly, and the moment he was close enough, she jammed it into his face. His blood soon soaked her hands as Calliope ripped the blade from his head. As that one dropped, and came at her, swinging a bone-spiked club at her. She quickly dodged it and swung her knife, cutting the man's neck. He vainly held onto the wound and tried to swing again, only for Calliope to surprisingly grab him by the arm, twist it, and make him let go of the weapon. This gave her a chance to use it against him.

"Βάρβαρος! (Barbarian!)" She roared out as she swung the club and embedded it cleanly into his skull. However, that is when something flew past the young spartan girl, nearly hitting her as she could see that it was covered in bursting flames. Looking to see who through it, Calliope could see a new type of foe among these beasts, though much smaller, seemed to be wearing less furs and more feathers. A scout of some kind, one with eyes sharpened for accuracy in long-ranged attacks, if the sling she was spinning in her hands was any indication that she was a ranged fighter.

Calliope couldn't understand what scout was saying as she yelled out "ᚷᚱᚨᛒ ᛏᚺᛖ ᚷᛁᚱᛚ ᚠᛟᚱ ᛏᚺᛖ ᚲᚺᛁᛖᚠᛏᚨᛁᚾ! ᛚᛖᛏ ᚺᛖᚱ ᛒᛖ ᚨᚾ ᛖᛪᚨᛗᛈᛚᛖ!" But the moment that was ordered, were all of the foes seeming to be after the girl. However, that scout didn't last long, as the Leviathan Axe met with its body before ripping itself out and flying back into Kratos hand. Atreus stood in front of his sister as he continued to send arrows into more of the beasts, taking notice that more of them were coming after them.

"Father, they're surrounding us!" He called out to Kratos, to which the Old Warrior aimed his axe at the savages, picking targets and readying himself to throw as he said "Hang on!" And then, did he let the axe fly as it was the first target before it bounced onto the next, then the next, and before they knew it, the feral ones that circled both children of the Spartan were on the ground...unfortunately, only stunned, but in at least in pain.

"Come. We must move." Krato ordered both his kids and the two wasted no time rushing over to their father. They moved through an excess tunnel that lead deeper into the cave, to which Kratos looked to see a weakpoint above their heads. A quick throw of his axe one more time, and he split it in half, which was enough to make the support of the entrance full apart. The kids caught their breath as the way they came in collapsed and sealed off.

"I guess that should hold them off...for now." Atreus spoke.

"That was a little too exciting," Mimir remarked. "Quite the fight, but I didn't think it would be enough to force you into a tactical retreat, brother."

Kratos said back "We were wasting time and strength. I will not risk my children just to finish a needless fight. Let us find what we are looking for, then find another way out."

And with that, they continued, barely able to see anything, but at least the Bifrost provided some light. However, that light showed the red stains all over Calliope, her hands caked in blood. In the heat of the moment, her real first kill of another living being meant little to nothing to her. But in this darkness, hearing only her breathing and heartbeat, the young girl could feel herself going into shock after experiencing all that. She began to breathe heavily, and it caught the attention of her family, to which Atreus placed her hand on her shoulder and quickly made her turn her head to her brother...and show the tears running down her face. She was a spartan, she was trained to fight, to achieve victory, and most importantly, trained to kill. The first experience is never a good one, everyone present knew that well enough. But they trained themselves to never feel remorse for trying to survive against those who are doing much the same. Now, Calliope needed to be trained for that as well.

"...Close your heart to it." Atreus told her, keeping his hand on her shoulder and looking at her straight in the eyes. Calliope was so much like him when he first killed a Reaver, fighting back the tears, mustering her strength, showing that she wanted to be brave and continue on with this mission. Taking a deep breath, she faced her brother with an expression of determination. And was enough for Atreus to smile at her. "Come on. It won't be long now. I promise you that."

Though he might not ever show it, Kratos couldn't be more proud of his son for mentoring Calliope as he once did with him. The only thing he hopes for now is that Calliope continues to be a quick learner and adapts well to the harsh world they live in. With that, they continued on, Calliope walking ahead of the others while Kratos and Atreus followed behind.

"Well, you certainly know how to get the lass back on her feet, Little Brother." said Mimir.

"It's just like when we went up the Mountain. I've been through much the same as her."

Kratos then said "And you used the examples that I taught you. You are doing well in teaching her, Atreus."

"I did learn from the best, Father."

But that is when they heard Calliope call out to them, saying "Father! Atreus! Ελα γρήγορα! (Come quick!)" The two men quickly rushed over to where they entered another wide-open chamber, except that this one had an entire horde of treasure. Gold and relics of all sorts of variation...from different lands and cultures. Atreus stepped up to the pile and picked a familiar-looking crown.

"I've seen these before. They were in Tyr's vault!" He said.

"It would seem that our new guests have helped themselves inside," said Mimir. "I did not think that possible. But I for one do not tolerate this form of raiding and vandalism."

Then Kratos spoke up "These relics matter little to us. If these 'Raiders' had collected anything useful for Calliope's weapon, we will find it."

"Τι είναι αυτό εκεί πάνω; (What is that up there?)" Calliope asked, pointing to something 'floating' on top of the pile. It looked to be some kind of golden ore, a mineral that was dispensing a faint, but light-filled aura. Curiosity getting the better of her, Calliope decided to get and take a look at it, climbing over the pile of gold and having the strange rock close in hand.

"Calliope, πρόσεχε! (be careful!)" Kratos shouted. "Δεν ξέρουμε τι είναι αυτό. (We do not know what that is.)"

"It's not like we haven't grabbed anything we didn't know about before." Atreus remarked, receiving a cold look from his father. But then, Calliope slid down the golden pile with the mineral in hand. They could see that it was in a crystalline form, the very top of it almost seemed to be in the shape of a blade. It was a metal, though, no doubt about that.

"Might I have a look at what we're seeing here?" Mimir asked, having Kratos take his head and lift it up to show him the mineral. But upon seeing it, Mimir's expression turned...to confusion? It was a look that didn't slip past Kratos.

"Do you know what this is?"

Mimir took a moment to reply. "...Uh...You usually would not hear this coming from me...but I haven't the faintest idea of what this is."

"You...you're kidding. Right, Mimir?" asked Atreus.

"For once, I wish I was a lad. But to be honest, I've never seen a mineral such as this in my days. Although, hmm..."

"What is it?" Kratos asked.

"Do you ever have that sense of familiarity towards an object you have yet to see in your life?"

"No." Kratos answered, and Atreus also said "I don't think so."

"Ah. Well, then I guess I'm at a loss."

"Μπορούμε να το χρησιμοποιήσουμε για το δόρυ μου; (Can we use this for my spear?)"

"We're not sure yet, Cal." Atreus placed a hand on the ore. "This...thing does seem to have some sort of power in it. Not like we've seen before, but it's something...what do you think, father?"

"If that power can be harnessed and used for our needs. The dwarves may have more favor in deciphering its uses than we do at the moment."

"Well, I guess that settles it. Let's find a way out of here and head back to the temple."

"Θα πάρω σύντομα το όπλο μου με αυτό; (Will I be getting my weapon soon with this?)" Kratos answered his daughter "Πολύ πιθανό, μικρή Μούσα. (Quite possibly, little Muse.)

Looking around the chamber, Atreus didn't see a way out, given that their father sealed the way they came in.

"So...how do we get out of here? There doesn't seem-" Before he could finish that sentence, however, the pile of treasure that filled up the room seemed to explode out of nowhere, and something came charging toward Kratos. But the Old God was able to stop the burly brute from attacking him, grabbing hold of the weapon it was using, which was a more staff-like weapon with tusks at the end of it. And their new enemy seemed to have been the boss of the Raiders they'd been facing, having a more hulkish physique with a fur-covered attire that acted as both protection and a weapon. But even an ox-like beast such as this stood no chance against Kratos, who managed to lift him off his feet and charge right back, now sending it through the passage it just opened up. Atreus and Calliope followed through and the two jumped from where they stood...into an arena, where the rest of the Raiders they left behind had regrouped.

"Oh no. I was hoping we have left these guys behind!" Atreus said as he pulled back out his bow.

Throwing the chieftain away from him, Kratos pulled out his axe and said "Arms up! We fight now!"

"ᛏᚨᚴᛖ ᛏᚺᛖ ᛚæᚡᚨᛏᛖᛁᚾᚾ ᚠᚱᛟᛗ ᛏᚺᛖ ᚷᛁᚱᛚ! ᛏᚺᛖᚤ ᛗᚢᛋᛏ ᚾᛟᛏ ᚺᚨᚡᛖ ᛁᛏ!" The chieftain roared as he pointed to the ore in Calliope's arms, and once again, were all sights on her now. And seeing where this was going, Atreus had Calliope stay behind him.

"Father! They're going after the crystal!"

"Let them have it! It's not worth getting ourselves killed!" Mimir yelled.

"Head!"

"D'oh, alright! Fine! It's your funeral!"

Kratos huffed at Mimir's inexistent faith, as he underestimated how they dealt with this situation before. Wasting no more time, they got fighting again, a fight that Kratos wished to end quicker than before, as he swung and sent the axe spinning around him while he dealt with the Chieftain with his bare hands. Meanwhile, Atreus had his own hands full with the other Raiders and scouts trying to run at him, and he couldn't reload fast enough. Fortunately, Calliope was there to provide close-range attacks with her knife, swinging and being able to cut arms and even the necks of those who got close. But she could see that she and her brother were practically backed up against a wall and would be overwhelmed soon. However, she could also see that the Raiders seemed to be coming after her the most, or much rather ore she held in her hands, and that's when she had an idea.

"Atreus, πήγαινε μαζί! (go along!)" She said, gaining her brother's attention.

"What?"

"...R-R-Run!" She managed to get out, pushing her brother away before having to dodge another spike coming her way. Atreus was a little taken aback by this, but then he looked to see what Calliope had in store, holding the ore up high before she wound up throwing it into the air. Acting quickly, the boy was barely able to run along and catch the ore in his hands, nearly letting it slip but keeping a firm grip on it.

"Got it!" He said, but not before having to deal with another Raider coming in and unable to use his bow at the moment, Atreus wound up using the ore to block the attack, and even that barely worked. The Raider's weapon managed to break a piece of the mineral off itself, which suddenly caused a bright light to burst out of the crash, forcing Atreus to drop the rock and shield his eyes. Everyone did the same as the light intensified by the second.

"ᛏᚺᛖ ᛚᚨᛖᚡᚨᛏᛖᛁᚾᚾ'ᛋ ᚠᛁᚱᛖ!"

"ᛁᛏ'ᛋ ᛏᛟᛟ ᛒᚱᛁᚷᚺᛏ!"

"ᛗᚨᚴᛖ ᛁᛏ ᛋᛏᛟᛈ!"

Fortunately, this left the raiders open as Kratos wasted no time picking off the rest of them and finishing the chieftain, who Kratos used his open against him, slamming him to the ground and snapping his neck with it. With the battle done, the light coming from the ore soon began to dim before fading away altogether. The three soon went over to it, with Calliope slowly picking the rock back up again.

"I was not ready for that," Atreus said. "It was a huge light! Almost as intense as that of Alfheim."

Mimir then also spoke up "The way the raiders spoke of it. Calling it...Lævateinn. I can't recall if I've heard that before or if it is something I've yet to hear. Just the name of it..."

"Yeah. I think I know what you mean. This is the first I've heard of it, and yet...it sounds familiar to me?"

Calliope looked up at her father and asked "Μπορούμε ακόμα να το χρησιμοποιήσουμε, Father? (Can we still use it, Father?)"

Normally Kratos would discard something like that, but after seeing the intensity of that light, he knew its usefulness had been proven. Now if the Dwarves can weaponize it, then they'll be one step closer to getting Calliope fully ready to survive Fimbulwinter. With that in mind, Kratos turned to see a new light coming from outside, discovering their way out.

"Come." He said to both his kids. "To the temple. Bring the rock."

After hearing that, Calliope happily continued to carry the ore in her hands as they headed out of the cave and back to the frozen lake...

Chapter Text

After acquiring the mysterious ore they had gotten from the cave that was filled to the brim with treasures from the Vault, and a newfound enemy within Midgard, the Raiders, as the Family has taken to calling them, they retraced their steps back to the Temple of Týr. Calliope was beaming with excitement, feeling that she would be getting her new weapon very soon, a sight that both Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir enjoyed seeing from her. She was especially happy to get out of the cold as Kratos used the elevator to lift them back up to the bridge.

"Well, someone certainly happy to be getting themselves a new piece of armament," Mimir spoke, looking over to the Calliope who was still holding the ore in her hand. "I can say myself that I'm curious as to what kind of instrument of combat Brok and Sindri will be able to make out of a rock like that."

"Wouldn't be the weirdest thing we've gotten for them," Atreus replied. "Remember when had to get them those ingredients for the Legendary Dwarven Armor which apparently came in two sets?"

Kratos wished he could forget that. Several dragons, fortresses, and areas were brought to ruin because of a mad King's obsessions that required his sacrifice in the end. Leaving him and his son to pick up the pieces, literally, fighting any left-behind monsters along the way. And it was all for two sets of armor that were at prices more outrageous than the quest itself.

What was more outrageous, Kratos believed, was the fact that they couldn't withstand the cold of the winter they currently facing. He only hoped that he wouldn't have to go through something like that again anytime soon, since their survival, at this point, does not require doing any more requests for dwarves.

It only meant them doing favors for him.

"Πολέμησες με δράκους;! (You fought against dragons?!)" He heard Calliope exclaim. Apparently, Mimir and Atreus were talking to her about their past journey.

"That's right, Cal. It was insane, I couldn't believe we actually did it." Atreus answered.

"I thought I heard some roaring, lighting crackling, and crystals bursting from my place at the mountain when we first met." Mimir remarked.

"Κάποτε νόμιζα ότι τέτοια πράγματα ήταν θρύλοι. Αλλά και πάλι, ο πατέρας είναι ο ίδιος ένας θρύλος. (I once thought such things to be legends. But then again, father is kind of a legend himself.)"

Both kids looked at their father, who remained silent during the whole conversation. It was the thought of him being called a legend, but he was not too fond of it; at this point, he would only ever be known for destruction and calamity, and that was all something he wanted to get away from. But history had repeated itself, and he's called the Gods of these lands, leading to Fimbulwinter. He wanted to believe it when he said, that the cycle ends then and there...but he feared it only started anew. And with that, he feared, meant only one thing for him.

Everyone around him dies, and everything is destroyed. But he will not allow it. He can be better. He will be better, for the sake of his children.

The lift finally reached the top of the bridge and the three made their way to the Temple's entrance.

"You know, Father did tell me about some Legends from his homeland," Atreus replied. "One of which is where I get my name from. Atreus of Sparta."

"Ναί. Ένας στρατιώτης από το σπίτι μου. Αυτός και ο πατέρας ήταν καλοί φίλοι κάποτε. (Yes. A soldier from my home. He and Father were good friends once.)" Calliope stated.

"Wait. Father...friends?" Atreus asked, actually bewildered by the fact that Kratos could consider anyone a friend.

A reaction that did not go overlooked by the man in question as he made a sharp turn and gave his son a look.

Atreus then chuckled nervous. "Eh, heh...sorry."

Kratos groaned before opening up the nearly frozen doors of the Temple again. They all walked inside and greeted the Huldra Brothers once more.

"Ah, you made it back." Sindri welcomed them. "Did these...new adversaries give you any trouble?"

"A bit. But, it's nothing we couldn't handle." Atreus remarked while his sister held up her blood-covered knife.

"Αυτό λειτουργεί πολύ καλά! (This is working very well!)" She said with pride, something her brother and father found amusing.

The fact that it was covered in blood, disgusting him aside, Sindri could guess what she was saying "Well...it's nice to see my work appreciated."

"Speaking of which, you fuckers find anything useful for the Helspits new weapon?" Brok asked

Kratos turned to his daughter and said "Η πέτρα, Μικρή Μούσα. (The Stone, Little Muse.)" And that is when Calliope carried the gleamingly bright ore and placed it on the stable. Brok and Sindri immediately stopped at what other weapons they were working on to take a look at the crystal with piqued interest. They gave themselves a good look, examining it thoroughly, and talked about it with certainty of its uses.

"Hmm...with a few modifications, this could make any sort of weapon." Sindri believed. "Or maybe a hybrid! With the capabilities of shifting in stature if we can reverse engineer the elven architecture in their weapons-"

"Well, we don't need a bunch of nonsense runes and crap stiff sticks!" Brok said. "Based on what you showed me from this guy's sketches, I'm saying we can make ourselves another legendary weapon, even if it is for one of his little turds."

"I know that! I was just brainstorming! It's like you always accuse me of valuing a weapon's design over its purpose!"

"That's because you never let me hear the end of the time we made all those damn swords, shit, and that Hammer for them Aesir pucks!"

"Okay, Mjölnir has nothing to do with-"

Their bickering was silenced by Kratos slamming his hand on the desk. "Get to the point, dwarves. Can you make the weapon I requested for my daughter?"

Brok and Sindri looked at each other before the cleaner one of the two replied "Well...yes. It's possible. But with this sort of material, something we've...honestly never seen before, I'd say we have a chance at a little more than a spear. If I may...would you be so kind as to...show us your...journal again?"

Calming down, Kratos once again pulled out his own journal, flipped the pages to the design of the spear, and set on the table where the brothers got a good look at it. And Sindri tried to see if there was anything else he could work with, flipping a page to take a look at a xiphos, the traditional shortsword of the Spartan Army. Brok also caught a glance and he silently admitted that its design, as well as that of the spear, was something they could both work on with the golden ore.

"Yeah...this could work." Sindra then said, with Brok nodding in agreement. "Kratos, we may have a...special idea for your daughter's weapon. O-O-Only with your agreement, of course, we would like to make it so that the blade can properly match Calliope's stature at the moment...and grow with her in age and skill while you train her and..."

"As I have said, do as you wish and improve on the original design only." Kratos interrupted. "If you believe anything you craft will add to convenience, then so be it. But I do not wish to see machinations hinder her progress over curiosity."

"Of course! We know what to expect and I believe you'll be very pleased with the results." Sindri then carried the piece of ore over to the forgery, without the use of his fingers of course."

"We always deliver the best," Brok added. "Your little helspit will be rocking a weapon that'll put Mjölnir to shame!"

These were the same dwarves who made the Leviathan Axe for Faye, Kratos's wife, and Atreus's mother, or so they say. But, if they were really confident in their craftsmanship, the two saw no reason to doubt them as they had come through before with things that weren't even weapons. For now, they sat back and allowed the Dwarves to work their magic... figuratively, and literally. For a weapon of the caliber they were requested, it took time and patience to get it just right to meet both their expectations and those of Kratos. Fortunately, Kratos understood the value of forging a weapon, considering that the arms of Sparta were only as good as the soldiers who wielded them. He just had to be calm and reasonable with the process. While they waited, Atreus and Calliope spent some time together, getting his sister to learn a bit more about their history, showing some of the artifacts from a year before, albeit a bit frostbitten for sitting in the temple all this time. They even conversed with Mimir, who was glad to have someone to share all his tales with...

That is if they could ever get Calliope to understand what they're saying.

Another thing they were still working on. While they waited, Atreus took the time to help Calliope learn more of the language. He understood her well, now it was time she did the same.

"Now name this." He says, gesturing to his bow.

"Τόξο." She replied.

"Alright, now listen...Τόξο, Bow."

"...B-B-Booow?"

"You're getting it!" Then he takes one of the figures from the shelf. "Now try this one."

"Ενα άλογο?"

"Αλογο...it means 'Horse'."

"...H-Horse?"

"That's it!"

Mimir laughed. "Fine job, lass. You'll soon be a sparkling conversationalist like Ol' Jörmungandr out there."

Atreus smiled as he turned to his sister. "Okay...now I'm gonna get you to say head."

Even Kratos couldn't suppress a smile. He very much enjoyed seeing Atreus and Calliope getting along and was proud of his son to try and teach her a few things about these lands. Atreus was doing much the same with his father, helping him to learn the written language and runes from when they found Lore scrolls or columns all over the land.

While Kratos teaches them to survive, it seems the student has become the master.

A little while later, their new weapon was done. Brok and Sindri presented to the Family a blade that was bright, golden, and shining from the ore it was crafted from. It matched the shape of the xiphos while the handle, wrapped in black leather, was much longer than that of the original weapon.

"Now, I know you say you wanted a spear..." Sindri began to say, taking the weapon with both hands. "...Which is why we added this." And that at the flick of his wrist, Sindri extended the weapon to a full-blown spear, at least long enough to match Calliope's height at the moment. Then the dwarf hands the weapon over to Kratos, who examines it himself. It was definitely unique, to say the least, but he wasn't entirely sure if it was the right weapon for his daughter. While shown to be retractable and as he could feel, light in weight, it took some time before Atreus could learn to handle his bow, even if he was a quick learner. Both his children were, he would grant them that, but they were both victims of being sickly as well, making their bodies weaker, and for him, it was hard to tell which one of them had it worse.

But Calliope didn't look sick here, not now. She sure had enough energy to get up and see the weapon for herself as she came up beside Kratos.

"Θα είναι αυτό το νέο μου όπλο, Father? (Will this be my new weapon, Father?)" She asked.

Looking at the spear, and his daughter, Kratos got on one knee and presented it to her.

"Δείξε μου. (Show me.)" He told her. "Δείξε μου ότι έχεις τη δύναμη να το χειριστείς σωστά. Μετά από αυτό, θα δούμε. (Show me you have the strength to wield it properly. After that, we shall see.)"

Taking the weapon in her hands, excitement and pride filled Calliope's heart as she gasped the handle of the spear tightly, wanting the courage and the strength to claim it as her own. To use it in the thrill of battle and defend her family as she carries with her, in her heart, the Legacy of Sparta.

"Υπόσχομαι, Father. (I promise, Father.)" She said to him before turning to her brother. "Atreus, Πήρα το όπλο μου επιτέλους! (Atreus, I got my weapon at last!)"

"That's great, Cal! Maybe we can go for another sparring match!" Her brother replied. "This time, it'll be more than fair."

In the hopes that his daughter would get used to a weapon such as that, Kratos paid for it and bid the Dwarves farewell. They took the doorway back home and Kratos showed the back of the cabin to Calliope, where Atreus would often practice his archery. Though the snow was up to their knees, they were still able to move as much as they did during the dawn of winter.

"Alright, Calliope. This time, we hold nothing back, okay?" Atreus said as he brought out his bow.

"Είμαι έτοιμος, Atreus. (I am ready, Atreus.)" Calliope replied. "Υπόσχομαι να κάνω ό,τι καλύτερο μπορώ. (I promise to do my best.)"

Kratos stood aside, not wanting to interfere as his two children got into respectable stances with their weapons. As much as he did not want Calliope to get herself hurt, he'd already seen great skill from her in previous battles and trusted his son to not seriously injure her.

"If the two of you are to survive, working together, then you must learn more about each other's skills by facing each other." He said before turning to Atreus. "Remember, boy. Only attack in defense of yourself, never as an indulgence."

"Yes, Father."

And then, Kratos turned to his daughter "Calliope, , ένας Σπαρτιάτης δεν αφήνει ποτέ την πλάτη του να χτυπήσει στο έδαφος. Στέκονται ανάστημα, ακόμα και στο θάνατο. (Calliope, a Spartan never lets their back hit the ground. They stand tall, even in death.)"

"καταλαβαίνω, Father. Θα σε κάνω περήφανο. Εσύ και η μητέρα. (I understand, Father. I will make you proud. You, and mother.)"

Smiling for a second, Kratos nodded and replied "Then, may the best warrior win."

And with that, their sparring match began. This time, Calliope was the one to make the first, thrusting the blade of her spear toward her brother, who countered with his Talon Bow. The wood of the bow was strong enough to handle the impact of the blade as Atreus matched each of Calliope's moves, step for step before he went on the offensive and swung his bow at her, quickly and fiercely, forcing her to try and try and block his attacks as best as she could, but was pushed back by an aggressive swing. Her back met with ice-covered rock, but at least she kept her breath as she what was coming next, her brother launching arrows at her. She broke into a run around Atreus, who didn't let up on any arrows until he seemed to "run out", then she saw her chance.

Switching her weapon to sword mode, she went in closely and started swinging her sword similar to how her father does with his axe, having Atreus dodge and duck while backing away as his sister didn't seem to let up. Eventually, he got an idea where he used his bow to tangle the blade of her sword around its string, and with all his strength, pulled the weapon out of her hands and flung it away. The spear hit the back of the cabin's wall, right next to their father, who had his arms crossed as he assessed that Round 2 went to his son.

"That was clever, Atreus. Well done." He said before pulling the spear out of the wood and then walking over to his daughter. "Calliope, Έχετε ήδη δείξει μεγάλες ικανότητες. Θα έκανες μια χαρά Σπαρτιάτισσα. (You've already shown great skills. You would've made a fine Spartan.)"

He then gives the spear back to her. "Αλλά εδώ έξω, πρέπει να γνωρίζουμε όλο το περιβάλλον μας. Γίνε απρόβλεπτος. Για να μην πέσουμε εύκολα στη δική μας τακτική. (But out here, we must be aware of all our surroundings. Become unpredictable. Lest we fall easily to our own tactics.)"

Taking the spear back, Calliope gripped it firmly, fearing she let slip through her fingers when Atreus tricked her. Kratos places a hand on her hand.

"Δεν μπορώ να σε εκπαιδεύσω ως Σπαρτιάτη. Οχι τώρα. (I cannot train you as a Spartan. Not now.)" He said to her. "Αλλά δεν πιστεύω ότι πρέπει. Εδώ έξω, δεν χρειάζεται να είμαστε στρατιώτες ή πεζοί. Πρέπει απλώς να είμαστε επιζώντες. ενάντια στο τσουχτερό κρύο και τα πλάσματα που κείτονταν μέσα. (But I don't believe I have to. Out here, we don't have to be soldiers or infantry. We simply need to be survivors; against the bitter cold, and the creatures that lay within.)"

Mimir also butted in, saying "That was rather impressive, Little Sister. A bit more practice and you'll stand by your Da and Brother in no time."

Atreus then came around adding "You almost had me a few times. I will admit."

All that they were saying to her, while she didn't fully get the gist of it, she could tell was meant to be comforting. She appreciated it very much as she held her weapon high, and faced her brother with a confident smile.

"ρεβάνς...Rematch?" She asked of him.

"Well, if you want, Cal." Atreus turned to Kratos. "...With Father's permission, of course."

"Continue to train until Nightfall," Kratos replied. "If there is any need to stop, then so be it. Let me know if anything's unwell. I will go search the traps for any caught animals."

"Of course, Father." Atreus spoke for both of them as they continued to spar for as long as possible. The more they fought, the more Calliope quickly seemed to catch up with her brother. And she didn't fall for the same tricks twice, quickly becoming aware of her brother's clever tactics as the next time he tried to catch her blade in his string, she countered by keeping the spear in her hands and pulling back, making sure to have her brother close in a clash.

"You're getting better, Cal!" Atreus said through labored breaths as his sister managed to tangle her new weapon in his bowstring

"Ευχαριστώ, Atreus. (Thank you, Atreus.)" She replied. "Αυτό είναι πολύ διασκεδαστικό! (This is very fun!)"

Both of them managed to back off and take a breather before laughing out of this draw. Atreus looked into the sky and could tell it was truly night as it was more dark than usual and gestured for his sister to head inside. After a dinner of boar that was caught in one of their traps, they all rested until the next day.

In the early morning, Atreus woke up to see his sister sleeping alongside their father. Having an idea in mind, something else to teach her, he got out of bed and sneaked his way over to her.

"Hey...Cal, wake up" He said quietly said to her.

The young Spartan Girl stirred awake to meet the eyes of her brother. While their father lay asleep, she picked herself up and made sure she was fully awoken to see what her brother needed.

"Sorry to wake you up so early. Usually at this time, Father and I would go and see if any other beasts have been caught in the traps we've set up. I want to share that with you."

"Κτήνη;...Beasts?" Calliope was getting better at recognizing words and learning what they meant.

"That's right, Cal. I'm gonna teach you about hunting." Atreus replied as he grabbed his bow and quiver, then gestured to the door. "Come on."

And with that, Calliope carefully left her father's bed and grabbed her knife and a new weapon. They both quietly left the cabin and headed out into the wild woods to check for any traps that had been set off. Atreus and Kratos had planted practically hundreds of them around their grounds, and a little further beyond that. Since the game was becoming harder to keep track of, they were being better safe than sorry. Neither of them would admit it, but they found it lucky to find things like rabbits or even a single deer around their land. Fortunate only seemed to favor these last few days after Calliope got settled in, but nothing was ever that easy.

And just a little bit today as well, as Atreus showed his sister some of the traps that have been set off. A few rabbits had managed to get caught in some of them, which in turn, gave them food. This, he did his best to explain to Calliope as he pulled the lifeless rabbits out of the traps.

"My mother was the one who showed me how to make the nooses and how to set them off." He explained. "Everything she knew about hunting, I learned from her."

"Αυτά τα καημένα τα κουνελάκια. (Those poor bunnies.)" was the only thing Calliope could say at the moment, and with his sister looking upset, Atreus caught on to what she meant.

"Yeah...I wasn't as thrilled as I thought I'd be when I first started. But you've already proven yourself, Cal. Don't give yourself a hard time."

He places his hand on her shoulder.

"Close your heart to it."

Calliope nodded in an attempt to understand, but something told her brother she was not fully convinced. He wished this could be going as well as their training, but it wasn't. She wasn't not too thrilled over the concept of death.

"How about this?" He said, walking over to some other trees and shrubbery, before getting down and pulling what looked like a truffle and some mushrooms. He showed them to Calliope. "You can go find some more things these. Mushrooms, vegetables, uh...λαχανικά."

"λαχανικά?"

"Yeah! Just, don't go too far from where I can't find you." He then turns around and points in front of her. "Head out east from here. There should be some greens that were able to grow through the snow."

With her brother tending to the caught animals, Calliope started to try her best to get with what he had said to her and headed out. She find the sort of vegetables her brother pointed out to her, but the more she picked, the more she became unaware of her surroundings. While the winds were low and some light barely shined through the grey skies, she didn't realize that she wandered far enough to accidentally cross the Stave.

The pockets of her tunic were full of food by this point and she turned to reunite with her brother. But then, she heard the sounds of a wild boar snorting, echoing throughout the forest. She turned, looked around, and saw the beast making the sound. She wasn't sure if it was native to these lands, for it was unlike any boar she had ever seen, having golden runes around its hide and glowing tusks and eyes.

It stood there, eyeing her before she went in to get a closer look, causing it to run and for her to reach out, but she could only see it disappear into the snow.

"(What was that?)" She spoke in her native tongue. "(It was unlike any animal I've seen...I should head back...Atreus would be worried and Father could be awake by now.)"

But as she was turning to make the path back home, a bird's screech echoed throughout the trees and caused her to look around to see what was going on with the wildlife around there. However, the next turn she made had her face a woman, a tall woman in black leather under-armor with silver studs, with a gold and amber brooch at the center of her chest. At her waist, there are multiple places with decorative stitching, hemp, wolf fur, and tanned reptilian hide, held together by a circular pendant with three oval-shaped holes. There was also a rich, walnut-brown embossed leather bag on her hip and a small cape made of crocheted wool. And though her feet were bare, they had a multitude of black wrappings around it. Looking up to her head, Calliope could see that this woman had a rather hurt and rather wrathful expression, with wild hair in a mixture of messy, unkept braids, smoky kohl around her eyes, leaving streaks around her eyes like tears...or war paint.

But the thing that unnerved her the most was the sword in her hand, a shining metallic blade, having an ornate design by its base and pommel, divided by a plain dark brown grip. The Woman held it firmly while staring at Calliope, who slowly backed away and was shakingly trying to reach for her own weapon.

"...Why are you with them, Child?" The woman suddenly asked.

"Τι? (What?)" Calliope wasn't sure what to make of this woman. She seemed threatening, yet did not immediately attack her. "Υπάρχει κάτι που μπορώ να σας βοηθήσω; (Is there something I can help you with?)"

The woman tilted her head. She knew that Kratos was from foreign lands, but this was the first time she had heard his native language and did not recognize it.

Getting on one knee, she got close to the child and asked again "What are you doing with them? You are not from around here. You've no idea the things they've done."

Even though the land was stuck in a perpetual winter, a chill of fear ran up Calliope's back as the woman spoke to her in a low, threatening voice. She had no idea what to make of her, unsure if she should draw her weapon or not.

"I should take you away from them. Get you somewhere safe." The woman said, beginning to slowly reach over to Calliope when another familiar voice could be heard.

"CALLIOPE!" the sound of her brother's voice screaming over to them made both women turn to see the boy rushing over, his eyes widening at the sight of an old friend. Freya.

Drawing a single arrow, Atreus quickly launched it while yelling out "Þruma!" The arrow hit a weak tree behind Freya, causing it to break and fall over and forcing both ladies to scatter. Freya took a defensive stance with her sword as she scowled harshly at the son of the man who murdered her own boy.

"Atreus..." She snarled before leaping like an animal and swinging the sword at him. While she had no quarrel with the boy, his father took her son, and a part of her felt it was fair to do much the same. But Atreus would not wish to father, for her sake, his own, and that of his father's. He would only draw her attention away from Calliope and defend himself for as long as he could as kept his distance from the enraged fallen Goddess.

Seeing her brother putting himself in danger awakened the instincts of a warrior in Calliope, as she did not waste another second drawing her weapon, extending it to a full spear, and rushing over to the woman trying to cut Atreus in half. With newfound speed, she let out a roar and managed to leave a cut on Freya's forearm with a flying leap. This staggers Freya and causes her to move back as Calliope puts herself between the woman and her brother. But Atreus grabbed Calliope by the shoulder and pulled her away.

"No, Calliope!" He yelled, making her turn towards him. "She's a friend!"

Calliope was confused by what he said, but they were both caught off guard when vines came out from below their feet and wrapped around them. They were pinned as Freya walked over to them, looking furious.

"I had hoped to spare her, but if she is with you..."

"Let her go, Freya! I'm the one you want!"

"I do not wish to harm either of you. You're just bait so that I can draw your father out."

"Τρελή μάγισσα! (Crazy witch!)" Calliope yelled as she struggled against her bonds. She was able to get her arms free enough to raise the spear's head, which started to glow similarly to the ore it was crafted from before. Soon, a flash of light came from its edge and all were blinded by the weapon's sudden magic. It was apparently enough to drop Freya's hold on both kids, as the vines retracted before the light was gone. Calliope looked at her weapon, bewildered by the power it possessed, but didn't have to think about it as Atreus took her by the hand and pulled her away from Freya.

"Come on! We gotta run! Τρέξιμο!"

With that, Calliope couldn't agree more. They couldn't go back to the house if it meant leading Freya there as well. So they headed deeper into the woods, forced to put some distance between themselves, the mad Goddess, and their own father. It was a risky move, but one they would have to take to protect themselves. Needing to move through the snow-covered wasteland and find another way back home. For now, their main objective was to survive...

Chapter Text

Going into the freezing cold woods may not have been the best idea, but it was the quickest one they had Atreus was leading Calliope through the snow-covered wasteland he technically called home. It was the best option at the time when his sister had the misfortune of encountering an old friend of his and their father, whose relationship with them is currently, to say the least, complicated. He could only have hoped that he and his sister would've ditched Freya by now, and their only concern for the time being was trying to survive the bitter cold of Fimbulwinter.

As of right now, Atreus was trying to find what remained of the paths he had taken a year ago with a father on their journey, managing to make a torch as best he could with whatever was around. But it wasn't lasting in the snow and wind, as he could even feel frostbite reaching upward. Calliope clung to her brother like a serpent, missing the warmth of their cabin. She hated the bitter cold, as it was the first thing she felt when arriving in this world, and was thankful to have found her father's home here. It's only been a few days since she came into this world, she did not want to die again so soon.

"You still with me, Cal?" she heard Atreus say as she looked up to him with worrisome eyes. Atreus felt bad at putting his shivering sister in this situation, but he promised to get her out of it as soon as possible. "Just keep hanging on. Don't freeze on me. That sanctuary is not far."

While it was not ideal for them to be heading to Freya's old stopping grounds, it was the only other place Atreus would consider safe at this point. It was close by and Atreus believed that Freya may have abandoned Chaurli at this point. He felt bad for the giant tortoise and couldn't imagine how it was suffering in the deep freeze. But he would be sure to heat them all up when they get there. Unfortunately, though, his torch was starting to get put out, forcing him to ditch it. He knew they wouldn't last long without a proper heat source, nor could he guide their way without any light. However, this is where Calliope stepped, taking out her spear, concentrating on the magic and energy that it held and causing it to glow bright with the warmth of a star. Seeing this, Atreus was grateful, giving Calliope a hopeful smile as he took her hand which held the spear, and together, the two guided their own way through the everlasting blizzard.

That was until they felt the ground beneath their feet become smoother, not as much snow. Looking down, they could see that below them was a layer of ice that used to be the river that Atreus and his father used to traverse by boat. Wouldn't have been so bad if Calliope tried to take one step and nearly slip off her own feet. Thankfully, her brother was there to catch her.

"Take it easy." He said, supporting her by the arm. "We'll take this one step at a time. Get real slow...Αργός."

They slowly began to make their way across the frozen waters as Calliope began to mutter something.

"Ένας αληθινός Σπαρτιάτης... χειρίζεται τα πάντα. Αρκετά δυνατός...για να ανταποκριθεί σε οποιοδήποτε πεδίο. (A true Spartan...handles anything. Strong enough...to meet any field.)" She whispered, trying to give herself confidence in this time.

"Huh? What is it?"

"...S-S-Spartans...handle...anything." She managed to get out, and her brother nodded.

"Yeah. That's good. Keep saying that." he told her. He figured having a bit of a conversation would help right now, as long as they're not too loud. "...Calliope...Τι...ζωή ήταν...στη Σπάρτη;"

He tried to ask her how life was like before all this, her life in Sparta. Still didn't get all the words, so what he basically said was "What...life was...in Sparta?"

"Father said...άρρωστε (sick)."

Calliope managed to make it out as she answered.

"Ήταν δύσκολο. Ήμουν τόσο άρρωστος, που μετά βίας μπορούσα να σηκωθώ από το κρεβάτι. (It was...difficult. I was so sick, I could barely get out of bed.)" She began to remember her life from before. "Ήταν θαύμα... που κατάφερα να ζήσω... να δω τον Father... να κάνει σπουδαία πράγματα...(It was a miracle...that I managed to live...to see father...do great things...)"

But then she began to remember when her father came home with chains seared to the flesh of his forearms and a brand new set of weapons found on his back. Once upon a time, did she think it a blessing to be in the service of Lord Ares, but then she began to hear her mother say bad things...frightening things about her father. She didn't want to believe, always thinking her father was a good man who did things for the glory of Sparta...the day she looked at his horror-stricken face through dying eyes was the day that view on life nearly shattered completely. But she knew it wasn't his fault, for he was filled with the warrior's pride and bloodlust, a gift and curse that Ares bestowed on all his champions. There was no doubt in her mind that the Old God of War had made it so that her father would be Ares' greatest weapon...by ridding him of anything Kratos would hold dearly.

She had an eternity in Elysium to figure that out. The Paradisiacal Afterlife of her homeland tried to keep her in bliss and docile, an innocent child forever. But even she could not forget the tragedy that was her short life, and the Fields proved to be nothing but lonely with only her old flute as a company. Every day, she would play in the hopes that her father could hear the sweet tune that she always sounded for him...and come back. When he finally...he had to let her go. Calliope didn't understand it before, but a few more precious moments would mean nothing to a man who would want to spend their entire lives together.

She was glad that she got that chance now...and only hoped to live long enough to see it through. With her brother, she felt like she could handle anything as the two made it across the frozen river.

"See? That wasn't too bad." Atreus said as their feet now hit solid, snow-covered ground. "It's just like how me and father handle anything. Nothing can sto-"

And then, just all of a sudden, it seemed like the floor collapsed below them and they plunged into a sinkhole. Leaving behind only their small footprints that would be covered in snow...

Footprints...That was Kratos found at the edge of the stave. The evidence of a small struggle, but they were no simple beasts. Remnants of vines that smelled of Vanir magic remained behind making it clear who was behind this attack on his children.

"...Freya." He growled.

"Right outside of the protection stave. Na doubt she was waiting for us to come out." Mimir added. "Bit to go after th' children. Not even Freya could be that mad."

"Her desperation to see me dead has led her to endanger my son and daughter." He explained with such contempt. While Kratos does not wish to harm the Vanir Goddess, she makes it very difficult sometimes as he sees the snow kicked up in some places, leaving some tracks. "They headed into the woods to try and get away...Freya took the skies in search of them."

"She could still be around here, brother. Best not to linger here and hurry to find the little ones, yes?"

He didn't need to tell Kratos twice, as the Old God started heading into the woods, in search of his children. He was only having as much luck as finding sanctuary in this forsaken storm; the tracks were already starting to be covered by snow. But it wasn't long before he found something else, bits of ember and soot, from that of a torch. Atreus was lighting the way...for a moment or two, at least, for the torch didn't last.

"Nothing could survive out here for too long," Mimir said. "Even with their training, Atreus can only hold out for so long and Calliope is just-"

"Do not underestimate my son and daughter." Kratos interrupted. "Atreus will take care of them both. They will find a way out of this storm."

"Where could they possibly go that could help them avoid freezing to death?"

"Think. Atreus knows these woods well. There are points of sanctuary that we marked over our journey. Anywhere that has not frozen over, been buried in snow, or can still provide head will do."

True enough, for the ground beneath was practically hollow, with caves and underground chambers that stretched all across their little slice of Midgard. Anywhere like that around here would be enough to provide temporary refuge. Kratos could only hope that they were not too far from him as he looked around in search of any place around the woods to get out of the snow. So far, nothing and the storm was blinding his eyes that he could barely see. But he continued to move before he started to hear cracks.

"Careful, brother. There is a huge chance of ice below you." Mimir warned. "Among other things."

"Ice..."

"From the frozen rivers, of course." That made Kratos turn to see that he was in the same frozen river he once used his boat on. They always used it to find their way back to home and other places. They also led to the caves near Freya's old home and the Lake of Nine, but that trail was almost unstable now. If it led to his son and daughter though...so be it. Kratos started to walk across the ice until he found the tunnel.

"Are you sure about this? Freya could still be about."

"She will not be an issue." Kratos replied, knowing full well that they must go into the darkness...

Despite what anybody would say, the darkness is anything but comforting. It was what was in the darkness that people needed to find any form of comfort in. Calliope of all people would know that well, for she experienced it several times in her existence. But now, as she was finding herself in it again, she felt only a shallow warmth of comfort as her eyes flicked open to see a stone ceiling above her, and a small lit blaze beside her; someone attempted to keep her warm. That had to have been her brother, since after the collapse, she could not think of anyone else as she rose up and massaged the back of her head. Thankfully, nothing was removed from her person as she pulled her spear out to see in the dark and steady herself. The cave she was in was only a small part of the underground chamber she and her brother fell into...

"Ugh...Atreus...Πού είμαι? (Where am I?)" She called out, but then winced in pain, feeling like the fall she took was more bad than she thought. She would've groaned loud enough to echo...had her brother not come out from out of nowhere and cupped her mouth shut.

"Shhh...there's something down here." He said, surprising her before they both looked into the cave they were at. It was a large chamber with some light coming from the surface, but the most disturbing about it was that Atreus was right, it looked like something had been around there. Bone for vermin that were fed on and gnawed clean, discarded weapons from the reavers and the undead...and the corpses of said undead scattered around the place, some impaled on pikes, swords, and spears, some hung up on their own axes as their burnt bodies crumbled to dust. Draugr, Hel-Walkers, and even the Raiders they've recently encountered were set as chopped-up warnings for anyone else in the caves.

"It's carnivorous." Atreus examined as he looked over to one of the bodies. "And whatever it is, it appears to be...human...ish."

Calliope follows and sees the massacre left in the wake of this beast that her brother was describing. At least, that's what she was making out of all this.

"It was fighting through here...practically...ran through all these draugr and walkers," Atreus continued as he saw a crater at the side of the cave...made by a fist crushing the skull of one of the monsters. "...with similar strength to that of father's..." And then, he noticed something else, footprints on the ground, bare of any shoes or socks or anything protective. Looking at the crater, the fist's mark was huge compared to the feet, much bigger than that of a human. Compared to the hands of a troll or orge, these must've been pretty big hands, and they were all heading to another chamber at the right...

Looking back to the left, there was another path, darker but Atreus believed that it was a much safer option than heading to where this beast was going.

"I think we should get out of here." He said but then Calliope saw something else, something bright, shining in the light.

"Atreus! Look!" She said, pointing to the object, and Atreus could only make out that it was round, maybe gold...a shield? Whatever it was, it piqued Calliope's interest as she raced ahead of her brother and ran over to the object that rested below some kind of opening, another tunnel.

"Cal, wait!" Atreus spoke, running after her, seeing that the place was still riddled with bones and pikes. But that didn't matter to his little sister, who got down to what had her curiosity going.

When Calliope saw the glistening object, she was in awe...and in shock by what she saw, a shield that was rather a battered bronze shield and red, with a symbol she recognized all too well the lambda. She picked it up, and held it in her hands, as memories of her homeland flooded her mind. But Atreus was soon to snap her out of it, shaking her.

"Hey! Calliope! We shouldn't be here." He said to her, trying to pull her away. "Come on. Let's go."

But Calliope then turned to her brother, with a rather serious face as she held shield firmly in her grasp.

"Atreus...you know...what this is?" She showed him the shield and Atreus looked at it. It only reminded him of the shield that his mother had given Kratos, bearing a similar resemblance in some way. "This is...ἀσπίς...Spartan Shield..."

And now, Atreus was in awe by this himself. A relic of Calliope's and their father's homeland was here of all places. He knew that there were foreign objects and relics, treasures that were hidden away in Týr's vault at the Temple, but he never saw anything like this. And if Calliope knew of it...perhaps their father would want to see for himself?

"How...this get here?" Calliope asked and she passed a head across its well-worn surface. She couldn't understand it, but every part of it, every inch, every faded scratch and groove. It couldn't have been her father's original shield...could it?

They didn't have time to think about this as there was faint rumbling coming from the tunnel in front of them. It echoed through the chamber as the two took a step back.

"Whatever did this...is still here." Atreus said as he put himself in front of Calliope.

"Τι είναι αυτό? (What is it?)"

"We need to get out of here." But the rumbling grew louder before the two could see something...or rather someone rushing down the tunnel, and soon enough...that beast they described crashed through and landed in front of them.

"RRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!"

The beast of a man that stood before them seemed as large as their father, if not bigger. Pale skin that was caked in scars, wild hair and beard on his face, and a dead right eye. He wore nothing but some red and bronze armor that was engraved with the skulls of goats, a torn loincloth, the right arm and waist wrapped in chains, as well as the right leg. The most noticeable feature that he had was the giant red mark that seemed to snake across his body and was currently glowing red hot, even smoldering. On his right hand was a giant gauntlet made out of stone that was burning bright with fire as he displayed a great amount of rage. Rage that was so familiar to the children, as well as the mark; it was almost like they were looking at-

"...Father?"

"GOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRR!"

They did not have time to think about this as Calliope, panicking, pulled her brother away and ran into another tunnel with the enraged man chasing after them. She held the shield in her arms firmly as Atreus took her free hand to lead the way. Parts of the cave were becoming unstable, as stalactites and icicles were beginning to fall from the ceiling

"Come on, Cal! We need to move fast!" He said before reaching a more open part of the cave. Too open, as there was no floor below them, only a poorly man-made wooden platform over a bottomless pit, as well as ropes hanging around the area.

"We have to jump! Hold on!" He yelled, refusing to lose his grip on Calliope's hand, no matter what. But the beast-man was right up on their tail, slamming his gauntlet against any stalagmites in his way. But the two kids jumped high and mightily, landing on the platform, only for their pursuer to land on the side and wreck the wooden stand, forcing the kids to jump again. Fortunately, there was a small exit ahead, which they ran for. Looking back, Atreus thought they had lost him...but then, the beast literally burst through the side of the cave.

"GRRRAAARRGGHH!"

"WOAH!" This was an unfortunate time for Atreus to lose his foot and knock himself and Calliope off their feet. But they managed to make it through the opening and could see the man trying to pry the exit wide and grab for them with his stone gauntlet.

Looking towards his sister, Atreus quickly pulled himself and her up to their feet, while Calliope made sure the shield was still in her grasp as she heard her brother say "Come on! We need to keep going!"

They kept on running, trying to flee from the man, forced to even climb up some higher platforms before they reached what looked like a mine's railway, the minecart tracks barely intact as they began running across it like a flimsy wooden bridge. But before they could both get across, the beast-man popped out from below and while Atreus was barely able to get to the other side, Calliope was forced to go down, barely managing to bash the shield in the face of their pursuer before sliding down the collapsing track onto another bridge, still having the shield in hand.

"Keep going, Cal! I'll meet across!" She heard her brother call out as he pointed to the solid ground ahead. She continued to and managed to jump from the platform, barely grabbing a chain and strained to climb upward as the man was right up on her, gripping the rock wall with his gauntlet and attempting to grab her.

"RRRMRROOOORRGGH!"

Calliope could barely make it to the top before she felt a hand grab her own. Thankfully, it was her brother, pulling her up and having them continue to run away from the man as they found themselves on another bridge.

"Ruuunn! Go, go, go!" Atreus went as they still couldn't shake the big guy, who was jumping from one rock wall to another. The two were forced to jump another big gap, but the beast-man tried to deter them by throwing a giant boulder at them. But then, Calliope used the shield to intercept the rock and block it away, the old defensive weapon glowing bright red for a moment as the two landed on the other side, hard, but quick enough to continue to run, and even try to hide. A lot of collapsed supports and wooden beams forced them to duck and move low as they still tried to get away, but the man was still behind them, bashing away any obstacle that was in front of him.

The two kids continued to run...but then, came across an obstacle they couldn't get through in time, a high ground that required a boost to reach. Unfortunately, the man was so close, that Atreus was forced to switch to the alternative and pulled out his bow.

"Þruma!" He yelled out, shooting out a shock arrow, only for the man to block it with his gauntlet, and there was no time to lance more arrows. Calliope was now terrified, as this seemed like a situation neither of them could escape. The beastly man then grabbed from her hands with his gauntlet and let out one last angry-

"RRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRR!"

Atreus held his sister close as she buried her head in his chest. Despite how nervous he was, he still had the guts to pull out his knife and point it at the man, who now only glared at them, growling and breathing heavily. But much to his surprise...the man didn't attack, he just turned around and walked away with the shield. He could only guess that fortune favored them this time if that man was only after the shield. But he could still not shake the thought of how he resembled their father, down to the mark. Just who or what was that?

He turns to his sister, burying herself in his chest as he says "Hey...Calliope, it's okay...he's gone now. Είναι...εντάξει...τώρα."

Hearing him say that it was all okay now made Calliope lift up her head and see that Atreus was right. The man was gone and escape from this cave was just above their heads.

"Come on, let me get you a boost." Atreus said to her as they stood up and Atreus got to one knee and cupped his hands. Calliope understood as she slowly placed her foot at in her brother's hand and placed her own hand on his shoulder. "It'll be fine. Me and Father do this all the time."

And with that, Calliope felt herself flying upward and managing to grab the ledge, climbing up before turning back and offering a hand to Atreus, who took it gratefully and the two finally made it out of the caves. However, once they were outside, they were not at any place that was recognizable, at least to Calliope. But the boy had seen this area before it was covered in nearly twenty feet of snow.

"I think we're on the side of the foothills." He said before turning to the right and recognizing the highest peak in Midgard. "Yeah! There's the mountain!"

Calliope looked towards the mountain before seeing her brother move towards the side and start climbing up the rock wall, offering a hand to his sister.

"Come on, Cal. We're not out of this, yet."

And so, the young girl took her brother's hand and they began to climb up to the near base of the mountain. Little did they know that it had been taken over by some adversaries they'd only recently encountered. And while they may find warmth along the way, what they will witness will test their limits in playing with fire. Still, their main objective was to survive.

Chapter Text

Having gone down into the dark caves and soon realizing that he was traversing underground, Kratos was almost surprised to find the underground chambers were filled with the ruined remains of monsters, impaled and hanging like mandibles all over the caverns. Weapons that they carried seemed like they had been used against them, so there was possible infighting, but he'd never seen it happen with these creatures.

"It almost seems to be like your handiwork, brother," Mimir remarked, having a glimpse of the massacre. "Whenever you...let loose your fury, of course."

Compared to how he bashes and smashes, completely demolishing his enemies with his rage until there is nothing left, Kratos could spot the similarities. They were much like how would rip apart foes in the past, an unending fury for pain and anguish left in his wake. And that fury is embodied with a fiery wrath that burns all he attacks to cinders. Looking around, the corpses, the scorch marks, and the essence of rage still lingered in the air. It was all too familiar to Kratos, that it was almost haunting. This...is the Rage of a Spartan, the same Rage that he bottles up and unleashes in combat every day. If that was not enough to prove that there was something strange, then the only other thing he noticed could.

"It is warm in here." he commented, feeling radiating heat all around him as it combated Fimbulwinter's touch. The icicles above were melting, dripping water down to the floor, and there was no brisk wind that was filling the place with a hellish cold.

"Indeed it is, brother. That's quite unorthodox unless it is a form of magic. I know that most realms are affected differently from Fimbulwinter and that Gods such as the Aesir and Vanir have their way of shielding themselves from its touch with their own magic. But I never had seen it in a form like this. It is almost like-"

"Head, enough," Kratos ordered, pausing Mimir's rambling. "Had Atreus and Calliope gone through here, they must've moved quickly. This place is unstable."

"That is true. There are only a few places from the old mines that would lead up to the mountain and down the valley. But surely, the boy wouldn't be heading up there."

Kratos looked around and saw no other footprints. His trail was gone, but he could take a guess at where Atreus was heading, for he could see a part of the cave was already in a greater state of disarray. Not from a struggle, but a chase. Something, or perhaps someone forced his children to go the more dangerous path that led nowhere but up.

"He had no choice." He said. "The earth around him was fragile, destroyed by the creature chasing him."

"What kind of beast would force the young ones to flee like this?" Mimir asked.

"I do not know...but I intend to find out."

"...Forgive me brining this up, brother. But I cannot hide the fact that I grew intensively worried for the wee one's safety. Now, the lad? I know you push to survive worse scrapes this. But your little gal, she's so fragile...do you really believe that she could make it past this?"

"Atreus would protect Calliope with all that he is. I have faith in my children; they will survive."

"Well...just to be certain, I say you best start climbing." the Head remarked as Kratos looked to see outside light coming from up above. Another sinkhole for him to climb out of. Out of the heat and back into the fray...

The brisk cold would be too much on anyone who stayed too long in the freezing wind. Unfortunately for Atreus and Calliope, this is exactly what they going through right now as the boy climbs up the mountainside to the foothills with his sister on his back. And he could handle the cold, for the only thing that was on his mind right now was "Is this how Father felt when he had to carry me?" Now, his sister was actually pretty light on his back; it was the fact that she was coming close to crushing his torso with her arms and legs wrapped around it like a constrictor.

Atreus pants as he reaches the ledge and finds himself on the bluff where Sindri's shop used to be. He could see the setup buried under the snow.

"Alright, Cal...I think we'll be safe up here." He said to her as he managed to get onto solid ground and allowed his sister to get off of him. Their feet sank and their legs were buried in the snow as the foothills were all but abandoned at this point. "Of course, I...could be wrong. We're gonna freeze up here...if we don't find any shelter soon."

Atreus didn't have time to mull over his options. He either had to find some way to go back inside the mountain using the paths he and his father took a year ago, see if that old Valkyrie chamber was still holding, and possibly use the mystic gateway that's inside, try and head back down through the path that leads to the Lake, or, and this is the least likely one, set up a shelter out here and hope for the best they don't freeze to death. There had to have been someplace in this frozen wasteland, up in thin air, that they could last long enough before they would back down to solid ground. The ledge wasn't looking so steep, so if they had a sleigh like he once dreamed of having, they would be out of there in a minute. Until then, they would have to just keep going further up as Atreus leads his sister up the old frozen path.

"The scorn poles...were knocked out by Fimbulwinter." That was one thing he was grateful for, considering he wasn't exactly equipped to deal with poison magic. But still, the more climbing they had to do, the more difficult it became. And the continuing legion of frost-bane enemies, the hel-walkers, didn't make things any simpler. Fortunately, the two children of the God of War worked together and defeated their enemies quickly, Atreus both shooting and whacking enemies with his bow, and Calliope demonstrating her ever-growing skills with her spear, showing fast and agile, delicate yet fierce moves that she once didn't believe herself capable of. By the end, she seemed to surprise even herself, and Atreus was left impressed. That feeling didn't last long when Calliope suddenly had to catch her breath. The cold was getting to her, and Atreus needed to get her out of there as fast as he made it so she held onto him and they continued...

"Just hold on, Calliope...I will get you somewhere safe!" He told her, holding her tight. "I promise..."

"Γιατί... συνεχίζουμε να ανεβαίνουμε; (Why...do we keep going up?)" Calliope asked. "Αισθάνεται σαν... η αγωνία. (This feels like...the agoge.)"

"The mountain...is our safest bet...I know the way...come on."

He continued to lead them up to the base of the mountain. The face carving was not completely obscured by the blinding snow, so Calliope was as amazed as Atreus was when he first came there with their father. But that's when he remembered something else that was exhausting.

"Oh yeah...had to climb up there." He muttered when they re-encountered the blocked path. "...Damn it." Then, he gestured at Calliope to hop on as he started to climb once more. But it was not so easy this time, given that every grip was inches beneath the snow or frozen under a layer of ice. There was a higher risk of slipping here than before, and Atreus really did not want this. But it was only a short way up towards the mouth, and he could get there. He had to...

"Don't worry, Cal!" He said to his sister while huffing it. "Soon we'll be in the mountain and everything will be alri-AAAGGHHH!"

And then, one of the grips loosened, making him slip as he held onto the ledge for dear life. Calliope yelled, not wanting to die a second time as she anchored her arms to her brother with all her strength.

"Hang on!" He cried out as he tried his best to raise his arm and reach for the top, but the last supporting grip gave out and he felt himself come off the mountain's surface. Atreus and Calliope were ready to scream just as they were ready to fall to their deaths...but then...something happened. Atreus felt a grip on his hand, something or...someone was pulling him up as he also never let go of Calliope. Whoever this was, their image was obscured by the snow, wait Atreus could make out the silhouette of a girl, and her hand...was glowing...in a blue flaming light. Atreus and Calliope soon found themselves at the mouth of the Mountain's face. where their vision was no longer blocked so much by the haze of the winter's storm. Yet, nowhere near the doors, nor around the ledge was...anyone. They were by themselves here.

"What...was that?" He asked. "...WHO was that?" A lot of questions were rolling in his mind right now. Was it an illusion? A hallucination? But those wouldn't have been able to save their lives. Was it some sort of guardian spirit? A Valkyrie, even? He did not think those things possible, not at this moment. All questions he couldn't answer right now, as he decided to look after his sister.

"We made it Calliope." He told her with a reassuring voice. "This will be where we can take shelter for now. And there's more space inside in case we need-"

But as she was catching her breath, Calliope then noticed something bright behind her brother and pointed over him to get his attention.

"Atreus, κοίτα! (, look!)" She said, rushing over to another thing, one that Atreus hoped wouldn't provoke something else to try and kill them. But what it was was a lantern of some kind, made of silver and glowing in a bright...blue flame. Atreus has seen a lot of things and knew there was some sort of magic

"Αυτό το φανάρι είναι ελληνικής σχεδίασης. (This Lantern is of Greek Design.) " Calliope said as she took it by its handle and stared into the blue flames that seemed to burn without fuel. Atreus came by and examined it himself, feeling the comforting warmth that exceeded from its fire.

"Whatever it is, it's warm and provides light." He said, gently taking it from his sister's hands. "We can use it to light our way through here. Come on."

And with that, Atreus once more continued to lead his sister as they headed into the mountain. If the mine hadn't completely collapsed or frozen over, they could try and find an alternate route and get back down.

But that was a long way from where they stood...

The harshest of climate and extreme weather can break down many structures overtime. But Kratos could recognize man-made destruction at first glance. It made going through those caves even harder as he was forced to continuously find alternate routes. But at least there were no forms of hostility that already seem to have been vanquished.

"ᛞᛖᚨᛏᚺ ᛏᛟ ᛏᚺᛖ ᚨᛋᚺᚷᛟᛞ!"

(SLASH, HACK, SHWING, DEAD)

...Mostly. There were still some raiders who were hiding from whatever else was in those caves. But they were savage enough to take their chances when it came to encountering their primary target.

"I'm no military expert, but I'd say there were only scouts." Mimir pointed out. "Whatever broke their party drove them into those ambush spots. Perhaps, it was only luck that they attempted to catch us off guard."

"They fought desperately. Something had scared them." Kratos added, analyzing his fallen enemies from the edge of the underground area. "Whatever it may be, it is behind us now."

Mimir replied "Aye. But look where we are now, brother. An isolated path towards the mountain."

It's true, while Kratos did not recognize the route, he could see that the largest landmark in this realm can still be seen through the snow and darkness.

"Surely the lad would not be that cracked."

"Whatever was those caves, it chased Atreus and Calliope, hence the destroyed path. I can see where they could have made up from there."

"Oh dear...that could happen, couldn't it?" Mimir was fearing the worst right now. "Well...I will put my faith in the boy. I just hope the air isn't too thin for them."

Without another word, Kratos started to make his own way up towards the mountain yet again. A path that was far too different than before, in the hopes of finding his son and daughter. Though, he was unaware that something was stalking him...or rather, someone, as in the faint distance, a Falcon's cry could be heard...

Chapter Text

The heart of the mountain has seen better days, having been hollowed out by Giants and dwarfs alike and now worn down by Fimblewinter's blistering cold. But it was the only safe place to travel to now as Atreus kept a tight grip on Calliope's hand, urging him to never let go, to protect her now more than ever as they were guided by the blue light of this mysterious lantern. Its flame was unnatural; it did not flicker or get pushed by any breeze, nor was it fueled by any oils or wood. It just burned by nothing, and its heat was the most comforting warmth either youth felt at the moment.

"How are you doing, Cal?" Atreus asked his sister but did not respond. She just kept looking down at where they were walking. She had been silent ever since they entered the mountain, after nearly dying several times just to get here. Perhaps all this...excitement...from this cycle of calamity was starting to take its toll on the little girl. But Atreus needed her to be a survivalist right now. A huntress, a warrior. Their father was a Spartan, and Atreus swore to him that he would have both of them alive and home, making him proud by getting through this.

"It'll be okay, Cal." He told her. "We're almost there and I'll figure out an alternate route to getting us out of here."

But that is when Calliope finally let out a whimper "Atreus...Λυπάμαι."

"Huh?" There were some words from their father's homeland that Atreus was still trying to figure out. But, like him, so was Calliope...

"S-...S-S-Sorry."

"'Sorry'? For what?"

"...Μας έφερα εδώ. (...I brought us here.)" She said. Perhaps Atreus' suspicions were right; Calliope blames herself for their situation. After all, this whole endeavor had started because she wandered just outside the protection stave and happened to have crossed Freya.

But Atreus also put the blame on himself, should've kept a closer eye. He was having so much fun teaching his sister how to thrive out here, that for but a moment, he forgot about the dangers and that survival was their responsibility.

"No! No, no. Don't talk like that. This isn't your fault, Calliope." He told her, hoping that she would understand him in two ways. "We...will get out of here. We...θα επιβιώσει."

Calliope looked up to see her brother give her a look of reassurance and determination, which she gave a small smile back to. They continued moving through the hallowed mountain, Atreus trying his best to remember the ways they had taken before. They passed by horrid-looking statues which Atreus was certain to be Drauger in hibernation. Despite the freezing cold, the embers of the undead still smolder within their eternal self-anguishing corpses. But Atreus knew that as long as they were not disturbed, they wouldn't have to worry about fighting.

"Stay close to me, Cal." He told her. "We'll be fine. As long as we don't-"

(SNAP)

Both kids looked down to see that Calliope's foot had snapped a root.

"...draw attention...to ourselves."

And, as if on cue, the sound of fires fuming and beasts growling echoed through the cavern as the Drauger awakened, one by one.

Atreus looked as annoyed as his father could get, the expression being uncanny, as he dropped the blue lantern to the ground and he and Calliope armed themselves.

"Here we go again." He said in a low, angered tone as the Drauger spotted the kids before roaring and charging. And with that, Atreus lanced arrows at high speed, aiming at various weak points that he knew the Draugers had; in their heads, and any bursting flaming points or the weakest of their limbs looking ready to crumble. Calliope was on the defensive with her spear, thrusting the blade after parrying attacks before advancing onto the next enemy. When it looked like she would've gotten surrounded, she channeled the power of her spear to cast a blinding light that stunned the undead creatures, allowing her a chance to escape.

"Wait for me, Cal!" Atreus yelled, agile climbing and jumping from Drauger to Drauger, before slamming his bow like a club onto them, while retaking the lantern and bashing another foe in the head with it, the blue flames counteracted with their rage-fueled essence, acting like a poison to them. The Drauger fell, and its comrades looked to see how it died, seeing the lingering blue flames which they traced back to the lantern in Atreus' grip. He turned his attention to the relic, realizing it was more powerful than it seemed.

"RRAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

(SNAP)

That war cry came from Calliope, who slammed her spear into the back of a Drauger's head, snapping it off as it hung by a rotten thread while the body limped and turned aimlessly. It was almost amusing before she then attacked another, with Atreus backing her up. They continued to fight, soon picking them off one after the other, before Atreus decided to try something "fancy", in a way. Throwing the lantern up in the air, the boy lanced three arrows, and right as it was coming, he timed it just right to let the arrows loose through the lantern's flames, igniting them as they hit a Drauger, whose own flames were diminishing from the apparent poisonous light from the blue ones. But they didn't crumble...instead, they looked ready to burst.

"Cal, get down!" Atreus braced hold of his sister and carried her over and away from the fight, just as the the Drauger ignited and took themselves out. The two then stepped and took a breath, happy to see that their foes were gone. And the explosion even cleared the way for them, yet they'll be entering a part of the mountain they've yet to see before.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Continuing to light their way with the lantern, Atreus guided himself and his sister to the cavern. "You fought bravely, Cal. I knew you could do it."

"Αυτοί οι εχθροί... ήταν τρομακτικοί, αλλά... ήμουν γενναίος. (Those enemies...they were scary, but...I was brave.)" replied Calliope as she smiled at her brother, building both their reassurance in survival.

"Yeah. See? Nothing can get in our way. And with any luck, we might be near the mountain's base. We'll be out of here in no time."

As they forged on through the tunnels, the sound of metal scraping against frozen stone soon started to echo throughout the cavern. Atreus paused for a second, getting the feeling that he knew what that might just be, and did not want to stick around to find out. The last thing he needed was another fight, especially if it was with a brutish enemy with a ridiculously huge weapon.

"Come on. Let's not figure out what that sound is." He said to Calliope as they continued, having the light guide them through the darkness. However, they soon reached a fork in the road, and there was no telling where they led or if the tunnels were endless.

"Three passages. One of them's got to lead to the outside."

And that is when Calliope noticed something, another 'gift' from the lantern. Though there was no wind, its flame was waving, moving in the direction of the tunnel on the left. As if deciding to test it out, she suddenly took the lantern from her brother's hand.

"Hey, Cal. Wha-?"

"Ρολόι... (Watch...)" She points the lantern to the other tunnels, but its flame still moves to the tunnel on the left. Like a compass that doesn't point north, yet hopefully, to what they would want most at the moment. In this case, a way out.

"Δείχνει, Atreus. (It's pointing, Atreus.)" She said. "Νομίζω...μας οδηγεί κάπου. (I think...it's leading us to someplace.)"

Atreus caught on to what she was saying as he took the lantern back and saw the flame stretched to the left tunnel. And then, he hears the scraping of metal on stone again, this time, coming closer. Deciding to push their hopes with this, Atreus re-took Calliope's hand, and the two decided to follow where the flame stretched out too. The tunnels were like a maze, seemingly without end or the two kids find themselves back to where they originally were if they took too many wrong turns. Was it some sort of magic, or were their minds playing tricks on them? Regardless, they need not worry too much, for the lantern had lit their way and even seemingly showed where they needed to go. Soon enough, they could feel an actual breeze about, cold air pushing through the caverns. It could only mean there was an opening outside, and they could use it to get out of this Hel-bitten place.

"We're almost out of here, Cal." Atreus said as Calliope picked up to pace to keep up with her fast-moving brother. The Lantern was soon not the only source of light, as up ahead was light from outside, from Midgard's currently everlasting moonlight. They soon reached the exit and hoped to finally be free.

Unfortunately, though, the light came from just above their heads.

"Oh no...and here I thought we were close." Atreus muttered to himself, not wanting to show his sudden loss of hope.

They were in but a large part of the cavern now, a large open area, but a dead end nonetheless as stone walls encircled the two youths. But there was a grave that would be perfect for plundering, and a statue, a large statue that rose up to nearly the same height as the crevice that led outside. The statue was much like the one of the stag that was back in the Giant's Mouth. However, it was that of a God, one of the Aesir, yet one that Atreus seemed only vaguely familiar with. It was a Hunter, with a quiver of arrows on his back, duel axes by his sides, and a large bow he held in his hands like a staff towards the ground. There were also two monoliths on either side of the statue, yet the curved top had an odd design. Runes spelled "ᛊᚾᛟᚹ (Snow)", and "ᛊᛈᛖᛖᛞ (Speed)"

"Huh. I think I've seen him before." He said, trying to remember. "What did mom say about him."

Calliope crouched down to the pedestal where the statue stood, wiping snow from where it covered more runes, to reveal a name spelled.

"ᚢᛚᛚᚱ"

"Oh. It's Ullr. God of the Snow, actually. Though, I can't really blame him for Fimbulwinter."

Calliope looked around either side of the statue, and much to her surprise, she found a little, cruelly handmade wooden ladder, something that was probably used while in the construction of the statue.

"Atreus, πιστεύεις ότι μπορούμε να ανεβούμε και να φτάσουμε στην τρύπα; (Atreus, do you think we can climb up and reach the hole?)" She asked her brother as she gestured to the old latter, which looked like it could snap if anyone used it right now and up to the statue and the crevice.

Atreus caught wind of this but looked at his sister incredulously.

"Wait, you really wanna use that?" He asked, looking at his sister, who shrugged and raised her arms as if she was expecting a better plan from him. Then Atreus sighed. "Alright, but you..." he points to her and then upward "πήγαινε... πρώτα." He still was catching up on his Greek. "εγω...δευτερο."

Calliope nodded and was about ready to climb, but then paused when she heard something. The scraping was back, echoing louder and louder until both children knew that a new enemy was approaching, and they had yet to escape.

"Oh no..." Atreus pulled out his bow. "Calliope, go! Αναρρίχηση! I'll hold it off!"

But his sister suddenly ran to him, pulling out her spear. "Όχι αδερφέ! Οι Σπαρτιάτες δεν αφήνουν ποτέ ο ένας τον άλλον πίσω! (No, brother! Spartans never leave each other behind!)

Atreus then saw Calliope giving him the most serious face she had seen out of her.

"Και ΔΕΝ υποχωρούν! (And they DO NOT retreat!)"

Seeing that she was determined to stay with him, no matter what, Atreus reluctantly agreed, but had Calliope stay behind her as they readied themselves for whatever was coming their way. The being they were about to face was no Drauger, but something worse, something that could thrive in the forsaken cold. A Hel-Raider, but none like any other, for it, was burly and had a muscular build more intimidating than the Vikens. It wore fur-edged leather shoes that were once brown but seemed to turn white from the icy resurrection it had gone through, blue-colored pants with knee protectors, and an armored loincloth with belly armor held by two frost-covered belts. On its upper body, which had also turned an icy mix of blue and white, it wore stick fur which covered its back to the waist and added to a nuclease-like holder around its neck while its chest was exposed and covered in an Elder Futhark tattoo. The fur had also turned from brown to grey from the hel-magic. The same goes for the neck-length hair and a beard that had french-fork-styles braids in it and covered half of his face.

There was also a blood-stained gash in its neck, indicating the cause of death.

It carried a large mace with the spiked end scraping the ground in one hand, and a circular, wooden/armored-plated shield in the other. It wheezed with every step it took before coming into full view of the two youths.

The moment Atreus saw this monster, he recognized who it truly was...

"...Modi?"

(Well, someone suggested it. And I had this idea in mind for a while now.)

The Hel-Raised Undead Modi roared sinisterly before charging in with his weapons, attempting to crush the two with one blow from his now icy mace. The two swiftly avoided the attack and scattered, moving away from the corrupted son of Thor. Atreus felt a sense of anger rising up within him when he saw Modi. He could never forget how many times the bastard insulted, insulted his family, his mother. Every dirty slur that spewed from his mouth, even when he was on the brink of death. And even when he was not in the right state of mind, Atreus felt no satisfaction upon Modi's death.

It was not even close to what he deserved.

"I beat you once...and I'll do it again." He growled under his breath, launching and reloading arrows faster than whenever his father commanded him at the Hel-Modi. Each arrow hits its mark and sinks deeper than the last. Yet, the frozen fiend seemed unaffected as he turned his attention to Calliope, who held her spear, but her grip was shaking.

"ᚠᚱᛟᛉᛖᚾ...ᛗᚢᛊᛏ ᚠᚱᛖᛖᛉᛖ ᛁᛊ ᚨᛚᛚ..." He spoke in old norse. The Corruption of Hel had the brain in his rotten corpse primitive. All he knows is kill. But he wouldn't get his chance yet as Atreus rushed in and smashed the lantern into his face. That did push him back, making him writhe in pain before Atreus stood before his sister defensively.

"Stay with me, Cal!" He said. "If you're not leaving...then we're gonna have to take him!"

"Θα σε ακολουθήσω, Atreus! (I will follow you, Atreus!)" She replied as they saw Hel-Modi come charging in and swinging his mace at them. He fought as he did in life, if not slower and less strong. If Atreus remembered correctly, the minor son of Thor always favored intimidation and use over his magic. And that's exactly what he saw when he used his mace to throw a projectile at him. But this was a bit different, as instead of electricity, it was ice. Regardless of that, however, it was still the same Modi, and Atreus knew what to do.

"Cal! Follow my lead!" He said he ran in while sending arrows to Modi, who blocked some with his shield. Calliope charged behind Atreus, and when her brother stopped and crouched down, she knew what maneuver he was planning and climbed on top of him. She then jumped and with all her might, ironically swung her spear like a club and had the club make contact with Modi's face. It staggered him, but he was not going down easy.

"ᚹᛁᛚᛚ ᚲᛁᛚᛚ ᛁᛟᚢ!"

He charged again, but Calliope stabbed her spear into his shield before putting the back end into the ground. This was an attempt to throw Modi off-balance, which sort of worked as he nearly tripped over his own feet before slowing down. The spear was still embedded in his shield as he swung it behind him, with Calliope refusing to let go. The blade soon loosened and fell out of the frozen wood. Calliope fell onto her shoulder, but her counter left Modi open for Atreus to re-try a new attack of his, tossing the lantern up and with precision timing, sending three arrows through the flames before they hit their mark in Modi. Each arrow ignited and burst into blue flames that heavily damaged Modi as he tried to shake off the mysterious fires.

Yet, Atreus still did not feel satisfaction from the undead demigod's pain.

However, that shouldn't matter to him at the moment, as he saw Calliope, having recovered, and was now rushing over to the stunned Hel-Modi, sending to him a barrage of attacks with cuts and stabs coming from the spear of Lævateinn. But it came to an end when Modi raised his shield in defense, pushing away Calliope before stepping back himself. Atreus saw what he was doing, hitting his mace against his shield, charging up hel-ish ice energies. His sister went in, but Atreus knew that's what the fallen God wanted.

"Wait, Cal!" he cried out, but it was too late.

"ᚠᚱᛖᛖᛉᛖ ᛚᛁᚲᛖ ᛗᛖ!"

The last bash to the shield sent out a shockwave of ice and frost towards the two youths. Now, they were covered in the stuff with the cold stiffening them and slowing their movements.

If there was any bit of consciousness left in Modi, it made him laugh menacingly.

"ᚾᛟᚹ, ᛁᛟᚢ ᛊᚢᚠᚠᛖᚱ!"

Though he was on the ground and covered in frost, Atreus still tried to reach for his bow and for the lantern. But Hel-Modi towered over him, ready to kill as he raised his mace overhead. But Atreus won't die here, as Calliope was still active and still had her spear in hand, using it to reach for the lantern, taking it by its ring before pointing its intensifying flames over to Hel-Modi. She concentrated on bringing out the light from the spear's blade, which mingled with the flames of the lantern before it intensified altogether, causing a huge flash in Modi's face, which caused him to screech and cover his face with his hand while swinging his mace wildly. The two siblings managed to get away as the frost cleared from their bodies and they watched as Modi blindly walked back to the cavern he came from, unfortunately hitting the wall with his mace in the process, causing it to crack as Atreus almost instantly knew what that meant.

"Come on, Cal!" He said, picking up his sister and their weapons as he made for the statue. The chamber was starting to collapse from Modi's recklessness, but the two still had their way out with Atreus and Calliope climbing up the statue with the crevice just above their heads, yet still out of reach. But it was close to one of the walls, so Atreus knew how to just barely reach it.

"Get ready to jump, Cal!" He said before he braced his feet on the cave wall and his back to the statue's head, doing as his father told him and pushing with everything. Calliope braced herself before the statue began to give and topple over, to which she and Atreus made for the crevice. With a mighty jump, they were barely able to reach a grip as they looked to see the statue crumbled down below them.

"Hope no one's gonna miss that," Atreus said before turning to Calliope. "Start climbing...whenever you're ready."

They both began to move up, but the snow and ice made it slippery as they were about to reach the top. Calliope was almost out, using the hand that held the spear first.

"Aah!"

But Atreus wasn't as lucky. Seeing him about to fall made young Spartan Girl act quickly as she managed to grab his hand the second he lost his grip. She extended Lævateinn, bracing it between both sides of the hole as she pulled her brother.

Atreus breathed heavily before looking up to his sister. "...Thanks, Cal."

The two shared a smile before making their way up. While it was a relief to be out that desolate underground, the outside wasn't so better, now back into the blistering as they found themselves on the side of the mountain. Though Atreus could see the highest peak of Midgard not too far away, the path ahead was still desolate, and they two had already gone through so much. At least they still had the lantern, but now, that might just be a little comfort.

"Come, Cal." He took his sister's hand again, "Το ταξίδι μας... τελείωσε."

Calliope nodded and they continued upward. Until they found a way home that didn't take longer than it already was, they had to keep moving.

At least they saw the last of that Hel-bitten Modi...

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Or so they hoped...

Chapter Text

While Atreus and Calliope continued to make their way to the summit, the sun was setting behind the clouds, and a storm surged in the woods below. Their father, Kratos, was losing himself in a forsaken maze within the currently barren tundra of Midgard. It was hard to see anything through the blizzard, and movement was slow as his feet were buried with each step. Still, the old God pushed onward, much to the dismay of his only companion, the head, who felt like he was being frozen from the inside out at the moment.

"Brother, I really suggest that we seek shelter," Mimir stated out loud. "We still have some ways to go before we reach the mountain, but that won't do us good if we freeze to death first!"

"I will not stop," replied Kratos. "If my children seek to persist in their survival out here, so shall I."

"I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news here, but we've been slowin' down ever since the storm hit us so suddenly. You normally hear this from the baddies, I reckon, but your persistence can only get us far now."

Though he came to know the head as a trusted ally, Kratos would not let him be excused for how annoyingly infuriating his low spirit was down to this point. No amount of talking down would keep him from finding his son and daughter. He will persist and ensure their safety, even if it means sacrificing himself. On that, he was certain. But as he continued to march through the snow, he soon took notice of something: the cold winds blowing against him were subsiding, and the snow below his feet shrank to a more manageable level. It was almost like the blizzard was finally coming down, even through this endless winter. Was nature finally giving him a reprieve? Or was something else in play?

"Brother, look at that!" Despite facing back, Mimir had spotted something within the blur of the mist, his omnivision knowing no bounds. Kratos had seen it, too; however, what appeared to be a dome in the storm, a place where the wind would not touch. Mimir would've ruled it out as a trick of Fimbulwinter, something to play their in a lure of false hope...but then again, when you magic jewels for eyes, you definitely point those out. This was obviously magic, and obviously something meant to lure them in. No doubt in Kratos's mind that it was a trap, but from whom? Freya had never displayed such magic before, let alone most creatures they've encountered on their journey. The Gods of these Realms have yet to continue their hunt on the God of War and his boy, and Midgard was by all means isolated from the rest of the realms at this point. That much was clear.

So then, what was this?

"I wouldn't advise approaching, brother." Mimir commented, knowing full well his pleas would be ignored as Kratos marched towards the dome.

"You said we need to find shelter...we will claim it in here."

And with that sarcastic pun out of the way, the head braced himself as Kratos took his axe and walked through the dome like thin air. Inside the dome, it was strangely bright for an area as dark and stormy as these woods, but it was far more clear to see in here. It was a small space, no bigger than the land around Kratos's cabin, and while there seemed to be no one present, Kratos kept his wits about him and raised his axe for any possible ambush.

That is when say it, however, a shade, unlike the creatures that flee in the distance, or those that hide in the shadows, this one seemed vaguely familiar to the old Spartan. A cloaked figure, whose appearance was obscured too much by darkness that almost no one could make out its looks, and yet Kratos saw glowing spots adorning its body, spots that were all too familiar. The mark of a heavy burden from someone who tried to see love from someone who did not even know the meaning of the word. Only one who helped him in the far past, at the near beginning of his catastrophic campaign, had carried this mark and used the power of the shadows to avoid those who hunted him.

When Kratos tried to approach the shade, it vanished, no...it teleported...

"Impossible..." whispered the old God, who looked around and saw the shade again, walking alongside the edge of the dome. He knew who this being was, for he died in his arms after granting him an honorable death.

But at this moment, he was another chain brought back from the past.

"...You've changed much since last I saw you, old friend." the Shade spoke in a humble tone, with the voice of a young man, but also in the native tongue of Kratos's homeland.

"...Orkos..." Kratos said with the same disbelief he had when he first saw his father in Helheim. But this was no illusion...never mind that Orkos actually had the power to create illusions.

It was indeed the son of the Furies himself, the former Oath Keeper to the Greeks, freed from that burden with his martyr at the hands of the Spartan, and the one who helped to send on his path of vengence and destruction.

"This...cannot possibly be real." Kratos under his breath as the Shade of Orkos approached.

"I had the same disbelief in my eyes as you, Spartan, when I too found myself breathing life again..." That is when the Shade began to diminish itself and reveal the true former Fury himself. Orkos was no longer dressed in his old Greek wear, however, but instead cloaked in the warmest fabrics and animal hide he could salvage from these lands. He wore a hood over his head, a long cloak that barely touched the ground, a bundle of belts and satchels around his waist, along with patched-up fur pelts. But he was without protection on his feet, his hands, and the front of his cloak was open to reveal his tans, crater-filled chest. New clothing aside, he still looked as if hundreds of years had not passed since Kratos last saw him.

As if Calliope's sudden revival wasn't shocking enough. What was causing this?

"...I...I had killed you a long time ago..." Kratos finally replied to him in Greek, the language was something Mimir was only barely beginning to understand.

"True, but that was a fate I asked you to grant me..."

"Then explain to me how this is possible," Kratos demanded. "You are a phantom of my past come back to life. First...my daughter...and now you..."

"I wish I could explain everything, Kratos. But please understand that there is a tremendous force binding our souls to this plane of existence. And we may not be the only ones who have come back from oblivion."

"There are others?" What Orkos speaks of sounds like madness to Kratos, and he had to hear plenty of Mimir's stories that shocked even him. But more people from his past arriving, alive and well, and in an untold number to be precise...that is a recipe for disaster. There's no telling how far it would shift the supernatural balance of things in this world. It could lead down a chain of events to something far worse than the prophesied Ragnarok...

"Brother, what exactly are you talkin' about? I'm a little behind in speaking the Greek tongue." Mimir said.

Spotting Mimir hanging from the old God's hip, Orkos couldn't help but smirk a bit. "I see you've managed to make new friends. At least this decapitation was voluntary and not too different from the reason you freed me."

"Do not avoid the questions, Orkos. Who else has come back?"

"I wish I knew...but these lands are vast and cruel. They could be in hiding, as all others are at the moment. But know this, Spartan: I am not some devil from your mind come to haunt you with guilt and sorrow over your past history. I will aid you if needed."

It would take more than that to convince Kratos of Orkos' good intentions. Even after everything he's experienced by far, you cannot blame his suspicions and paranoia. There was still another matter to point out as Orkos reached from something buried in the snow. A relic that Kratos once thought destroyed upon his discarding of it, but the metal-encrusted handle, the silver filigree laid into the ornamental design, and the face of one of the Titans capable of casting the most powerful wings in the human world...Typhon's Bane.

Orkos summoned its mist-shrouded bow before pulling at the thin-aired string and letting loose one of the finest gusts of wind it had ever loosed in a long time. And from the wind, the dome and the blizzard dispersed around the three, making the path to the mountain once again clear for Kratos.

"This path shall take you where you need to go. Though...you might want to watch out for any more obstacles..." And with that, did Orkos shift and teleported out of sight. Kratos could take at what he meant by that, as then, out of nowhere, a creature of four legs made itself known and struck. Soon, everything turned white...

White...as white as the snow around them. Calliope had feared the worst when she felt her own eyes trying to force themselves down. She was exhausted, tired, and feeling frozen from the inside out. Her brother, Atreus, was dragging her along with all his strength, in what started to feel like a pointless endeavor to get to higher ground for a means of returning home. But they've traveled all the way up here to find nothing, with only a flickering blue flame to continue guiding them up to the peak. At this point, even through the darkness of her closed eyes, did all Calliope see was white. She wanted to pray that it was a light calling her, for she wanted to continue with this new life of hers for as long as she possibly could.

However, the white soon faded, and Calliope found herself within another cave, lying on the ground, feeling warm as she spotted what appeared to be another statue of a God of these lands. In fact, it was very similar to the one they had to destroy while escaping from that frozen, undead demigod. A hunter with a quiver of arrows on his back and a staff-long bow in hand, and dual axes by his side. It was another statue of Ullr. It would seem that whoever built the monument to this Aesir was persistent his reputation if they were continuing to build statues.

In fact, as she sat up, she could see that person currently working on the two columns in front of the statue.

He was dressed in a blue tunic with a hood, fur, and leather, as well as boots specifically designed to handle walking in piled snow. However, there was a shackle attached to his right wrist, with the chain snaking across the ground to some place in the dark. Could he have been a prisoner? A slave forced to make these statues in favor of the Gods?

Whatever this person's story was, the young Spartan Girl might find out as he turned to meet her eye and revealed that he had a red beard on his face.

"...You're friend's awake." The person called out to the left and out of sight from Calliope. She was very grateful to see that it was her brother, looking well himself.

"Calliope! Are you feeling alright?" Her brother immediately went into comfort and concern mode, wanting to make sure that she wasn't suffering from any effects after spending way too long in the blistering cold. But Calliope was more concerned about the stranger, who seemed to have offered them sanctuary while she was out.

"...Atreus, ποιος είναι αυτός; (Atreus, who is that?)" She asked him, pointing to the man who looked uninterested in their conversation and just continued working.

"Well, he's the...owner of the cave." Atreus answered, so sounding unconvinced himself. "He...allowed to...stay in here while you were falling asleep. Apparently, he was the one who made the statue in the cave."

"Yeah, thanks for wrecking the last one, by the way." He said to the while he got to chiseling the words, "Snow" and "Speed" on the columns in Old Norse. Had they not known that the statue of Ullr back down there was his work, they would have started to feel bad.

"We are...sorry about that, sir. We were just trying to-"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it, kid. Wasn't a good place for a statue anyway." He remarked while stepping back to admire his work. The statue of Ullr stood tall and proud, even in a desolate place such as the frozen cave of the mountain. The two children walked up and admired the craftsmanship of the statue themselves; it was considerably better to look at than any statue of Thor Atreus, and their father had seen by the lake.

"It's really good." Atreus said.

"Yeah, I should charge admission." replied the man. But there was one thing on Calliope's mind.

"Γιατί είσαι αλυσοδεμένος; (Why are you chained?)" She asked him, pointing to his shackle and chain, though the man didn't seem to get what she said. Atreus translated, saying, "She asked Why are you chained?"

"...Because the Gods don't care for me much." He said while putting his tools away and walking over to a corner of the cave. "But it's not too bad. I like the cold, the scenery. I started to feel at home here."

Atreus and Calliope looked at each other before the boy once again replied, "Well...we'll get out of your way soon. We were hoping to reach the mystic gateway at the peak of the mountain."

"I'm afraid you're in the wrong place for that. There's no way to reach the peak from this side of the mountain. No place to climb, no way out of this cave besides..." He gestures with his head to the cave entrance, which leads down a really steep path. Atreus moved his head down, starting to feel hopeless as the blue flame from the lantern continued to dwindle. But the man spoke some more. "...If you could leave, where would you go?"

"Back to the Wild Woods. Our home is there."

"...Alright."

And with that, the man got up and moved to another dark side of the cave. The kids couldn't see what he was doing until he came back out, pulling something along. To Atreus' shock, it was a sleigh. The same dog sled that he saw in his dream some nights ago. The sight of it was something that was all too familiar to Atreus, and it made him rule out any connections being coincidental.

"This should take at least halfway, if lucky, a little more than half of where you need to go. From there, you can keep this old thing, but you'll have to push and walk."

Wasting no time, the two kids got in with Atreus taking the reins and Calliope sitting in the front. The blue flame from the lantern was blooming brightly now as Atreus gave a hopeful look to the stranger.

"Thank you." The boy said. "...Will we ever see you again?"

The stranger had an expression that showed him tired, as if he's seen it all and done it all, before he replied "...Probably not. But you never know. Look up to the mountains and think about me, if you can..."

He then started to give the sleigh a push.

"Welp, out you go."

And so, Atreus and Calliope were out into the cold again, but at least they making progress in getting back home as the wind in their faces blew against them, but they felt alive. Whoever that stranger was, he did them a great favor. And some could say, to find such things would be like a gift...from the Gods...

Chapter Text

Through the thick of sleet and snow, do the children of the Cruel Striker barely see through the haze and freezing mist of the everlasting snowstorm while feeling as if they were plummeting down the steep, smooth, opposite side of the mountain. The gift they had gotten from the stranger in the cave was running its course, almost literally, as they sleighed they rode dug through the snow and ice like a chisel carving out a fine line of wood. The mysterious lantern helped to light the way as the fires of hope dwindled and helped to guide the siblings safely down the mountain.

"We're making good time, Cal!" Atreus yelled back to his sister, driving in the front while Calliope held onto him for dear life in the back. "We'll hopefully be hitting the ground soon enough."

Calliope didn't reply, too busy trying to avoid freezing to death as the snow hit them like a hurricane. A part of her wished they had remained back in that cave; at least there, it was warm. What she wouldn't give to be warm again, warm as Greece, how Sparta was when she first lived there. The blazing sun over the fiercely built architecture of her home city. The youth of the Spartan Legion basked under its warmth as they trained to be their family's next military might. Even if she hadn't been able to enjoy the feeling, being bedridden at the time, there were moments when she was with her mother and father that were enough. Her father was built to endure this harsh, cruel environment, as was Atreus, though he still had much to learn. She, on the other hand? Calliope believed that she was only fortunate to have made it this far, surviving against monsters, enduring the most violent of scenarios that nature itself threw at her and Atreus. Without their guidance and leadership, she didn't think she'd fare as well as they did out here.

She was knocked out of her train of thought when the ride down began to feel bumpy, yet less steep. They must've been reaching the bottom as she held on tighter to her brother.

"Hold on, Cal! This is gonna be rough!" The boy feared that they would crash as the mound of snow ahead of them looked big. Fortunately, the sleigh held on much better than they originally thought, and blasted right through the snowpile before landing on steady ground, slowly coming to a stop.

"Okay...we made it." said Atreus as he and Calliope disengaged the sleigh, and he looked around to see...hardly anything. The mist and the snow still covered everything so heavily. As far as Atreus knew, he and Calliope were on the other side of the mountain, the edge of the map, uncharted territory. But they were going to go any further than that as he took the Lantern and lit the way with one hand, and took his sister's hand in the other.

"We're not out of this yet, Calliope. Stay close to me." He said.

"Α-Α-Ατρεύς...(A-A-Atreus...)" She replied. "Αυτή η καταιγίδα... χειροτερεύει. (This storm...it's getting worse.)"

"I know. But we'll go through it. Stick to me, and I promise we'll get out of here alive..."

It was a short walk out of the mountain area before they found themselves heading into woodland. The mist made it a maze that was out of a ghastly tall tale, as the two unfortunately had to take slow, marching through the trees and hoping not to get caught off guard by anything that could catch them by surprise. The snow seemed to subside a little, no longer falling as heavily as it had before, as the light from the lantern shone a clearer path before the two. It even felt as if the temperature rose a little, still blistering cold but no longer cold enough to freeze. Perhaps nature itself is finally giving them a break after all this.

But then, there was a sound of something...scurrying about, around the trees, not too far from where the kids were walking. They didn't notice it at first, but after three times of hearing that unnatural noise, Calliope turned her head to where she thought it was coming from...and then another time when she heard it again at another place. Was something watching them?

"Atreus, το ακούς αυτό; (Atreus, do you hear that?)"

The boy stopped to listen, but no noise was made after that. Either his sister was jumping at shadows...but his instincts were telling him otherwise.

"...Stay close, Call. Μην σταματάς να κινείσαι. (Don't stop moving.)" He told her. They continued on their way before spotting something that was breaking through the fog. A source of light, natural to their own, possibly from an encampment nearby. Atreus doubted there would be any friendly faces coming from it, should anyone else alive be other. If not the undead and parasites, the most they had to worry about were Reavers and Raiders.

"Calliope, down."

The two crouched when they came across the light source. It was, in fact, a camp with raiders near a built fire. And from Atreus could tell, they had just finished feasting...on animals...and they weren't deer. Atreus wondered if he and Calliope should take them by surprise and attack them or just move on...but he didn't have to worry about making that choice, as the scurrying noise came back. The raiders had heard it as they had gotten up and readied their weapons, thinking it would be something they'd have as seconds.

"ᛏᚺᛖᚱᛖ ᛁᛋ ᛋᛟᛗᛖᛏᚺᛁᚾᚷ ᛟᚢᛏ ᛏᚺᛖᚱᛖ."

"ᛁᛏ ᚹᛁᛚᛚ ᚾᛟᛏ ᚷᛖᛏ ᚠᚨᚱ."

"Atreus..." Calliope whispered, but her brother merely raised his hand, not wanting to make any moves yet. They continued to hide as the scurrying came nearer. Then, there was chirping, and the sound of... wings? From some sort of bugs? Fluttering about the campsite. Both the children and the raiders were listening carefully, with the latter looking around, weapons raised for anything that could be around.

"ᚹᚺᚨᛏ ᛁᛋ ᛏᚺᚨᛏ?"

"ᚲᛟᚢᛚᛞ ᛒᛖ ᚨᚾᚤᛏᚺᛁᚾᚷ. ᚾᛁᚷᚺᛏᛗᚨᚱᛖᛋ, ᛈᚱᛟᛒᚨᛒᛚᚤ."

What they weren't expecting was for a kind of giant, insect-like creature with glowing lower abdomens to come rising out of the snow or down from the sky. There was a small group of them, but their numbers were continuing to rise like a swarm. The Raiders had no idea what hit them until it was too late.

"ᚹᚺᚨᛏ ᛁᚾ ᛏᚺᛖ ᚺᛖᛚ ᚨᚱᛖ ᛏᚺᛟᛋᛖ ᛏᚺᛁᚾᚷᛋ?!"

"ᛁ ᛞᛟᚾ'ᛏ ᚴᚾᛟᚹ! ᛒᚢᛏ ᛃᚢᛋᛏ ᚴᛁᛚᛚ ᛏᚺᛖᛗ!"

The insectoids came and, in a sudden movement, started ganging up on the raiders, clawing and biting them. One of them seemed to even latch onto the back of the raider, and...well, it was safe to say that what Atreus and Calliope saw would've traumatized them both if they hadn't already experienced with horrific creatures. The parasitic creature latched onto the brute and began burrowing into the skin of its back.

"ᚨᚨᚨᚨᚨᚷᚷᚷᚷᚷᚷᚺᚺᚺᚺᚺᚺᚺ!"

The raider howled in pain as two spikes were launched into his spine, and almost instantly, the man began to mutate. His screams turn into snarls, roars, insect-like chatters, and shrieks as he takes on insect-like qualities. Calliope didn't want to watch anymore, but Atreus was making an assessment...

"Those things are...kinda like Nightmares, but...much, much worse." He said in a low tone, trying to not let his fears rise at the horrific sight. But Calliope looked behind them when the chattering didn't stop.

"Atreus!" Calliope called out as she got up and quickly loosed her spear towards a parasite that was trying to jump them from behind. She managed to run it through, but there were more of them rising from the snow, surrounding them as Atreus wasted no time loosing arrows in rapid succession. They did their work in keeping the critters back, even killing a few, but there were still plenty. The children fought as fast and hard as they could to fend off the seemingly endless horde of these parasites. But Atreus knew that if they did not fall back soon, they would be overwhelmed in moments.

What didn't help either was that the mutated Raider, who was now fully fused with the parasite on his back, had spotted the two and gave chase.

"Calliope, run! Let's get out of here!"

And with that, they quickly made an escape for themselves. They swatted away at the little creatures, left and right, but the mutant was closing in on them. Acting fast, Atreus jumped and spun back, aiming his bow at a pair of trees.

"This better work..." He said to himself before firing and yelling aloud. "ᛒᚱᛖᚨᚴ!"

The two arrows hit their mark, and their impact shattered the base of the two trees, making them come down and fall before the parasitic monsters. They were able to get away with that distraction, but when the trees hit the ground, they caused a huge gust of wind that nearly blew Atreus and Calliope off their feet and made the path before them suddenly shrouded in mist. Calliope continued to run, though, running until she tired herself and felt the need to wheeze and catch her breath. She looked back and saw that no longer was she being chased by the creatures...but also seemed to lose sight of her brother. She looked around and realized that everything around her seemed gone, completely vanishing beyond this unnatural mist. The ground beneath her feet was no longer covered in snow, but gravel, and the only sound around her was the breeze in the air.

"Atreus! ...Atreus!" She cried out, trying not to shed tears of despair for having made herself lost in this forsaken place. For now, all she could do was push forward and continue to walk whatever path, ignite her own fires of hope that she'll get out of here alive. And that is when she came around something...that almost seemed impossible. The brutally cold winds of the windless winter of Midgard were now gone, as now coming in seemed to be a gentler, more warming breeze that had a sense of familiarity to the young girl. As she continued to walk through the nothingness...a familiar sight came before Calliope...one she never thought she'd get to see again.

A stone path laid down to roads and streets filled with houses, temples, and fields meant for training future soldiers. Bath houses, fertile farmlands, and grand architecture from buildings and statues alike. Temples meant for worshipping Gods...or rather A God...and statues that represented the greatest of warriors that this land was known for crafting, like their artwork.

Calliope couldn't believe what she was looking at. She was standing in the middle.

"...Sparta?" She asked, staring in both awe and disbelief at the sight she was beholding. "...I'm back home?"

Moments were Calliope is on her own, there will be no need to translate what she's saying.

It was unbelievable. Her home...in one piece and at its prime. Yet...void of life...no soldiers patrolling or training, no women caring for their homes, no zealots praising the God of War. This was either a miracle...or a waking nightmare for the young girl, who walked down the street. A part of her was hoping that this was real, this was possible as she was possible, alive again and here, given a second chance to exist. But it was also too good to be true, for it seemed to be one blast from the past after another for her. The shield, that beast of a man they ran from...and now this. She didn't want to believe that this was truly her home, but it also seemed so real. Every last detail that she remembered of the great city-state she grew up in was here in perfect image. But after everything...after all these years, and being in an entirely different place...none of this made any sense.

But that is when she came across a familiar dwelling. Her house, where she grew up. But it...was in the wrong place. As she walked towards it in bewilderment at its existence here, she saw from the window a familiar silhouette of someone she once thought lost.

"Mother?!" Calliope said in shock, but the shadow was soon gone, making her rush to the house "Mother, wait!"

Heading inside, the girl could see that the house's interior was in perfect detail. Everything was as she remembered the last time she was here. The tables and shelves that had jars and urns standing up on them, and the mirror across from the fireplace. In the next room lay her bed, where she would often be stuck, ridden with the sickness that made her barely able to move at times, made her feel miserable, and an embarrassment to her family. But her father was proud of the family they had together, and she knew he loved her very much...she knew that she needed to get back to him and her brother and get out of...daydream.

Beside the bed, on the candle/lamp-lit table, were two treasures Calliope thought lost forever, a blue silk necklace, her necklace...and a silver and blue jewel ring...her mother's ring. They were as she remembered them, and they brought back the most precious memories that Calliope held dear. It is those memories and these treasures...that open Calliope's eyes to the truth...

"Oh! I was wondering where I left that." A womanly voice made Calliope turn her head to see...her mother...Lysandra. She stood wearing the blue dress, her brown hair tied in a white ribbon, and her features were almost impeccably authentic. Almost everything seemed too real. "It's good to see you, Calliope. Our little muse. Your father would be proud to see you up and about, growing stronger."

Calliope said nothing. Her instincts were telling her to be ready for anything. Something about this woman spilled something of evil...

"For now, it's best if you rest tonight. You'll have a busy day tomorrow. Come, let me help you to sleep."

Lysandra reached out to her daughter, but that was when Calliope noticed the ring on her finger, the same ring she had seen on the table. Breaking free of this illusion's attractiveness, she pushed the woman back and to the ground with unprecedented strength. Lysandra lay there, shocked by her daughter's own actions.

"Calliope! W-What's gotten into you?!"

The girl shook her head as she fought back the tears in her eyes. "You...are not my mother. This...is not real."

The woman's expression of shock then turned to a sly smirk, not even bothering to defend as she suddenly transformed into someone else entirely. Where Lysandra once stood was now a powerful and imposing woman with a muscular build, pale skin, and piercing red eyes, wearing a dark armored dress and black fabric, and a just as imposing headdress. One of the most distinguishing features she had was that there seemed to be some kind of black sludge creeping up her arms, legs, and even up to her head.

She was Alecto, the Queen of the Furies. And this illusion of Calliope's old home was no doubt the handiwork of her sister, Tisiphone. A great fear rose inside of Calliope, though she did her best not to show it. The furies were some of the greatest forces of the Greek World, sworn to punish those who had broken sacred oaths by the Gods. Should you ever catch their sight, it would only mean one thing: eternal torment and unextinguishable agony for your 'sins'.

"Just as clever as your father." She said in her seductive tone, walking around the young girl, who pulled her spear out and readied herself for a fight. "He, too, denied all that we had hoped to win him over with. But you, my dear, lack the frustrating willpower he possessed. You need not fight us, Calliope, for we only wish to help you."

"...Save your empty promises for the real weak-minded, witch!" Calliope shouted with great determination and defiance. "How are you even here? This is not possible..."

"Just as it wasn't possible for you to live again?" said the Fury Queen with a sinister cackle, making Calliope's eyes widen. "I admit that we, too, found it surprising to have breathed life again, and in this desolate place, so far from home. But then, we sense the presence of the one who had taken everything from us."

No doubt did she mean Kratos. This whole thing was more than a nightmare come true, Calliope realized, for it was a trap set to lure her father into Alecto's web. All for petty revenge. She hated the thought of vengeance, for it brought nothing but misfortune upon anyone who sought it, Calliope believed.

"Were it not for you...and those petty little trinkets that he held onto so dearly...we would have beaten sense into him and finally had him accept his fate. But instead, we lost our home, our purpose, and our lives."

"...I-If only you had left him be." Calliope retorted. "All of Elysium had heard of what you did to him, trying to force him into serving a corrupt god. Who would've brought down Olympus just as badly as my father did!"

"Ah...So, you know." Alecto replied with interest. "And are you not the least bit ashamed? Knowing the monster you call father is responsible for the destruction of everything you held dear?"

"My father...IS everything I hold dear. He had EVERY right, since people like you denied him everything he held dear!"

Alecto merely chuckled as she reached out and caressed Calliope's cheek, yet the girl moved back.

"You've always amused me, Calliope. I could honestly see why your father and Elysium itself cradled you as treasure."

And that is when the illusion that surrounded them shifted once more. Calliope found herself from her home to the grand temple of Sparta itself, standing before a balcony, in a grand hall where dozens of Spartans kneeled before her. And then, she looks at herself, the illusion having turned her from but a girl to a muscular and beautiful young woman with a physique that would shame the Amazons. Not only that, but she bore the same mark, the tattoo, that her father had.

"In some other reality, I could've loved you like my own." Alecto went on. "I would've raised you up and guided you throughout your journey to surpass what your father was. All this, the glory, the ambition, everything...Should you stick with us now, it could all be yours, a reality of your desires and or our making."

Her desires...all Calliope ever wanted... were to live in peace with her family. But because of the Heathen Gods she once worshipped, she was stuck alone in a worthless field of souls, for what felt like centuries. The audacity to offer what mocked her father, her culture, her life...it made her blood boil. The heat built up from within, and she wanted nothing more now than to unleash...the rage...

"IT. IS. NOT. REAL!"

And like her Father and even Brother before him, Calliope let out a massive wave of rage that overtook her, shattering the illusion and pushing away the Fury, to which the others made themselves known. Tisiphone, the Mistress of Vengeance, in all her illustrious figure, pale skin with glowing white eyes and dark hair concealed under her horned hood in her green and golden dress, and even wearing her favorite mantle, made from the wings of her favorite daemon creation.

Anyone who ever played God of War: Ascension Multiplayer will know what I'm talking about.

And Megaera, the Hive of Envy, in her all-parasitic glory, dressed in her armor, those horrific rash-like holes in her chest and...damaged helmet, still having that memento of when she and Kratos had their "special time together", as she was missing an arm while the rest of her disgusting parasitic appendages were as they are, ready to rip anything in two.

It was safe to say that the other two were not too fond of Calliope's frustrating insistence, just like her father. Tisiphone enjoyed every illusion as perfectly as she could make it, to have her victims trapped in either the greatest dreams they could never have in order to return to their oaths, or to live out the nightmares of their mistakes for the rest of their lives. So it irked her entirely to know the Ghost of Sparta's little spawn could easily break through it all, just as he did.

Megaera simply wanted Calliope to suffer and die in darkness, as payback for everything her father took from her. Blood for blood, a debt was to be paid, and the Furies will collect it on the Oath Breaker that ruined everything they had.

"You disappoint us, Calliope." Alecto growled. "Loathsome, like your father, squandering all that we could've given you."

"We'll simply take your life as punishment!" added Tisiphone while Megaera began to summon her parasites.

With her vision clear and the masks fallen away, Calliope finds herself back in the frozen wastes, where the Furies' parasitic minions surrounded her. The three witches who thought themselves Punishers of the wicked and the treacherous watched with rising satisfaction as the kin to their destroyer would soon be devoured.

"Be glad, knowing that this is nothing compared to your father!" Megaera roared. "He owes us EVERYTHING!"

"Our place in all of existence will be restored, and those who have forsaken their oaths to greater beings will be-"

Alecto was in the middle of monologuing when she felt someone tap her on her shoulder. She turned to see Atreus, holding up the lantern with the blue flame.

"Hey."

And then, he slams the lantern across the Fury Queen's face, causing a huge blue-flaming shockwave to erupt and blast the sisters away from where they stood. Acting quickly, Atreus jumped and fired runic arrows, summoning the Wrath of the Wolf upon the parasitic minions of the Furies.

"Ulfr hlaup!" He spoke in Old Norse, allowing one of his favorite summons to distract, even rip apart some of the parasites as he rushes over to his sister. "Calliope! Are you okay?!"

"Atreus..." The poor girl had her head down. All the fearsomeness and rage were now gone, replaced with dismay and hopelessness. She raised her head to reveal her tear-filled eyes, "Προσπάθησα να το σταματήσω! Προσπάθησα τόσο σκληρά να το σταματήσω! (I tried to stop it! I tried so hard to stop it!)"

"It's okay! I'm going to get you out of here!" he said as he offered a hand to her, which she quickly took as they started to run out of there. But they were still in a maze of a wilderness, one that was still under the influence of the enraged Furies. They rediscovered this when a barrier suddenly appeared before them, blocking a possible way out as Tisiphone was coming down, flying towards them.

"ΔΕΝ ΘΑ ΞΕΦΥΓΕΤΕ, ΒΡΩΜΙΚΑ ΜΙΚΡΑ ΑΓΝΩΣΤΑ! (YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE, YOU FILTHY LITTLE INGRATES!)" She roared as she reached to snatch the children like a wicked witch.

But Calliope acted quickly, snapping out of her dismay as she raised her spear and allowed the light to flash from its blade. The brightness nearly blinded the Fury of Illusion as she lost focus and her barrier dissipated. The two continued to run while also dodging more of those parasites coming from Megaera. Fortunately, her insectoid-like body and parasitic minions were at a disadvantage in the withering cold environment, forcing them to slow down through forceful hibernation. Both children were able to slash or bash away the crawling little creeps while the Hive Mother Fury scourged at the loss of her children.

"Μισώ αυτή την παγωμένη ερημιά! (I despise this frigid wasteland!)" She growled. "Αλλά τίποτα δεν θα με εμποδίσει να πάρω εκδίκηση! (But nothing will keep me from my revenge!)"

"Come on, Calliope! This way!" Atreus yelled as they continued to run, hoping that they'd get away from those three...even though they had no idea where they were going. But the flame of hope coming from the lantern was burning brightly, lighting the way through the mist as the two ran for their lives. And for a moment, it almost seemed as if they were able to outrun the furies...

But sadly, their luck seemed to run out as they found themselves cornered at the bottom of a cliffside, the ledge two high up for either of them to climb. And that is when the Furies closed in, with Alecto making her move as she conjured webbing onto them both to the wall, keeping them down from making any more mistake attempts. The three horrid, former enforcers stood before them with the parasites surrounding them. The Queen then walked over and leaned down to meet Calliope in the eye.

"Οι Σπαρτιάτες ήταν πάντα απόκρημνοι άγριοι. Πάντα έτρεχαν προς τον θάνατο. Και πεισματάρηδες μέχρι το τέλος. Είσαι τόσο αηδιαστικός όσο ο πατέρας σου... (Spartans have always been blunt savages. Always running towards death. And stubborn to the end. You are as loathsome as your father...)" Every word she said was met with growing defiance that she was familiar with as Calliope growled into her face and fought against the webbing. But Alecto then turned over to her brother. "Αλλά εσύ, παιδί μου... πρέπει να είσαι μάλλον ξεχωριστός... ή ίσως μάλλον ανόητος που συμμαχείς με αυτή την κηλίδα από την Κόλαση. Τι είσαι εσύ για εκείνη; (But you, child...you must be rather special...or perhaps rather foolish to ally yourself with this speck from Hell. What are you to her?)"

Atreus' response? Spitting in the Queen's face.

"To Hel with you...you witches!" He yelled at her...and then, he got smacked across the face.

"Ο πατέρας σας θα υποφέρει στο μέγιστο βαθμό όταν του παραδώσουμε τα σώματά σας. (Your father will suffer to the greatest extent when we deliver your bodies to him.)" She said in a threatening voice before turning her back on them and back to her sisters. "Τελείωσέ τους και τους δύο. Μετά κυνήγησε- (Finish them both. Then hunt down-)"

She stopped when the ground beneath her feet seemed to rumble and the already blizzardly wind picked up, becoming insanely strong. Ice and hail mingled in a violent typhoon, surrounding the Furies and their minions and hitting them hard, like a rain of spikes and thorns. Miraculously, Atreus and Calliope were unharmed, but Atreus recognized this kind of magic. The Breath of Thamur. Looking up, he was very happy to see the source of it.

"Calliope! Look!" He told his sister. "It's Father!"

Indeed. Kratos had finally found his children, and a little more than what he sought. Beings from his past were no longer starting to surprise him, but meeting the Furies again filled him with such contempt and anger, as they were the force to fuel undying rage towards Olympus and the rest of the place he could no longer call home. He knew they had no place in this world and must be dealt with quickly before they could leave a lasting impact within these lands. No one should suffer their illusions.

With a furious roar, he dropped down from the top of the cliff and unleashed many heavy attacks upon the three Primordial spawns and their lackies. They quite literally shattered under the icy chill and frostbite of the Leviathan Axe, which he swung and slashed without relent. Kratos then used Hel's Touch, unleashing an extremely quick burst of energy that knocked back all foes like debris. The Furies were caught off guard, barely able to recover, let alone see through the ice and snow that had gotten in their face as they faced their destroyer once more, yet it was a much harsher experience than last time. They are barely standing a chance against an aged, yet much stronger and fiercer Kratos. While he was barely able to take them one at a time during his youth, he's had years, centuries even of experience fighting foes that were much greater than these three hags.

"Αυτό δεν μπορεί να είναι... (This cannot be...)" said Megaera as she saw her worst nightmare working through her, her minions, and her sisters. Once upon a time, they were the greatest nightmare for mortals...but to Kratos now, they were just nuisances in the way of protecting his family.

Realizing that this was a fight they could not win, Alecto picked their sisters back up and fell back.

"Δεν είμαστε έτοιμοι γι' αυτό! Πρέπει να υποχωρήσουμε! (We are not ready for this! We need to retreat!)"

Though they hated to admit it, Tisiphone and Megaera knew their sister was right as they used their powers to vanish with the win and get out of there. The minions that were left behind were quickly slaughtered as well by Kratos' hand, giving him time to finally cool down his unbridled rage.

"Father! We're here! Help!" He heard Atreus call out, as he quickly turned back and used the axe to freeze, then slash away the black webs. Atreus and Calliope were relieved to be free, though they were not so sure if they were out of the thick of it yet, with their father dropping to a knee to see them.

"Are you two hurt?" He immediately asked.

"No...No, we're fine." Atreus spoke for them both. "...Father, we-"

"Πατέρα, όλα αυτά ήταν δικό μου λάθος! (Father, this was all my fault!)" Calliope suddenly cried out with tears in her eyes. "Παρακαλώ αφήστε τον Ατρέα απαλλαγμένο από κάθε ευθύνη. Αναλαμβάνω την ευθύνη γι' αυτό! (Please leave Atreus free of blame. I accept responsibility for this!)"

"Calliope..." Kratos said.

"S-She's been through a lot, Father. I should've found a way back to you." Atreus tried to bring the blame back to him. "I tried to keep Freya from getting us, but..."

"Απλώς προσπαθούσε να με προστατεύσει! (He was just trying to protect me!)"

"I went too far with where we were supposed to go!"

"Μας έθεσα σε κίνδυνο! (I put us in danger!)"

"I wasn't...smart enough! I wasn't ready!"

"Atreus! Calliope!" Their Father's thundering voice got them to shut up quickly. But he did not look angry...much... "Calm yourselves...You have both been through so much. And you will explain it in time. But know that I am grateful...and proud of you both. For making it this far."

He turned to Calliope. "Μικρή Μούσα, είσαι πιο δυνατή από όσο νομίζεις. Δεν έχεις τίποτα να κατηγορηθείς. Χαίρομαι που βλέπω ότι είσαι καλά. (Little Muse, you are stronger than you know. You have nothing to feel blamed for. I am just relieved to see you are alright.)"

That made Calliope feel a little better as she sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"We're both relieved to see you both alright." spoke Mimir, ever dangling from Kratos' hip. "Must've been quite the adventure, you wee ones have been through."

"It's good to see you too, Mimir." Atreus said with a smile.

"It's not over yet." Kratos spoke. "We must now find a way back."

And on that, they all agreed, as the journey home continued...