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Chapter 1 - Burning Pyre
The sound of my heartbeat is ringing in my ears, I can just faintly hear the sounds of battle and the howling winds. I was laying against a broken stone wall, sword in hand with a giant corpse standing above me. Father's voice and the hysterical laugh of the Stranger sounded so far away, yet they were battling in front of me. My whole body hurt, the grip on my sword felt loose, I don't even have the strength to tighten my grip on my own weapon.
"Tim...!"
Brother, is that you? I can't hear you, or even see you. I tried to stand up, but only ended up falling to my side, coughing up blood as I did.
"...eus!"
I have to get up, Father needs help. My brother... his cries are getting louder and louder. My family needs my help.
Get up.
Get up!
GET UP!
Using whatever strength I could muster, I pushed myself up off the ground, using my sword to brace myself as I did. My whole body ached as I stood on shaky legs, my breathing was heavy and ragged as I gasped for air. I tried to lift my sword, but I couldn't even muster up the strength to do it.
Seeing that I was now standing, the Stranger smacked Father to the side, charging straight at me with his fists raised, no doubt to kill me. He was stopped by a flurry of arrows piercing his torso, before a jagged flaming blade pierced the stranger's back. I heard another voice call out in the distance, the voice of a woman begging for us to stop fighting. Feeling my strength return, I let out a battle cry as I charged forward, my sword raised to strike down the Stranger.
I felt anger envelop my senses, a burning fury directed towards the Stranger. My entire world turned red, as if my body had been consumed by a raging fire. Lifting my sword above my head, I slammed the blade down onto the Stranger. Unfortunately he caught the blade in the middle of my swing, and now the two of us were having a contest of strength. I was trying to push the blade down to cut him in two, and he was attempting to push the black back towards me.
Soon the ground beneath our feet began to crack and split as a result of our clash. Above us, the giant corpse seemingly began to move on its own. It lifted an arm into the sky, with its hand poised right above the four of us. It quickly began to descend, clearly intending to disrupt our battle.
I could hear Father rushing towards my brother to get him away from the danger. As for me, rage had clouded my judgment, and instead of backing away from the clash and rushing to safety, I pushed the blade down with all the strength I could muster. All I wanted at that moment was to kill the man in front of me, to make him pay for everything he had done.
"Timaeus!"
Both Father and my brother called out for me, pleading for me to leave the battle in fear of being crushed by the giant's hand. I couldn't make out what the Stranger was saying, but all I can hear was his laugh, which had reached a hysteric euphoria. The two of us refused to back away, refused to leave until the other was struck down. Even if I had come back to my senses, it was already too late.
The giant hand was now mere breaths away from us, there was no use backing away now, we both would be crushed. With a loud crash, it handed on the two of us. My vision began to fade into darkness, and the last thing I heard was my name being called...
"TIMAEUS!"
Within a log cabin hidden deep in the Wildwoods, a young man in his fifteenth winter sat up in his bed with a loud gasp. Sweat began to form on his brow as he began to frantically look around the cabin in shock. Gasping for breath, he quickly moved his hands all around his body as if to check for any wounds or injuries. Finding none, his breathing slowly returned to normal as he began to calm down.
Crawling out of his bed, he slowly made his way to the edge of the loft where his bed resided. Peering down, he let out a sigh of relief as his panic didn't wake up his brother. Their father was an early riser, and is most likely outside of the cabin. Looking around, he took note of the amount of morning light that had pierced through the darkness of the cabin. He deduced that the sun had likely just finished rising.
Quietly making his way down the ladder, the young man silently walked through the cabin and to the front door. However, he stopped in the middle of the cabin, at an alter that sat in the center of his home. On top of it, wrapped in hand woven sheets, is the body of his Mother; Faye.
To him it felt like she was suddenly taken from their family. She told them that she was sick, and unlike his little brother, would not get any better. The announcement shook their little family to the core. His Father wanted to rush out into the depth of Midgard to find any sort of cure, his little brother cried desperately and was in a state of denial and despair. He was a mixture of the two, denying the truth of his mother's inevitable death and attempting to leave with his sword to find something to help her.
However, Faye's calming words stopped them from doing anything rash. To their shock, she accepted that her end was near. While his Father questioned her decision, he ultimately respected her choice and helped her prepare what was needed for her pyre. Deep down, he knew that his Father objected to this, but he still respected her wishes. Soon her pyre will be finished, and they were to journey to the highest peak in all the realms to scatter her ashes.
Right now, his Father was most likely cutting down the trees needed for her pyre, leaving both him and his brother at home. Since her passing, his normally stoic Father hand been even more silent than before. The man was usually quiet and stoic, but he had become even more withdrawn these past few days. The young man always knew that his Father cared for them deeply, but was always so reserved. Almost as if he was afraid to let his emotions be shown.
Before he made his way out the door, the young man grabbed an object that was leaning against a nearby support pillar. After securing it to his back, he went for the door. Looking back into the cabin, he stared at his sleeping younger brother and quietly opened the door.
Stepping out into the snow covered yard, his eyes took a moment to adjust to the morning light. Now that he was out of the darkened cabin, his whole body was shown. He has pale skin and hazel colored eyes. A thick set of dark colored hair sat on top of his head, with the sides of his head shaved short akin to a mohawk. His most distinct feature is a pair of two horizontal scars of varying lengths on each of his cheeks, along with a small scar over his nose.
Wearing a simple knee length white tunic with long sleeves, and a pair of pants that were made of leather and animal hides, which were tucked into a pair of leather boots. Jutting out from beneath the collar of his tunic is a yellow scarf that is snugly wrapped around his neck. A wolf pet is tied around his waist that covers his thighs and reaches to his knees. To help keep the pelt in place, a red and gold colored sash is tied around his waist, with a thick leather belt buckled over it. Tucked into the belt is a sheathed knife with a simple wooden handle, and a leather pouch is hanging from the belt.
Around his forearms are a pair of leather bracers with pieces of fur reaching out of the ends. Covering his right shoulder is a leather pauldron that was reinforced with animal fur, the pauldron itself is attached to a leather belt that is wrapped around his upper torso; with a second smaller pauldron on his left shoulder that is also connected to the belt. Attached behind the main pauldron is an S-shaped hook that looks like a tree branch.
The object that he had grabbed turned out to be a greatsword, one that seemed too large for him to use. Most unusual is that there are pieces of firewood tied around the blade, just above the guard, by a thick piece of rope. The hilt of the sword peered over his shoulder, with the guard of the sword being held by the hook on his pauldron, and the blade is fastened in place by a length of chain that was attached to the belt around his waist.
'That dream... it felt different. Like no other dream I've had. That man, who was he? He felt ecstatic, like he had just been given the the gift of his dreams.' The young man thought as he walked to an empty corner of the yard.
Pulling the sword off his back, he held the hilt of the blade in both hands. He straightened his back, putting his left foot forward with his right foot behind him. His sword was held between a 40 and 45 degree angle. Pulling his sword back, his arms were held high above his head, the tip of his sword nearly touching the ground behind him. With a small grunt, he swung his sword, but stopped the blade before it could hit the ground. Raising his arms again, he began to repeat the process over and over again.
'I heard the cries of a woman during our battle with the Stranger, but was she worried about our safety or for the Stranger?' The young man thought as he brought the sword back down. 'Most of all, the rage I felt. I've never felt so angry before.'
His mind began to fill with images from his dream; the snowy landscape, the giant corpse, his Father wielding a pair of flaming chained blades that he had never seen before, his brother confidently using his bow with a level of skill and precision that he had never seen before. Not to mention his clash with the Stranger. Never in his wildest dreams did the young man ever envision himself with such strength. To split the very earth in such a manner, one's own strength would need to be... godlike.
'Was it a vision of the future? A warning of what's to come?' He thought as he continued to swing his sword. 'Mother, she would've been able to tell me... but she's gone."
Deep into his own thoughts and grief, he soon lost count of the number of swings he made. The world began to grow dark around him, his mind drowning itself with his own thoughts. His body moving by instinct, simply swinging his sword as if he was breathing.
"Timaeus?"
Hearing his name being called, the young man snapped out of his thoughts as he stopped his sword mid-swing. Looking to his left, a boy who looked to be in his eleventh winter walked up to him. Rather pale and thin, with blue eyes and short red hair, and wearing clothing made of wolf pelts and animal hides.
"Good morning, Atreus." Timaeus said as he began to swing his sword with only his right arm this time. "Father's been gone since I woke up. I assume he's out gathering the trees needed for Mother's pyre."
"Yeah, I kind of figured." The boy said as he stood next to a large tree, observing his older brother training.
The two brothers stood in silence, the only noise being the sound of the sword cutting through the air. Atreus watched with great interest, seeing his brother swing the sword. The look on Timaeus' face, it was like nothing in the world mattered, he was only focused on his sword.
'He's swinging his sword harder than usual. He trains every morning, and whenever he needs to clear his head, he trains even more.' Atreus thought to himself. 'Mother's death affected us both, but…'
"Do you think Father even cares about Mother's death?"
Hearing those words, Timaeus stopped swinging his sword and turned to face his younger brother. At this point, the younger brother was moving the snow with his feet, not looking up at his brother.
"It's just, I haven't heard him cry or see him shed any tears. He was never around, always spending his time hunting instead of with us."
Stabbing the sword into the snow covered ground, Timaeus knelt in front of his brother. Placing a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, Atreus looked his brother in the eye. "Never question Father's love for Mother, or his love for us. We all have our own way of grieving. Do not mistake his silence for lack of grief. We all deal with grief our own way." Timaeus said as he raised his hand to pat his brother's head.
"Boys."
Hearing their Father's deep and gruff voice, the two brothers tensed as they both stood up straight. Timaeus grabbed his greatsword and attached it to the hook on the back of his pauldron. Quickly, the two walked towards the front of the house. Holding a large and thick log over his shoulder, stood there Father; a man known simply as Kratos.
A giant of a man made out of pure muscle, with pale ash-colored skin, a bald head but a thick dark beard, and hazel colored eyes with a scar over his right eye. The most noticeable things about him are the red tattoos covering the left half of his body, and the large scar covering his abdomen. Hanging over his right shoulder, is a large two handed axe that belonged to his deceased wife: the Leviathan Axe.
"Ready the boat, one more tree remains." Kratos said as he dropped the log and gripped the axe in his hands. Without saying a word, the two boys walked down the path towards their small dock.
Docking the boat, the trio walked in silence through a small grove of trees. While their Father marched onward towards the last tree, Atreus was looking for a specific plant that would be used for the prayer during their mother's funeral. Timaeus himself stood in a corner of the grove and pulled out his sword.
Closing his eyes, he began to swing his sword using both arms. As he did, he began to feel the world around him. More specifically, he was feeling the emotions emanating from his family. He could sense the sadness that is emanating from Atreus, his father's anger and sorrow.
His mother had once called this ability a gift, and told him that it would help him better understand other people by sensing their emotions. She would help him use this ability, teaching him how to use it when they would go hunting with Atreus. She taught him the importance of understanding the feelings of others, and how his gift would be used to bring peace. That is what always confused Timaeus, she preached of peace but taught him how to hunt down animals using his gift. Not to mention helping him practice with his sword when his Father wasn't able to. When he asked his mother this, she simply smiled and said, "It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war."
Before he could dive deeper into his thoughts, Kratos let out a scream filled with anger as he cut down one of the large trees. The sound of the tree falling over filled the air, the loud thud as it hit the earth echoed throughout the forest. Opening his eyes, Timaeus noticed that his father reached for the fallen tree, but stopped as the wrappings around his left forearm became slightly undone.
Atreus began to approach their father to show that he had found the plant, but was stopped by his brother. The two watched in silence as their father turned his back to them, and then fixed the wrappings that had come undone. While Atreus never caught on, Timaeus knew that whatever their father kept hidden beneath those wrappings, he hated with all of his being.
When his gift first manifested, he could feel the regret and anger his father had every time the tattooed man looked down at his hands. He asked his mother about this, but she told him that his father had secrets that he wanted to be kept hidden. While he never understood why, Timaeus never brought the topic up again. Out of respect for his fathers wishes, and out of fear that his father would become angry with him.
"Come, boys. Get in the boat." Kratos said as he lifted up the large and thick tree trunk and placed it over his shoulder.
After securing the log to the boat using a hooked length of rope, all three hopped into the boat, with Kratos and Timaeus sitting on the seats with Atreus on the floor of the boat. Pushing the boat away from the dock, the ashen skinned man began to paddle back towards their home.
As they continued downstream, Timaeus closed his eyes and began to feel the forest once more. He could sense his family, but now everything felt… different. What was once peaceful and tranquil, now began to feel angry and hateful. As if a wall around their forest had been partially broken, and now these new evils had begun to enter. He could feel the pain, sorrow and regret that had begun to enter their forest, but also rage. Whatever had begun to enter their forest, it was angry, so very angry.
Draugr?
No, he had sensed them before. They were filled with anger, these new ones felt… similar. Draugr were akin to a burning rage, yet these were more of a cold fury, more collected than the Draugr.
"Boy, you are in your head again."
"Sorry, Sir." Timaeus said as his eyes snapped open, with the young man seeing that they were nearing the small dock outside of their home. "The forest, it just feels… angry. Filled with sorrow and anger."
"One is filled with sorrow and anger when mourning. It is natural to feel such emotions." Kratos said stoically, not realizing that his eldest son was being literal when saying the forest felt angry.
Docking the boat, they were all silent as the Kratos and his eldest son stepped onto the dock while Atreus hopped over and untied the rope. As he did, Kratos heaved the log onto the shore, and then proceeded to lift it over his shoulder. At this point, his sons began to walk ahead of him, all three were silent, following the path uphill towards their home.
Reaching their yard, Kratos set down the log and began to chop it into the necessary pieces. Meanwhile, Atreus had rushed over to the cabin door, with his brother trailing behind. Standing in front of the wooden door, the young boy was almost hesitant to open it, but a gentle hand on his shoulder from his brother spurred him to do so. Slowly pushing the door open, the brothers quietly walked into the cabin. With Atreus having grabbed a lit candle from a table near the door, they both approached their Mother's body.
"Lo, there do I see my Mother," Atreus began as he lit a few candles on the left side of the altar, and then carefully handed the candle to his brother.
"Lo, there do I see my Father," Timaeus said as he reached over and lit the candles that were on the other side of the altar.
"Lo, there do they call to me." Atreus continued as he held his brothers wrists as they both lit the last two candles.
"They bid me to take my place among them…" Timaeus said as Atreus reached into his pouch and began to sprinkle the flower petals he had picked up over their Mother's body.
"Where the brave may live forever." Atreus finished as his brother knelt down and bowed his head, while he had placed a hand on the body and rested his head against it.
They stayed like that for a few moments, silently praying to their mother with tears flowing from their eyes. Standing up, both brothers turned around and saw Kratos standing at the door. Timaeus could feel the sadness that filled their Father as the bearded man walked into the cabin.
"She's ready." Was all Atreus said as he and Timaeus stood to the side, giving their Father enough room to walk out of the cabin carrying their Mother.
Kratos stood over the body of his wife, while not saying anything, his silence spoke a thousand words. Like his sons, he too is mourning her passing. Gently reaching beneath her, the bearded man took one final look at the one he loved.
"Find your way home. You are free." Kratos whispered, before picking her up with utmost care. He walked with gentle steps towards the door, his sons followed shortly behind him.
The brothers watched in silence as Kratos carefully placed her onto the wooden pyre. None spoke as the man grabbed his axe and knelt down, using it and a stone to light the base of the pyre. Soon it was lit, orange sparks began to fill the air as it began to burn. As the sound of crackling wood filled the air, Timaeus and Atreus stood next to their Father, with the former placing a comforting hand on the bearded man's shoulder. Turning his head ever so slightly, Kratos gave a small nod, indicating that he was fine. Seeing this, the eldest son pulled his hand back towards his side.
Seeing their Mother's knife still bound to the bundle, Atreus quickly grabbed it with his left hand. However, the fire had heated up the blade, which heated the hilt as well. The boy let out pained grunts as the heat burned his palm, luckily Timaeus slapped the knife out of his hands. The blade hissed as the cold snow cooled it down.
"I'm sorry." Atreus said, his voice barely above a whisper, not even looking up to see his Father or brother in the eye.
Kratos simply knelt down in front of his youngest son. Grabbing a handful of snow in his hand, he placed it in Atreus' burned hand.
"Squeeze." Kratos calmly said as he clasped his larger hands over Atreus' smaller one. Pulling his hands back, the tattooed man tore a loose piece of wrapping from his forearm, and used it to bandage the boy's hand.
"This knife… it was hers." Kratos said as he picked up the dropped knife, and offered it to his youngest. "Now it is yours."
Atreus looked at the knife for a few moments, before looking up at Timaeus. Seeing this, the sword wielding young man nodded his head in conformation. Looking back at his Father, Atreus accepted the knife, looking at the blade with sadness in his eyes.
"Atreus, your Mother, she taught you to hunt?" Kratos asked as he stood up and looked at the burning pyre.
"What she knew."
"Show me."
"Now?"
"Now."
Giving his brother a look of confusion, Atreus trudged into the wooden cabin. Kratos and Timaeus stood in silence, both watching the pyre burn hotter and hotter, the burning cinders and smoke flying upwards above them.
"You are to stay here, to keep your Mother's pyre burning. This is your brother's test, to see if he is ready to carry her ashes to the mountain." Kratos spoke, breaking the silence.
"I understand… just please don't be too hard on him." Timaeus replied as he turned to look at his Father. "We are all mourning, and our emotions can get the best of us during this time."
Walking out of their home, Atreus held a wooden bow in his hands, it looked too large for him to use. He pulled the bow string back as he carefully placed it so that his torso was in between the bow and the string.
"What are we hunting?"
"You are hunting deer."
"Which way?"
"In the direction of deer."
"Ok…? Uhh… this way." Atreus said as he took off towards the large wooden gate of their fenced off yard, with Kratos following behind shortly after.
"Good luck!" Timaeus called out, causing Atreus to turn around and wave at him. Only to quickly turn around as their Father caught up with the boy.
Turning his attention back to the pyre, the young man simply stared deep into the flames. Slowly, he reached back and pulled the longsword off of the hook. Holding it in front of him, Timaeus touched the surface with his left hand, the metal feeling rough and scratchy.
Flashback
He remembered when he was young, in his sixth winter if he recalled correctly, his mother had carved a wooden sword for him to play with. Though it was the size of a regular sword, it was too large for his small frame. His mother joked that he would grow into it. He treasured that sword, using it to play games with Atreus. Much to his joy, their mother would teach him how to wield the wooden sword as if it were a real blade. Time passed, and when he was into his tenth winter, the sword had become too old to use anymore.
Then his mother had presented him with his first sword, one with a dull blade to keep him from hurting himself. Compared to his smaller body, the sword was like a longsword in his hands. Yet he wielded that sword every day, training himself with his Mother's teaching.
One of his fondest memories is a time his mother was teaching him, with Atreus watching eagerly next to them. Then their father returned from hunting, carrying a wild boar over his shoulder. Their mother greeted him with a warm smile, while the two boys were simply immersed with Timaeus' training.
As he passed, Kratos took a moment to observe his eldest son swing the sword. Placing the boar down, Kratos knelt down to his son's level, who had stopped swinging the blade and looked at his father.
"Widen your stance, straighten your back. Keep the tip of your sword pointed towards the head of your opponent." Kratos softly critiqued, gently moving his son to a proper stance.
Now Timaeus stood with his left leg forward, his hands pointed down at an angle, and holding the blade between a 40 and 45 degree angle.
"Right hand above the left, keep a strong grip on the hilt. Now raise the blade, but make sure it doesn't touch the ground behind you." Kratos instructed as the boy pulled the blade up.
Pulling the sword behind his head, Timaeus swung his sword forward, stopping just before the tip hit the ground. After a few more practice swings, he was slowly getting adjusted to the new stance. Seeing this, Kratos grabbed the boar and stood up, making his way towards the cabin. Not noticing the smile on his eldest son's face as the boy swung his sword again.
Flashback End
Now this current sword, he had received it when he was in his thirteenth winter. One would imagine that a boy using such a large sword would be difficult, but Timaeus quickly adapted to his longsword. To him, swinging his sword had become second nature.
Without saying a word, he pulled the rope off of the blade, the pieces of firewood falling to the ground at his feet. Sword in hand, Timaeus walked towards a corner of the large yard, in front of the natural stone walls to the right of the cabin. Gripping the hilt with both hands, the young man stabbed the blade into the snow covered ground, just until half of the blade was beneath the surface.
Looking around, Timaeus knelt down and grabbed three large stones, each as big as his hand. One by one, he stacked the stones on top of eachother in front of the blade. Reaching into the pouch on his belt, he pulled out a small object wrapped in a red cloth. Pulling away the cloth, the object turned out to be a small wooden carving of a woman, one large enough to fit in his hand. Carefully detailed with long red hair, a yellow tunic, and a pair of brown pants and matching boots. Her face is carved with a gentle and warm smile, one filled with love.
It's a wooden carving of his Mother; Faye
Timaeus knelt down and gently placed the wooden figure on the stones, and after making sure that it wouldn't fall over, reached up and tied the red cloth just below the pommel of the sword. While his Father wanted to build a tomb for her, she joked that a rotting corpse wouldn't provide much comfort. This may not be the same as building a tomb for her, but this grave-marker may provide some comfort.
"My old sword is not the best for this, but it will have to do for now. When we return, I'll forge a better sword." Timaeus said as he stood back up. "Please look after us, this journey… It will be challenging for us all."
Walking back to the pyre, Timaeus observed the flames. They had engulfed the entire pyre, the flames seemingly dancing in the wind. Embers and smoke filled the air, reaching high into the sky before fading away. Seeing the fire burning at such intensity, the swordsman turned around and walked into the cabin.
Opening the door, the scar faced teen walked through the darkened interior, making sure to grab one of the still lit candles. Using what little light the candle provided, Timaeus walked towards the back corner of the cabin. Placing the candle on the floor, he grabbed a knapsack and reached into it. He pulled out a compacted shield, one similar to his Father's, and attached it to the bracer on his left arm. After securing the shield, Timaeus stood up and looked towards the wall. Taking a few steps forward, he reached up to rub his fingers across the metal of a sword that was hung from a metal hook.
It is a large and wide double-edged greatsword even larger than he is, it looked more suited for his Father to use. The blade looks to be made of a dull black metal, yet the edge of the sword is still razor sharp. The sword's tip is larger and wider than the rest of the blade and resembles a rounded arrowhead, akin to a Ikakalaka sword. Three holes are cut into the blade close to the guard, all in a straight line. There is a gold medallion in the hole closest to the guard, while there are two green colored gems in the remaining two holes.
Several runes are engraved into the flat of the blade, the white markings allow the runes to stand out from the dull black metal. They start from just above the guard, going around the medallion and gems, and end just at the widened tip of the sword.
The crossguard has a thick circular shape with two bars forged into each side, and is made of a dull silver metal. Langets are protruding from the guard and extend over the area with the gems, though there are three holes cut into the metal to allow the gems and medallion to be seen. The hilt is long and rather thick, and wrapped in old white strips of cloth. The pommel is thick, made of the same material as the crossguard, and is forged into the shape of a dragon's head.
"One day, Timaeus, you'll wield this sword. It belonged to someone close to me, and when they couldn't wield it anymore, it was passed down to me. When time comes, you'll be the one to wield it."
"Wow! It's such a big sword! Will I really use it someday? What's it called?"
"Yes, you will. Just grow big and strong for when the time comes. Its name is…"
"Balmung. The time has come for me to wield you." Timaeus said as he reached up to the handle. With a grunt, he pulled it off the hook and attached it to the one on his pauldron.
"It is heavier than my other sword… but I'll get used to it." Timaeus said as he adjusted the blade to the hilt wouldn't hit his head, and so that the tip wouldn't touch the ground. Just as he was about to kneel down to pick up the candle, the young swordsman froze. The strange emotions he was sensing earlier, they returned. Only this time, much closer. Cold and collected rage, these things he was sensing, they came for something. Timaeus ran through the cabin, almost breaking down the door to get it open.
Good News: The pyre is still burning hot
Bad News: Animalistic groans and grunts began to fill the air
Timaeus began to rapidly look around the yard, his right hand clasped tightly around Balmung's hilt. The grunts and groans began to get louder and louder as they came closer to his position. That's when he saw them, five of these… things climbing over the stone walls like they were mindless beasts. Appearing to be humans, at least, what were once humans. Icy blue and white skin, wearing old and torn clothing. Their shining blue eyes were filled with malice, seemingly directed towards him. Sword in hand, they all charged at Timaeus.
These are what will be known as Hel-Walkers, more specifically, a Hel-Reaver
Timaeus pulled Balmung off of the hook, and took his stance. His grip on the sword tightened as he took in a deep breath, and released it. The runes on the blade glowed, gold colored lightning danced along the blade as the swordsman raised the blade high. If it weren't for the situation at hand, he would've commented on the lightning the blade was emitting.
The first Hel-Reaver to reach him thrusted its sword, aiming the tip of the ice blade at the young man's neck. Before it could reach, Timaeus brought his sword down. It cut through the creature's blade, and sliced deep into the Hel-Reaver. Balmung cut through its shoulder like paper, and when Timaeus stopped his swing, the blade had cut into its torso.
Pulling the sword back, Timaeus swung the blade to counter the swing of the second Hel-Reaver. Sliding Balmung down the creature's blade, the blade cut off the thing's hand. Releasing his right hand off of the hilt, Timaeus used his left to swing the blade upwards. This caused the tip of the sword to cut across the Hel-Reaver's torso. Grabbing the hilt with both hands, the young swordsman swung the blade horizontally at the Hel-Reaver's neck. The creature's head flew into the air as the young man turned to face the remaining three.
All three charged at him, swinging their swords at him. Raising his left arm, Timaeus activated the collapsible shield on his arm. A darkened round shield sprang to life, it looked to be made of a combination of steel and stone. The frosted blades struck the shield, all doing nothing to it. Despite this, they all mindlessly swung their swords at the shield.
Just as they swung their blades again, the shield shot forward, knocking their blades away. Quickly deactivating his shield, Timaeus gripped Balmung's hilt and swung the blade into the side of one of the Hel-Reaver's. This caused the blade to slice into its stomach, the blow killed it and sent it crashing into the other two, who were sent tumbling towards the ground.
Rushing towards one of the last two, Timaeus jumped into the air, lightning coating Balmung as it was held above the young man's head. Slamming the blade into the Hel-Reaver's body, lightning surged through its body and formed a large circle of lightning beneath Timaeus and the Hel-Reaver. Pulling the blade away, all that was left of it is its charred corpse.
When Timaeus looked up from the slain Hel-Reaver, the fifth one was running away. Not of fear, but running towards the burning pyre. Seeing this, the swordsman charged after the creature. Realizing that he would not be able to catch up with it, Timaeus grabbed his knife from his belt. Pulling his arm back, he threw the knife at the Hel-Reaver. While his aim was a little off, the knife stabbed into the creature's left calf, causing it to stumble onto the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Timaeus swung Balmung down onto the Hel-Reaver's exposed back. This nearly cleaved the ice creature in two, causing it to release one final cry before it perished.
"What were those things?! They're like Draugr, but different." Timaeus said as he reached down and grabbed his knife from the creature's calf. "Also, lightning sword, that's good to know."
Before he could sheath his sword, Timaeus pivoted his body and activated his shield. Just in time to block a ball of ice magic from hitting him. Looking past his shield, he saw what looked to be another Hel-Walker, only this one had a shield made of ice and their free hand glowing of magic.
This is a Hel-Reaver Guard, or a Hel-Guard for short
The Hel-Guard sent another blast of ice magic at Timaeus, who blocked it with his shield. He began to charge forward, shield still raised to protect him. Before he could get any further, a hand grabbed his left ankle, sending him crashing into the ground. Looking down, he saw that a Hel-Reaver was sprouting out of the ground, it had grabbed his ankle to stop him. Pulling his right leg back, Timaeus began to kick the Hel-Reaver in the head. After the fourth kick, the undead enemy lets go of his ankle. Quickly pulling himself up to his knees, Timaeus brought his sword down onto its exposed neck. Pulling his shield up, he blocked another blast of ice from the Hel-Guard.
Fully standing up, the son of Kratos began to charge at the Hel-Guard, shield still raised while he ran in a zig-zag pattern. Doing this, he was able to dodge the blasts of ice magic, and block what he wasn't able to.
Approaching the Hel-Guard, Timaeus pulled his shield back as he then slammed it against the undead Reaver's own ice shield. This caused the ice shield to be sent towards the side, allowing Timaeus to swing Balmung into the monster's side. Because it was a one handed sword swing, the blade only dug into the side of its stomach. Deactivating his shield and grabbing Balmung's hilt, Timaeus spun around using his full strength, cleaving the Hel-Guard in two.
"That better be the last one." Timaeus panted out as he sheathed his sword onto his back. "They're focused on the pyre, they hate the heat from the flames."
Looking around the yard, much to his shock, the bodies of the Hel-Reavers began to glow and dissolve. In mere moments, the bodies disappeared, leaving numerous items scattered across the yard. Small bags and pieces of broken metal were laying upon the snow. Picking up one of the bags, Timaeus opened it to reveal a small amount of silver coins and bent pieces of silver.
"Hacksilver? These things… they're like Draugr. When they died, they must've had these with them." Timaeus said as he began picking up the bags and pieces of metal.
Just as he grabbed the last back of hacksilver, Timaeus quickly stood up straight and grabbed his sword. Inhuman growls and cries began to fill the air as more Hel-Reavers began to appear from beneath the ground, seemingly pulling themselves out of the snow. More began to climb over the large boulders that acted as a wall to their yard.
"By father's beard…" Timaeus said as the Hel-Reavers all stood with their weapons drawn, all aiming to kill him. "Ten… fifteen… twenty… twenty-five."
The He-Reavers released a beast-like cry as they all began to charge at Timaeus, who tightened his grip on Balmung, his eyes filled with worry and yet also filled with determination.
Later
With his shield activated, he held Balmung in his right hand. He blocked the sword of a Hel-Reaver, pushing the blade away with his shield before swinging his own blade into the undead enemy. Lightning passed through the blade as it electrified the monster, with it releasing shrieks and cries of pain. Forcefully pulling the blade out, the Hel-Reaver collapsed onto the ground, before its body turned into golden ash, scattering into the wind.
Deactivating his shield, Timaeus held Balmung with both hands, his arms shaking as he did. His torso, arms, face, and legs were covered in different sized cuts. Some bleed more freely than the others, his face covered with sweat as he breathed heavily.
In front of him, the yard was littered with bags of hacksilver and pieces of metal, behind him stood his mothers pyre; now turned to smoldering ashes. By now, he had lost count of how many of them he had killed. It seemed like with each one he killed, two more took its place. Nor did he have any clue how much time had passed, but if he had to guess, less than an hour or so.
Seeing nor sensing anymore Hel-Reavers, Balmung slipped out of Timaeus' grip, with the young swordsman falling to his knees soon afterwards. He began to pant heavily out of exhaustion as his vision grew blurry. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the recently slain Hel-Reaver had left behind a pair of glowing green stones. Shaking his head, Timaeus reached out and grabbed one of the stones. Holding it, he took note that it was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, and it gave off a gentle warmth. Yet the stone was pulsating with a strange energy, most likely magic in nature.
"What is this?" Timaeus panted out as he held the stone to the light of the sun. The stone felt like it was made of glass, yet it seemed much stronger than it looks.
His vision grew more and more blurry, his body began to sway against his will. Clasping his right hand, Timaeus slammed his fist into the ground in an effort to stop himself from losing consciousness. Unknowingly, he had held the green stone in his fist, shattering it when he punched the ground. The moment the stone shattered, Timaeus' eyes shot open. In an instant, the wounds on his body healed, not even leaving behind scars. The soreness in his arms had left, the fatigue that had plagued his body was gone. The drowsiness in his eyes had been lifted, his hazel colored eyes now being filled with vim and vigor.
"A healthstone… that was a healthstone!" Timaeus laughed as he checked his body, seeing the injuries had healed. "Mother spoke of healthstones, but I never thought they existed."
His mother once told him that Healthstones were created by the lifeforce of dying beings, so that their final acts would be used to save others. These stones were able to heal almost any wound when shattered, as well as causing fatigue to disappear and for one's own stamina to be restored at full capacity. She once said that the lifeforce of stronger beings could create an even stronger healthstone; aptly named the Greater Healthstone.
"Father and Atreus should be back soon, and I swear if any more of these things appear…" Timaeus said as he sheathed Balmung onto his back, placed the other healthstone in his pouch, and stood back up onto his feet.
"The pyre… those creatures use ice and hate fire." The swordsman said as he walked over and inspected the ashes. "I could not live with myself if I allowed them to disturb her pyre."
Before he could stand, the ground beneath his feet began to shake. Gently at first, but soon it was like an earthquake shook their home. Timaeus held his head in pain as he sensed something. A rage that he had never felt before, one that seems beast like in nature.
*ROOOAAARRR!*
The boulders around their home shook as a large creature jumped through the air and landed on it. It was massive, easily almost twice the size of Kratos. It was hunched over, giving it the appearance of a large mutated gorilla. With thick grayish skin and matted fur, it opened its mouth to reveal large and jagged teeth.
"An ogre…" Timaeus said in awe as he reached up to grab Balmung's hilt, but stopped before he could.
This ogre could very easily kill him. Easily destroy his home. Easily disturb his mother's ashes. No, he could not allow this, nor could he fight such a beast here. His best and only option is to lure the beast away. Maybe lure it somewhere enclosed so it wouldn't have much room to move. In such a position, he could kill the ogre without it harming him.
Taking light and quiet steps, Timaeus walked from the ashes of the pyre to a mound of boulders that sat not too far away. Picking up a stone, the swordsman took a peek over his hiding spot. The ogre was still perched on the boulders, sniffing the air as if looking for its prey. Bracing himself, he stood up and threw the stone, hitting the ogre in the arm.
"Hey, big gray and ugly. You want a piece of me?! Come and get me!" Timaeus yelled as he ran towards the wooden gate. Behind him, the ogre let out another roar as it jumped down and chased after him.
He ran as fast as he could, his boots trudging through the mud and snow. As he ran, he noticed two distinct sets of footprints in the snow, one larger than the second pair. Obviously belonging to his father and brother. He began to follow the footprints, knowing that there was a chance of him leading the ogre to them. Behind him, the roars of the ogre grew louder as it followed closely behind. The earth shook as it slammed its large hands into the forest floor with each step it took.
Seeing the stone steps of an old ruin ahead of him, Timaeus quickly picked up speed. He ran to the side of the stairs, where there was a small path underneath. He slowed down just for a moment to make sure that the ogre had seen him go under the stairs. After this, he looped back around and up the old stone steps just as the ogre was beneath them.
Being careful not to slip on the stairs, he swiftly got up the first flight of stairs. As he neared the top of the second flight, he saw that there was a sizable gap between the stone bridge. Not slowing down, he tensed his legs as he leaped across the gap.
Hitting the ground, he stumbled slightly but quickly caught himself. Timaeus could hear the ruins crumbling behind him, the ruined portion couldn't support the weight of an ogre on the hunt. After jumping over a fallen log, he stopped for a moment to look back and catch his breath. Looking back, the ogre had climbed over the ruined stairs, it roared as it looked around for the swordsman.
Activating his shield, Timaeus took in a deep breath as he planned his next move. Bangind his right fist against the shield, the residual ringing it made got the beast's attention. "Hey! Can't keep up?! I thought you wanted me?!"
With that, Timaeus took off into the woods. The ogre roared as it soon followed behind. Knowing the layout of the woods, Timaeus used this to his advantage. With the large trees overhead, large amounts of the area was in shadows. A natural path snaked its way through the immediate area, leaving groups of trees and boulders sprinkled around.
Hiding behind a group of trees, Timaeus slammed his shield into one of them before quickly taking off. He took cover behind a large boulder, watching as the ogre slammed its fists into the trees, snapping them in half with ease. He proceeded to do this over and over again, slamming his shield into boulders and trees to draw its attention, and running when doing so.
Soon, the ogre roared and slammed its fists into the ground and everything around it. Without making a sound, Timaeus crossed the rope bridge, leaping over the broken section. Drawing his sword, the young man activated his shield once more. Hitting the wooden post with his shield, the sound alerted the ogre to his presence.
Upon seeing Timaeus across the bridge, the ogre roared as it attempted to cross the bridge. The wooden planks cracked and splintered under its weight, but the beast continued towards its goal. Unfortunately for it, Timaeus cut the ropes of the bridge with his sword. Before the ogre could do anything, it fell to the bottom of the gap, roaring as it did.
Much to Timaeus' shock, before it could hit the frozen river below, it grabbed the cliff side; digging its thick fingers into the stone. With a roar, the beast began to climb back up. Seeing as his plan didn't work, he continued to run away, the ogre chasing right after him. He almost slipped on the dirt path as he turned right, but picked himself up and kept running. Behind him, the ogre actually did slip, which would've made Timaeus laugh if it wasn't for the situation.
As the ogre was picking itself up, Timaeus turned left towards the old temple that his mother told him never to go into. He ran across the stone bridge to the large stone door that led into the temple. Grunting, he pried open the doors just enough to get inside. The doors slammed shut behind him, trapping him inside, but buying him some time away from the ogre.
Timaeus nearly jumped out of his skin as a loud thud was heard from behind the door, the old stone shaking from the impact. He picked himself up and ran down to the main room of the temple. There were two doors that led outside, but one was broken and required the use of a chain mechanism, while the other led back to where the ogre was.
Before he could do anything, the stone door broke into pieces as the ogre smashed through it into the temple. It instantly looked down and saw him, the ogre roared as it jumped down to the main area of the temple. Timaeus reached up and drew Balmung from its sheath, holding it tight in his hands. Determination filled his eyes as he stood his ground against the beast.
The ogre spun around to deliver a spinning clothesline, Timaeus rolled under the attack, slashing at the side of the beast with his sword. He immediately jumped up, performing a diagonal slash across the ogre's back. Lightning coated the blade as he brought the black back down the back of the beast. The ogre roared in pain as it spun around and swung its fist at the swordsman. Timaeus activated his shield just in time to block the blow, but it still sent him tumbling away. He quickly recovered from this, charging at the beast. It charged as well, lifting its arms into the air and slamming them down.
Dodging the attack, Timaeus slashed at the ogre's left arm, blood began to leak from the wound. The beast pivoted and threw a haymaker at the swordsman, who rolled beneath the punch. He thrusted his blade up, piercing the ogre in the armpit. Roaring in pain, the ogre spun and raised its arms up high again. Timaeus dodged the attack, standing behind the ogre. He swung Balmung horizontally across the back of the ogre's right knee.
As the ogre fell to its knees, Timaeus pulled back Balmung, gold lightning danced coated the blade. He thrusted the blade into the beast's back, the lightning danced across the thick hide of the back of the ogre. It roared in pain as it spun around, which knocked the hilt out of the swordsman's hands. The ogre threw a hammerfist down onto the young man, who rolled away to dodge the attack.
Behind the ogre, Balmung clattered onto the floor away from the beast. Timaeus grabbed his knife, activating his shield as the ogre attacked with another spinning clothesline. Ducking under the attack, Timaeus lept up and climbed onto the ogre's back. It roared and flailed around, trying to shake him off. As he climbed up, he stabbed its back with his knife.
Reaching its shoulders, Timaeus wrapped his left arm around the ogres neck. It roared as it slammed its hands onto the ground, spinning and flailing around. With a roar, the young man stabbed the ogre's right eye, pushing the knife deep into its head. It pulled its arms over its back and pulled Timaeus off, it then threw him away.
Activating his shield, Timaeus slid across the floor and impacted a nearby wall. Blood dripped down the ogre's face as it charged at the young man, who stood back up. The scar faced young man stood still as it pulled its fist up, he then ducked and allowed the ogre to punch the wall. His shield sprung to life as he punched at the ogre's side, hitting the wound that Timaeus inflicted earlier.
As the ogre screamed in pain, Timaeus used this opening to run to his sword. Though he wasn't fast enough, the beast caught up and grabbed him by the leg. The young man immediately swung himself forward and stabbed the hand holding him with his knife. He continued to stab the fingers until the ogre roared and threw him away. With a groan, Timaeus pulled himself up before grabbing the side of his head. Pulling his hand back, he saw that his fingers were stained with a scarlet liquid. His own blood.
Timaeus rolled away as the ogre slammed its fists in the spot he was just at. It charged again, wildly swinging its fists in an attempt to hit the boy. He ducked and weaved under the powerful but slow punches. Seeing an opening, he stabbed the ogre in the thigh with his knife. Timaeus ran as he did so, cutting a good portion of the thigh open. The monster fell in pain, roaring as it did.
Seeing the beast has fallen, Timaeus ran towards Balmung with his hand outstretched. Much to his shock, the blade flew from its position on the ground and into his outstretched hand. Turning around, the young man took a stance and waited for the ogre. The beast ran at him, but much slower due to the multiple wounds and blood loss.
Upon reaching him, the ogre raised its fist up high and brought them down onto Timaeus, but he swiftly rolled out of the way. He then slashed at the ogre's left wrist, easily cutting it open and spilling its blood. It threw a sloppy punch with its right hand, but the swordsman jumped out of the way. Timaeus spun around and raised Balmung into the air, and brought the sword down onto the back of the ogre's right wrist.
The ogre roared in pain as it pulled its fist back, stumbling back as it did. Lightning coated Balmung as Timaeus cut a deep gash across the beast's stomach. It roared as it tried to slam its large palm down onto the swordsman. But this proved useless as the lightning covered blade pierced through its palm as Timaeus thrusted the blade upwards.
The young man swung the sword to the side, almost slicing the hand in two. It swung its remaining hand at Timaeus, but the young man ducked beneath the blow. Aiming his blade, he pierced the ogre's stomach. Blood began to seep from the wound as the beast roared in pain. To add salt to the wound, Balmung began to emit lightning, further injuring the ogre.
Pulling the sword out of the ogre, Timaeus swiftly spun around and cut a deep wound in the ogre's left arm, right in its bicep. Not stopping his attack, the swordsman turned back and continuously slashed and cut the ogre's stomach and chest. The beast released roar after roar of pain, but each time it moved to attack, it received another wound from Timaeus. Soon its entire front was cut to shreds and stained red.
Silently he raised his sword above his head, but before he could bring his sword down, he dropped the sword and held his head in pain. An extreme sense of anger had just filled his senses. Its rage exceeded that of the ogre, and almost everything he had sensed up until this point. What's more, he could feel his father's concern and Atreus' fear. At this point, he fell to his knees in pain.
"Gah! This anger… what is it?!" Timaeus cried out in pain as he clenched his eyes shut. "Father… Atreus…"
This sudden shot of pain allowed the ogre to recover for a moment. With whatever strength it had in its arms, it threw a haymaker with its left arm. This sent the swordsman tumbling away, his body bouncing before hitting a far wall. Letting out a groan of pain, Timaeus groggily opened his eyes. He tried to move himself, but grabbed his left shoulder and let out a cry of pain. It was dislocated, either from the ogre's attack or from impacting the wall.
Using his right arm, Timaeus pushed against the floor and wall to stand back up. With blood leaking from his mouth, he reached out for his sword. It flew through the air and into his hand just as the ogre roared and charged at him. The swordsman jumped out of the way as the beast threw its body against the wall. As the ogre pulled itself away, Timaeus noticed that the wall cracked beneath the force of the monster.
Despite the injuries on its arms, the creature swung them around in an effort to hit the swordsman. Timaeus stayed close to the wall, and kept dodging each attack thrown his way. With each attack dodged, they ended up hitting the wall, earning even more roars of pain from the ogre. Soon the wall became littered with cracks, though they were all minor, not doing enough to damage the wall like the first crack. To keep the ogre angry, Timaeus swung his sword, making shallow cuts whenever it hit the wall.
Eventually the ogre released an extremely loud roar filled with anger. It grabbed Timaeus by his dislocated arm, and slammed him against the ground. The swordsman released a cry of pain, but was silenced as the beast stomped on him. Blood spilled from the young man's mouth as the ogre raised its foot again. Rolling out of the way, the force of the stomp shook the area, causing the cracks in the wall to splinter slightly.
Jumping back to gain some distance, Timaeus pulled Balmung back and aimed it like a spear. He threw his blade through the air, and with incredible accuracy, the sword pierced the ogre's left hand; nailing it to the wall. The beast let out a roar as it thrashed about, slamming its body into the wall multiple times. Behind it, the cracks grew more and more, the wall crumbling slightly.
Recalling Balmung, the sword coarse with lightning as Timaeus gripped the hilt tightly. With a battle cry, he charged at the ogre. Leaping into the air, he slammed his sword onto the ground with all the force he could muster. Gold lightning exploded all around him, hitting the ogre and sending it crashing into the wall. After doing this, Balmung clattered onto the floor as Timaeus fell to his knees, coughing up blood onto the floor.
The cracks began to grow rapidly, soon covering up to the ceiling. Then the crumbling came, the wall turned to rubble, crumbling down onto the ogre. It let out a roar as it attempted to flee, but it was soon covered in fragments of stone. Though there was a miscalculation made by Timaeus, parts of the ceiling began to fall around him. The bruised and beaten boy reached out and grabbed his sword, just as a large shadow formed above him.
With Kratos and Atreus
"You are NOT ready."
Atreus still couldn't believe what his father had said. He had just proved himself by finding the deer AND helping his father fight the troll. It was his arrows that had helped kill the troll! He hasn't been sick for a long time, he was ready for their journey. Before the duo could return home, they heard a rumbling in the distance. Atreus was about to comment about it, but was cut off by-
*CRUMBLE!*
*CRASH!*
"What was that?" Kratos wondered as he turned around, trying to listen to the origin of the sound.
"It sounded like it came from the temple. I wonder what caused that, the only things out here are us and the-" Atreus commented but was cut off as he stood still, a look of shock came to his face.
"Boy, you are in your head." Kratos said as he turned to return home, but stopped as his youngest son ran and tried to climb back up the ledge. "What are you doing?"
"It's Timaeus! He's at the temple! I sensed him while we were fighting the troll! He was fighting something, but I think he's hurt! His voice turned into a whisper!" Atreus said as he tried to pull himself up, but was unable to.
Upon hearing this, Kratos rushed over to his boy. He quickly placed Atreus onto his back, and swiftly climbed up the ledge. Pulling themselves over the ledge, the two ran back to the temple. Reaching the large metal gate, Kratos grabbed it and with a grunt, pulled it off of the chain that held it closed. Throwing the gate to the side, both father and son ran into the temple. Where they were greeted to the sight of a large portion of the far wall and ceiling missing, with them now being rubble that piled high around the area.
"Timaeus! Where are you, boy?!" Kratos yelled as he ran towards the rubble, and began to lift and throw the broken stones away.
Atreus followed soon after, helping his father search the rubble for the swordsman. As they continued to search, Kratos stopped as he noticed the corpse of the ogre. Half buried with its blood pooling beneath it, the bearded man took note of the visible wounds on its arms and face. Faye had told him tales about ogres, their strength and power.
His oldest fought such a beast by himself?
"Father! I think I found him!" Atreus called out, snapping Kratos out of his stupor.
The man saw what his son meant. The boy attempted to lift a piece of rubble that had the blade of a sword sticking out from beneath it. The only problem was that it was stuck beneath an entire pile of rubble. Kratos immediately began to grab pieces of rubble and throw them away. Atreus helped the best he could, by saying comforting and encouraging words to his brother.
After throwing several pieces away, Kratos was met with a shield. Pushing away the remaining pieces of rubble, the shield deactivated to reveal an injured but alive Timaeus. Upon seeing his son, the man took note of his injuries. A dislocated and most likely broken arm, blood dripping from his mouth and head, several cuts and bruises from the falling rubble.
"Father… Atreus… I kept the pyre burning. Her ashes remain undisturbed." Timaeus said as he was carefully picked up by Kratos. To him, these injuries meant nothing. The only thing that mattered is that he kept his word to keep his mother's ashes safe.
"These wounds… hurry boy! We need to get him home now!" Kratos ordered as he quickly but steadily carried his injured son out the temple's exit, or rather the large hole that was next to them.
"My pouch… in my pouch." Timaeus said as he tried to reach for his pouch, but his father's strong grip prevented him from doing so.
Hearing his words, Kratos came to a stop. He knelt down and motioned for Atreus to search the bag on the swordsman's belt. Feeling around for a moment, the boy pulled out the healthstone that Timaeus had put away earlier. Both Kratos and Atreus realized what it was, as they found some dropped by the troll and Draugr. The tattooed man gently set his injured son down, having him sit against a nearby wall.
"Bite down on this." Kratos said as he placed a stick in his son's mouth. "Break the healthstone only after I set your arm back into place."
After Atreus placed the stone into his brother's hand, he watched as Kratos grabbed his brother's arm. The bearded man slowly moved the arm into place, all while the wounded boy groaned in pain. Timaeus let out a muffled cry of pain as his father popped his arm back into its socket. Crushing the healthstone in his hand, the swordsman let out a moan of relief as his injuries began to heal. In mere moments, he let out a sigh as he felt the soreness and fatigue leave his body.
"These things appeared shortly after you both left, they were like Draugr but different. They used ice and hated the flames of the pyre." Timaeus said as he stood back on his two feet. "I don't know how many I killed before the ogre showed up. I had to lead it away so that it wouldn't destroy our house or disturb mother's ashes."
"You fought an ogre by yourself? Father and I just finished fighting a troll." Atreus commented, but stopped when Kratos shot him a look.
"We shall speak of this later. Come, boys." Kratos stated as he began to walk home, his sons following close behind.
Before taking another step, Timaeus stuck his hand out. This caught Atreus' attention, stopping to see what his brother was doing. Even Kratos stopped as the sound of something cutting through the wind was heard. Both were genuinely surprised to see that Balmung had flown through the air and into Timaeus' outstretched hand.
"Wow, your sword does that too?"
"It can create lightning as well." Timaeus said as he sheathed the sword onto his back. "It came in handy when fighting those creatures and the ogre."
"Father's axe could return to his hand as well, it also can create ice. A sword that creates lightning and an axe that creates ice, I wonder where mother got such weapons."
"Probably from a master blacksmith. Would sure like to meet 'em someday, and maybe ask for some tips to forge better."
"You'd need more than some tips, last time you tried to forge a knife, you ended up with a lump of twisted metal."
"Says the one who couldn't even lift the hammer."
"At least I wasn't the one who broke the hammer."
"No but you were the one who somehow set fire to a pot of water."
"Enough! For now, we walk in silence."
"Yes, sir!"
"Sorry, sir!"
Cut! That's a wrap, I hope you all enjoyed reading this. I've been working on this since last year, after buying a PS5 and buying the 2018 God of War. After playing the game a few times, and on Give Me God of War difficulty, this came into fruition.
During my first playthrough, I thought that Kratos having a third child would have been interesting to see. So Timaeus' role is to act as a medium between Kratos and Atreus, understanding the both of them because of his emotion sensing abilities. Don't worry though, Timaeus will have his own arcs on his own away from his family throughout the journey.
Also Kratos would see the relationship between his two sons and think of the relationship he and Deimos could've had.
Anyways, did you all like this chapter? Any thoughts or suggestions? This has been Draak D. Sol, and I'll see you all later.
Codex:
Characters-
Timaeus: A young man in his fifteenth winter, taught to wield a sword from a young age. Has the ability to sense emotions, and was taught how to control it by his mother. Cares deeply for his family, and is willing to do anything to protect them and his home.
Atreus: A boy in his eleventh winter, taught to hunt and use a bow by his mother. Growing up, he was always sick and required constant care by his mother. Now that he hasn't been sick for a long time, he's eager to prove himself to his father and brother.
Kratos: Father to both Timaeus and Atreus, a mountain of a man with an impressive beard. Stoic and quiet, he often keeps his distance from his family, always spending his time hunting. Though he has helped his sons hone their skills in combat. While he never says it, he cares for his family above all else.
Faye: Wife of Kratos and mother of Timaeus and Atreus. A loving mother and wife, she cared deeply for her family. Teaching her sons different languages and the art of hunting and swordplay. Her wish was for her family to spread her ashes at the tallest peak in all the realms.
Weapons-
Leviathan Axe: A large axe originally belonging to Faye, but passed it down to her husband before her death. Has the ability to create ice and can be called to the user's hand.
Balmung Sword: A massive greatsword that was passed down to Faye, who then passed it down to her eldest son. Has the ability to create golden lightning and can be called back to the user's hand.
Exile's Guardian Shield: A strong and durable shield given to Timaeus by his mother. It's made of a strange combination of steel and stone.
Talon Bow: A longbow made from a yew tree by Faye, it's sturdy and is also used for melee attacks. Rather large for Atreus, he'll grow into the bow one day. While still clumsy with it, every battle he steadily becomes a better archer.
Runic Attacks-
Light:
Sword of Omens (Melee): Timaeus coats Balmung in lightning to temporarily increase the strength and power of his sword slashes.
Heavy:
Wrath of Stormbreaker (AOE): Jumping into the air, Balmung is coated in lightning, and the sword is slammed down onto the ground. Creating an explosion and shocking and damaging nearby enemies.