Chapter 5 - Elhaz pt 2
Faye watched her second son as he was singing to the birds in his language, English. The language of the west that had some origins in their own tongue. A language she knew from him as well as Japanese. Practicing his charmspeak as normal. Once Kratos had confronted him on it, telling him it existed, he was incredibly self conscious about speaking or singing for... years really. Even now he thought before he spoke, to make sure he didn't have it active.
It was why he had taken up making instruments. His latest was something he called a guitar, string made of sinew and used an echo of the main body to amplify the sound. It reminded Faye of a harp. And once he was mildly more comfortable speaking around them, his singing with it was something she didn't grow tired of.
However things were soon to be coming to an end. Faye... was worried that fate would see this one as the new Loki. That he would be part of Ragnorok himself. And... she knew in her heart, he would be. Just as she knew in her heart, why he appeared in the groove so soon after her son died. The man he was meant to kill was Baldr. And Freyja had sent him to do this as she couldn't bare it. But not their Freyja, she would never. She refused to even break the curse.
She did not want that fate for Isa. But what she wanted meant little. She accepted the boy into her home and he became her son, and she would be the mother of Loki, the harbinger of Ragnorok. And Isa would kill Baldr regardless. He was driven by the goal enough to train constantly with her husband. He was going to bring about Ragnorok and this Loki knew what he was going to do. Faye saw it in how he learned of the gods, how he did not ever ask about the end of days. He knew his actions were going to kill a lot of people already fated to die long ago.
His words helped keep her at peace as the birds and some animals settled around where he sat, whittling something. The boy always needing to engage in doing something. Faye sighed watching him and was sad she wouldn't see him grow. The last four years had been wonderful and she had maybe one more left in her. The cancer of being away from her home realm for so long was already making her so weak.
So she sat and watched as Isa was sitting against a wolf the boy had named Sparky, due to the blue bolts through it of hel flames. The wolf was very dangerous that Kratos nearly killed. But it seemed partial towards her son. And very susceptible to charm speak. Made sense, since this one was one of Fenrir's children. Atreus's future grand or great grandchild.
It was a massive beast that liked carrying the boy around. And the first thing Isa had told it, when Kratos was ready to behead it and fight to the death, was for it to not hurt Kratos or herself, or himself which he added as an afterthought. And with Charmspeak, the command he gave with authority, the first time she had ever heard that tone, it nearly affected herself and Kratos. The wolf had no chance of resisting, just bowed and whimpered as Kratos was still over it, ready to kill it. He relented and allowed Isa a pet. It fed itself, some small commands not to eat all the critters and wildlife around, only its full and outside the groove.
Sparky was a good dog and protective of her son. And they knew the command worked as it got between him and Kratos during a sparring session. And went to snap at Kratos only to be unable to close its mouth around the blocking arm. What ultimately saved the wolf's life when Kratos saw that. Isa got more diligent about training the beast after that.
Birds overcame their terror with the charmspeak, as did the rabbits and prey animals to be around the boy. Even with a mighty wolf being used as a backstop. And Faye saw how insidious it could truly be and why Kratos was rightly worried about it had it not been Isa with it. How the guitar was set lightly down and the lack of noise drew Faye's attention from listening to watching. As the boy was petting a rabbit in his lap and had another on his shoulder, when he stopped singing and caught both rabbits by the heads before the effect wore off. He didn't need to go fast, it took a few minutes for even the mildest of suggestion to wear off on animals.
And two swift cracks as he sharply rotated their necks in his grasp sideways and up. The rabbits had lounged upon their killer just for a song, right into the jaws of a predator. A Huldra. Kratos believed he was a demigod, but Faye knew this being's mother was likely a Huldra. She didn't believe this was just a demigod. The father may of been a monster of a man, but the mother had to be a Huldra. That he called himself male even born female fit. He was too beautiful to be a male of the species.
But Isa was her son and that was the end of that. She didn't care. Kratos didn't care. It was fine. Wasn't sure how Japan came into this, a world away. But possibly a god kidnapped a huldra or some such, seduced it away. It would remove the chance he was Freyr's child and instead was of another set of gods with a Norse origin to the mother side. He tossed one into the mouth of his wolf and just took out a knife and started skinning the other. "There is nothing honorable about that hunt," Kratos spoke up where he was sharpening his axe.
"Don't need honor to catch a snack," Isa said absently. "Archers use arrows, arguably worse than what I do. Arrows can miss... can hurt real bad. A messy death..." His words soft as he got the pelt off. "They were relaxed and felt nothing. I wouldn't say... sacrifice these to Gods if I ever wanted to, but... food is food." Kratos grunted and Faye huffed at the interaction.
It was too close to what a Trickster God would say, a silvered tongue. Fate really was cruel to her family. She had already met her grandchildren, two at least. Poor Fen had long been locked away. Jor was doing well, his hate strong but he awaited the day he would get his revenge for the giants and his brother. And she'd be meeting Hel when her time came. No doubt, she would hate Aesir and be a sweet child. If not so honorable.
Kratos always tried so hard to get an honor code into the boy. Making those comments but it was his upbringing back in his society. He freely admitted honor was a dead way there for most citizens. To be honorable was to be walked over and taken advantage of. And as a cripple, he had to be deceitful to even survive his education and later when he was attacked by his peers, to win against them. Those without honor, evil people disguised as good ones, lead the country because the good ones weren't cutthroat enough to match them. They didn't ruin good peoples' lives just for stepping stones.
Faye did not want to go to Japan after hearing the stories Isa gave from them.
Isa had grown up in the last four years. Their estimate he was six in body was off. More eight as he had grown a lot more. Faye could still remember the awkward boy asking to speak with her to the side. And hesitantly asking how to handle a period. He was so embarrassed and frustrated. Faye did her best to let him know how to handle it and skipped the talk of womanhood she had gotten as a youth. She had a strong feeling at the time that Isa wouldn't have appreciated it. Was already teary-eyed.
Faye was also pretty certain that Kratos did not know what sex their son was either. He was a very private person about his body. Had admitted quietly when Faye had asked why he hid so much, that because of his age, being an adult, he felt very much like a pedophile for having it. A child predator. Didn't like seeing it himself, so he hide it the best he could from himself as well.
He looked a lot more feminine and kept long hair to Kratos's... it wasn't disappointment but annoyance. He was a spartan and bald. That Faye taught him many ways she knew how to braid hair and different styles, likely didn't help. Isa had taken to just keeping his hair bound in a half up bun in the back of his head. The wavy hair messy usually. Face was that of a growing woman and voice changing to fit that. He would be one that the Gods would chase as a bride, if they didn't perish fighting his father.
Body was developing breasts and more shaped figure that was less male. But that was easily hidden by simply a layer of loose fur over the top. It wouldn't work in a few years, but for now it was fine. Faye knew Kratos would likely put two and two together. He wouldn't do anything about it. He told of how women were treated in Sparta, and there was a lot of overlap of what he did now to what they did.
He was definitely not human even without charmspeak, since his strength and speed outstripped most humans as of that day. Humans did not do what Isa did even under the guidance of a former god of war. Kratos seemed to get bored after Isa finished cooking the rabbit over a fire and giving half to her to eat. So he just got up.
"Follow boy." He told Isa. And Faye watched them go. To do what, she did not know. But he was bringing his axe and draugrs were spotted around. So maybe combat trials. Or getting more firewood, they were getting low. Whichever. She just finished the rabbit she was given and Sparky was sitting by the fire, warming himself. Sparky was very leery of Kratos, sensing how dangerous her husband was.
But it didn't sense what she hid so was more comfortable around her. Allowing her to pet the course fur. "Who is your father?" Faye asked the wolf. "Is it Hati, Skuti... or are you the son of Fenrir himself..." she softly asked, drifting a hand along the hel veins across its form. The wolf had the nerve just to watch her. "Regardless... a giant... I am... happy to see one of my own around." Drifted a hand along the head. "Protect Isa. He may not be Loki, but fate sees them as one and the same."
The wolf just huffed at her. 'At least talk,' Faye thought to herself and ate more of the rabbit.
She finished the meal and left the scraps for Sparky. Didn't need the bones for anything. And got to work on the gift she wanted Isa to have before she succumb to her death. The bow would be nice and hopefully thy will find their way into Brok and Sindri to get some upgrades she was incapable of making. Though, Isa was becoming quite a blacksmith himself. Making his own steel, mining things in the valley himself. He didn't do it for the art like dwarfs did, but the things he made were functional. Maybe he could figure a way to craft a better one.
Faye didn't know. She had no idea what the future held after that man came into their lives so briefly but left such a hole. A hole that Isa did not fill by his own doings. What was certain no longer was. But... she had to trust Kratos to watch over him. He was going to start Ragnarok one way or another. And he knew how to bypass Baldr's weakness that only two people knew how. Isa was resourceful enough to do it.
He heard the gate open and came out to see Isa dragging a boar on a crude sled with Kratos walking behind him. "Did you really take him out hunting because of those rabbits?" She sighed. Kratos looked her in the eyes and gave the barest of a nod. Not at all embarrassed. Isa huffing and puffing as he got the bore to the prepping shed. "You didn't let him use a bow, did you?"
"The boy is fast enough for a boar."
"It charged me," Isa breathed as he was getting the boar into the shed, he didn't look at her. "Didn't... need speed... just... got dragged." He was absolutely filthy so Faye believed him. She just sighed. Even after years as his wife, Faye really didn't understand the greek ways. They were so similar some days and then so different others.
Kratos seemed... disquieted by something though. He hadn't been when Isa had gone with him. But something happened during the hunt. She would ask him while Isa worked and motioned him for just that. He nodded seeing the hand motion to come over after he finished putting his axe away.
Faye walked with Kratos a fair bit away from the house. "What happened?" Faye asked as they stood on the docks for their river.
"The boy..." He started and stopped. "Has a temper." Faye waited for more. Kratos would get there, she had asked him after all. "Not a normal temper." Faye waited for what was really bothering him. "The boar didn't just drag him. It trampled him. I would have intervened but... there was something I needed to see. I knew he could handle a boar of that size. But... it broke the knife you gave him as a gift."
Faye watched her husband as he watched the waters. "He tapped into... a well of power I only see in Gods. Gods of Battle." He finally just spoke the reason after teasing the boundaries as he himself was handling his own thoughts on the matter. "He was too weak and didn't seem to notice beyond he lost his temper when the knife broke, was... more violent in dispatching the boar. But... I did see it. I saw how he grew stronger for a moment but enough to lift the boar completely up and break rocks with its body. How he coughed as his body couldn't handle it, but he withstood the rebound. I do not believe this child is a demigod. I believe he is a God."
Faye watched the same water as her husband as she nodded along with the words. He was stressed. It had been a very long time since she had heard him speak this much. Faye provided what she knew at least. "He is at least half Huldra, a Forest Spirit. Much like... the sirens you told me about. His mother would have to have been one. They do not have magic to hide and he'd have known if his father was one." Kratos hummed. "And I believe you when you say he is the child of a God. There is... an air about him that covers him. He has the power and might of a Huldra, the abilities exaggerated somewhat, but there. He would be close to a god in blood then."
"What do we do?"
"We planned to raise a demigod, my love," Faye softly reminded. "Your demigod. This is no different. He even may be related to a God of War"
"He was sent here for a reason, Faye," he said with a deep frown. "You know he was."
"And I know why he found us." Kratos looked at her sharply and she did not look at him as her arms folded in front of her. "I know who he needs to kill by name. He doesn't say it, but he knows exactly who he is after as well and that man's capabilities. He might not know why he found his place here, but whoever sent him into my grove, knew the outcome. Knew how I would react seeing a helpless child after losing my firstborn. How I would have reacted even if Atreus was alive."
"Who do you think sent him?"
"I know exactly who just from what he told us about the target and what her gender and abilities were. But... I do not know how or why."
"What are you hiding from me, Woman?" Kratos demanded.
"Nothing that... endangers you two," she said calmly, pacifying him before he got too angry. Kratos reigned himself in. "It... is best to not say either. It is his story to tell, his path to begin. I just know his path and where it leads, less than I believe he knows. And that you and I will be there for him to make sure he gets through it alive."
The two stood in silence. "The Boy... he is not your son."
"He is as good as," Faye corrected her husband. Kratos didn't argue on that matter. "Isa is a God, god of what, I don't know. What he will become, I don't know. If he survives his task. I don't know. But he is our son, your son, regardless of if I brought him into the world or not. Regardless of how old he really is." Faye looked at her bearded love. "It is lucky you were a God of War then, to help him."
"Faye," Kratos said in his rumble, low volume. "His Rage was like my own channeling of my fury. The fire. Faye, that was a Greek's power, a sign of my domain as Ares. We are not like your gods, Faye. Our domains are not hobbies, but concepts of what we are. His power is not a hobby." And that, drew Faye up short. "I never laid with Huldra, but I did lay with the Goddess of Love many times over several years. Including the week of Greece's fall. Three hundred years ago. I have only been with you since arriving here." He leaned closer. "Isa... he is not yours... but he could be my son. I did not see Aphrodite die and Godly birth can be inhuman."
Faye matched eyes with her husband and saw he was hiding it, as he did with most emotions, but he was actually scared to be Isa's father. Faye stepped forward and touched his chest. "Then you are his father and nothing changes," Faye softly said. "As I am his mother now even though he has a mom. Who he is... his past... does not matter anymore. God or not... Blood or not."
Kratos looked at her and then back to the path of the house. "The man he must kill. The God." He looked back at her. "Is he strong?"
"One of the strongest and is the toughest God to walk this world," Faye confirmed. Kratos nodded and opened and closed his hand.
"Then we must increase training."
Faye had to laugh at the simple way her dear was going to solve problems. Just fight better and be stronger. And... well... Isa would figure out the rest. He was a cunning and smart boy in his ruthlessness. But a year won't be enough. Kratos would have to help him on his path. But he trusted the man to do what was right involving Isa. The dead were already overflowing and draugrs becoming more common, food was drying up, and it was going to be the harshest winter in history. Three years. He was going to succeed, because Loki had to.