Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. God of War is owned by Sony Entertainment and David Jaffe. Fairy Tail is owned by Funimation and… zzzz… zzz… zzz… hchk! – and Hiro Mashina. Please support the official release. Oh god, why is there so much natural light?!
Chapter 2: Birthright
Shortly after the defeat of Grimoire Heart's master, the rest of the group of mages along with Atreus recuperated on the island. It was then that Atreus was introduced to what was the guild known as Fairy Tail, a community of mages under a banner of sorts. To Atreus, they were simply good folk, if at all eccentric.
There was some tension when the rest of the guild arrived at the airship and found Atreus and Mimir, thus discovering that the two were trespassing on their island. The godling cringed at that; he didn't mean to come to their Tenrou Island which was sacred to their guild. More paranoid members of Fairy Tail were suspicious of Atreus, but their guild master put in a good word for Atreus.
It was interesting for Atreus to meet the one known as Makarov, the guild master of Fairy Tail. For one, he was a very stumpy man, shorter than even the dwarves Brok and Sindri. Another was that he was very old for a man with his scalp already bald and the rest of his facial hair completely white from age. It was surprising to hear from Mimir that Makarov was over one hundred years old, and the short man didn't look like he was about to keel over despite the bandages around his body to tend to his injuries from an earlier fight. On their first meeting, Makarov had given his introductions and was giving Atreus a stern look, as if studying the young godling for all he was worth. Then, he seemed to conclude when a smile broke on his face and said:
"This young boy is alright. He can come with us."
Whatever protests the wizards of this Fairy Tail wanted to voice, they never did, showing how much Makarov's words affected them. Atreus was pensive as well as confused having been accepted so readily by the master of Fairy Tail. He went with them anyway because of his curiosity to learn about these people and this new world he found himself in.
That comes to the present time with Atreus sitting on the sidelines of the camp Fairy Tail had set up. From his spot underneath the shade of a tree, he watched the various members getting their wounds treated. Most of his attention went to the blue-haired girl and watched with rapt attention as she used magic to heal wounds. It drew his amazement and wonder of what kind of magic can heal wounds. He was sitting behind Wendy, which gave him a good view of the green light filtering from her palms onto the injury of the large blonde man, and saw to the godling's wonder as the wound started to heal with the flesh mending itself. The only means back home that Atreus knew could heal that fast were these scattered green gems that his father would stomp on.
"Um, excuse me?" the bluehead's voice spoke.
Her voice was spoken to his attention and Atreus rose his head to meet her own eyes staring back at him. It now occurred to Atreus that he was staring quite intensely at the girl, and both blushed in embarrassment. The fault was not totally on his shoulders; he'd never met a group of people that were like this, especially a girl his age. Most of the time it was reavers trying to kill him and Father. Still, he found it a little rude on his part.
"S-Sorry," Atreus apologized, forcing his gaze down. "I just never saw magic like that back home."
"Oh," Wendy said, her cheeks flushing red. "Well, I guess that makes sense. My magic is special compared to others. It's just my Sky Dragon Slayer magic is all."
Sky Dragon Slayer magic. That's what the girl called it. The name itself gave way to the magic's purpose to slay dragons. It sounded like a formidable power to Atreus. Dragons were no joke back home; it even took Father some time to kill such a beast. By Mimir's own words, every part of a dragon was unparalleled in power and made them valued as ingredients for alchemy and blacksmithing. The proof of this was when a dragon's tooth was used to give his Talon Bow the ability to infuse his arrows with dragon lightning. But it left one question hanging in Atreus' hand: Why did Wendy feel more like a dragon whenever she used this power? It was this same instinctual sensation Atreus felt when facing Baldur or the sons of Thor. As gods, they carried this unique presence unlike anything else, especially when compared to Reavers, who were the only humans he ever encountered.
"Okay, so this is all nice and all," Mimir spoke up from his spot on the ground beside Atreus, "but how about we get rid of this atmosphere we're failing to ignore, shall we?"
Mimir was right. Ever since Atreus came with these people back to their camp, they had hardly spoken to Atreus. They were much more focused on treating injuries from the attack by Hades. But as Atreus isolated himself from them, he could feel the stares on his person. While there were some who were suspicious, most stared in curiosity and bewilderment. Those were looks reserved for Mimir exclusively. After all, he was literally a living head.
"I agree," Makarov said, approaching Atreus till his small stature shadowed the young godling. "As you know, young man, my name is Makarov Dreyar. As Master of Fairy Tail, I would like to formally thank you for helping me save my children."
Atreus smiled at the short, old man. He could tell that Makarov was genuinely thankful for the godling in keeping his 'children' alive. It was nice to meet such a kind man.
"So when you say this Fairy Tail guild, that means all of you guys, right?" Atreus asked, pointing to all of the strangers.
"That's right!" Exclaimed the pink-haired teenager. "Fairy Tail's the best guild around. Everyone knows that!"
"But, uh, I've never heard of Fairy Tail," Atreus replied honestly. "I've never even heard of guilds until now."
"Huh?" Spoke the voice of a blue cat. "How do you not know what a guild is?"
Atreus had to blink several times to make sure he was sure what he was seeing. Indeed, what he saw was an actual talking cat standing on two legs. He was covered in blue fur with a white belly and a green pack on his back. There were others of his sort with two others with one seemingly to be female being pure white and another that was all black with some scarring over his eyes. It took a few seconds for Atreus to process their existence. Talking cats certainly started to rank up as one of the strangest things he had seen in his life.
"While that is strange, that is not the point now, so continuing on from before," Makarov interjected, pointing to the salmon-haired teenager. "That upstart is Natsu Dragneel. A reckless lad, but a loyal and good one at heart. That blue cat you've been staring at is Happy, an Exceed, with the others being Carla and Pantherlily."
"It is good to meet you," greeted the Exceed known as Pantherlily in an unexpectedly deep voice for his size.
"Aye!" Cried Happy with a raised paw.
"...This just gets crazier by the second," Mimir muttered, and Atreus nodded in agreement.
Makarov continued, directing his gaze towards a trio with shared white hair and blue eyes. "Over there, we have the Strauss siblings Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna."
The three siblings were different in their looks. Mirajane Strauss was a beauty among beauties with a curtain of smooth white hair trailing down her back and bright blue eyes. She was tending to the bandages of her little brother Elfman, who ironically was far larger than his elder sister even when he was sat down. He was a beast of a man with bulging muscles and spikey hair the same color as his sister. Lisanna, the youngest sibling, was a more petite version of Mirajane with shorter hair but pretty in her way.
"Beside Mira," Makarov pointed to a person next to Mira, "is our lovely Erza Scarlet."
The woman in question possessed beautiful scarlet hair and brown eyes. Most of her body was covered in thick armor while the rest of her body had bandages. She gave a delicate bow to Atreus.
"From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you for aiding us against Hades," Erza thanked him.
"You're welcome," Atreus replied with a kind smile.
Makarov gestured to the others, first with the tall blond man. "And here's-"
"We're not that damaged that we can't speak for ourselves, old man," the large blonde protested, leveling his gaze on Atreus. "I'm Laxus Dreyar, and I gotta say that was some pretty impressive work you did saving our hides like that. You were giving Hades a run for his money."
With all the praise coming his way, Atreus looked bashful as he rubbed the back of his head. To them, it might seem he was a miracle to come to their safety. On the other hand, Atreus felt that if the fight had gone on any longer, then Hades might have wisened up to the godling's tactics. The only reason Atreus felt he had such a big advantage was mostly due to his unknown abilities.
"It really wasn't much," Atreus mumbled.
"Humble to the bone, aren't you?" Mimir commented.
Laxus gestured to Freed. "And those are-"
"We are Laxus' comrades," a green-haired man declared, raising his rapier to the air. "I am Freed and along with my colleagues Bickslow and Evergreen we are Laxus' Thunder Legion."
"Yeah," spoke the odd doll constructs floating around Bickslow
"Yeah," Laxus deadpanned, pointing a thumb at the two last men lying against a boulder via their injuries. "And those two stooges are Gray Fullbuster and Gajeel Redfox."
"Asshole," Gajeel cursed.
"If I weren't bandaged here, I-" Gray added before he was cut off by a sudden realization. "Where's Juvia?"
"Juvia?" Atreus wondered with a tinge of worry.
He hasn't heard of a person that went by that name so far, and the only people who Atreus didn't know names were the two women he left alone a while ago. Could it be that…
Before Atreus could complete the puzzle in his head, the disturbance in the foliage drew everyone's attention. Their bodies tensed at possible danger from more persistent groups of Hades' forces and the air grew heavy with everyone preparing to use their powers at the slightest hint of danger. A shadow came from the underbrush till it crawled out from below. First came pale arms, making everyone tense even more and the smell of magic further intensifying. Atreus was reaching for an arrow to nock on his bow but stopped when a familiar shade of blue hair entered the light.
The tension was further broken apart by the exclamation of the woman who made herself known.
"Gray~"
"J-JUVIA!?" Gray exclaimed at the zombie-like bluenette. "DID YOU ACTUALLY CRAWL ALL THE WAY HERE!?"
Atreus blinked at the sight of the woman who had crawled the whole way to the campsite. He knew this woman from her strangely blue hair; she was one of the same people he found unconscious when he arrived right after whatever that black wizard did. It boggles the godling's mind how she managed to crawl from the other side of the island to here. That was quite the distance to make even on foot.
Indeed, these people got stranger the more he stayed with them.
"Gray darling, please forgive me," bawled Juvia. "I let Zeref get away."
"H-Hey, stop crying," Gray coaxed, clearly uncomfortable with the present situation. "It's not your fault. I don't blame you."
"No, I don't deserve forgiveness for failing you~" Juvia whined and suddenly presented her behind-
Nope. Atreus immediately moved his head in the opposite direction and promptly forced himself to tune out the conversation. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he did not want to know. Atreus could already feel the heat rise to his cheeks from whatever that display was.
"Hello," greeted a blonde teenager with warm brown eyes. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia. Thank you so much for the rescue."
Atreus blushed in embarrassment. "I mean, I was just trying-"
"Lad, just take the praise," Mimir interrupted. "You're welcome by the way, missy."
"I'm Cana Alberona," a brunette woman introduced, wearing a bra and shorts.
To Atreus' astonishment, she was currently downing a whole barrel of what was definitely not water. Mimir mumbled something about Thor and a 'secret' bastard child.
"Gildarts Clive," greeted the last man.
Gildarts was significantly older than most of the Fairy Tail guild, except for Makarov. He was most likely in his 40s and sported slicked-back orange hair, stubble over his face, and brown eyes. He had a tall and muscular physique similar to Kratos and wore a black tattered cloak.
"And I guess that makes me last," the bluenette girl spoke up, pausing in her healing to look at Atreus and taking a deep bow. "My name is Wendy Marvell. Thank you so much for helping us."
This time, Atreus took it with a smile from his mother and a nod. "I'm just glad you're all safe."
"Looks like that makes everyone present," Makarov noted. "Now how would you like to introduce yourselves?"
All eyes went back onto Atreus and Mimir, putting them into the spotlight yet again.
"Well, my name's Atreus," the godling introduced before picking up the head. "And this is-"
"Eh-eh, let me have this, lad" Mimir interrupted as he captured the attention of everyone gathered for his introduction. "As for me? I'm the greatest ambassador amongst the heavens, the earth, and every creature of all the realms. I know every corner of every land, every language spoken, every war waged, every deal struck. They call me… Mimir! - smartest man alive, and I know the answer to your every question."
"Smartest alive man, eh?" Natsu commented. "Well, I bet you can't tell what I'm thinking."
"Dumbass pyro," cursed Gray. "That's called being psychic. That has nothing to do with being smart, which he clearly is more than you are. Not like that's much of a milestone."
"You want to go, icepick!?" Natsu challenged, lighting his fists with fire.
It was quick that Atreus would have thought it a blur if he wasn't properly paying attention. There was the sound of a fist meeting a skull and in the next moment, Natsu and Gray were down on the ground with red bumps on the top of their heads. The cause of it was Erza herself with a raised clenched fist that was used to pummel the duo.
"Can you quit it!?" Erza exclaimed. "We have guests here. That goes for you too, Gray."
She only glared at the teenager and Gray simply wilted. That was a glare that Kratos could respect.
"Atreus and Mimir," Makarov mused. "At least I have a name for you two. But what brings you here to our fair island?"
While the question was asked innocently, Atreus knew that it only veiled the true wording if the situation wasn't as comfortable.
'How did outsiders like yourself somehow come to our sacred island?'
Atreus' gaze was downcast for a long moment, trying to put together an appropriate response. He was not going to lie to them, not after such warm welcoming company. But at the same time, Atreus did not want to omit the whole truth. He didn't exactly know how they would react if he told them that his father was a god or that he was a god in his own right. However, he can answer how he arrived on Tenrou Island with just some of the specifics left out.
"Let me start by apologizing for intruding on your island," Atreus said solemnly, bowing his head. "But I had no intention of coming here nor do I know how I arrived here."
The answer seemed to relieve Makarov with the sag in his shoulders. "Then, if you don't mind, could you please tell us what happened before you came here?"
"I think there was a struggle," Atreus spoke hesitantly, careful not to omit too crucial information. "I was with my father when it happened. It's all a blur, but some sort of force knocked me away. I don't know what happened next, but I felt I was falling then I found myself here on your island. Is there anything you can add, Mimir?"
"No, you got everything down, lad," Mimir said. "Even my head is all scrambled."
"So that's it then," Makarov muttered. "Well, then young man. Now that you have found yourself in unfamiliar lands, what are you going to do next, Atreus?"
The words Atreus wanted to say caught in his throat as the situation he was in fully reached into his being. What could he do next? He wanted to find his father, but where could he even start? He barely knew any magic with the exception of his Jotnar heritage that would pop up occasionally, much less anything to breach through the realms. The truth of it was Atreus was here with nothing but Mimir, his bow, the clothes on his back, his knife, and the Leviathan axe.
What could he even do? He had nowhere else to go.
"I… I don't know," Atreus mumbled, an unseen weight settling in his gut.
He wanted to ignore the looks of pity sent his way. This feeling of helplessness - Atreus loathed it. It made him feel like the first time he started his adventure with his father. Atreus hated how much it felt like he was holding his father back with all the mistakes he made.
"You could come with us!"
All eyes went to the source of the exclamation and landed on none other than Wendy Marvell, who was blushing red now being the center of attention. But there was no indication that she was going to take it back. To Wendy, she needed to say that. When she saw the look in Atreus' eyes, she saw the same crippling loneliness she felt when Cait Shelter was no longer the only home she knew. That made her all the more thankful for Natsu and the others taking her into Fairy Tail and giving her a new home. She wanted to give that gift to Atreus who was in the same situation.
It would be a start to the debt Wendy had for Atreus saving her life.
Seconds of stunned silence followed before the most enthusiastic followed. Natsu's face turned into a grin that could split his face as the idea likened to him more and more.
"Hey, that's a great idea," Natsu cheered, flashing a toothy grin. "You should totally come with us and join Fairy Tail. You'd fit right in."
"M-Me!?" Atreus exclaimed, pointing to himself. "You really want me to come with you? A part of your guild?"
"Hmm, the idea definitely has merit," Makarov mused in slight approval as he rubbed his chin in thought. "You're plenty strong already and with time you'll get better. Fairy Tail can help hone your skills."
"Another member is always welcome in the guild," Erza added.
"Are you sure you want to do that for me?" Atreus asked. "We just met. I'm just a stranger to all of you."
"Yes, you are, but at some point, everyone here was a stranger to Fairy Tail," Makarov replied back, gesturing to his surrogate children and one true grandson. "All of these people you see were once lost, some even younger than yourself. Fairy Tail isn't just a place where magical talents can be cultivated to their hearts' content. It's a place where those who have nothing can create new bonds with each other. All those who come to our hall are friends and beloved, and all those who carry our insignia I treasure as my own children. So, as a lost soul like my children once were, I open my hall to you as well, Atreus."
Every word Makarov spoke was with deep passion and kindness. The air seemed warmer from his voice, and the sun shined brighter. Atreus barely believed it. He'd never thought to find someone so selfless and caring just to even welcome him. These people truly were special, or perhaps it was the way of this world.
"Master Makarov, I don't know if I should impo-"
"By Ymir's tits, just take the offer lad and join them," Mimir interrupted. "I know you need it after what we've been through. Besides, it would be useful to have a roof over our heads and a comfy bed."
"If you're okay with it," Atreus said. "Makarov, I accept your invitation."
"And I am glad for it," Makarov said, beaming with a smile.
He held up his hand and in a flash of bright light, there was a wooden stamp in his hand with the carving of the Fairy Tail insignia. Atreus blinked his eyes in astonishment at the obvious act of magic. In his adventures, he had hardly ever seen a power that could bring out objects completely out of nowhere. The closest thing Atreus could think of was the enchanted bottomless bags Brok and Sindri used.
"So then Atreus, where would you like your guild mark and what color?" Makarov asked.
"...Just like that, you're going to let me join?" Atreus asked incredulously.
"Just like that," Makarov replied with a toothy grin. "So, place and color?"
(Sometime After)
The day passed on going into the afternoon with the guild of Fairy Tail spending that time not only treating to the last of their injuries but also celebrating to their hearts' content at new members joining. It surprised Atreus at how well they could move when not so long ago they were so heavily injured after what have to have been hours of constant fighting. Perhaps they recovered at a better pace at most, but then again Atreus had nothing to properly compare to. His own healing factor was astounding as it was proven when Kratos started teaching Atreus to focus on his godly side.
On his forearm that was used to take Precht's blow was a purple bruise. It gave blunt aches whenever he tried to move it. With some privacy, he now had the chance to get rid of it. Recounting his father's lessons, he closed his eyes and focused. He brought out his godly side to the forefront. In his mind's eye, Atreus felt like he was pulling on a rope of sticky slime. He could certainly grab a hold of it, but if he put too much force into bringing it out the power would slip out of his control. Oddly enough, when Atreus sat down to search for his power, there was a stranger sensation of something more to it. Like adding honey to tea; it was there, just out of obvious sight.
Atreus didn't let the oddity distract him, at least for now, and managed to pull on his godpowers. On his forearm, the air seemed to shimmer around the bruise. Time seemed to rewind as the bruise disappeared till there was healthy skin in its place and the ache disappeared.
"You're getting better, little brother," Mimir said, watching Atreus' progress. "You got that down to twenty seconds less than last time. Soon, you'll be able to rough it out with the best of the gods."
Atreus chuckled. "I don't know about that."
He spared a glance to the back of his right palm where the new mark of the red Fairy Tail logo was freshly imprinted. Even now, Atreus could sense a small tingle of magic on the ink seeping into his skin. Then he looked back to Mimir where a black logo of the Fairy Tail mark was settled on his forehead right between his horns.
"I look dashing, don't I?" Mimir preened with his new tattoo.
"Sure, whatever you tell yourself," Atreus chuckled.
Mimir gave a hearty chuckle back and silence descended between the two as they turned their gazes toward the endless stretch of water that was the sea. His ears picked up the slosh of the waves crashing against the banks of the island and his nose picked up the scent of salt. The sight of seeing the ocean for the first time filled Atreus with wonder he hadn't felt since visiting Alfheim for the first time or going to Jotunheim. To Atreus, the biggest body of water was the Lake of the Nine in Midgard. It was hard for the young god to wrap his mind around how so much water could be in one place.
"I… just can't get over this, you know," Atreus commented. "I mean, have you ever seen so much water before?"
"Indeed lad," Mimir answered. "Back in my homeland, the sight of the ocean in its vastness was a common sight. Course it helped that the land wasn't as vast as the Aesir's little corner over Midgard. But I know the awe you feel. It's the same when I felt seeing the sea and its vastness for the first time."
"You're homeland?" Atreus wondered. "You never really talk about where you came from."
"There's not much to say," Mimir said. "It's a whole lot closer than where your father came from. The home of my birth was only a small chapter in my long life. I was a young lad when I set sail where I would then find myself under the employment of Odin. Worst decision of my life right there. Except for Sigrun."
Atreus hummed in agreement. He was going to ask more questions to Mimir, but the crunch of footsteps over grass stopped them in his throat. Looking behind him, Atreus saw the tall redhead known as Erza followed by Wendy who was carrying two bowls of broth. His nose picked up the smell of the stew, mainly fish and various vegetables like carrots.
"Hi," Atreus greeted kindly.
Mimir was oddly silent, but there was a smirk hidden behind his thinned lips when he glanced at Wendy. There was a knowing look in his Bifrost eyes.
Neither Erza nor Wendy returned the greeting at first. The smaller of the two seemed rooted on the spot with her feet twisting into the ground and a bright blush on her face. Wendy looked up to Erza for support, who in turn gave the girl an assuring smile and gestured her to walk forward. So with hesitant steps, Wendy walked closer to Atreus, her blush slowly growing as they came closer.
"H-Hello, Atreus," Wendy said. "I, uh, I wanted to thank you for saving my life."
Atreus, bless his heart, was modest to a fault. "Please, there's no need to keep thanking me. I was just doing what was right."
"Still, you helped us when you didn't need to, so I, um," Wendy replied, her anxiety starting to get the better of her. "I thought maybe you should eat something, so I made this for you. Please enjoy it!"
To emphasize her point, Wendy practically pushed her left hand holding the spare bowl of steaming stew toward Atreus. Her head was bowed down and her eyes squinted shut while her whole face turned to a likeness of a cherry. For Atreus, who was offered food, his stomach chose that moment to let out a very loud protest for nourishment.
Atreus had a faint grimace and remembered that he literally hadn't eaten anything since he came to Tenrou Island. He supposed it was luck that (hopefully) good food was being offered to him in his time of need.
"Thank you," Atreus said, accepting the stew in both hands.
He barely missed the way Wendy's eyes opened wide at him in pure happiness followed by anticipation. Below, Mimir could no longer hide the wide smile spreading on his face. Now it was a battle to keep back the chuckles threatening to escape.
The clay bowl was warm to Atreus' touch as he carefully settled it down on his lap. The broth of the stew was a reddish brown from a tomato-based stock. Chopped carrots and sliced onions floated in the stew along with chunks of pale chunks of fish meat seasoned with salt and pepper. Thankfully, a wooden spoon was included, allowing Atreus to scoop out a portion of the broth to consume.
Atreus was frozen for a second before he let out a pleased hum behind his lips as he chewed. He relished every bit of taste of the stew from the tomato-based broth to the bit of carrot he was eating. Ever since Fimbulwinter hit Midgard, the unrelenting cold made it impossible for vegetables to grow and their game had become fewer. The foods Atreus and his father would eat were the occasional meat of the game that they would dry for preservation or the occasional mushroom that managed to grow in some isolated cave. But to be able to taste pre-Fimbulwinter food after so long was almost blissful.
Atreus stopped after two bites to address Wendy. "This is good. Thank you so much, Wendy."
"...You're welcome," Wendy said barely above a whisper, but that didn't detract from the beaming smile on her face.
She sat down on a nearby stone and ate her own share of the stew, but she would still occasionally glance at Atreus, very happy that he was enjoying the stew she made.
'Well, Mira helped too,' Wendy thought, mentally checking to thank Mirajane's guidance.
Mimir could no longer hold back and let loose a wheezing cackle. Atreus didn't know what was going on in the head of the smartest man alive. Whatever it was, Mimir was finding it the most hilarious thing in the past 100 years.
"What's so funny, Mimir?" Atreus inquired with a confused look.
"N-Nothing," Mimir said through his laughter. "Just an old man and his rambling thoughts."
"Atreus," Erza spoke, grabbing the godling's attention, "I have to say it was impressive how you handled yourself against Hades. You must be fairly powerful to be able to withstand his might and retaliate in kind."
"I wouldn't say I'm powerful," Atreus said. "I just had the right skills, equipment, and training for the battle. I might have put up more of a fight, but I had the element of surprise and even then I don't think I would have won out in the end by myself."
"Still, I believe you deserve the praise for fighting a powerhouse that took down even our Guildmaster Makarov," Erza continued with her compliments. "I don't think I've seen someone with such skill with a bow before and your use of magic is quite unique. Though I can't help but wonder why you didn't use that axe?"
Atreus paused before he took another bite. He tried to steel his face from the onslaught of memories when he was assaulted by squads of Dark Elves. Even to this day, Atreus didn't have a clear memory of that incident but he definitely remembered what he sensed. The sensation of fresh blood on his face and the Leviathan axe sinking into flesh crawled over his skin. He recalled how awfully easy it was to cleave through bone and remove heads from shoulders. He even remembered the smell of spilled blood in the air and the rage that consumed him when they started to swarm. Through all the senseless violence that blurred his vision, Atreus remembered the raw strength that flooded his limbs that day. Just how many did he kill before Atreus was given enough reprieve to get back to his senses and get his father out of the light of Alfheim? When he looked back to Erza, he saw how her eyes were staring at the beautiful axe on his back held only by rope.
"It's called the Leviathan axe or Jormungandr if you like," Atreus answered. "Passed down from my mother to my father actually. I've only used it once, but I'm no good with it. If I knew how to, my fight with Hades-"
Cue Mimir laughing at that.
"-would have gone differently."
"How different?" Erza wondered.
"I'd have beat him," Atreus answered. "This weapon can do what I have only seen my father do, and I don't think anybody could stand against him."
'Not unless you were a god,' Atreus mentally added.
"Truly?" Erza commented. "And your father never taught you to use it?"
"My mother taught me to hunt and shoot my bow," Atreus said. "And my father started to teach me seriously a year and a half ago after a long journey we took to spread her ashes. He could've started later on but then… well this."
"I'm sorry if I brought unwanted memories," Erza apologized.
"It's fine," Atreus said.
"If that's the case," Erza said, "then let me make it up to you this way. When we head back to the guild, I can give you some pointers in axe-using combat. I'm not a definite master but it will do you good if you know more of the basics."
"Thanks, but there's still some stuff in the axe I still wouldn't know how to use anyway," Atreus said.
"Hmmm," Mimir hummed. "Laddie, maybe I have an idea that can help you."
"Really?" Atreus said.
"Aye," Mimir answered. "If the axe is anything like the fat bastard's hammer, then this should work. First, get the axe in your hands."
Atreus stared at the head for a moment before complying with his directions. Carefully, Atreus slipped the Leviathan axe from its rope-bound holster and held it in both hands. The weight of the axe never changed for Atreus, always feeling heavy enough that he could feel the weight of the axehead but light enough that the godling wasn't going to struggle swinging it.
Again, his 'scuffle' with those Dark Elves proved he could use it like any weapon. Just nothing like his father could, or, as Kratos would put it, his mother as well.
"Alright, get a good grip on it," Mimir continued. "Now try and chuck it at that tree over there."
Atreus' body tensed as he held the axe in both hands behind his head and swung it forth in a throwing motion. For all purposes, it was a good throw with the Leviathan axe twirling through the air till it sunk deeply into the trunk of the tree Mimir gestured to. On contact, the many runes on the axe flashed a vivid blue and frost crept up over the wood.
"Ice magic…" Erza muttered in wonder.
"Good throw," Mimir complimented. "Okay, now try to call it back to your hand. Go on, think of any method."
Atreus stared at Mimir anxiously. What were a few seconds felt like an hour of Atreus standing still petrified from his nerves shaking with anxiety. He visibly shook his wrists to shake out his nervousness and tried to center himself. He stuck his hand out towards the axe while trying in vain to find some sort of connection between the axe. The godling thought that maybe the trick was similar to how Atreus summoned magic from the runes on his bow.
'Come to me,' Atreus thought.
Yet nothing happened to the axe embedded in the tree. The edge was still deep in the wood and the frost had grown over the whole trunk. He closed his eyes to cut himself off visual distractions and focused his all on his internal concentration. Atreus even tried pulling slightly on his godly side and pushing it out towards the axe. The godling figured that it needed a certain connection to the wielder.
The young Jotnar certainly felt something make a connection to his power like a rope that had snagged onto whatever was within the fog. He 'tugged' on it, but the 'rope' continued to slip through his grip. In the real world unknown to Atreus, the axe vibrated, having come to react to the godling finally. Growing in desperation, Atreus thought to pull on his connection through the same mindset he had when using his Runic Summons.
With his eyes closed, Atreus didn't see how the axe vibrated within the tree trunk, but Mimir, Wendy, and Erza noticed. They watched as the blade of Jormungandr glowed an icy blue from the line of runes lighting up with power and the frost started to thicken over the wood. But as the seconds went by, it was clear the axe was not going to go to Atreus' hand.
'It's still impressive,' Mimir thought. 'Not even Thor got Mjolnir to wiggle on his first go.'
"Alright laddie, that's enough," Mimir said.
When Atreus came to, he let out a breath of exhaustion. It was not a physical ailment, but the godling felt a deeper part of him was strained from the activity. In a few moments, Atreus' breathing leveled out to a steady rate but he felt sweaty underneath his clothes.
"Well, we all know I suck," Atreus bemoaned.
"Oi, I wasn't expecting you to get it on the first try," Mimir said. "No one does when it comes to this sort of thing. But the point of it was to have you know the connection you have to the axe. You did feel it, didn't you little brother?"
"I think so," Atreus answered.
"Okay, we're getting somewhere," Mimir said. "Here's the tricky part. You don't call the axe to you like using one of the Runic Summons. There's a mutual bond. You have to get the axe itself to meet you halfway."
"I don't get it," Atreus said in confusion.
"Let's see if I can put it this way," Mimir muttered before speaking directly to Atreus. "Think of the axe not as a tool, but as a partner. A, uhm, pet wolf you've trained and raised. You have to get its attention and let it come to you."
"You're saying it's alive?" Atreus wondered.
Mimir did his best way of shrugging by raising his eyebrows. "This is one of the dwarves' best works. I wouldn't be surprised if it did have a form of consciousness."
'Get its attention?' Atreus wondered, exchanging glances between his right hand and the Leviathan axe.
Atreus decided to give this one last try. He closed his eyes and held his dominant hand forward. He focused inwardly on that same connection from before. This time, he felt a tingle all over his palm and fingers, and he could tell something from the axe was trying to reach out to him too. He was just missing something to make it spark.
'Mimir said I have to let it come to me,' Atreus thought. 'Please, come to me. I'm right here.'
It was hard to know if he was imagining or not, but he felt something prickle in his senses as if answering his pleas. The axe vibrated in place causing the wood around it to crack. Still, something was holding it back.
Then Atreus thought of Mimir's analogy to getting the attention of a wolf. While Atreus didn't have a pet, he more often than not was able to attract animals to him. They usually approached him first because of some sort of comforting presence Atreus carried that made him not an immediate threat to those who called nature their home. If it was the other way around, Atreus had to grab an animal's attention usually through whistling or…
'Snapping my fingers,' Atreus thought.
So Atreus tuned everything of the outside world out and focused inwardly. He imagined himself with that metaphorical connection like a thin string of blue going into the darkness that led to the real world. He imagined on the other side where he felt the other end of the faint connection was a dim blue star, and then shaped it into a wolf. He imagined wanting to grab his attention, and so while he internally took hold of that imaginary thin string he then used his actual right hand to make his fingers.
Atreus suddenly snapped open his eyes when he was overwhelmed by a flood of sensations. He could hardly pick the bits of it before his eyes widened at the Leviathan axe coming at him far faster than he had ever seen before. The godling tensed, expecting the axe to accidentally hit him only for the handle to land perfectly within his outstretched hand as if the axe itself knew where it needed to go. The tingling he felt throughout his palm intensified, and Atreus felt something else take hold of his fingers as they grasped tightly onto the Leviathan axe.
When his hand fully enclosed the wooden handle, the flood of sensation turned tenfold. Atreus thought his senses were playing tricks from going haywire, but he could swear he felt foreign feelings of joy, elation, happiness. The runes over the Leviathan axe from hilt to blade glowed a brighter blue as a soft white aura surrounded Atreus. The air around Atreus became chilly, but in a soothing way with flecks of snow dancing around him. That connection Atreus felt from the Leviathan axe felt clearer than ever like a blue sun in his mind's eye. At the same time, he felt something caress him just under the skin. It was a familiar feeling, like the soft touch of a hand running over his cheek.
Just like…
"Mom…?" Atreus couldn't help but say.
This time, Atreus knew it wasn't his imagination when he heard the Levithan axe hum like the subtle ringing of steel rings. Atreus focused his attention closer on the axe where he saw a new phenomenon. Just above where he was holding it, a new handprint glowed in neon blue. It was bigger than his hand, but smaller than his father's and far more dainty. The answer immediately clicked in his head when connecting the dots.
This handprint belonged to his mother back when she still used the Leviathan axe. It was the same kind Atreus saw on the trees he and his father cut down to build the pyre for her funeral, thus opening their forest to the outside world. It had to be some kind of enchantment; Atreus could feel the magic thrum in the same way Jotnar magic does. Before he could try and study it, this surprise surge ended. The chilly air disappeared and the axe that became a beacon of blue light dimmed, but still pulsed softly occasionally. While the phenomenon had stopped, Atreus felt whatever was connected to the axe solidified. It was like he felt more complete with it in his hands.
Remembering he had an audience, Atreus turned his attention to Wendy, Mimir, and Erza, who were astonished at the surprised display of magic. Wendy was the first to break out of her stupor as she gave Atreus a wide, happy smile.
"You did it!" Wendy cheered.
Atreus switched glances between Wendy and the axe, taking his time to truly process the new feat until he returned a celebratory grin.
"Yeah, I did do it," Atreus said, a light laughter underneath his breath. "I actually did it."
"While that was quite the show of magic there," Mimir spoke up, interrupting Atreus' self-celebration, "that is still one successful try. Care to back up your achievement by doing it again?"
For some reason, Atreus grinned, feeling a whole lot more confident in calling back the axe again. He just felt oddly more in tune with the axe the moment he touched it. So without hesitation, Atreus lobbed the axe over the cliff where it would eventually sink into the ocean. But before Mimir could yell in fright, Atreus simply snapped his fingers and the axe flew into his awaiting hand.
"Oi, don't do that to me!" Mimir exclaimed. "What if it didn't return? You would've lost one of the most powerful weapons in the Nine Realms because you were a wee little overconfident! I almost had a heart attack."
"But… you're just a head," Wendy noted.
"I certainly felt like I almost had one," Mimir reiterated, giving a deadpan stare at Atreus. "He seems to be having a load of fun."
Atreus had not stopped tossing and calling back the axe over and over, giggling each time it came back into his hands. It was a small thing to admit, but Atreus always wanted to do this with the axe after watching his father use it. Wendy covered her mouth to hide her giggles as she watched how much fun Atreus was having.
Mimir rolled his eyes. "As wonderful as it is, the Leviathan axe isn't to be used like a toy."
"But it's so fun," Atreus said, continuing to toss and call back the axe.
"Atreus…" Mimir chided.
"Okay," Atreus relented but retained his grin.
He snapped his fingers one last time and the axe returned to his right hand. He was tempted to play with it again, but he can already feel Mimir's judging gaze. Atreus returned the axe within his makeshift sheath of rope to hang from on his back.
'Kind of like Father,' Atreus mused.
"Congratulations, Atreus," Erza said genuinely. "I hope the axe serves you as much as you believe in it. I am also curious about your other magic. What were those glowing wolves and ravens you made? Are you also a practitioner of Molder Magic?"
"I have no idea what Molder magic is," Atreus answered, drawing out his bow to gesture to the runic symbols engraved on the wood, "but my spectral wolves and ravens come from the runes on my bow and the element from the bowstring, and it all comes together into an arrow once released to make the spell. All I do is, well - uh?... I guess I just fuel it with my power and focus on the right rune, and you get wolves, or whatever rune I choose."
"You guess?" Erza said, tilting her head. "You mean you aren't sure how you're doing this?"
"It just… sorta happens," Atreus admitted.
Erza's eyes widened in disbelief. Atreus thought the worst from the look, but his expectations were farther from the truth.
'He managed to stall Hades through raw talent,' Erza thought. 'He's a prodigy.'
"If that is the case, would it not be detrimental if you ran out of arrows?" Erza said.
"You're not the first to say," Atreus replied, glancing at Mimir.
To this day, Atreus knew he was very, very lucky that there were enough arrows to scavenge when they went on the journey to spread her mother's ashes.
Mimir hummed in thought. "This Molder Magic you mentioned? The one you mistook for the Runic Summons? What exactly is this magic?"
"It's a type of Caster Magic and the most unrestrained," Erza explained. "It is a magic craft that allows the user to focus their power into an element and shape it into whatever they desire. I find it to be the most versatile I've ever seen. There is no limit to the user's imagination."
"Moulding elemental power into any shape, you say?" Mimir said, looking at Atreus. "Even wolves, bears, ravens, and other critters of the forest? Atreus, this craft sounds perfect for ya."
"R-Really?" Atreus stuttered in surprise. "How do you know if I can use it?"
"Nothing here looks like it's out of your depth, and let's not forget your 'talents,'" Mimir said, hinting at Atreus' godhood. "Besides, it can't hurt to expand your repertoire of power. You might enjoy learning something new."
"If you want to start learning Molder Magic, you should go talk to Gray," Erza said. "As a user of Ice-Make, there is no one else on this island who has more insight in Molder Magic. He will get you started. I can take you to him if you-"
Atreus felt a rush of wind swept at his side and blinked when he found his left arm in Wendy's embrace. The godling nearly jumped being caught off guard, but whatever firm hold Wendy had on his arm kept him steady. Up close, he saw how oddly red her face was.
'Is she sick or something?' Atreus wondered.
"I can take him!" Wendy exclaimed, her blush becoming brighter. "I mean, uhh, I know where Gray is. So I can take Atreus to him."
"Uhh…" Atreus was thoroughly confused.
It didn't seem necessary to lead him by the arm. But it proved a little hard to wiggle his arm from Wendy's grip. There wasn't a need to hold his arm that tight. He looked to Mimir and Erza where the former had a knowing look in his eye and was exchanged with Erza.
"Sure, go ahead," Mimir said, his lips trembling between words for some reason. "Don't need to rush. Take him on a tour of the island if you want. Atreus won't have a problem with it."
"It's not that…" Atreus' words were cut off when Wendy was already dragging him away. "Wait, let me just get Mimir before we go."
At least Wendy complied with Atreus and allowed the godling to be in arm's reach so he could grab Mimir by his arms and hook to his waist. Out of immediate sight, Mimir allowed himself to release a few of the snickers he tried to keep back.
"Oh, I'm gonna have fun with this," Mimir murmured deviously.
But Wendy only managed to drag Atreus by several paces before a tremendous roar drowned the entire island. Their ears threatened to split apart from the volume alone, causing even Atreus to kneel down in pain. Wendy and the other Dragon Slayers with their sensitive ears. It was a roar of such power that even the trees were swaying from the force of a hurricane. After a few seconds, the roar began to dissipate allowing the gathered mages, bodiless head, and godling to catch their bearings.
Atreus felt more weight on his arm and found Wendy shivering.
"That - That was a dragon's roar," Wendy gasped.
"Are you sure!?" Erza exclaimed.
"I can vouch," Mimir said. "I know the thundercracker of a dragon's call. But this one… This one sounds particularly nasty."
Both Erza and Wendy looked like they wanted to ask Mimir a whole lot more questions, but Atreus knew now was not the time for that. He could feel in his bones; that something bad was going to happen.
"We have to regroup with everyone," Atreus said.
Wendy's grip had grown limp, so it was easy for Atreus to sprint to the main camp, followed by the Sky Dragon Slayer and Erza. When they made it, there was a similar commotion happening from having heard the roar of a dragon. His eyes caught Gildarts suddenly collapsing from pain and gripped what Atreus realized were prosthetics for a missing arm and leg.
"There's no doubt about it," Gildarts said. "It's that dragon. The same one that gutted me."
"Look up to the sky!" Pantherlily announced pointing a finger at the sky. "Something's coming down from the clouds."
All eyes looked up high with Atreus holding up Mimir so the head could see. There was a dark shadow in the clouds that grew until what it was casting from emerged. Atreus' eyes widened as he took in the beast from its gigantic maw, beady white eyes, dark wings, and black scales with swirls of blue. He had seen dragons from his land and even fought one with his father.
But none of them were like the dragon that came down upon them like death itself. It wasn't just its presence; it was also so huge that it made Otr, Fafnir, and Reginn look like pups. The black dragon was also a lot more bulky with large bulging muscles lining its frame and a thick tail ending three-pronged spear-like tip.
Even Mimir was astonished. "Okay, there are dragons and there are whatever the hell this thing is. Great bleeding fuck, what do your dragons even eat to get that big!? That's easily the… fourth?...third - yes! Third biggest dragon I've ever seen."
"I knew it," Natsu muttered. "They're still dragons out there."
"I don't think that's a friendly one," Wendy whimpered.
"I'm afraid that dragon is Acnologia," Makarov said with a grim tone. "The black dragon of the apocalypse."
That did not sound good at all to Atreus. Just how terrifying would a dragon have to be to be known as the bringer of the end times? Atreus would expect a god, but a dragon!? A dragon capable of bringing the equivalent of Ragnarok!?
Atreus forced himself to take a deep breath to calm down. He was panicking for no reason. Perhaps he was overthinking this with titles, but it did not detract from the danger they were all in. Even if it was a dragon from Midgard, Atreus was far from capable of slaying one.
His thoughts were interrupted by Natsu who did the most ridiculous thing he could ever imagine by calling out to the big black dragon of death in the sky.
"Hey dragon, have you seen Igneel?" Natsu called out. "Grandeeney and Metallica too?"
"Stop it, Natsu!" Exclaimed Gildarts as he held Natsu by his shoulders with a haunted look. "You don't want to provoke him. Did you forget what happened to me!? How I lost my arm and my leg. I'm lucky I didn't lose my life that day."
"It's coming down!" Freed warned.
Everyone braced themselves as Acnologia came barreling down upon the island with the force of a meteorite. Gale winds were picked up upon its landing and the trees nearest to the dragon were uprooted and sent flying to the ocean.
"I don't think this is a dragon that raised Natsu and Wendy," Happy cried. "This one seems pure evil."
"You're right," Gildarts said. "It's the most evil thing in this world."
"So are we gonna fight it or what?!" Natsu exclaimed.
"You don't understand, Natsu," Gildarts said with gnashed teeth. "It's not about winning or losing the fight. This is about getting away with our lives. And I'm not sure some of us are gonna be lucky to do that."
Natsu widened his eyes. "Are you saying this guy's gonna kill some of us?"
Gildarts was done answering Natsu as he ordered everyone to get to the ship at the port. But before they could make a move, Acnologia unleashed a tremendous roar. In the blink of an eye, an entire forest was destroyed leaving only barren earth at their feet.
Lucy gasped. "The entire forest… destroyed by just roaring?"
"Yeah," Gildarts said. "And not just strong. He's evil, pure and simple. That was just his way of saying hello."
Gildarts' face took on a more grim look as he turned to everyone of the Fairy Tail guild. "Listen up. If you want to stay alive, you can't waste time freaking out. Pull yourselves together and get out of here."
Atreus took a quick head count of anyone who was standing after the dragon's roar. What he found was the shaking fear they were all under. No, it was more than fear. They were terrified for their lives. Those like Lucy and Wendy couldn't have the strength to stand on their legs and collapsed on the ground shivering from head to toe. There was the way their pupils dilated to dots as the reality of death seemed to be a very real possibility.
The more Atreus thought about it, the more he felt worried for their safety. When he came here, he arrived just in time to save them from another life-and-death event with Hades. He remembered what Wendy looked like sitting in a fetal position whimpering under her breath at not just her death but the death of her friends. As soon as he saw that, Atreus didn't think much about it except protecting her and assuring everything was gonna be alright.
He didn't want to just help these people. Atreus didn't want to see these people die.
"The ship is just on the other side of those trees," Erza called. "Everyone get moving."
"Lad, we need to get going," Mimir cried.
"But I can-" Mimir already cut off Atreus' argument.
"You are not ready for this!" Mimir barked. "You know it and certainly you know it too. Even if you fight this thing, do you want these people to be caught up in this mess?"
"...You're right," Atreus relented, stowing Mimir back on his hip and leaning down to Wendy. "C'mon, we have to go."
Wendy could only make a shaky nod before Atreus lifted the bluenette to her feet and joined everyone in a mad sprint to the ship. Carla flew above the pair with dove-like wings giving her flight.
"Wendy, you know how to talk to dragons, can't you?" Carla said in a panicked tone. "Can you talk to it for us?"
Upon hearing this, Atreus was immediately curious how Wendy could do that, but the question was shoved to the back of his mind. There were more important things right now.
"Anyone can communicate with a dragon, but this one didn't come here to talk," Wendy replied.
They suddenly stopped as the ground shook from Acnologia bounding its weight in front of their path. Bickslow and Freed who were at the front of the retreat were suddenly looked down on by Acnologia. They could hardly react before the dragon lunged down upon them with an open maw ready to devour them, and their only saving grace was the ground crumbling in its wake and sending the two wizards flying.
Evergreen cried out for her teammates. "Freed!? Bickslow?!"
"He cut off our escape route!" Gray exclaimed, who was holding Juvia in a backpack carry.
"Why us!?" Wendy cried. "Why are you doing this!? Answer me."
"We're trapped," Levy whimpered. "What are we going to do?"
Atreus could hear the broken tone in Wendy's voice. She was on the verge of crying. Then there was the feeling of hope itself dwindling. As the beast smashed the ground trying to crush the Fairy Tail wizards, Atreus could see the terror of their death haunting them. Slowly, they were losing hope of making it out alive.
The godling Atreus seeing all of this from the hopelessness to the despair in their eyes could only tighten his fist in mounting frustration. They didn't deserve to die. None of them did. Not a single one of these kind people deserves to die today like this.
They don't have to die.
They shouldn't have to die.
These kind people don't have to die. Not after they were even willing to welcome him as one of their own.
They can't die, and yet here they were going to and Atreus could not do A SINGLE THING TO HELP THEM!
What kind of god was he if he couldn't help these people? WHAT WAS THE POINT OF BEING A GOD IF HE COULDN'T SAVE THEM!?
'No…'
Atreus instead of succumbing to his apparent helplessness defied this. His face contorted to a more determined expression and his brows creased. His hand withdrew his bow as he stared at the dragon with contempt.
'I'm not letting this go on,' Atreus thought resolutely.
Atreus can't accept this. He can't accept the possibility of anyone in Fairy Tail dying. He can't accept allowing Acnologia to butcher them. In this defiance, a rage started to bleed into Atreus' soul.
'I won't let them die,' Atreus internally declared. 'As long as I draw breath, I won't let you kill them.'
Within Atreus' soul, a flame sparked to life bursting with untold power. But within the far corners of the young god's mind, horns and drums began their song of fury.
Alright. This story so far is getting good reception so here's the second chapter. If you can wait long enough for chapter 3, I hope it'll be a treat.
I already got a great title for it: Nordic Fury.
Hope that gets you excited.
Also in light of what Happy would do seeing Wendy with Atreus:
"Wendy's got a crush~ Wendy's got a crush~ Wendy's got a crush~"