Days have gone by as Atreus had been getting a little closer with the Greek gods even though he still blames them for not having enough power to take away his nightmares. Learning all their background history and of the great war. Zeus had explained to Atreus about the evils that he sensed in the box, they were the evils of the great war that he casted into the box after the Titans defeat. Since the Pandora's box was never opened after Atreus had retrieved it, it was put in the flame of Olympus were the evils can never be released.
Calliope had been on her flute playing her melody as always. Lysandra and Kratos were training together a circular the battle arena. As for Mimir who was just talking with Athena, sharing each other's wisdom and stories.
Atreus had just been walking around the great halls of Olympus, looking at the paintings of every greek god in the chamber the flame. What caught his eye was a painting of Ares the original god of war. Atreus casted a fire sphere projectile and burned the painting until he saw nothing but ash.
"Hmph, puny god." Atreus continues to roam around the mountain, he walks to the edge of the Dias, looking at the land below him.
"Atreus." A voice called to him from behind which caused the boy to turn around to see who it was and it was none other then Calliope.
"Calliope." Atreus says back to her with a smile. The Spartan girl smiled back as she stood next to him as they stare at the sun raising on the horizon. It was a beautiful sight. Atreus wrapped his arm around Calliope as she placed her head on Atreus's shoulder.
"My family and I would always watch the sun rise every single day."
"My family would do the same thing, Atreus."
They both shared looks to one another before they continued to look back at the sun. Both of them headed to the gladiator battle arena where Lysandra and Kratos were training. Lysandra took Kratos down to the ground as she impaled her spear to the sands to help her husband get back to his feet.
Atreus and Calliope just watch from the amphitheatre seats as the pale giant chuckles, "I'm sure he let her win."
Calliope laughs, "I was thinking the same, brother."
Suddenly they all hear a dragon roar coming from above as a small figure landed on the ground in front of Lysandra and Kratos. The Spartans readied themselves as the figure stood straight.
"Who are you?" Kratos asked the small bearded man with the blue runic tattoos.
"You might know the answer to that." The man replies mischievously.
"Whatever it is that you are looking for, we don't have it. You should continue to move on." Lysandra said to the man as she and Kratos turned around to walk to the gates but his laugh stopped there tracks.
"You have a young giant here. Bring him to me and you'll live. The Aesir want nothing to do with you, all they want is the boy. It that clear enough for you-"
"Looking for me!" Atreus called out behind the Stranger just a few feet away.
"Ah, you are the one that survived against Thor."
Atreus crossed his arms, "So you know who I am?"
"Of course. All of us do. We would be delighted to meet you."
"Well I'm not. You took my family away from me. And I'll make all of you pay... Tell Odin that he should go crawl in a place to hide from me before I destroy Asgard to its core."
The Stranger laughs like a psychopath and with incredible speed he punched Atreus in the chest that sends to body to the ground but the boy doesn't show any signs of pain as he placed his palm in front of him to signal Lysandra and Kratos to stand back not to interfere as the Stranger speaks some more, "And how to you possibly plan to do that. You're just a weak, arrogant, and naive coward."
Atreus closes his eyes and clenches his fists "I am no coward... This is nothing more then a wakeup call to what I really am." Atreus hits the ground really hard and continues "Who I was destined to be."
"Then what are you really."
A storm rages from the heavens as Atreus looks at his own reflection from a puddle, he got to his knees and opens his eyes only for the Stranger to see red eye color and flames surrounding his forearms, and replies in a cold voice, "I'm saying the Ghost of Scandinavia is back!"
Atreus began to stood straight as it continues rain within the skies, he walks forward to the Stranger as with speed the Stranger punched Kratos and Lysandra aside while grabbing her spear to impale Atreus in the chest but the spear just broke up into peices as Atreus began to chuckle.
The Stranger felt a chill run down his own spine as he sent the broken spear aside as he began to battle Atreus as he did the same.
Atreus summoned his wings as he grabbed The Stranger by the neck as they took flight into the skies. Atreus was repeatedly striking the Stranger in the face with his other hand while the Stranger was doing the same. Atreus kicked the Stranger that sends him all the way down to who knows where of Mount Olympus. Atreus dived down to the city of Olympia to see if the Stranger is dead well because no one can survive a high fall like that. He lands softly on the ground as he investigates the crater, not a body to be seen. Atreus's senses kicked in as he turned around to block a strong punch from the Stranger. Atreus went for another punch but the Stranger grabbed his fist. The Stranger laughs as he grabbed Atreus by the throat and was choking him.
"Pathetic, you can't win. I fell nothing but you feel everything yet you keep trying. How could someone like you be able to kill Magni and Modi? But the Allfather demands your presence as well as Mimir." The Stranger speaks in Atreus's ear as his wounds began to heal rapidly.
"He's not going anywhere and neither am I!" Atreus replies back with a growl, he strikes The Strangers face which caused him to loose his grip, Atreus grabs hold of his blades of Valhalla and attacks the man with everything. Atreus grapples to the Stranger to launch his body to come forward to kick him in the face that sends him to the ground on his stomach, the Stranger tries to get back up but only to grabbed behind the neck to be snapped. Atreus throws the body over the edge as the Stranger falls to the underworld of Hades. Atreus began to breathe heavily. He sensed a nearby presence as he turned only to see Zeus who witnessed everything.
"Atreus, who was he?" Zeus asked the boy.
"I don't know? But I do know that he's dead and working with Odin... And I know now what I have to do." This caused the kind of the gods to raise an eyebrow and suddenly it hit the god of thunder.
"You will go to war against the Aesir?"
"...Yes. If you the Aesir wish to seek counsel with me then that's what they will have. But I won't do it as a god, I wish do it as a mortal. Just so that it can become a great humiliation to the Aesir."
"Very well. I shall send word to Hades that the intruders soul gets tormented."
"Good, at least that gives us one less thing to worry about."
Calliope was witnessing the entire fight from the circular reflection pool in her father's chamber, she began to sigh in relief when Atreus had won the fight. She now then heard of Atreus conversation with Zeus, she couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Atreus's mouth. He wants to find the Aesir and kill them all and he wants to do it alone. She took a few steps back in shock then she stopped her tracks. She couldn't let Atreus do this alone, they have been helping each other for a year and they became close like brother and sister, the little Spartan wanted to help seek the redemption that he needs to avenge his family and If he died she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.
She quickly grabbed her weapons and puts her armor on as she exits the chambers of the god of war.
Heimdall had reported the news to Odin that Baldur had been defeated by the giant, with that Odin gives order for his warriors to travel to Midgard and surround every area within Scandinavia to slow the giant down seeing if they can stop him.
The Asgardians were walked around the forest as the cold snow crunched beneath their feet. Going at a slow and steady pace to hear everything around them.
Suddenly the skies turn to red as blood, something fast swooped through as one of the Asgard warriors screams out loud as the screams faded in the distance. The warriors got into a fighting position as they look around, the sound of wings swooping around at a fast rate unable to see anything coming.
"It's moving too fast!"
"We must get back to Asgard! We must bring-" Dragurs came out of the ground near the warriors, they stepped back but Hel-Walkers attacked them from behind. The bodies were being slaughtered except for one that was left alive. The Asgardian fell to his beck on the ground as the hordes of Dragurs and Hel-walkers surrounded the one soldier left alive as they move aside to reveal a child at the age of thirteen walking to him with his teeth gritted in anger, he pointed a golden blade at his throat.
"Spread word to Asgard that a new threat has appeared to your land and is comign for them, got it?"
The soldier shook in fear, and began to stutter between his words for a moment, "Who are you?"
"...I am Loki, the Ghost of Scandinavia, the god slayer, and champion of the giants."
After Atreus's demonstration of his power, the soldier limped all the way back to Asgard as Atreus stops the illusions of his armies of Dragurs and Hel-walkers as they turned to golden dust, he hears a branch snap nearby as he throws a his chain blade to the direction of the noise as the blade inpale a tree near the figure who screamed in horror. It was Calliope who was on the ground on her bottom.
"What the?! Calliope?! What are you doing here!"
Calliope got off the ground and dusted herself off as she walks to Atreus to stop infront of him, "Aiding you in your quest."
"You shouldn't be here. I'm not letting you get taken away from me."
"I can't let you face your problems alone."
"This is not some game, Calliope. This is my war, not yours."
"You are my family Atreus. If it's your war then it's going to be my war as well."
Atreus sighs in frustration as he rubs the back of his neck, "You are not going to do this. I just want you to go back to Olympus right now."
Calliope just crossed her arms as she sits on a rock, "No, I'm not letting you do this. And there is nothing you can do that will get me to go back."
Atreus grumbled angry as he covered his pale face with his pale hands and whisper, "This is the worst day ever. I'm babysitting a Spartan brat, who won't listen to me."
"Excuse me!" Calliope said as she suddenly appeared behind Atreus who jumps in surprise and fell on his back, "Utter such horrible words about me, and I will see that you will be sent to the afterlife. Understand me, brother?"
"Y-yes, ma'am. I understand."
"Good."
Atreus got off the ground and stood on his feet. Calliope steps forward, "Now as I was saying, I'm helping you whether you like it or not."
Atreus sighs in defeat, "Ok."
Calliope smiled, "Perfect."
Calliope hugs Atreus as he does the same, Calliope stops as she walks to the lake of the nine with Atreus following her and softly face palm himself.
"Cassandra was way nicer and nonthreatening than you."
Calliope clears his throat loudly as she back at Atreus who fake coughs, "I didn't say anything."
"I certainly hope so." Calliope said.