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Chapter 2 - Stranger at the Door
"Father, have you or mother ever had strange dreams? Ones that felt… real?"
Kratos almost stopped walking when he heard his eldest son ask this question. It was a not so simple question, with a not so simple answer. Faye never spoke of dreams often, but when she did, she spoke of the lives her sons will live when she is gone. Pondering on what kind of men they will become, what kind of paths the two will walk.
Peaceful dreams have never blessed Kratos' slumber, instead he was cursed with nightmares. Terrors that keep him up at night, the memories of his past sins. Every being he had slain, every drop of blood he had spilled. The sensation of blood soaking his body, and the screams of fright and terror. The screams, by the gods the screams, even now he could still hear them.
"Your mother only ever dreamt of the future, of the lives we will live with her gone." Kratos said, shaking the dark thoughts from his head, not turning his head to look at his sons. "What kind of dream did you have?"
"It started off with the three of us being in an icy landscape, ice and snow as far as the eye can see. The weird thing is that we were fighting in front of a giant corpse, it's probably the size of a mountain!" Timaeus began, doing his best to describe his dream in detail, his father and brother listening intently.
"I was leaning against a wall, my body covered in my own blood. We were fighting someone, someone strong. He was able to withstand being pierced by Atreus' arrows, and hits from your axe." The young man said as he unconsciously rubbed his arms, as if feeling for any wounds. "Not even those chained blades you had."
…those chained blades you had
Those chained blades you had
Those Chained Blades You Had
"Boy, what did these blades look like?"
While he spoke in his usual neutral tone, Timaeus could feel it, the bitter malice and hatred that filled his father's voice. Never had he felt such anger from him before, but eclipsing that anger is something that the young man had never sensed from Kratos: Fear. Fear at those blades being mentioned, fear for someone knowing about the blades, fear of using those blades once more. Timaeus knows nothing of these chained blades, but he now knows that his father, a man who embodies the words 'strength' and 'stoic', is afraid of anyone knowing of them.
"They're… a pair of jagged blades attached to a length of chain, the guards, if you can call them that. They looked more like skulls than any crossguard I've ever seen." Timaeus began, almost flinching from the amount of anger and fear emanating from his father. "Fire erupted from the blades with each swing, the heat felt… dark. Like if they were forged somewhere filled with suffering and anger."
Now Kratos was certain that this dream was no dream at all. Whatever his son saw, it was a vision of the future, almost like the Oracles of his homeland. Did a god bless his son with the power of foresight? Or were his own godly abilities beginning to manifest?
"This man, what did he look like?"
"He has a shaggy beard with pale skin that's covered with blue tattoos. He's taller than me, but shorter than you. He didn't wear shoes, only pants." Timaeus did his best to describe the man as best he could. "Whenever he used his powers, his tattoos glowed blue."
"What else happened in your dream? And why were we fighting him?" Atreus asked as he looked at his older brother, confusion etched onto his face.
"I do not know why we were fighting, but as we did, the giant corpse was moving as if someone controlled it like a puppet." Timaeus said, before the sounds of the woman's pleads echoed in his head. "But someone else was there, a woman who wanted us to stop fighting."
This piqued the father's interest, if someone were to control a giant corpse, then that person would have to be powerful. Perhaps this woman was the one to control the corpse. "This woman, did she wish for us to stop hurting the stranger? Or for the stranger not to hurt us?"
"I… I don't know. I don't know where we were, who we were fighting, or why we were even fighting, but it all just felt real. Like a memory… or a vision of what's to come." Timaeus admitted, confusion and concern etched into his voice as he spoke.
"In my homeland, there were women who had the power to see into the future. Some were born with the power… others had the power gifted by the gods." Kratos said, his voice becoming more gruff towards the end, as if his words were dipped in venom.
"Do you… do you think I was blessed by a god?"
That was one question Kratos was never prepared to answer. He never expected for either of his son's to manifest any godly abilities or powers, and of all abilities, the power of foresight. He knew the lengths that mortals and gods would go to in order to prevent the visions from happening, and the consequences of doing so.
"No, I do not believe so."
By the tone of his voice, and the growing frustration and anger Timaeus could sense from his father, the young man knew that it was time to end the conversation. Atreus knew as well, as the boy stopped himself from asking another question. They walked in silence, the tension grew so thick that it could be sliced with a blade.
It didn't take long for the trio to reach their home, though Timaeus did his best to ignore his father's annoyed look for destroying their bridge, and then an even more annoyed look when the bearded man saw the state of the stone bridge.
Upon entering the yard, both Kratos and Atreus bore witness to the piles of Hacksilver, pieces of metal, and a few Healthstones. The young archer was amazed at the amount of materials littering the area, and quickly began to gather everything he could. Meanwhile Timaeus stood off to the side, standing up straight like a soldier at attention while Kratos knelt down and inspected the ashes.
The pale man said nothing as he gathered the ashes of his wife in a cloth bag, being careful to only fill the bag with her ashes and not the pyre's. After filling the bag, he held it tightly in his hands, with Timaeus soon feeling sorrow and loss from his father. "Atreus, wait inside. I must speak with your brother."
Hearing this, the boy stopped picking up the items and quietly made his way into the cabin, much to Timaeus' confusion. "Is everything alright, father?"
The bearded man said nothing as he stood up and placed the bag of ashes on his belt. Taking a few steps, the father now stood in front of his son, peering down to look him in the eyes. "Tell me, how did you come to fight the ogre?"
Seeing the look in his father's eyes, Timaeus began to explain what had happened. How he used his old sword as a grave-marker for his mother, the Draugr-like creatures appearing, the ogre appearing after killing several dozen of the creatures, his plan to lure the ogre to the bridge, and finally his failed attempt to drop the ogre in the frozen river.
"After my plan failed, I simply ran. I ran until I made it inside of the temple. Before I could think of anything else to do, it broke down the door." Timaeus explained as he looked down at his hands, his own blood staining his skin. "I fought for my life, but it wasn't enough. All it took was for one slip up and it nearly killed me because of it, I only won because it brought down part of the temple on itself."
Kratos could not sense emotions, but he could see that his son felt weak for being unable to kill the ogre with his own strength. He knew that his son took pride in swordsmanship, having spent his youth training under Faye and even Kratos himself. The bearded man knew his son was a good swordsman, but he had never faced something like an ogre before. Wolves and Draugr were easy to kill for the young swordsman, but the ogre was Timaeus' first encounter with a foe he could not best on his own.
Little did Kratos know, his son told him a slightly altered version of events. Timaeus was telling the truth, at least, up until his fight with the ogre. The truth is that the young swordsman didn't tell his father what caused him to be unable to give the ogre the killing blow in the first place. That being the sudden spike of negative emotions that Timaeus felt during the fight. When his powers manifested all those winters ago, his mother told him to not tell Kratos about his abilities; saying that it was their little secret.
At the time, he didn't know why he had to keep it a secret, but now he understands why. His father always had difficulties keeping his anger and other negative emotions contained, at least that's what Timaeus was able to sense as a boy, so if Kratos knew that one of his son's could feel the emotions he was emitting; then he would feel even worse than he already did.
"You… you fought valiantly against a powerful foe and achieved victory." Kratos said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder as he did. "However, one mistake nearly cost you your life. Learn from this and be better, more training is needed if you intend to carry your mother's ashes up the mountain."
That threw Timaeus in for a loop, he expected harsher words from his father, instead he was given rather kind words, dare he say that he received a compliment. Whenever his father oversaw his training, the bearded man never gave an actual compliment, only ever commenting on the progress of Timaeus' skill and training. That's when he felt it, an iota of pride emanating from his father.
"Now wait here… I must speak with your brother." With that, Kratos made his way inside of the cabin, leaving his oldest son to his musings.
(Inside the Cabin)
Upon closing the door, Kratos' ears were filled by the muttering of his younger son. As he walked towards Atreus' bed, the bearded man heard what his son was saying.
"He doesn't know anything… I hunted the deer just like he said… I helped kill the troll…"
Silently, Kratos stood in front of his son, waiting for him to notice him. When the boy did look up, the tattooed man saw anger in those icy blue eyes. If Kratos was unnerved by the look his son gave him, he didn't let it show.
"You lost control." Kratos said, turning around to not look at his son. He was disappointed, not at his son, but at himself. For never teaching him to control it, for not teaching either of his sons the consequences of giving into one's rage.
"That thing was trying to kill us! It's not like you don't get angry in a fight."
"Anger… anger can be a weapon, if you control it. You clearly cannot." Kratos said as he turned around to look at his youngest son. "When you lose-"
"I haven't been sick in a long time, I'm better now." Atreus said as he cut off his father from speaking further. "And I can learn to control my anger."
"Fine." Kratos said as he knelt down and extended his hands towards his son. "Come on then."
"You want me to hit you?"
"I want you to try." Kratos firmly said, getting an uninterested and unenthusiastic look from his son. Moments later, Atreus threw a non-committal right hook at his father's right hand, only for it to be smacked away by Kratos' large left hand.
"OWWW! What are you-" Atreus began as he held his right hand to soothe the slight pain that he felt from the blow.
"Try again."
So he did, throwing a left hook with slightly more effort at his father's left hand, only for it to be smacked by Kratos' right hand. At this point, Atreus hopped off of his bed, anger slowly beginning to form within the child.
"Why are you doing that?"
"Too slow. Try again."
Atreus now punched with more strength, anger fueling his punch, but was futile as his fist was smacked away.
"Cut it out!"
"Weak. Again."
His son was angry, that much Kratos could tell. From when they started, his strikes became more and more sloppy. That rage had clouded the boy's mind, not letting the boy focus his strikes.
"Again." Kratos said as he smacked away another one of Atreus' strikes.
"STOP IT!"
"AGAIN." Kratos said as his son tried to punch his hand again, only this time he pulled his hand back. This caused the boy to stumble forward, tripping across the ashes of hearth and fall onto the floor of the cabin.
The bearded man silently walked over and pulled his son onto his feet, holding onto him and tried to look his son in the eye. Atreus looked away, not interested in what his father had to say.
"Your anger… you can get lost in it. The path ahead is difficult." Kratos explained as the young archer tried to pull away, only for his father to pull him back. "And you, Atreus, are clearly not ready."
"So what if I'm not ready?!" Atreus yelled as he managed to pull his arm free from his father's grip, anger dripped from his voice as if it were venom. "Maybe if you actually talked to me, actually taught me something, then I would be ready!"
"And what about Timaeus! He nearly got killed by that ogre and you didn't say anything about his mistakes!"
"Enough!" Kratos yelled as he grabbed Atreus' shoulders, his voice echoing through the cabin and effortlessly cut his son from his rant. "Your brother fought valiantly and achieved victory against a superior foe. His one mistake was to let the ogre get the better of him, something that is far more preferable than to lose control of one's anger during battle."
"Anger is a raging fire that can easily consume oneself if they cannot control it. Discipline is a calming water with the strength of a storm. To truly conquer anger, one must first know of discipline. If you cannot understand that, then you are not ready." Kratos said as he let go of his son.
Before either of them could say anything else, the whole cabin began to shake. The sounds of something large moving through the air was heard, both Kratos and Atreus both swore that they heard something like wings flapping through the air. Both grew concerned when a thundering roar shook their cabin harder than before.
Then as suddenly as it came, the sounds stopped. In an instant, Kratos covered Atreus' mouth to stop him from speaking. Both father and son could hear Timaeus outside talking to someone, with the young swordsman yelling at whoever else was outside to leave. He couldn't quite hear whoever was outside, but he knew that this stranger meant trouble for them.
"Boy. Beneath the floor, now!" Kratos whispered as he walked over to the center of the cabin and threw away a fur rug, revealing a secret door to a sort of basement. Now instead of merely talking, the father could hear his son shouting more, followed by the sound of something breaking and falling over.
"But you told me to never go down there." Atreus whispered as his father threw the hidden door open. "Who's Timaeus talking to? And what do they want?"
"I do not know, get in!" Kratos whispered as his son finally hopped down into the basement, allowing him to close the door and cover it with the fur rug. After making sure the rug didn't look out of place, he made his way to the door to see who was outside of his home, and what they wanted.
Earlier With Timaeus
After the front door hand closed, Timaeus pulled Balmung off of his shoulder and inspected his blade. He took note of the blue colored blood from the Hel-Walkers and the crimson stains of the ogre's blood. You couldn't even see the metal beneath the amount of blood that stained the blade.
Swinging the sword, a small amount of blood flew from the blade and stained the white snow. Knowing that the blood would ruin the blade, he placed Balmung back onto his back and walked down the path to the river.
"The anger I felt was a troll, what was it doing so close to our home. Same for the ogre, what were they doing here? And why know?" Timaeus asked himself as he knelt down at the edge of the dock and pulled the sword off of his back. "Something changed after the last tree was cut down, could it have been part of a protection stave?"
The young swordsman proceeded to thoroughly wash the blood from his blade, drying it off with his bracers. Being satisfied with the cleanliness of Balmung, he placed it on the dock next to him. Cupping his hands together, Timaeus grabbed a handful of cold water and used it to wash the dried blood from his face.
The young man then simply sat on the edge of the dock, just watching the river's gentle flow. Timaeus could feel Atreus' growing anger and frustration at his father, with the bearded man also growing frustrated with his youngest son. Reaching over, he grasped Balmung's hilt with his right hand, and with a small huff, he lifted the blade into the air. Lightning danced along the blade as he stared intently at the darkened metal.
Balmung felt heavier than his old greatsword, and the burden felt far greater. Ever since his mother first showed him the blade, she told him that he would wield the sword when he was ready. So he trained every day of his life, for the day that he would be ready to wield the powerful sword. Through the heat and the rain, working through blood and sweat, he trained for that day.
Now that day had come, and at least physically, he was ready to wield the sword. However, ever since his bout with the ogre, a seed of doubt had been planted in the young man's mind.
He had barely survived his encounter with the ogre, only surviving by dropping the ceiling onto it. There was no doubt in Timaeus' mind that they would face stronger foes during their journey to the mountain, and there was no doubt that his father was strong enough to deal with them. From what he could sense from the cabin, Kratos certainly believed that Atreus was not ready for the journey.
The big question in his mind was if he was ready to carry his mother's ashes up the mountain? Was he strong enough to help his father keep them safe? To protect his brother if his father was to ever falter?
"The strength the stranger showed in my dream, I was able to match it, but I'm nowhere near that level of strength." Timaeus said as he placed his sword onto the dock, before standing up onto his two feet. "Just who was he? And why were we fighting?"
Just as he was about to reach for his sword, he stopped as he felt a sudden shift in the air. The world around him suddenly felt… heavy, as if gravity had increased around the woods. Timaeus wasn't the only one to feel this, as he could see birds flying into the sky in a panic. Then the earth itself began to shake beneath his feet, the river grew rabid enough that the young swordsman almost fell into the water.
Just as the earth shook beneath his feet, a loud roar nearly deafened him as it shook the skies. Timaeus then fell to his knees, holding his head in pain as he suddenly sensed someone feeling excitement and need, but it felt… dark. As if the person whose emotions he was sensing was, for lack of better word, corrupted in a way.
Shrugging off the pain, Timaeus ran like the wind up the path towards the cabin. As he ran, the young swordsman reached his arm out, calling Balmung into his awaiting hand. Running into the yard, the son of Kratos was shocked to see an armored dragon flying through the air above the cabin. Before he could open the cabin door, someone jumped from the back of the dragon, and landed onto the snow covered yard; and Timaeus paled as he saw who had arrived at his home.
A man of average height with a lean, but hard physique. His pale skinned body is covered in woad-blue tattoos of Norse runes, they spread across his torso and all four limbs. His haggard yet handsome features, and has a thick beaded but unkempt brownish beard with an equally shaggy and beaded horse-mane hairstyle. He wears a red belt, a hip pouch and a thin string of charms over a torn brown waistcloth sash, which is worn over loose, black cloth pants, bound at the calves with brown leather straps. He wears no top and no shoes.
"Who are you?!" Timaeus asked, no, demanded as he held Balmung's hilt tightly with both hands, the tip of the blade pointed at the stranger.
His voice sounded forceful and confident, but on the inside, the swordsman was shaking like a leaf in a storm. Timaeus was obviously terrified, but he couldn't let the stranger know how afraid he was. This was the man who appeared in his dream, the one who he fought alongside his father and brother. The one who nearly killed him in his own dream, the one who along with him, was crushed by the giant's hand.
"You… no, you're not the one." The stranger said as he turned to look at Timaeus. His eyes were, at first, filled with interest, but that interest soon faded away as he got a better look at the swordsman.
"I asked you a question! Who are you?! And what do you want?!" Timaeus demanded as he began to walk sideways, positioning himself between the cabin door and the stranger. His eyes locking onto the stranger, not intending to lose sight of the bearded man.
"You might want to watch who you point that sword at, just be glad I'm not my brother, either of them." The stranger said as he walked towards the young man. "You're not the one I'm looking for, but whoever you have in that house is."
"Don't take another step! I don't care who or what you're looking for, but you won't find it here." Timaeus said as golden colored lightning danced along the blade. "Leave now, or else you won't like what happens next."
The stranger took another step, and in an incredible display of speed, seemingly teleported across the yard and appeared in front of Timaeus. The swordsman tried to raise his left arm to block the stranger with his shield, but the bearded man quickly grabbed him by the arm and threw him across the yard.
With a loud thud, Timaeus' back hit the trunk of a tree, the impact being strong enough to leave a sizable crack along the trunk. The swordsman let out a groan of pain as he fell to the floor, with the top half of the tree falling to the floor behind him.
"Come on, after all that bravado, that's what it took to take you out?" The stranger laughed as he then turned to face the door. "Oh well, I guess whoever's in the house is the one I'm looking for."
Just as he said that, the door to the cabin was pulled open, and Kratos walked out into the yard. The stranger took a few steps back, taking a good look at the ashen skinned man. "Huh. I thought you'd be bigger, but you're definitely the one. Long way from home, aren't you?"
Kratos said nothing at first, only looking over the man's shoulder to see his eldest son pulling himself onto his own feet, and the broken tree that lay next to him. Turning his gaze back onto the stranger, he got a better look at him. Remembering Timaeus' earlier description of the man in his dream, Kratos knew that this stranger and the man from his son's dream are one in the same.
"What did you do to my son? And what do you want?" Kratos said, trying to keep the stranger focused on him and not on Timaeus, who quietly crept across the yard and took cover behind a small patch of boulders.
"Oh, you already know the answer to that." The stranger said as he looked almost ecstatic as he spoke. "And as for the boy, I don't take kindly to being denied things I desire."
"Whatever it is you seek, I do not have it. You should move on." Kratos said as he motioned for the stranger to leave his home.
"Hahaha. And here I thought that your kind was supposed to be so enlightened, so much better than us, so much smarter." The stranger taunted, earning a sharp look from the taller man. "And yet you hide out here in the woods, like a coward."
It was then that Kratos stepped towards the stranger, looking down at him, his eyes filled with a controlled fury. From what Timaeus could see, and sense, the stranger's words had gotten to his father. "You do not want this fight."
"Oh… I'm pretty sure I do." The stranger said as he then hit Kratos with a backhand, though it didn't seem like the blow had done anything to hom.
"Leave. My. Home." Kratos hissed, anger building up with each word. Timaeus could sense it too, a controlled flame that's slowly growing to a raging inferno.
"You are going to have to kill me for that to happen." The stranger said, before he proceeded to give the tattooed man a powerful left hook to his face. It was then followed by a strong punch to Kratos' scarred stomach, and then finished with an uppercut.
The stranger then pulled his right hand back for another blow, but the fist was caught by Kratos before it could land. The father of two then twisted the man's arm away, doing it with enough force to hear the stranger's muscles and bones creaking.
"I warned you." Was all Kratos said as he pulled his right arm back to punch the unknown man.
"Finally." The stranger said before Kratos' fist met his face, easily breaking his nose and sending him tumbling away into a heap on the ground.
"You would not listen." Kratos said as he turned to face the cabin to see if the door had moved at all. Seeing as it didn't, he motioned for Timaeus to quietly walk around the downed man.
Though both were slightly caught off guard as the stranger pulled himself onto his knees. Father and son had expected for that punch to at least knock the stranger unconscious, but it didn't.
"No… No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no." The stranger said in a hushed tone as Kratos stepped towards him, with Timaeus coming from the rear with Balmung in hand. The unknown man was then roughly pulled onto his feet by Kratos, seemingly delirious from the punch he received.
"Fine. My turn." The stranger said as he pulled his arm free from Kratos' grip, and then gave him a surprise uppercut that sent the man flying over the cabin.
"Father!" Timaeus cried out in shock. In his fifteen winter on Midgard, he had never seen his father be struck like that. Before he could do anything else, the stranger's fist met his stomach, sending him into the air. He was unprepared for the sudden attack, causing him to lose the grip on his sword. Timaeus' leg was locked in the stranger's powerful grip, and the swordsman was spun around before being thrown over the cabin as well.
Kratos' body ragdolled through the air, before crashing through the edge of the cabin's roof and skidding to a stop along the backyard. The ashen skinned man's body was covered in blood from the cuts his body sustained from the landing. Moments later, Timaeus landed in a heap next to his father.
Turning his head back, Kratos saw the stranger standing atop of the roof. Without hesitation, he grabbed his son and rolled away as the stranger jumped into the air, and landed where they were with a loud crash.
"How incredibly disappointing. Come on then." The stranger said as both father and son both stood up.
"Go, boy." Kratos said, drawing his axe and putting a protective arm in front of Timaeus. "This fight is mine alone."
"Ohoho no, there's no running away from this." The stranger said as his body glowed blue.
Remembering what his son said about the stranger, Kratos brought his shield up quickly to block a glowing fist. Throwing his shield forward to parry the attack, this allowed for the Leviathan Axe to be driven into the man's shoulder. Pulling the axe back, its edge cut open the stranger's chest. Instead of attacking with his weapon, Kratos gave the stranger a strong kick to his stomach, sending him flying back.
"Run, boy!" Kratos roared as he threw his axe at the stranger, who had recovered from the kick and seemed ready to charge forward.
The stranger shrugged off the axe, and zig-zagged towards Kratos with incredible speed. His body turned blue as his right fist glowed with a white light. Doing a backwards roll, the attack sailed over Kratos, who then brought his shield up to block an incoming fist. Though he successfully blocked the attack, he was sent skidding back from the strength of the blow.
His body turning blue again, the stranger brought both of his arms above his head, and sent a condensed shockwave of light towards Kratos. Calling the Leviathan Axe to his hand, the ashen skinned father caught the weapon, and slammed it down onto the ground. The stranger's light wave clashed with a wave of ice created by the frost axe. The resulting clash created a sizable explosion, covering the area in a blanket of mist.
Before he could defend himself, Kratos was sent flying back by the stranger, who charged through the mist and gave him a strong punch across the face. In an instant, the stranger was at Kratos' side, grabbing his leg and violently spinning him around. With a shout, the stranger threw the ashen skinned man at the stone wall that surrounded the yard.
"Is that it? How boring." The stranger taunted as his body glowed blue again, indicating that he was going to attack again. "I was expecting more from you."
Kratos readied himself this time, gripping the handle of his axe tightly. Just as the stranger was about to charge at Kratos, the sound of something cutting through the air was heard.
*SHNK!*
Both Kratos and the stranger were both shocked to see Balmung protruding from the stranger's stomach. Blood stained the blade as it was pushed deeper and deeper, until the guard nearly touched the stranger's back. Lightning then danced along the blade, causing the gold colored electricity to course through the stranger's body.
"I told you that you wouldn't like what happened next." Timaeus said as he turned and then threw his blade away like a javelin, with the stabbed stranger in tow. What caught the swordsman's attention is how the attacker didn't react to being stabbed or electrocuted.
"I told you to run." Kratos stated as he walked up to his son, at the ready in case the stranger got back up.
"You told me to run, but you didn't tell me to listen." Timaeus replied, doing his best to ignore the glare his father gave him.
Before the father could reprimand his son, both immediately turned to face the stranger after they heard the sounds of faint laughter. Shocking the both of them, the stranger was on his feet and began to slowly push out Balmung's blade from his stomach, grasping it with his hands and literally pushing it through his back. Once he was finished, the sword clattered against the bloodstained snow.
"Hahaha, gotta admit, a sword through the back would kill most." The stranger said as he wiped away the blood on his stomach, revealing that the wound was rapidly closing. "Too bad, I'm not one of them."
With that being said, the stranger blitzed towards the father/son duo. Being prepared this time, Timaeus sidestepped an attack and called forth his sword. As the stranger charged once more, he was stopped by a bolt of lightning from Balming. This allowed for Kratos to shoulder charge the stranger, sending him reeling backwards. Using the opportunity, the Leviathan Axe was lodged into the stranger's stomach. With a shout, Kratos spun around and slammed the stranger into the trunk of a tree, which caused it to be knocked over.
Immediately pulling himself free from the axe, the stranger kneed Kratos in the stomach before punching him across the face with a light imbued fist. The blow sent the father flying backwards, but was luckily caught by his son before he could crash into the ground. Timaeus pushed his father away and brought up his shield to block the stranger's flying knee, this shook the shield and sent pain up the swordsman's left arm. Despite blocking the attack, Timaeus' guard was broken and he was sent skidding backwards.
The stranger's body glowed blue again, and he then raised his arms in order to slam them down again. He was cut off from doing this by Kratos, who appeared behind him and slammed him into the ground via a quick suplex. The ashen skinned man quickly sat on top of the stranger and began to savagely pummel him with his fists.
The stranger seemed to be unable to do anything as his blood began to cover Kratos, turning part of the man red. That is, until he reached up and grabbed his attacker's pauldron. The stranger pulled Kratos' upper body down and gave the bearded man a powerful headbutt, breaking his nose in the process. Seizing the opportunity, he punched Kratos in the face before kicking him off, allowing him to stand up.
"Come on! Are you even trying?!" The stranger yelled as he turned blue and kicked Kratos with a light powered kick. This sent the bearded father flying across the yard.
Catching himself, Kratos landed in a crouch before standing up and throwing his axe. The stranger easily blocked it and tossed it away, before empowering himself with light and charging at the ashen skinned man. Bracing himself, Kratos parried the attack with his shield. Seeing an opening, Kratos gave the stranger a quick right jab before following it up with a left jab. With a strong kick, the stranger was sent stumbling backwards.
The stranger was then sent stumbling forward as the Leviathan Axe was thrown into his back. Unfortunately for him, Kratos' shield slammed into his face, which sent him backwards again. Coating Balmung with lightning, Timaeus swung the sword upwards, which sliced open the stranger's back. Shifting to hold the sword with one hand, the young man grabbed the axe's handle and pried it from the stranger's back. With a shout, Timaeus slammed the axe's head into the stranger's neck.
Activating his shield again, Kratos used it to sweep the stranger's legs, this caused him to fall onto his back. Grabbing his axe, the father used it almost like a golf club and swung at the downed stranger. Doing so called forth a wave of icicles that not only stabbed into the stranger, but also sent him flying across the yard.
"Is that all? Is this all your kind could do?" The stranger said as he stood up, his wounds already healing. "I expected more."
'What is he? His body is healing from wounds that would kill just about anybody?' Timaeus thought as he tightened his grip on his sword. 'Is he a giant? Is he from another realm? Or is he…'
"Calm yourself boy, do not let fear control you." Kratos calmly said as ice began to coat his axe's head. "If he bleeds, he can be killed."
"Hahaha, you wouldn't believe how many people have said that these past hundred years." The stranger said in an almost… dissatisfied tone, like death had no meaning to him. "Now, where were we?"
As if on cue, the stranger turned blue and charged at the duo. Raising his shield, Kratos blocked a punch from the stranger, only for him to grab the edge of the shield and use it as leverage to raise a leg to deliver a light powered kick at Timaeus. Dodging the attack, the swordsman swung Balmung into the stranger's side, knocking him away from his father.
"Let's try this!" The stranger said as his body turned blue, light forming in both of his hands. With a shout, he clapped his hands together, creating a bright flash that blinded the father/son duo.
"I can't see!" Timaeus said, clenching his eyes shut in pain, accidentally dropping his sword in the process.
"Focus, you lost your sight but you still have your hearing." Kratos said as his eyes were clenched shut as well, his shield activated as he held his free arm behind him to guard his son. Adhering to his father's advice, Timaeus activated his shield as well.
His father was right, while he was blinded, he still had his hearing, not to mention his ability to sense emotions. Taking some calming breaths, he began to feel the world around him. He could sense Atreus' fear and worry from somewhere in the cabin, he could sense Kratos' worry and desperation, and finally the stranger's boredom and anticipation.
'He's not attacking? Is he waiting for an opening? No… he's toying with us. He came looking for something, but what?' Timaeus thought as he could sense the stranger circling around them, almost as if he was waiting for something. Odd, the stranger wasn't making a-
"Move!" Timaeus yelled as he pushed his father out of the way, bringing up his shield to defend himself. Luckily he did, as the stranger punched the shield with enough force that Timaeus was sent flying backwards into the stone walls. Before Kratos could react, the stranger gave him a powerful punch to the back of his head, disorienting the bearded man before kicking him away.
Back with Timaeus, his back impacted the stone walls with a loud thud. His arms were shaking with pain from blocking the stranger's attack, Hel, he was sure the bones in his left arm were broken! The stranger's strength was leagues above the ogre! There was no contest between them. Unfortunately for him, he could sense the stranger heading for him. Using his right arm to help brace his shield, Timaeus was forced to block the stranger's onslaught of heavy punches.
"You should be blaming your father for this." The stranger said, light emanating from his fists as they struck the shield repeatedly. "He knew why I was here, but he didn't give me what I wanted."
Timaeus was being pushed deeper into the wall with each strike, cracks forming behind him with the force behind the punches. If he wasn't sure if his arms were broken before, it definitely felt like they were now. Opening his eyes, Timaeus bore witness to cracks forming on his shield. It would definitely have broken, if not for Kratos putting the stranger in a full nelson.
Using the opening provided to him, Timaeus closed his shield and called Balmung to his hand. Just as he caught the blade, the stranger bashed the back of his head against Kratos' head, pulling his left arm free, and ramming his elbow into Kratos' side multiple times. This caused Kratos' hold to loosen on the stranger, allowing him to throw the father off of him and kick Timaeus hard in the stomach. This caused the young man to fall to his knees, coughing up blood and holding his stomach in pain. Before he could try to recover, the stranger raised his leg again and kicked Timaeus in the face.
Turning around, the stranger was greeted with an axe to his torso. Grabbing the axe head, the stranger pushed it out of his chest. With a glowing fist, he punched Kratos in the face, sending him flying away. As he landed, the stranger sped forward and slammed his shoulder into Kratos' chest.
Pulling his fist back, the stranger punched Kratos in the stomach, knocking him off his feet. Kratos was then sent upwards by a strong uppercut, and was then promptly brought down again as the stranger grabbed him by the ankles and slammed him down into the ground. What made things worse is that the stranger spun Kratos around before throwing him even higher in the air. Before the father could react, the stranger jumped into the air and tackled him, the both of them landing on the roof of the cabin with a loud thud.
When his back forcefully hit the roof, the air got knocked out of Kratos' lungs. Barely managing to take in a breath of air, the ashen skinned father tried to pry off the stranger's hands off of his neck.
"Tell me what I want, the pain stops. Real simple." The stranger said as his right hand let go of Kratos' neck, allowing the man to dodge a punch that broke part of the roof.
Peering down the hole, Kratos took quick note that the fur rug had not been disturbed, meaning that Atreus was still in the hidden compartment. While Kratos was peering at the cabin floor, something among the loft that was partially hidden in the shadows.
"Is that a third bed I see?" The stranger asked, causing Kratos' blood to run cold. In his haste to know if Atreus was still hidden, he failed to take into account that Timaeus' bed might be visible from their position.
With a roar, Kratos grabbed the stranger's head and slammed him onto the roof, freeing himself from the strangulation in the process. The stranger in turn did the same, quickly grabbing Kratos' face and forced him back down. Before the stranger could attack again, the patriarch grabbed the stranger by the torso, heaved him up, and slammed him down. With the added momentum, Kratos was able to pin the stranger beneath him.
The stranger's grunts filled the air as Kratos' fists began to savagely rain down upon him. Blood flew into the air, soaking the two fighters in the crimson liquid. It had been countless winters since he fought such a powerful foe, and even longer since he spilled this much blood from anger. That anger though, it was not tamed, it was wielded with a better purpose. To protect his sons. To protect his home.
"LEAVE! MY! HOME!" Kratos roared, each word followed by a powerful strike. On the third word, he raised both of his fists before bringing them down onto the stranger. Doing so caused the roof beneath them to break, sending them down to the ground below.
The both of them landed on their feet, but the stranger was faster. Swiftly making his way behind Kratos, the stranger's tattoos glowed blue as he suplexed Kratos into the ground. Before the father could pick himself up, the stranger stood before him and gave him a powerful kick that sent him flying into a large tree, breaking it in the process.
"Struck a nerve, did I!?" The stranger said, attempting to goad Kratos, who had just pulled himself onto his feet.
Using the downed tree as a weapon, Kratos smacked the stranger crashing into the cabin's eave. Shouting as he did, the patriarch charged forward and shoulder charged the stranger through several loose wooden planks, which had fallen from their scuffle on the roof, until he pushed through to the front yard.
Unknown to the two fighters, a shaky hand reached forward and tightly grasped Balmung's hilt.
"Who are you hiding?!" The stranger yelled as he and Kratos broke through a mound of boulders. He tried punching anywhere he could, but the blows seemed to do nothing to deter the older man. With a loud thud, the stranger's back hit a stone hill. Clasping his hands together, the stranger slammed them down onto Kratos' back, freeing himself and knocking his opponent down to the ground.
"Slow and old. You should never have come to Midgard." The stranger taunted Kratos, who was struggling to pull himself up. As if on cue, his wounds began to rapidly heal themselves before Kratos' very eyes. "So, care to try again?"
"You talk too much." Kratos simply said, before quickly pulling himself up and delivering a swift strike to the stranger's sternum. This was followed by a punch to the stranger's face, and then a right hook. Unfortunately, the stranger ducked beneath the punch and moved behind Kratos.
Before he could put his shield up, Kratos was bombarded by several swift strikes to his chest and stomach. Soon thereafter, the stranger landed several blows to Kratos' own face. The ashen skinned man tried to counter with his own punch, but the stranger stepped back, causing it to miss. Not letting Kratos try again, the stranger slammed his shoulder into his opponent with enough force to send Kratos several feet into the stone and dirt hill.
Cuts appeared all over Kratos' body, whether they were from being sent through the hill or from being impaled by several sharp stones he didn't know. In a daze, he could only listen from his position among tree roots and stone.
"You won't talk? Fine maybe who-" The stranger began, but stopped when he sidestepped an overhead swing from Balmung. "I'm surprised you're still standing, kid."
From his position in the hill, Kratos could see his eldest son standing on shaking legs. His once white tunic was now dirty and rough, several splotches of blood turned the fabric red. Timaeus' arms were shaking from the strain it took to hold his sword, Kratos was sure that if the sleeves were removed, there would be large bruises along his son's arms. Speaking of bruises, the young swordsman had several of them on his face, along with his broken nose and the blood that stained his face.
"Step… away from… my father." Timaeus panted out. 'Even though I blocked most of his attacks, they still dealt damage. The few that landed are leagues above from what the ogre did to me. I'm lucky to even be standing now.'
With a shout, Timaeus thrusted Balmung forward to impale the stranger. Unfortunately, the stranger easily sidestepped the attack and clasped a strong hand around the wounded swordsman's neck. With a sadistic laugh, the stranger lifted the struggling swordsman into the air. Timaeus began to choke and gasp for breath, punching and kicking to free himself.
"You're pretty tenacious, I'll give you that much." The stranger said as he pulled Balmung free from Timaeus' hand. "But you're far from ready. Now hold this for me while I go have a word with your father."
Before Timaeus could react, the stranger thrusted Balmung into the swordsman's stomach, pushing it deep enough that half of the blade protruded from his back. The young man could only release choked gasps as he feebly tried to stop the blade. With a grunt, the stranger pulled the sword free from Timaeus' stomach, before tossing it and the swordsman aside like garbage.
Timaeus' hands were stained with his own blood as he held his bleeding stomach, but nothing he could do would save him. His wound was too severe, and he had lost too much blood. The sound of his father's anger filled roar filled the air, and the last thing Timaeus saw was the gravemarker he left for his mother.
'Mother… Father… Atreus… I'm sorry.'
Cut! Scene! Whatever else they say in Hollywood! I hope you all like the second chapter of Legacy of War! Sorry that it took a while, I've been playing Ragnarök for the past few months, not to mention still planning out the test of this and other stories I'm working on.
So, we get to see Timaeus and Kratos have a small chat, Kratos' chat with Atreus, and then Timaeus' doubts about being ready to wield Balmung and for the journey ahead.
Then for what most of us were anticipating, the Stranger (A.K.A Baldur, A.K.A Invulnerable to All Threats Physical or Magical) appeared. To those who were wondering about the fight, I always thought that during Kratos' initial fight with Baldur, the Ghost of Sparta was generally caught off guard by Baldur's abilities because he hasn't fought anyone that strong since Greece. Correct me if I'm wrong, that's just my headcanon.
As for Baldur, replaying God of War (2018), I noticed that during their initial fight, the invincible God didn't take things seriously until after he was buried beneath that large stone/square thing. So I thought I'd put it into words, making it seem like he was being ragdolled during his fight with Kratos and Timaeus.
Also the fight seemed quick because I didn't want this chapter to drag on with the first part of the Baldur boss fight. The good stuff happens in the next chapter. Well it was supposed to be part of THIS chapter, but I thought that it was more suited to be put in the next chapter.
Anyways *cough*
(Que Dragon Ball Narrator)
Will Timaeus survive this fatal wound? Will Kratos give into his anger? After spending so long trying to control it? Find out what happens next, in the next chapter of Legacy of War.