Weeks ago Kratos, Atreus, Lysandra, and Calliope have been given another goal from Poseidon to kill the Hydra. It was a struggle but they had succeeded.
The memories kept haunting Atreus for nearly a year, the boy kept staying in his room sitting on the side of his bed, rubbing and scratching his head in frustration trying to fight through it but he couldn't. He has been seeing the same things over, over, and over again that he just can't stand it. Atreus is breathing really hard and shouts loudly multiple times but not to loud to wake the Spartans, takes a cup of water and throws at a wall as the cup shatters into peices. He exits his room and walks down the hallway, going up a few stairs arriving at to the main level of the boat while it was raining. He had wanted to getting rid of these painful memories since the very day he got them. The kid also got a few inches taller.
They had been give one final goal, and that was to kill the god of war while the ship had been setting to Athens. Later they had docked to the shores of Athens as the Spartans got ready. The city was overrun with all manner of creatures. Buildings and pillars had been falling to the ground as Ares was at the center of the city killing Athenian soldiers and smashing temples as the size of a mountain. Atreus and the Spartans stare at Ares in the distance.
"God of war, I haven't forgotten your title. For what you and lover did to me, and Orkos this very city will be your resting place." Atreus said as the points one of his blades at the enormous god. They had gotten upgrades from the gods, Zeus's wrath, Poseidon's wrath, and the head of medusa. They had arrived at the temple of the Oracle. Red barriers formed around all directions as Harpies began attack but they did not succeed at all, once the barriers were gone two Harpies grabbed the Oracle as she called for their names.
Atreus was about to run after her until he heard a noise coming from the left, they all saw someone digging a grave.
"Who are you?" Kratos asked the Grave digger.
"My, this is unexpected." The Gravedigger then turned his attention to the family, "Ah, I see that you have the skin as pale as the moon, the blades that you created yourself. And the power to create illillusions."
Atreus stepped forward, "So you know of me?"
"But of course, everyone knows your story. But be careful, don't want you dying before I'm done with this grave." The Grave digger says as he keeps digging.
"A grave? In the middle of a battle? Who would occupy, old man?" Kratos asked the Grave digger.
"You will my son, oh I've got a lot of digging to do indeed but all will he revealed in time and when all appears to be lost I will be there to help all of you."
Once the Grave digger had shared his words the family continues to look for the Oracle, they finally found her hanging onto a rope as her life depended on it. Atreus used his wings as he flew to the Oracle to grab her body to descend to the ground slow and gently.
"Atreus, as Athena herself has foretold. You are too late to save Athens or is it Athens you have come to save?" The Oracle says as she places her hands on Atreus's temple.
"No don't I can't-" The Oracle tapped into Atreus's mind as she been to see the visions and Atreus in beast form slaughtering Monsters, Barbarians, and Persians while Atreus stood over a pile of dead warriors that layed dead at his feet, thunder claps and rain drops pouring to the ground while Atreus roars as blood is seen across his face, bathing in the blood of his enemies. The Oracle saw nothing but a vicious beast.
The Oracle jumped in back in horror as Atreus's mind was back to normal, "By the gods, why would Athena send one such as you?!"
Atreus shouts at her, "Stay out of my head!"
The Oracle walked to a gate as she places her hand on a logo that looked like an owl as it shines a light blue color while the pathway opened, "Choose your enemies wisely Atreus, it would seem that you might have a chance at killing Ares but there is one item that can help you defeat a god. Pandora's box which lies across the desert of lost souls. But we warned Atreus, many have gone in search of Pandora's box none have returned."
Atreus stepped forward to go to the path but Kratos grabbed his shoulder which caused him to stop moving, "You are not doing this alone, boy. We can help you."
"No father, I can do this. But what I need you five to do is save as many people as you can from Ares, evacuate the city, and wait for me."
They declined of the idea at first until they accepted it, they nodded in agreement with Atreus's plan, Calliope stepped forward to Atreus and hugs him as he does the same.
"Be careful Atreus."
"And you be safe too Calliope, please stay as far away from Ares."
Calliope looks at him in the eyes, "I will, brother." She replies as she gave him a kiss on the cheek for good luck.
Atreus continues down the path the gate of the lost souls, When he entered the desert landscape he spotted a statue of Athena as a light glowed around the statue as Athena's way of communicating with others.
"Atreus the journey forward is perilous. But one must complete if you are to have any hope of saving Athens. And I admire your plan to save the people while there is still time."
"You're welcome Athena. The Oracle spoke of Pandora's box. It is real?"
"The box exists. With it many things become possible and so it is hidden well. Far across the desert of lost souls you will need to find Cronos, the titan."
"A titan still remains here? Breathing and living?"
"Cronos is the last. Zeus has commanded him to wander the desert endlessly until the swirling sands rip the very flesh from his bones. There are safe passages through the sands. Follow the songs of the sirens Atreus and they will lead you to Cronos."
Athena's statue arua stopped glowing as that was Atreus's cue to continue through the desert, he heard the song of the sirens from all directions as he used his hunting tactics to kill them all. A path began to lead Atreus somewhere else as he stumbled upon a huge horn as blew into horn as Cronos began to crawl to the loud sound. As Cronos got close enough Atreus flew upwards to the mountain to get a better view.
He saw the temple entrance at the center of Pandora's temple. Atreus flew in with high speeds as he slowed down and placed his feet to solid ground.
He saw a someone well something or perhaps both who was burning dead bodies that attempted to claim Pandora's box. Atreus walks forward to the figure as he does the same.
"So you come here to enter the temple of the gods, and try to claim Pandora's box. Believe me many have tried but none succeeded. Soon enough the Harpies will bring me what's left of you for me to burn on the pyre. If I were you, I'd leave but I can see you are determined." The Body Burner now picks up a skull and throws it to two Harpies as they opened the gates, "Good luck, Scandinavian."
He walked down the hall as he spotted a table with a book as a circular door with an all seen eye symbol with greek runes. The journey had taken forever but he succeeded in his quest.
Atreus entered a room as he made contact with the box. An image of the head of Athena glowed above Pandora's box.
"Atreus, your quest is at an end. Return to my city, and use this box to kill Ares."
After a thousand years Pandora's box was finally claimed. Atreus was ready, he would murder the god of war. He was now pushing the box out of the entrance in the temple.
Ares still remaining in his mountain form was still on a killing spree as he slashed his flaming sword to buildings and killing Athenian soldiers. He stopped what he was doing as he knew that the Ghost of Scandinavia had succeeded in his quest.
"So little Scandinavian, you have recovered Zeus's precious box. But you won't live long enough to see it opened." Ares picks up a sharp pillar with one hand, "I will see to that... You will wrought in the depths of the underworld for all eternity."
Ares now throws the sharp pillar to the desert of lost souls, the pillar went to straight to the main temple entrance as the sharp side of the side of the pillar hit Atreus in the chest sending his body to the circular door while still impaled. Blood was pouring out of Atreus's body as he tried to remove the pillar but his strength and life was beginning to fade. He saw the minions of Ares grab Pandora's box with their talons to carry it to their master. Atreus soon enough died as his body fell to the underworld as regained consciousness. Atreus summoned his wings again as he flew around the underworld, he saw in the distance was a heavy stone attached with a rope leading back to the living world. He claimed up to the rope and was placed on solid ground and saw the grave digger along with the Spartan family.
"Atreus!" Calliope says as she hugs him. Atreus hugs her back.
"Thank goodness your ok."
"Did you just die?" Calliope questions her. brother as looked away.
"Yes, I claimed Pandora's box and was impaled by a huge pillar sent by Ares."
"You what?!!"
"Can we focused on our goal!" Kratos yells out to the children, "Boy, what of Pandora's box. Did Ares's minions retrieve it before you died?"
"Yes. Is Ares still within the city?"
"Yes." Kratos said as a huge earthquake erupted. The Gravedigger notions to the city and tells them they aren't finished just yet. They heed the Grave digger's words as they spotted Ares while holding Pandora's box in his grasp.
"Zeus! Do you see now what your son can do. You cast your favor on Athena but her city lies in ruins before me and now even Pandora's box is mine. Would you have me use it against Olympus itself?" Ares yells to the skies and he saw Atreus and the Spartan family, "Atreus. Returned even from the underworld... Is this truly the best you can do father. You send a broken mortal to stop me, the god of war."
Suddenly a lightning bolt stuck the chain that held Pandora's box in Ares's hand making the object fall to the ground. Atreus stood in front of the box as he sensed two power presences from the box, one was evil and the other was powerful coming from inside the box. He had second thoughts about opening the box if he was to absorb one or the other, it might lead to dangerous results. He was sure of it. He had a new plan that it might work. Atreus stepped forward in front of the box and kicked it back far away from the area.
"You call yourself the god of war. A huge giant the size of a mountain while I'm but a mere insect. True you could kill me here and now but where is the fun in that, your nothing more than a coward. You want a challenge, don't you? Well then you can return to your normal size and fight me like a true opponent and see how long you last against me, Ares. And besides I don't think I'll need the box to kill you."
Ares llistened to Atreus's words as they plagued his mind, Ares growls in anger as he reverted to his original size and stood in front of Atreus. Ares's clutches his fists as he spawned sharp spider-like appendages on his back similar to Megera's.
"Prepare to join your family, Ghost of Scandinavia."
Atreus grunts when he heard the title tbat was given to him as he fell to the ground, his hands glowing a fire aura as it surrounds his forearms and started to growl in anger as his veins were appearing from all angles of his body while his sight turned to red as he conjured his black wings. Atreus gets back up to his feet looking at the Ares.
Atreus steps forward and in an instant he flies to Ares's chest with incredible speed, grabbing the god of war sending them both flying to large buildings structures while Ares takes the impact leaving Atreus unharmed. Atreus throws Ares to the sky, Atreus lands a punch to Ares's face sending him even higher then ever passing the clouds. Atreus goes in for another hit but Ares countered Atreus's attack that sends him off balance, Ares grabs Atreus's wings and pulls him closer to meet his face. Ares headbutted Atreus in the face and grabbed his face to prevent him from doing anything else as they fall to the earth. Ares does an evil laugh as he still kept a good grip on Atreus as they got closer to the ground. With quick thinking Atreus summoned a fake Atreus above Ares, fake Atreus grabs the blades of Valhalla and grappled onto Ares's from behind and kicks him in the back and slices off his spider-like back talons. Ares yells out in pain as Atreus slipped out of his grip in just enough time to slam his two fists into Ares's face sending him to a roof really fast and hard that he destroys it, falling through the remaining floors and creates alot rubble. Ares got up from the rubble and only had a few scratches on his body and armor, Atreus hovered above the city with his arms crossed as his wings were flapping.
"So flame hair, give up?" Atreus says to Ares as the god of war scoffs.
"Not even close, Mortal." Ares sends fire projectiles at Atreus, the boy flies to different directions but they projectiles were following him and catching up. Atreus goes to the Ares who stood around the rubble, he was charging the god of war as Ares was struck by lightning bolt from, left, right and behind and it was Kratos and his family that attacked him from a good distance away. The electricity was harmful enough to get Ares to stay in one place trying to fight off the shocking sensation, Atreus took the opportunity as he lands on the ground and slides between Ares's legs passing the war god while the fire projectiles hit Ares's body. Atreus jumps up to make the final strike but Ares teleported away before Atreus succeeded. Atreus's blades hit the ground instead. Atreus looks from all directions but no sign of Ares.
Four volcanic structures appeared close to Atreus, the boy quickly went into a defensive position as the volcanic structures were brought together and collided with Atreus. Atreus felt little impact from the huge rock structures and saw Ares on top of a roof on a damaged building.
Ares sends more flying fire projectiles and flaming rocks as Atreus quickly creates an illusion of mist surrounding the streets and buildings to cover his tracks while summoning his wings and took flight, he spiraled between buildings to make the projectiles explode on impact. Atreus lands on the ground, kneels to the corner on a building and sees Ares up ahead still searching for him as the god ofwar sends more projectiles. The Ghost of Scandinavia summoned his wings again and creates a fake illusion of himself, the fake Atreus nodded in agreement on what his plan was.
-
Ares was getting bored of this, as he sends more projectiles, "WHERE ARE YOU?!!!"
Ares sensed something heading his way, fast. He turn to his left to see fake Atreus flying toward him trying to land a punch but was grabbed by the throat, Ares was crushing the life of him, Ares sensed another presence coming from the right and saw another Atreus but grabbed tbat one by the throat as well. With both hands full Atreus took the advantage, he flew to Ares with incredible speed, and land a strong hit on Ares's face sending his body to multiple buildings. Atreus still remain on the same roof where Ares was, flies to the last building Ares had crashed and didn't see a body. He must have teleported somewhere else but where?
Atreus sensed something a come from above, Atreus looks up to the sky and sees Ares but in his mountain form and lands at the center of the city. He hides behind a building and see Ares demolishing more buildings to find him or Kratos.
'How am I supposed to stop that?!' Atreus thinks to himself as he conjured his blades of Valhalla and looks at his reflection, 'No, I can do this.'
"Atreus." A voice calls to him from below. He saw Calliope and the Spartans. Atreus labds next to them.
"I have a plan, it's risky but it just might work. You three just need make sure he stays in one spot for a little while."
Calliope understood Atreus's words as she and her family gets ready.
"Wait, how long do we have to distract Ares for?" The little Spartan girl asked.
"Not time to explain!"
Atreus holds his blades as he takes flight higher than the clouds.
"Ok that's just rude!" Calliope yells out as Ares creates more chaos.
Calliope, Kratos, and Lysandra climb into a roof close to Ares.
"Ares!"
Ares turned to face Kratos and his family, showing a face of hate and anger that makes Calliope hide behind her mother.
"Kratos. You have deceived me. Your own master, you gave up your family in your quest for ultimate power. Because of Atreus's actions you could have stood beside me and become an unstoppable warrior."
"You tried to make me a better warrior at the cost of my family. But because of Atreus he had you fooled."
"Then I shall kill the boy! But before I do that, I will see to it that he watches you all die before I take his life!!!" Ares shouts as he uses his telekinesis to rip the blades of Choas chains off of Kratos's arms. Kratos fell to his knees as Lysandra and Calliope went to his aid. The two girls look the mountain size god as the blades of Choas hovered near them. Ares crushed the Blades of Choas, his own creation from the pits of Tartarus. Ares conjured his flame sword ready to strike the three Spartans.
"What a waist of time. I nearly wished to make you a great warrior."
Kratos smirks, "You have already succeeded."
Kratos got up and stood in front of his family. Kratos wouldn't have imagined to go out like this but at least he will die alongside his family. Ares sensed something heading his way coming at full speed. He turned around and saw Atreus diving to him with his blades of Valhalla in front of him. Atreus roars in fury that rivals the Nemean lion. Ares was about to send another fire projectile until he was interrupted by being shocked with a lightning bolt from Kratos while the Spartan family escaped. Atreus now had the opportunity, he made contact with Ares's chest as he went through his back and crashed through the building landing on the street. Ares fell to his back started to glow into a bright light while Atreus sensed it was no good. Atreus looks to see his second family in front of him.
"Come on we gotta go, there's no time to run!" Atreus warns them as he conjured wings for them as they all took flight away from the city as Ares exploded. They had won, the people had been saved and the city would be rebuilt and would thrive. After a day passed, Atreus and the Spartans got on the ship they used to sail Athens and the truth was revealed to Atreus.
"Athena, I have completed the mission. Can you take these nightmares from my head?" Atreus questions the goddess of wisdom as her statue glows.
"Forgive me for uttering such words Atreus but I fear we cannot take away your nightmares, Ares and Alecto casted powerful magic for the visions to be irremovable." Athena replied to the young Jotunar as Atreus look down in despair.
He walks to the lower deck and enters his room. He kneels to the left side of his bed. In rage and anger he flips his bed, grabs a nearby table and throws at a wall as it breaks, Atreus yells in anger he punches the wall multiple times as it breaks little by little and his knuckles bleed red from the impact. He falls to his knees and silently sheds tears, Calliope enters the room and comforts Atreus, he places his head on her shoulder still crying as Calliope places her arms around Atreus as she sheds a few tears for her brother's suffering. Even in death Ares had still won.
The next day, they arrived at the bluffs in Athens, "Boy, get ready, the gods demand our presence."
"...Yes, sir."
The four had walk all the way up the stairs to the bluffs, the goddess of wisdom exited the portal to Olympus, Kratos had been elected as the new god of war, Atreus had been getting distance for the time being with the Spartans and other greek gods, the boy had been in his own bed chambers sitting at the front of his bed placing his hands on his chin. He needed someone to talk to for now. He entered Kratos's chambers that once belonged to Ares and saw Lysandra and Calliope approaching Kratos's throne in his god of war armor.
"Atreus." Calliope calls out to him as she ran and hugged him, "Are you alright?"
"Yes... I am alright." Atreus replies back to Calliope with a smile, "You know back in Scandinavia I had some old friends there, good people that took care of me and my family perhaps I need to clear head for a while, think things through."
Calliope broke the hug as she stared at Atreus like he was crazy, "Wait you want to leave us?"
"What, no I'm not leaving you forever, it's just a visit and then I'll come back here."
Calliope sighs in relief, "How long will you be gone for?"
"A few days, weeks or months, give or take." Atreus shrugged his shoulders, "Only to see how everyone is doing if they're still in Scandinavia or Norway. I promise I'll be alright."
"No, I want to go with you!" Atreus was about to object to Calliope's request but with her puppy eyes showing as her defense made him sighed in defeat.
"Ok." Soon enough they began get ready as Atreus created a fur uniform for Calliope, it was a uniform that was fit for beauty and battle. Kratos and Lysandra had kissed Calliope's forehead as Atreus hugged them goodbye. Soon enough Atreus created wings for him and Calliope as they took flight heading north for a visit.
Listen to Adrian von Ziegler - Freedom (Epic Beautiful Celtic Orchestral) by AB7 on /avb7/adrian-von-ziegler-freedom-epic-beautiful-celtic-orchestral