A/N: Finally, I got this chapter out. Sorry about all the hassle. My PC has been giving me issues in regards to my Word program, so writing has been...difficult, at best. I'm still not giving up on this story, though.
I know some of you might not like my view on Atreus, but I'm not sorry. Besides, I might be changing the original storyline, but I have not, nor will I, change any relationships between the major characters. That means, I'm not going to make Atreus' mother be Lysandra, or have Kratos spend a drunken night with Faye to have her give birth to Atreus, either.
I have read a story long ago about how Kratos has a son and somehow manages to revive Calliope, and while the story wasn't bad, I don't want mine going in that direction. Kratos will only have Calliope in my story.
That being said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I'll try and get it updated sooner, but my work for college is going to make updating anytime between now and July difficult.
Chapter 9: Calliope's Magic
Olympus, Record Chamber…
The Goddess of Joy was silent as she read over the scrolls given to her by Athena.
As the youngest to ever become an Olympian, The Goddess of Knowledge had taken it upon herself to educate the child alongside her mother.
Having been a goddess for almost three weeks, Calliope had managed to settle in fairly well among the beings she and her parents once worshipped. She still smiled as she remembered how kind Hera had been when she had met with the born Goddess.
"Calliope."
Looking up in surprise, the girl smiled when she noticed her father's large form standing nearby.
"Good day, Father." She greeted happily. "I am studying, as Lady Athena gave me more scrolls to read."
Kratos nodded. "I have come to speak with you regarding an important matter, Calliope." He spoke, prompting the girl to nod and focus on him. "You are aware that all of the Olympians bear their own arms, as means to defend themselves."
The girl gave him another nod.
"Then you must understand that you will be receiving your own weapon soon, and you will be trained by me to use it." He continued, and the girl's eyes widened in eagerness. "What about Mother?"
"Your mother has already begun her training under Artemis, and she will be using a bow." Kratos replied. "While I am skilled, your mother feels I would…distract her, during training." He smirked knowingly before turning serious again. "Which is why, once your weapon is delivered from Hephaestus' forge, we will begin training, as the Spartans we are."
Calliope frowned. "What will we do?"
Kratos turned around and moved back to where he had entered. "You will see." He stated before leaving.
The God of War was silent as he marched through the empty cavern he had discovered within the Desert of Lost Souls, deep enough beneath the ground so no Titan could discover it, and far enough into the torrent of sand and wind that no mortal would be able to get near it.
Kratos was now grateful he had learned all he could about godly magic, as he now had the final pieces he required to complete the vault he intended to create.
He passed through the narrow tunnel until he arrived to the large chamber.
It was devoid of much, save a number of carved and elegantly decorated stands, each bearing a weapon he wielded in his former life.
Against the wall to his right, the Blades of Exile, the Spear of Destiny, the Barbarian King's Hammer, and all the weapons he wielded during his siege of Olympus.
Against the wall to his left, the Blades of Athena, Golden Fleece, the Gauntlets of Zeus, Typhon's Bane, and the other weapons he bore during his servitude and previous godhood.
On the far wall, imbedded within a magically carved and enchanted slab of stone, the very sword the fear-enveloped Zeus of his past had used to steal his godhood, which still held the power of the gods and titans he slayed during the final moments of Olympus, was to be forever sealed away.
Kratos stared at the armoury with both pride and sorrow stabbing at his chest. Pride, at the knowledge that he had earned all of the extensive and powerful weaponry in his quests, and sorrow at the thought that he was sealing weaponry and power, two things all Spartans respected, with the intention that they never again be used.
Hesitating for a moment, the God of War marched across the room to where the Blades of Athena had been placed.
His hands slid against the smooth godly gold blades, his mind fondly recalling the memory of when he had been gifted the blades.
*Flashback*
"You have done well, Kratos." Athena stated as she met face-to-face with her former servant. "You have saved my city, and possibly Olympus, from a madman's rage."
Kratos growled. "What good does that do me, Athena?" he asked softly. "You filled me with hope, only to tear it away once I completed what you tasked me with."
Athena frowned. "We did not promise redemption, Kratos. We promised forgiveness, and we have delivered it." She replied. "You are a God now, Kratos. The God of War." She looked on over the edge of the Suicide Bluffs, where the bloodied Blade of the Gods remained, stuck within the bottom of the bay.
"You should be grateful of this gift. No mortal has achieved what you had, Kratos."
The goddess turned around and held out a bundle wrapped in soft silk. "These are the final gift I bestow upon you, Kratos. I believe them fitting of your new position." She smiled.
The new god took the bundle and unwrapped them, revealing a pair of golden blades, similar to the Blades of Chaos his former master had ripped from his wrists mere moments ago.
Kratos was silent as the goddess turned and began to ascend the staircase to Olympus.
"Thank you, Athena." He muttered quietly as she vanished into the rippling golden portal to the Home of the Gods.
The warrior shook his head and returned to the entrance of the chamber.
Sealing the entrance, he used his limited knowledge of godly magic to craft illusive and impenetrable wards over the stone slab he used to seal it with, making it appear like a normal cave ending chamber.
In a flash of light, he left for Olympus once again.
Olympus, the God of War's Arena…
Calliope was silent as she gazed around the large circular chamber, taking in the spectator area above the inner arena walls, the four cage doors that sealed off areas where fighters and creatures were kept, to the elegant area where the former God of War had placed a golden throne.
"Calliope."
The girl turned to face her father, who moved towards her with an object wrapped in cloth.
Kratos stopped in front of her and knelt down to her height, holding out the bundle. "This is for you. I have just retrieved it from Hephaestus."
Calliope took the bundle and carefully unwrapped it. When the cloth finally dropped to the ground, the girl was clasping a spear in her hands.
The length of the spear was black, with intricate gold markings and curving lines decorating the grip area of the weapon. The tip, which was slightly broader that the staff, had a sharp edge along the side.
Because of the tip's length, Calliope noted that it would be easy to use it as a slashing weapon.
"Hephaestus has done remarkable work with your weapon." Kratos told her. "It will suit your position well, and you will be trained to use it well."
Calliope frowned. "What use would a Goddess of Joy have for a weapon, Father?"
Kratos frowned and knelt down to face her. "Calliope, take heed of my word." He told her sternly. "The gods are not the same as the mortals you once knew. I have had experiences with gods who only cared for their own gain, or ones who sought to destroy the world." He looked down before returning his gaze to her. "Thus I feel it necessary for you to be able to defend yourself."
The girl nodded. "Understood, Father."
"Now," Kratos unsheathed a simple sword from his side. "We will begin your training." He told her, slowly moving closer. "For this lesson, you will strike at me, and I will block. However, what I seek of you is not to land a strike, but to observe how I prevent you from striking me, do you understand?"
Calliope nodded, grabbing the glaive in her hands before moving forward to strike.
Her father blocked the weak attack and frowned. "Again. Use more force." He ordered.
The girl hesitated before moving for another strike. Kratos blocked and scowled. "Do not see me as your father. For this training to work, you must see me as an enemy. Again. Strike!" He told her.
The girl frowned and readied her blade again, trying to obey her father's advice.
Lysandra had roamed the halls of Olympus before finding a servant who had been helpful enough to direct her to her husband's current whereabouts.
The Goddess of Victory entered the arena claimed by the God of War and found two others observing as her family trained in the combat area.
"He is teaching the girl well." Artemis commented. "But he has yet to teach her magic, does he not?"
Her companion, Athena nodded. "I was considering taking it upon myself to teach both her and Lysandra the ways of magic." She replied. "I can already sense how much they have grown in the time that has passed since their ascension." the goddess frowned. "But I feel as if Kratos does not intend for any of us to come near them, as if he fears we might cause them harm."
"Pardon, Lady Artemis, Lady Athena."
The two goddesses turned to see the newest immortal standing nearby. "May I join your company?" Lysandra asked with a bow.
Athena smiled softly. "You need never again bow before us, Lysandra. Nor do you ever need call us by title." She replied. "You are welcome to join us as well. Remember that you yourself are now a goddess, thus the only ones superior to us is Lord Zeus and his brothers."
Lysandra nodded and sat down next to Athena.
"Your concerns regarding my husband are justified." She told them softly as her eyes wandered over to the fighting. "He has revealed to me that, in a different time, the gods betrayed him after a series of events and left him suffering from nightmares." She revealed. "He sought to free himself of those nightmares by serving the Gods of Olympus, only to have them refuse and make him immortal instead."
The two born goddesses remained silent as the ascended spoke.
"He then began searching for his family, only to learn that his mother was cursed and his brother was a prisoner of Thanatos. When his brother died, Kratos cut his ties with the Gods and began assaulting cities with the Armies of Sparta under his command. Zeus then betrayed him before Kratos found the means to summon the Titans from the Great War to the present, where he launched an attack on Olympus itself."
"Kratos cut down many gods and titans in his way until he finally killed Zeus, before he realized what he had done, and chose to change his fate."
Artemis frowned. "That sounds as if our newest god might be insane." She commented, only to frown when she noticed the stern expression on her sister's face. "You knew of this, Athena?"
"I did." She replied. "When I first met with Kratos, I received a vision of who he really was, and agreed to keep the information from Olympus." Athena explained. "But, I only did so in order to-"
Before the goddess could finish her explanation, there was a blinding flash of violet light and the three turned to see Kratos flung out of the arena, crashing through a pillar and a marble wall, before coming to rest on the floor of the hallway behind it, where a servant had leapt out of the way and immediately moved to aide the God of War back onto his feet.
The three goddesses turned their attention back to the fighting area, where Calliope was staring at her hands with horrified shock as they pulsed with bright violet energy.
"It seems that young Calliope has learned of her first magic." Athena commented.
"She must be very fortunate." Artemis frowned. "Not even I could manage to throw Kratos that far during our last fight." She muttered.