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Atreus was not supposed to be here, he knew it well, but that was exactly why he was gonna win this round of hide and seek!
“Atreusss, where are youuu?” The boy clasped two chubby hands over his mouth as he heard his mother’s voice above him, her footsteps creaking the floorboards he was hiding under.
He had discovered this little hiding spot when he was running around the house and tripped over a rug, revealing a hidden trapdoor underneath. Atreus excitedly toddled over to his mother, informing her of the secret passage he’d found that they simply must explore. Except his mother didn’t share his excitement, she frowned slightly and told him to never go down there or a monster would eat him!
Except Atreus was a smart boy! Not to be fooled so easily! He knew there were no monsters. Mother said that Father was always away to rid their forest of monsters! And his Father is a very brave and strong man, he wouldn’t leave one behind under the floorboards. Silly Mother!
So the little boy stayed put in his hiding spot, muffling his snickers; determined to win this little game of hide and seek.
When Atreus finally heard his Mother’s footsteps move farther away, he exhaled deeply and let a few giggles escape at his victory. Finally he would win against Mother!
Once he was sure Mother was gone, Atreus stretched out his little legs from under him. He looks around him and figures he could look around the secret crawlspace under their home as he awaited his victory.
Around him are mostly old books, the titles look similar enough to the runes that mother teaches him. But when he opens a book the words are too long and the runes have too many lines and… well, he gives up immediately.
Then he sees an old cloth hidden away in the corner, its such a vibrant shade of red that Atreus instantly becomes fixated. He leaned forward to touch it and is surprised by the thick grainy feel of a layer of dust. He stubbornly rubs at the cloth and is surprised that the red is even more vibrant that he originally thought. He turns over the cloth and sees cubic, swirling lines of… gold! shiny gold!
Atreus barely contained the excited squeal in the back of his throat. He still had to be very quiet… but he’d found treasure! Something so shiny and pretty must be treasure! That was what Mother’s story books said afterall!
He reached forward to touch the red fabric again. At first, gentle caresses; touching the mysterious sheet with a gentleness that would suggest that it would somehow break if he was too forceful. Then more confident movement, each flip through every fold of the fabric sent little puffs of dust flying into his face. He fought the urge to cough as he sorted through the messy wrinkles of the fabric, watching it become more vibrant red the closer he got to the center of the strange bundle.
Then he felt something else.
Something hard.
Something exuding a strange warmth.
He flipped over the last fold of fabric and found… a twin set of blades like he’d never seen before. Short blades that looked as, if not more, sharp and dangerous than Mother’s axe. The bolster is attached to gnarly shaped handles that are then linked to long, menacing, looking chains.
The blades were frightening to Atreus. They weren’t anything like Mother’s axe, or even Father’s makeshift spears that he uses to hunt deer. They looked important and so very cool.
One part of his brain that sounded suspiciously like his mother urged him to stay away, to forget he’d ever seen these blades in the first place. But another part of him… simply couldn’t take his eyes off the weapons. He itched to touch them. Would they feel as cool as the Leviathan Axe? Or as dependable as the wrapped handles of the spears outside by the hunting grounds.
Atreus was just a boy. He succumbed to his urges.
He reached forward, the heat biting as his finger tips crept closer and closer. The moment his chubby index finger made the slightest bit of contact with the ragged edge of the blade, it burned.
“Ahhh!” Atreus shouted as the little patch of skin sizzled instantaneously. He did not panic, shoving his finger into his mouth, using his saliva to soothe the wound (as he’s seen mother do whenever she burnt her fingers on a pot).
It hurt. A lot. More than the time Atreus tripped and scraped the skin of his knee on a sharp rock outside.
But it was so cool!
Atreus was tempted to grab at the weapons once more when his little hidey hole was suddenly bathed in light. In just a split second the trapdoor swung open, its hinges creaked violently, revealing his mother: wide eyed with her hair frazzled.
She seemed to take stock of what she was seeing before her before her brows knitted together, eyes closing slowly, as a deeeeep sigh left her lungs.
“Atreus.” Mother spoke slowly, and he just knew he was in for a scolding now.
_____
It’s been a good few winters since Atreus had his first encounter with the Blades of Chaos (which he now knows the name of). He’s no longer a little boy toddling after his parents, Mother is gone now, and Father is as present as he can be between protecting the stave and finding enough food to survive Fimbulwinter.
Oh and they have Mimir now!
But this morning is one of the rare days that he’s left alone at home.
His bow needed repairs that neither him nor Father knew how to do. Kratos had offered to create a new bow entirely but Atreus had become attached to his current one. Mimir suggested visiting the Temple of Týr to see if the Huldra brothers were still there to perform the necessary repairs. Atreus perked up at the mention of leaving the stave, it would feel nice to get out and feel less cooped up.
But his hopes were dashed with the frown on Father’s face: “the winds are still strong, there is no visibility”. Mimir had agreed, saying that it would indeed be difficult to journey as a pair, they could easily lose sight of each other. However, he could keep an eye on his father’s back from his hip and everything would be fine!
And so Atreus was left behind to his lonesome. He tended to the hearth, watching the firewood crackle and blacken with heat.
He places a hand on his chin and thinks about that day again, the day that his child self had practically burnt off a finger print on his father’s blades. Mother tore him a new one after that, exclaiming that what he’d done was not only very dangerous but extremely disrespectful of his father’s privacy. He’d teared up then, apologizing to his mother over and over until she promised not to tell. She eventually caved, sighing that he already seemed to be beating himself about it enough, no need to add Father’s anger.
It was such a long time ago that Atreus had nearly forgotten. He was only reminded as he absentmindedly looked at the Blades from where they hung from a (newly-installed) hook.
When they’d come home from their journey to Jottunheim, Kratos had intended to keep the blades away once more. But Mimir talked to Father in hushed tones one night, something Atreus didn’t mean to overhear. They’d talked about bad memories, exposure, and moving on; he didn’t really understand.
All he knew is that the next morning the blades were displayed in their rightful place on the cabin wall.
Since the mysterious weapon was once more conveniently placed within arm’s reach. The whisper of dangerous curiosity called out to Atreus again.
Atreus wondered if it would burn him as it did when he was a child. He had now seen Father wielding them and saw how they were meant to be used; meaning he can now confirm that the Blades of Chaos were definitely cool. However, they stay equally frightening. Knowing what he knows now about Kratos’ history, he tried not to think of how much blood actually stained the weapons.
However, the Blades still sparked this morbid curiosity in his mind, like seeing a gruesome fight and not being able to look away.
Before he could even realize he was moving, he had already gotten up from his spot by the hearth. He walked forward with a few strides, and came face to face with the spartan blades.
They still looked as sharp and dangerous as they did when he was a child, the handles still as gnarly and frightening. He reached forward with the new confidence of a young god that knew that he would not be hurt so easily. Atreus flinched away on instinct when his hand was but a hair’s breadth away from the blade’s edge, then he pushed forward. He expected searing heat, like the time he’d stupidly reached into the light of Alfheim, but instead… nothing. He pressed his whole palm up the flat side of the blade and felt nothing but cool metal.
Well that was anticlimactic, Atreus thought to himself.
BANG!
Atreus flinched as something or someone banged on the door. For just a moment he thought it was his father, knocking to be let in as they’d recently installed a bolt on the door for security. But then–
ROARRRR!
An animalistic roar made Atreus’ mind go blank. A wolf? No, a bear; this close to the cabin? That shouldn’t be possible! Mother’s stave spelled the cabin to keep even wild animals away.
Atreus turned to a window, intending to observe the bear for more information… only to see the bear on its hind legs, staring at him with uncanny eyes, mouth slick with spit and drool.
Atreus ducked out of fear though it was of no use, he’d already been spotted.
The bear roared and continued assaulting the door once he’d disappeared from sight. Atreus wracked his brain, gathering all the information he knew about his current situation.
That couldn’t have been a normal bear, it was too intelligent… Perhaps some kind of shifter? A god? No, more likely a berserker. But how could a berserker have made its way all the way here? Something must have happened to the stave—
His thought process was interrupted by another loud bang as the bear crashed its large body into the door, shaking the very walls of the cabin.
He had to do something! And quick! Should he run? No he’d already been spotted. If he jumped out the window now, the bear would most likely be waiting for him. Even if he escaped the cabin there was no outrunning a bear with how small he is, god or not.
So a fight it is. But with what weapon? Atreus took stock of what he currently has access to. He had no bow, only arrows which would be of no help alone. He had his dagger, but going up against a bear that, colossal in size with only a dagger was a death wish. He supposed if he was desperate enough it could work?
His chances were slim but those were his only weapons right now.
The whole house tremored as the door creaked and whined under the weight of the bear.
Atreus attempted to slow his breathing, his heart beating so loudly in his ears he was certain he was going deaf.
The bear roared again as it geared up to deliver another devastating blow to the wooden door of his home.
Then he remembered.
The blades! The Blades of Chaos!
Atreus stood up and nearly fell as the house shook under the beating of the bear. He stood his ground and rushed to take the blades from their hook. He reached out, intending to pick up one blade after the other, as he’d seen Father do before. However, the moment he lowered one blade from the hook, his whole body lurched forward from the weight of it. The blade fell with a loud klunk as the sharp edge splintered the wooden floors.
Shit! Were they always this heavy!?
Atreus heaved, this time using both hands to grasp the handle and lift; in the end he was finally able to raise the single blade high enough to use it properly.
The boy wanted to marvel at the strength of his father for throwing around these unwieldy blades like they were nothing, but there was no time.
Atreus wrapped the single chain around his arm, mirroring what he’d seen father do many times before. He doubted the chains would help at all, that he would be able to swing the weapon as intended. Still, he had no choice but to fight or die like a sitting duck. Or maybe he would die anyway but at least he’d die fighting.
The door creaked dangerously, the sound of wood splintering adding to the boy’s panic.
If he faced that bear head on with no advantage, he would die right here on mother’s old rugs. He had to run first, get a head start. What comes after? Atreus didn’t really know, but he’ll just make it up as he goes.
Atreus unlatched a window at the far end of the house (farthest from the bear) and lunged outside, diving into a pile of snow underneath.
He got up quickly, running into the woods behind his childhood home. He ran as fast as his legs could take him, his breath freezing his cracked lips with every stride he took. He made it to a small clearing, skidding to a stop as he turned around; both hands gripping the blade and holding it in a defensive stance.
The bear weaved through the trees and slowed as it got closer, stalking towards him. Atreus was on higher ground here and the bear seemed to know that. However, it still had the massive size and weight advantage which he was painfully aware of.
Atreus glared at the bear with intensity, willing it to simply walk away. Please, just leave!
But the bear bellowed and lunged to close the distance between them, dark claws plowing through layers of snow with ease.
“RAGGHHH!” Atreus shot back with a roar of his own as he leapt with both hands holding the blade over head, releasing it and swinging it down onto the bear’s head with all the might he could muster.
.
..
…
…..
…….
Atreus blinked open his eyes.
It was warm. And his back was settled on something soft. His head was aching, he could feel the pounding of his heart in his temples
He could hear voices. Mimir and… Father?
“It isn’t your fault, brother. Who would’a known that the leader of the berserkers himself would attack today of all days.”
“But the boy… Atreus. He was alone. He could have… died.”
“Aye, I won’t refute that. But he didn’t! You’ve trained him well, brother. Better than you ever credited yourself for!”
Atreus heard a grunt that was so very typical of Father.
“Atreus, you’re awake?” Atreus heard heavy footsteps approaching him, then a warm hand settling on his forehead.
“You are not ill, but you must rest. Go back to sleep, Atreus.”
And Atreus obeyed, allowing sleep to take him to dreams far more sunny and warm.
_____
[ Later, after he had thoroughly recovered from battling with the bear, he and father talked about it all.
Apparently, Father had come home to an empty home with a splintered door and one of his blades missing. He followed the tracks of a wild animal that eventually merged with smaller human footsteps in the snow. When he’d reached the clearing, father recounted finding the body of a bear (nearly cleaved in half) and an unconscious Atreus.
“Is this… the first time you have touched the Blades, son?” Kratos had asked.
“No. I accidentally found them once as a child. They burned my hand back then but they don’t burn anymore.” He answered.
“They did not… hurt?” The face his father made was… complicated. Relief and devastation bundled neatly with confusion.
“No, they just felt like normal weapons, maybe colder than most regular metals though? And very very heavy.”
Father didn’t speak for a long time after that.]
_____
Atreus didn’t need to wield the blades for a long time, father made sure of that.
Even during Ragnarok, Kratos sought to fend away the dangers that Atreus kept bodily throwing himself into. Back then, it felt restrictive, like Kratos had snuffed out his desire and attempts to create his own destiny. But Atreus, now 3 winters older, understood better. Had his father been absent, he would’ve died several times over and now as a young man, he craves to fight alongside his father once more.
So when he’d come home after his long journey searching for the last of the Jotnar, and his Father offered to go on a small adventure to Helheim… well Atreus couldn’t refuse.
Apparently, the Valkyries had been performing some shield maiden training in Helheim in order to learn survival in the harshest of climates. Initially their training was going to plan. That was until they had encountered an icy monstrous troll not native to Helheim. No one knew where it came from, just that it was frighteningly stronger and smarter than any midgardian troll. The Valkyries were forced to retreat after the troll had nearly felled Thrúd and injured most of the shieldmaidens, including Sigrun.
Sigrun had eventually reported the incident to Freya who reported to Father, in order to recruit him for help. Father was preparing to go when Atreus had finally come home, delaying his mission by a whole two days.
It made Atreus smile that Kratos had prioritized him over the task but he also felt a bit guilty that the defeat of the dangerous troll was delayed because of him.
So now father and son ventured into the frigid realm of Helheim.
“So father, had many adventures without me?” Atreus asked with a cheesy grin as they leapt over a large fissure on the ground. The fact that Atreus now matched his father step for step, only lagging behind by a split second filled his chest with pride.
“Mmn,” Kratos grunted. “I traveled between the 8 realms frequently. Sometimes alone, sometimes with Freya; I sought all manner of troublesome beasts to quell and people in need of help.”
“Aye, brother. We’ve been through much without laddie! Many have even taken to calling him the ‘true all-father’, the protector of the people!” Mimir shared cheerily from his place at Father’s hip.
“Silence, Mimir…” Kratos grumbled out as Atreus chewed on the information.
“That’s great, father! Isn’t it a good thing that people look up to you and trust you for their protection?” Atreus exclaimed, feeling the warmth of pride bloom in his chest on behalf of Kratos.
“It is… strange. I do not want to be revered as a godly figure. It brings me… great discomfort.” Kratos’ tone was strained with conflict.
His father’s past is something that Atreus understands to be messy and painful. He has yet to earn the knowledge of all parts of Kratos’ history, but from what he knows: his father has led a very difficult life. He did not want to remind him of his pain at this instant so he decided to let it go.
“Ok Father, I understand.”
The rest of their journey passed quickly, with only a few ditches to jump across and brambles to burn before they arrived at the last known location of the dreaded troll.
They were now in a cave and the temperature seems to have dropped dramatically, making Atreus shiver a little.
“You do not have to join the fight, Atreus. I know you have nothing to fight off the chill of Helheim.” His father unhooks the Blades of Chaos from his back and wields them for effect.
“It’s okay, Father. I want to help! Besides, I’ve got a few new spells of my own— Woah!” Atreus nearly loses his footing as the ground trembles beneath them.
“RAAGHHHH!” Atreus’ head whips towards the thunderous sound and sees an abomination of a troll roaring as it emerges from a deep tunnel in front of them. The beast was a pale blue, with two icy tusks jutting out from its mouth and a filthy looking beard that covered its chin.
It roared again sending spittle flying as it manifested a thick javelin of ice in its hands then hurled it directly towards them.
Father was already winding up his blades beside him but Atreus reacted faster, knocking an arrow and sending it careening through the air with a cry. “Eldr!” As soon as the arrow launched from his bowstring, the head burst with a mighty flame, allowing the humble arrow to shatter the large icy spear upon impact.
“Ohoho! Amazing work laddie!” Mimir exclaimed in surprise and wonder.
Kratos made a gruff sound that sounded suspiciously like an amused chortle. “Good! Go on, Atreus! Show us what else you’ve learned.”
Atreus smirked and charged forward, magic bathed him in brilliant gold light and his human form was replaced with that of a powerful lion. His chest rumbled as he let his jaw drop, letting out a great big roar! This was going to be an amazing fight!
____
Or at least it was supposed to be.
Atreus had gotten too over confident fighting by Father’s side again. He didn’t anticipate just how smart the hulking beast of a troll was.
The creature had a habit of charging at them full speed, intending to use a huge cylinder of ice as a battering ram on their bodies. He had thought he was so smart, using the environment to his advantage. He baited the beast to run into the frozen pillars around the cave, disorienting it enough to allow them a good few hits before the troll rose again to retaliate.
It was a sound plan.
He hadn’t realized that the ice that the beast wielded was identical to the pillars surrounding them. He hadn’t even realized that it was too convenient. Didn’t stop to consider that such a grotesque thing could think to trap its prey.
The third time that Atreus baited the troll into ramming into a pillar, the beam shattered, alongside the patch of icy ceiling above him. There was no escaping it, he could only duck and cover his head as massive chunks of ice ripped through the air to inevitably crush him into a pulp.
When the smoke cleared Atreus was somehow safe, but in his place was his father. Kratos was pinned underneath the rubble, unmoving. Likely unconscious from taking such a large blow, maybe dead even.
“Brother! Brother you’ve got to get up!” Mimir was thankfully mostly unharmed at father’s hip. Atreus looked towards what Mimir was looking at and found the beast getting up slowly with what looked like a smug grin.
A searing rage lit a fire in Atreus’ heart and he knocked another arrow onto his bowstring. “Eldr!” The flaming bow soared true through the air and impaled itself through the beast’s eye before exploding.
Atreus got up, breathing deep. It’s over.
…
..
.
Except the beast got up too. “RAAAAGH!” It roared, reaching up to its eye socket and pulling out the offending arrow before tossing it to the side.
Atreus’ heart started beating fast and hard. How was that not enough? He could volley arrow after arrow at the beast but… he glanced at his quiver. Two arrows. Fuck!
He had to act quickly! Atreus’ arrows weren’t strong enough in terms of fire power, he needed more… He ran to his father, skidding to a stop before him. He pushed the debris from his chest away and leaned in to place his ear where his heart lay. Atreus listened, his breath catching before he finally heard it. A slow steady beat. Father is alive.
“Father! Father! You have to wake up! We need the Blades! Come on!” Atreus shook Kratos violently, silently praying to whoever would listen for his father to wake.
“Laddie! He’s thoroughly down for the count. Whatever you’re gonna do, you got to do it alone and quickly! The beast is upon us!” Mimir exclaimed from father’s side.
Shit. Shit. Shit! Okay, he can do this.
Atreus unwound the chains from his father’s forearms, grabbing the blades hastily before sprinting away from his unconscious father.
“Hey! Look over here you big ugly lug!” Atreus yelled before throwing a nearby rock at the troll’s head. The beast bellowed, anger renewed, and chased after Atreus. Good, stay away from father!
He used the fallen pillars to dodge and weave the beast’s attempts to smash or grab him. Right now all he needed was a little space between them, thankfully the beast was tragically slow.
Once there was enough ground between them, Atreus wrapped the chains around his arms. Like the time when he was a young boy, the weapon did not hurt him. They did not burn and sizzle into his skin like when he was a child. But unlike all the times before, he now had the strength to wield both blades, raising them to waist level and taking a fighting stance as he’d seen Father do before.
He heaved and swung the blades in a wide arc towards the enemy. The blades still did not burst into flames as they do with Kratos, but the skidded across the troll’s frozen skin creating sparks that beat the beast back by a few steps.
The troll roared in pain and attempted to grab Atreus, a move that was deftly dodged with a well timed leap.
“Come on stupid blades work with me!” Atreus yelled.
He swung them again, the blades arcing across the air and slashing the troll's face. The blades stayed cold, not able to sufficiently damage or kill the dreaded creature.
Atreus leapt backward in frustration.
“Work damn it!” He yelled at the blades uselessly and the legendary weapon still did not burst into flame, as if they were taunting him.
“Boy! Do not force yourself to imitate your father! I doubt the weapons will respond!” Mimir’s booming voice echoed in the icy chambers, distracting Atreus enough that he’d nearly gotten crushed under the troll’s fist.
“What!?” Atreus exclaimed, his patience wore thinner and thinner as he spun the blades into a spiral to no avail. At this point, neither him nor the monster had the upperhand; this fight had become a battle of stamina. Stamina that Atreus had long depleted.
“What I meant was use the blades in your own way lad! It won’t respond to you like it does your father because you aren’t!” Mimir yelled frantically.
Atreus nearly scoffed as he parried a blow from an ice javelin, narrowly avoiding getting impaled. That was way too cheesy even for Mimir, but then a thought entered his mind. Yeah… that could work.
Atreus swung the chains in another wide arc, forcing the troll backwards and giving him more space to just try something. Once the troll was far enough, Atreus threw the blades forward and he watched as they shot through the air and into the damaged skull of the beast.
It cried in anguish and reached the pull them out but Atreus reacted quicker.
“Eldr!” He cried the spell for fire and felt the magic congeal in his chest, travel through his arms and into his fingertips. It felt familiar, it was exactly how it felt to pull back his bow and release a volley of fire arrows. This would work. Just as he started to feel the adrenaline rushed through his chest, the chains whipped through the air in an arc and… nothing.
The troll cried as the metal chain whipped into his face but did not fall.
Atreus yanked the blades back into his hands and yelled in frustration.
“Do it again, lad!” Mimir’s cry echoed through the cave once more, as Atreus struggled to beat back the advances of the blasted troll.
“It’s not working, Mimir! I’m gonna die trying!” Atreus’ voice cracked at the tail end of his statement as he started to feel his arms shake from the colossal weight of the blades.
“Just do it, Atreus!” Mimir yelled, his manic tone of voice mirroring what Atreus was starting to feel.
“Nista!” Atreus instinctively yelled a spell that was most familiar to him as he swung his weapons, the sharp end glowed as the blades met the skin of the troll… and pierced the skin like smooth butter. As if newly sharpened, the blades cut through the abdomen of the beast leaving a flesh wound that oozed dark blood.
“RAHHH” The beast cried out as it stumbled backward, clutching its bleeding stomach in shock.
Atreus recalled the blades back into his hands with the kind of wide eyed wonder that reminded him that he was younger than he tried to act like.
Experimentally he tried another spell. “Þruma!” His yell echoed as he swung one blade forward in a downward arc. The weapon created a beautifully dangerous arc in the arc before crashing onto the trolls head and bursting into sparks of electricity.
“AGHHHH!” The creature spasmed, as arcs of lightning fizzled from its grotesque body, pinning it down into a painful kneel.
Without giving it a moment’s reprieve. Atreus recalled both weapons and swung them sideways across the creature's neck. “Eldr.” He spoke the spell, no longer having enough energy to command his magic at full force. The blades obeyed anyways, the double edges bursting into beautiful flames as if doused with oil.
The blades ripped through the creature’s thick neck, depriving it of its head and life in one fell swoop. Atreus’ knees gave out in exhaustion, the cold cave floor grounded him as he closed his eyes to shield them from the shower of blood gushing from the troll’s severed throat.
Atreus didn’t know how long he stayed there in that position, but it was probably a long while before he came to. The moment he came back to his senses, he remembered his unconscious father who he stumbled to without a moment’s notice.
“Father! Father!” Atreus panicked as he knelt over his father, looking at his shut eyes with worry.
“He’s fine, lad; very much still breathing. Just took a pretty heavy hit back there.” Mimir comforted Atreus despite being left laying on the cold, uneven ground himself.
Atreus quickly picked up his mentor, holding him up so he could fully assess Father.
“Oh dear, oh yes. Your father will be fine, lad. But he really took a beatin’. He’ll be back in just a moment though, best to rest for now.” Mimir mumbled under his beard.
Atreus huffed as he allowed himself to fall back onto his butt, sitting down facing his father. Oh norns, did his knees and shoulders ache. Hel, his whole body was just becoming one big aching mass.
With the moment's reprieve, he finally realized that he had accidentally left the Blades of Chaose still tied to his forearms.
He sat with his legs crossed and placed Mimir’s head on the space in between. “Sorry Mimir.”
“Oh don’t apologize, lad. You saved all of our arses today. I can handle being in an awkward spot for a bit.”
Atreus sighed in relief as he finally unwound the blades from his arms and dropped them with a loud klang on the ground beside him.
“I’m almost afraid to ask what happened.” Mimir said, breaking the silence.
“Didn’t you see— oh right. Uhm do you want to see now?” Atreus said awkwardly.
“Yeah I’d actually like to see. All I could really see was the ceiling for all of your fight, and the sounds didn’t tell me much other than the fact you were struggling.” Mimir bantered light-heartedly. Atres was glad to see that his mentor-figure wasn’t too shaken by their current events.
Atreus held Mimir up to survey the battlefield, giving him a good view of the body of the troll and its head that had rolled off not so far away.
“Goodness me, lad… This is quite the bloody sight! You really did all that?” Mimir said with a low whistle.
“Well yeah who else did.” Atreus said with a small chuckle.
“I knew it, your father can make a great spartan out of you yet, lad!” That made Atreus puff his chest out a little despite his exhaustion.
Their light hearted banter was rudely interrupted by Kratos gasping awake before them like a man returned from the dead.
“ATREUS!” His father was wide eyed and manic as he searched for the now deceased threat.
“Father, I’m ok. It’s dead. Mimir’s fine too.” Atreus got up and shuffled closer, settling onto his haunches as he awkwardly rubbed at the older man’s shoulder to ground him.
“Aye brother, we’re all in one piece. No need to worry.”
“What— But… the troll.” Kratos mumbled, pupils dilating and focusing as he fully shook himself awake. Atreus moved to the side and allowed his father full view of the troll’s body.
“Oh…” The sound tumbled out of his father’s lips, somehow more confused than before. “You?— You did this?”
Atreus answered with a little nod.
“With what arms?” Kratos asked, seemingly calculating in his head how a troll could’ve been beheaded with a bow or dagger.
Atreus rubbed at the back of his neck and gestured towards the Blades of Chaos beside him. “I’m sorry, father. I… I know you don’t want me to wield them but there was no choice—“
Atreus was cut off when his father lunged forward, capturing him in a tight hug that pushed the air out of his lung.
“No. No. It’s good. You did good, son.” Atreus could no longer see his father’s face but could hear the conflict in his tone. “I thought you would have… Died.”
Oh.
“Oh, father. I won’t die so easily. I’m a warrior in my own right. Just like you taught me.” Atreus said, letting the fondness and warmth in his heart color his tone as he returned his father’s embrace.
“Aye, brother! What a hell of a battle that was! But perhaps it is a tale better recounted in front of a hearth and not in the middle of Helheim.” Thank the norns for Mimir, ever the voice of reason between the three of them.
“Yeah that sounds nice. Can you stand, father? We should get back to the gateway.”
“Hnn” Kratos grunted in response.
When they got home, they would talk, but right now Atreus’ limbs feel like wilted greens and he would really like to lie down on his bed…