A/N: I dearly hope everyone appreciates the length of this chapter. Spent a lotta sleepless days on this.
Read this note, please. Big changes are coming to this site.
I've beaten Ragnarok. All of it. Ravens, trials, and all. Now I feel hollow inside...that secret ending HURT...
Alaso, there's some bad news. I'll say it plain, if this email opt-in business with the site doesn't get resolved soon, I'm probably going to retire.
It HURTS to say that; but with this new system, reviews and readers have dropped to an all time low, authors are leaving the site in droves, and it feels like the end of an era.
If you're not already aware of it, ever since the 16th of November, you now have to turn ON your email alerts in account settings-MAKE SURE YOU CLICK SAVE SETTINGS!-else you won't be notified when anyone updates. No alerts, no email, no nothing. Apparently that's a thing we all have to do every ninety days or so, now. Alas, not many are aware of it...which is a problem. As things stand this new "fix" as it were, has cut everyone's viewership/reviewers in half because most folks don't know about it. Authors are leaving/quitting because of this.
Sometimes opting in works. Sometimes it doesn't. Really depends. Hopefully the devs can fix tweak/update this system.
This sudden change is driving authors away in droves; because no one knows, since not all of us have Twitter, which means most aren't even aware; as a result, they think we're not updating, and they don't read or review...which makes us write even less...
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this story, and all others.
Made a minor mistake when writing Odin's manner of speech.
That'll be fixed going forward.
As ever, the Embers rule remains: If people don't like this story? If they don't enjoy it? Well...I won't be able to continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with two jobs; basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore. My free time is almost nonexistent and as such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts.
I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact.
Now for your questions, comments, and concerns.
Q: Did the gang meet Brok yet? Wasn't Freya and the World Serpent after we meet that beautiful blue bastard?
A: They did, we just didn't see it, given last chapter was from Freya's point of view.
And speaking of World Serpents...
...well. Best be ready. I'll try to do him justice.
Q: Is this going to be a harem? And what's the deal with Naruto's mind?
A: Its heavily implied Naruto is suffering under a curse, just like Freya. His memories are jumbled.
Q: What are Naruto's weapons?
A: Naruto still has the Arms of Sparta -though the spear is broken- given to him by Kratos. He just needs 'em fixed.
As for the Blades of Chaos, those should remain with Kratos, no? Its a poignant part of his character arc when he takes them up again. Don't want to cheapen that.
Of course, Naruto's going to get more weapons...
Q: Don't go around swiping pairings. Are the other Valkyries going to be in this?
A: The valkyries will be featured, yes. But I've not forgotten about Sigrun and Mimir, either. Sif stays with Thor, *SPOILER* Atreus finds his future wife, so on and so forth.
Everyone else is free game, really.
And of course, we DID glimpse Hestia a few chapters back...
Q: Is Baldur still cursed or...?
A: Baldur's curse isn't broken. Naruto's able to punch through it at times due to...well, there be spoilers. The fact remains that he HURT him, even tossed him around a bit before Baldur got the better of him. That isn't something he'll forget.
Q: No betrayals please! Let the family stay together!
A: In the words of Mimir...what're you on about brother? Where'd you get that idea?
As always, I own no references, quotes, memes or themes. They're merely tributes to legends right and proper.
We won't be speedrunning the events of the first game, but there WILL be some alterations.
Case in point, have a look at this quote down here.
"...you're really going to die?"
"The culmination of love is grief, son. And yet we love despite the inevitable; we open our hearts to it. To grieve deeply is to have loved fully."
"But I'm not your son, am I? Not really. I'm a monster. A destroyer. Dad just picked me up somewhere and brought me with him. At the end of the day, I don't even know who I am! I can't remember-
"Sh. Shh. Shhh. Come here. Don't dwell on that. You'll remember when the time is right. You are my boy in every way that matters. Just as Atreus is your brother and Kratos, your father. Open your heart to them, to the world as you have opened it to me, and you will find every reason to keep living in it.
...alright. I'll trust you."
"I know you will. Do look after your little brother and your father when I'm gone, won't you? Atreus, I'm sure, will be fine, but we both know your Father can be dreadfully stoic."
...he really does grunt an awful lot, mum."
"That's why I call him Grumbles."
~A Mother and her Son.
Here Be Monsters
Kratos found himself somewhat...concerned.
Admittedly, he did not show it well. He knew he didn't. It was a source of neverending frustration for the Spartan. He'd seldom saw his softer side these days. Even now, after all these years, he often had great difficulty expressing anything beyond simple stoicism. Some might call him blunt. Laconic. Reserved, even. Perhaps they had the right of it. But he was not cold as they might claim, nor was he blind to what was unfolding here before his very eyes.
"Hold still, you! I can't place the protection stave if you keep squirming!"
Naruto laughed despite the Girl's admonishment, grinning as her fingers traced his neck. "I'm trying! But it tickles!"
What he saw taking place before him? It concerned him a great deal.
Kratos was not often prone to fits of introspection these days. But he found himself dwelling on such things now. This Girl who tended to his Eldest Boy...there was more to her than met the eye. For one so small the Girl was wise in the old ways, but his concern went beyond her magics. It was her personality. She was quick to take charge, an admirable quality in a warrior, yet she was clearly too small to be one. She reminded him of Faye. A younger version, perhaps. Quick of wit, and able to coax rare responses out of him as few could these days.
This, he thought, was good. The Boy had been too quiet, lately. Sullen.
The warrior in him wished to dismiss such things and hasten onward. They had a long road ahead and their time was wasted dallying here.
Faye's voice nagged at him. He imagined what she might say. "This is good for him, Grumbles. Let him linger awhile."
He wanted to heed her voice. He was hurting from her death still. To take it out on the Boy would be...unfair.
And yet there was the way this "Girl" carried herself. Walked. Talked, even. Like an adult trapped in a child's body. Was she under a curse of some sort? Moreover, was she a danger to them? He did not wish her such. The Girl had been...helpful, thus far, though he was loathe to admit it.
They had harmed her boar after all. A debt was owed. He would see it repaid -and seek better counsel- before making such a judgement.
Atreus appeared to have made his nevertheless. He caught his son staring from a wooden chair, grinning as his brother squabbled with the Girl. Naruto had splashed some of that strange gold paint on her face, which had her admonishing him all over again, but he only laughed all the louder.
"She's nice, huh?" the lad chuckled. "Can't remember the last time I heard Brother laugh like that."
Kratos tried to restrain a grunt. He failed. "...hrrmph."
Atreus was of his blood. Yet the Boy was not. Did that make him any less his son? No. He had found him alone in that strange place, within the fire and flames, and taken him in. Whatever his blood, he was his Boy...even if he did not know how to woo. That, Kratos supposed, was his own fault. He'd never seen the need to teach him such. There were always more important skills to learn.
Atreus did not understand.
He was green. He did not see the bond blooming between these two. This fleeting connection, this tiny tenuous thread that one day, someday, perhaps years from now, might bloom into something more. Atreus could not see it. But he did. Yes, it concerned him. Very much so.
Kratos did not believe in fate. Prophecies were meant to be broken.
...but he could not bring himself to sever this thread. A lifetime ago, he just might have. Fortunately, he was no longer that man.
He would wait, for now. He would see.
And if she became a danger...
...he would act.
(.0.0.0.)
"Hold still, you! I can't place the protection stave if you keep squirming!"
"I'm trying to!" Naruto didn't bother to hide his smile. "But it tickles! You're doing this on purpose, ain'tcha?"
"I am not! Be still!"
"Awww...
Freya exhaled in a long suffering sigh and bit down on her smile as she traced a fresh protection stave into his neck. He'd already messed up the last one with his squirming. Even now Naruto shivered and laughed all the while, forcing her to make slow, broad strokes. For someone who'd nearly butchered a boar only a few hours ago, he seemed awfully ticklish.
"C'mon, that tickles!"
She tutted a little at that. "It'll do more than tickle if I don't apply this properly.
That had him simmering down. His smile faded, replaced by a dour look. "Alright, alright, I'll be good...
Ouch.
She fought down a grimace of her own, not liking the way the light had gone out his eyes just now. Was this her fault? Nonsense. She chided herself for such thoughts a second later. She was the goddess of love, battle, and fertility. Hers was not the heart of some mere maiden to be wooed, and she had sworn never to fall for that trap again. Love was a lie. Odin had proven that. There could be no such emotion when you didn't know the other party, and she certainly didn't know this brash blond enigma of a boy...
.
..
...
So why, why, WHY was she faltering so?! Naruto didn't remind her of Baldur. It wasn't that. No Not in the least. If anything his antics made her think of a less drunken Thor...and wasn't that saying something? There could be no relation there, though. It just wasn't possible.
Thor only had two boys the last she'd seen. Magni and Modi.
Then there was Thrud, gods, she'd been a child when she saw her last.
She'd spend years in Asgard. She would've remembered someone like this, surely.
Odin had done much to her, taken much from her, but he couldn't meddle with her mind. She'd prepared for such a horror; taken countermeasures he'd never been able to breach. Then why in Valhalla did this Boy seem so familiar?! She'd felt this feeling before. This heat, this fire, and that lightning spark in his eyes. He had a curious air about him-that of someone who'd lived a life before. She was so close to an answer, she just knew it.
Could he really be a-
Naruto's hand touched hers and her train of though derailed faster than a minecart on a rickety rail.
"Thanks for this." he hummed at her. "I appreciate it. Really, I do."
She tutted and looked away. "Its nothing-hey!"
He grabbed her and drew her close
"So you're supposed to be queen of the Valkyries, eh?" his lips met her ear in a soft whisper. "I met a Valkyrie. Her name was Eir. Give her my regards if you see her, yeah?"
"That girl's still alive...? Just what have you seen?"
The boy only grinned.
In that instant a spark of scarlet passed between their interlocked fingers. Frey felt something shifted in her soul. A tiny trace of her power trickled back into her. Not much. Not enough to break any of the curses binding her, not in the truest sense of the word; but she felt something loosen deep inside her all the same. A stray semblance of strength.
"What are you...?"
"Boy!" Kratos barked, diverting her attention with his deep, resonant voice. "We are leaving."
He shrugged, gave her a wink, and bounded after his family. "See ya around."
They certainly didn't linger; in a matter of moments they were gone.
Freya watched them depart with a sigh.
She shook her head.
Foolishness.
There was a certain noble savagery to this "Naruto" if one could call it such, one that worried her. He clearly wasn't cruel. If he were, poor Hildisvini never would have been butchered on the spot. And yet this strange sense of unease persisted. He'd fought Bauldur-no that was something of a misnomer. He'd survived Bauldur. Doubtless he had Odin's eye.
A distant rumble of thunder rippled through the sky. Freya took her lower lip between her teeth and worried it nervously.
They would be fine, surely. Their father was a god, to say nothing of Naruto's...murkier origins. Surely they could fend for themselves. She'd done her best to mark them with protection staves; even if she wasn't quite sure Naruto's had entirely taken to him. Magic seemed to slip off that one like water off a dreki's back. There was a reason she'd had to reapply it so many times.
And yet.
She counted to ten, until she was certain they were gone.
Perhaps...perhaps she would look in on him.
She whispered a spell under her breath.
"Falki."
Her form shrank and sprouted feathers, followed by wings and a beak now as she assumed an avian form. From there it was the work of a moment to reorient herself. She'd given them more than enough of a head start by now, surely; doubtlessly they'd found the boat and set out by now. And if they hadn't...well. No point in waiting, then.
What was the worst they could kept up to?
Someone yelped in the distance. "Big snake very big snake!"
With a frustrated scree, Freya took wing and hurled after Naruto's family.
(.0.0.0.)
Eir struggled. She could feel the corruption eating away at her.
For every soul she saved, Valkyrie or no, she had her limits.
She was falling. Just like the rest of her sisters.
Soon enough, she too, would falter.
But until then..she persisted.
(.0.0.0.)
There wasn't enough room in the boat for all three of them.
In hindsight, Naruto knew it should've been obvious. Father was...rather large and tall, and although Atreus was small, there simply wasn't room enough for a third body in the little canoe. Well there was, but having three bodies to a boat at once left them sitting dangerously low in the lake and at risk of taking on water.
Thankfully that problem was easily remedied.
"You can walk on water?!
Of course he could. He wasn't sure how or why, but it was a skill his body remembered, or perhaps retained; one he'd not had a chance to use before now. The waters of the lake bubbled and hissed beneath his feet, but it held his weight, allowing him to plod after his brother and father in their little boat.
Speaking of father...oh, gods. He could feel Kratos glowering at him. "You did not think to mention this?"
"Always could." he shrugged as he rubbed at his neck, unwilling to look their way. His skin itched where Freya had traced her protection spell. "Everything was frozen back at the house, so I didn't use it." Tiny flecks of gold paint came away under his fingers and he panicked, yanking his hand back. "Never came up."
"Boy...
He didn't much like the way Father drawled that word just now. "
"Look!" Atreus cried out before another argument could bloom between them. "Out there in the fog! I see a statue!
A statue did indeed loom in the midst; Kratos steered the boat towards it.
Runes lay within, glimmering gold.
"Sacrifice your arms to the centre of the water." Atreus read them with a frown, peering through the grime. "Awaken again the cradle of the world." he leaned back on the boat, wearing a pensive expression. "Throw our weapons into the water? Guess that won't be a problem for you two...
Naruto looked to Kratos. Shrugged.
Atreus squirmed under their gaze. "Are...you gonna do it?"
Kratos hefted the Leviathan Ax. Naruto raised his dented Spartan Shield. Together they let them fly, hurtling end over end into the depths. A moment passed. Another. Three, now. In unison, their hands rose.
One returned. The other remained.
Naruto hefted his soaked shield, but Kratos frowned at his still empty palm. "The ax...did not return?"
Beneath their boat, the water began to bubble. A deep, sonorous grumble shook the lake.
And then. The water stirred.
Perhaps stirred wasn't the right word; the lake absolutely sucked at their boat, its once peaceful surface churning into white water rapids. Naruto lost his footing and went down; would have drowned if Kratos didn't grab him and drag him into his arms.
"Hold on boys!"
He heard a muffled grunt from Aterus. "Okay!"
A massive shape rose from within the waters, casting them in its shadow as they looked on; before their very eyes a great slitted eye opened, larger than all three of them put together. Still it rose, dwarfing them all, rearing back over them like a...oh gods...was that really a...?
Kratos summed it up quite nicely. "...what...is this?"
Atreus gulped and whispered softly. "Its the world serpent...
Big snake! Naruto's mind babbled in a blind panic. Very big snake!
Very "big" didn't even begin to describe this monster, this absolute BEHEMOTH rising from the water. Bigger than anything he'd ever seen-no, that wasn't quite right, was it? A sudden headache rattled his head, forcing him to grip his skull to stymie it. He'd seen something like this once before...hadn't he? Not as big, but close...
The pain his temples intensified and the memory eluded him.
With nary a sound the serpent opened is gaping maw and spat something out.
Father's ax came tumbling down and bit into the boat. He ripped it free, brandishing it before him. "Stay calm, boys!"
"I am! Atreus grinned. "This is great!"
Naruto balked at his little brother. "In what world?!"
Much to his chagrin the beast saw them. Its gaze followed them, followed him as he squirmed away from Kratos and settled himself to stand on the water's now-calm-surface once more. In that instant he could've sworn recognition passed through its gaze. It rumbled what might have been a greeting, its voice a deep bass rumble that tattled their ears, a noise he couldn't comprehend.
Kratos reared back. "It speaks?!
"Yeah!" Yet again, Aterus baffled him. "Mom says he's friendly!"
Naruto flicked a look his way. "What is it saying?!"
"I don't know!"
It loomed closer to them. No, to him.
"Ah, crap...nice serpent!" He held up his hands in a vain attempt to ward it away. "Good serpent. Please don't eat me...
.
..
...remarkably, it did not. Instead it butted its snout against him, bringing with it the faint scent of the sea and another, more familiar smell he couldn't quite quantify. When it inhaled, Naruto nearly lost control of his legs altogether and pitched back into the water again. The serpent rumbled something else at that -almost sounded like a laugh- and moved by to settled itself on the mountains past the lake. With is passing the water level dropped around them, but he scarcely noticed it all.
Atreus certainly did. "That...that was amazing! I thought it was gonna eat you for sure!"
Naruto growled, still clutching. "Atreus."
The young boy blinked. "Yeah?"
"Shush."
His little brother did... if only for a moment.
"Wait, there's a shipwreck way over there. See that?" he stabbed a finger that way. "And there's the statue of Thor! Except...I can seen a lot more of him now. There's a beach over there, too! I can even see the mountain! Lookit! That buildings leads from the foot of it to that golden temple. There's even a dock-there, next to the flag.
"Easy there, little brother. We'll get to it all sooner or later."
Kratos rumbled an affirmative. "The water dropped when the serpent rose. It was all there, just under the surface."
Naruto let him talk; he was too busy trying to calm his hammering heart.
"That...was a big snake."
Docking the boat proved a simple matter. He followed at a slower pace, taking the temple in.
Perhaps this "golden temple" had been grand once, but whatever it once was lay tarnished by its time in the sea. Flotsam and jetsam lay everywhere, heavy sea vines twining about braziers and statues alike. Atreus paid it no such heed; he was already darting ahead, gaze fixed on a familiar peak in the distance.
"Is this the way to the mountain?"
Kratos stepped past him. "So it would seem.
"Well, well! If it isn't the bearded beefer and his sac-seeds!" a familiar voice brayed, cutting him off. "Have I got something for you three!"
He knew that voice!
Atreus perked up, seeing a familiar figure at the opposite end of the temple. "Brok?! But how did you get here ahead of us...?"
"None of yer fuckin' business!" the blue dwarf barked a laugh in the distance. "Now get in here, I got something for ya! And don't go makin' pig eyes at my spot...I saw it first!"
A blond brow arched. "What do you think he wants?
Kratos rumbled. "To test our patience."
The world went sideways.
It all happened so fast. One moment Naruto was preparing a clever retort; in the next he heard an almighty crack of noise and found himself sprawled out on the floor. He rolled over, righting himself with a groan, only to fail as his left side spasmed. Sparks skittered over his body. His head felt like it was filled with clouds, his ears ringing as he struggled to right himself.
'What happened...?'
An unfamiliar boot entered his field of vision and he braced himself for a painful kick. It never came.
"...oops." a low voice sighed. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to hit you that hard. Up you go!"
A large hand gripped him by the shoulder and hoisted him upright.
It didn't belong to Kratos.
"Hey!" He pushed at them and stumbled back. "Lemme go!"
"Alright, alright, no need to squawk...
When he finally found his footing, someone was waiting for him. A great big barrel-chested man, large and strong, clad in a dark cloak, the hood drawn back to reveal his face. His was a mighty visage rimmed by dark hair and a bristling beard. A shiver shot down his spine.
"Fuck me...
"Kept me waiting." the big brute rumbled. "Might not be able to sense ya, but the big snake's kinda hard to miss.
An angry hiss reached his ears.
He could see the World Serpent rising behind him, but slowly, too slowly.
Kratos finally found his feet and called his ax to one hand, anger burning in his eyes. "Who are you?!"
"Don't care about you two." Thor jerked his head to the side. "Wanna word with the boy here. Won't take long."
Naruto and Atreus exchanged a baffled look.
"Not you, the brute waved a hand at Atreus. "YOU."
Kratos stepped forward. "We have no quarrel with you. Let us pass.
"Too bad. Hey, old man. Catch!"
The bearded brute swung his hand. A wild blur of lightning and metal burst from his belt with impossible speed, struck Kratos in the chest and launched him into the World Serpent. Both went flying into the lake. All this, in an instant. There was no time to blink, much less react.
"Your turn, boy!"
Naruto flung himself in front of Atreus. No time to do anything but raise his right hand.
Something large and heavy landed in his grasp, causing him to stagger.
He'd caught...a hammer?
Not just any hammer. A large hammer with a short handle, a weapon so heavy it dragged his arms right down to the ground. Realization dawned. An old memory surfaced, a foggy recollection. He'd seen a weapon like this once before. Bathed in blood. Even if he hadn't, he still would know that hammer in his grasp. Anyone worth their salt did; because everyone knew the stories.
He was looking at Aesir god. But not just any god...
"Oh, bugger."
"Heh." Thor, God of Thunder, grinned down at him. It was not a nice smile. "Knew you were the one." Quick as a flash, he snapped his fingers and the hammer shot back out his grasp to land in a waiting hand. "You were pretty easy to find. Shouldn'ta picked at the mark on your neck, kid."
A brutal roundhouse smashed into his face, driving him down to a knee.
Atreus surged forward, knife in hand. "Leave him alone!
Dread in Naruto's heard mounted. Father could take a hit from Mjolnir. His brother couldn't.
He flung out an arm. "Stay back!"
Atreus faltered. He saw the pain in his brother's eyes. The confusion.
Then he didn't see anything at all; because Thor stepped in and swung. Naruto raised his shield for all the good it did. The hammer smashed through his guard, struck hit him square in the chin and turned his world white as driven snow. He sent him hurtling into the sky. Clouds flashed by. In the distance, he heard father's roar, and then a grunt of pain that could only belong to Thor. Then that, too, was gone.
All the world blurred around him. He hurtled through the clouds and crashed down...somewhere else.
A/N: Well? Did you enjoy this? Better yet, do you want weekly updates?
Kinda need to know if this story is going to be a thing again.
As ever, the Embers rule remains: If people don't like this story? If they don't enjoy it? Well...I won't be able to continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with two jobs; basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore.
Holidays are her, and my free time is limited to the extreme now. As such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts. I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews!
POTENTIAL ones!
(Previews)
"SHOW ME!"
She ran a hand through his hair. "There, there...
The Valkyrie dove on him with a shriek, blades swinging. "VALHALLA!"
"I'd rather not go there right now, thank-you-very-much!"
"He will betray you, child. Just as he does everyone else."
Naruto gripped his skull. "Get out of my head."
Athena only smiled.
"There's nowhere you can hide, Spartan. Put as much distance between you and the truth as you want, it changes nothing. Pretend to be everything you are not: teacher, husband, father. But there is one unavoidable truth you will never escape: You cannot change. You will always be...a monster."
...I know. But I am your monster no longer."
"Let me put it plainly. Stab that dwarf and I stab you. EVERYWHERE."
Odin thumbed his chin. "Well, well. That's surprising...leave them be awhile longer, Baldur."
EDIT: Hey, you made it! Thanks for reading!
As ever, the Embers rule remains: If people don't like this story? If they don't enjoy it? Well...I won't be able to continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with two jobs; basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore.
Holidays are her, and my free time is limited to the extreme now. As such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts. I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact.
Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work!
R&R~!
