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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 2: The Statue and the Outrider

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The Brat was not Mimir, that much Kratos could attest to.

As he decided to tag along with these two individuals, he got some information on his current whereabouts. The name Teyvat was one that Kratos was most unfamiliar with.

Sure, he couldn't consider himself an expert of lands, but he knew enough about his previous whereabouts before being struck by that lightning to know that this was caused by divine retribution.

He had a name in mind, one that fit the situation far too well, but he couldn't perceive Athena anywhere in this world. Surprisingly enough, he could indeed sense some divinity. Akin to Gods, yet not. They were there, but weaker than what Kratos had faced.

A land of lesser deities? Possible. Yet, he failed to understand why Athena had decided to send him there. Then again, it was also very possible she didn't even choose.

Despite her wisdom, Athena was impulsive when angry- and the notion of a well-layered plan within revenge was not something he thought she capable of when dealing with him.

She knew him too well- she couldn't let what ifs surprise her anymore in her cursed state of being. So, hurling him into the unknown was a better choice than selecting a known land from which Kratos could return from.

Clever, but not perfect. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to surprise him like this, and he wasn't planning to lie down with this new challenge. He had to get back to check on Atreus. If Athena attacked him now, then there was a chance he would go for his son too.

"So, you really are not from around… like Lumine?"

"That seems to be the case," Kratos replied to the floating brat. "Yet, her brother and her decided to check this place. I wasn't given a choice."

"And you lost sight of your companions," Lumine (or Girl) affirmed with a nod. "We will help you find them."

"It's unnecessary," Kratos argued, not in the mood to pull companions into long journeys.

Not when those were people he barely knew and could hardly rely upon. The Girl could as she had some untapped power that may be tied to her 'repressed might', but the Brat was… Well, she was clearly in constant need for food.

Mimir could survive without whining so much…

"None of that! We are already on the search for Lumine's brother. It would be fair that we help each other."

"Brat-"

"I also want to help, Kratos," Lumine assured. "I know this may sound sudden, but I would never let someone face this sort of issue on their own."

That was the kind of confidence he truly came to just ignore. Once he would just hate it, calling it pity, but he could perceive only sympathy and helpfulness from the girl. He didn't offer a confirmation, deciding to let time pass and be a judge of their worth.

Soon, the trio arrived at a small pond. A statue was erected within a tiny island in the middle of it and the Girl picked up her pace to approach it. She jumped across, the Brat following as she described the statue as 'A Statue of the Seven'.

Teyvat has seven Gods, each bearing some unique qualities, but their main trait was the one connected to the Seven Elements. A strange imposition as far as Kratos could determine considering there was more to Godhood than just elemental magic.

While it was true that Zeus, Hades and Poseidon each had a primary elemental trait, it never overshadowed their unique powers that exceeded said elements. Even in the Norse Pantheon such a detail would make those entities less of a proper god.

Something about this detail didn't make much sense, yet he was more concerned when the Girl just reached to touch the Statue and something unfolded. Energy suddenly surged from what he realized being a divine anchor of some sort due to the limited divine energy within it and… soon it entered the Girl, mixing with hers.

The Girl was mesmerized by the sight, enough that she literally jumped in surprise when Kratos reached out and grasped her wrist to pull her away.

"What were you thinking?"

Eyes wide open, the young traveler appeared shocked by this development. "I-I was just-"

"You just reached a statue that clearly had power in it. What if you got hurt?"

The girl looked away with a hint of shame at being called out about it and the floating Brat was soon up to her defense.

"N-Nothing bad happened. So, it's fine?"

"We don't know that," Kratos rebuked, turning to the floating brat. "Tell me, is this a normal behavior for this kind of statue?"

The floating brat opened her mouth and… then closed it momentarily. "No."

Then she turned to glance at the girl. "Are you alright?"

"I think so," The blonde replied quietly, still embarrassed by that scolding. "I didn't… I am sorry, it's a habit and I felt it pull at me-"

"A feeling such as this one is not always good. Next time, there is no guarantee that what you will touch will not harm you."

She bowed her head, and while Kratos could have pressed more, he remembered that, like with Atreus, he couldn't expect people that were handling the unknown to be ready for everything.

So, rather than be utterly strict, he actually pulled back a little bit.

"The most important thing right now is your well being. Do you understand?"

His tone had shifted, and he could tell the girl had noticed as her eyes widened slightly at that question. Her attention was brought back to Kratos and she nodded slowly.

"Sorry."

"Just be better."

Her smile suggested she got the message. Hopefully.

The floating brat had a strange smug smile on her face. It quite frustrated Kratos, but he didn't utter a single word as they resumed their walk to reach this Mondstadt. The city was getting closer and closer and, Kratos hoped so, they could get more clues on what is going on in this land.

Right as they were walking, however, monsters attacked. 'Slimes' were anomalous gelatinous monsters that Kratos was most perplexed by as he couldn't understand their existence beyond mere magic. There were no organs, and yet they had 'eye's and seemingly 'mouths'.

The ones they faced were 'Hydro Slimes'. Through the use of specific elements, those could be damaged further. It made sense for 'reactions' to be a thing. Wind power, however, didn't add up much to his chagrin.

Still, the Girl proved she had some experience and, even with this new power, she managed to adapt quickly to both develop two powerful attacks.

One allowed her to draw foes within a grinding sphere of pure 'Anemo', while the other produced a tornado that, once grasped by some opponents, would proceed to cut into them through elemental power.

All in all, the ingenuity put behind this effort was nothing short of satisfying. And, after they were done fighting, the foes dropped some of this world's currency: Mora. He didn't need any at this point, so he let the girl keep it for the time being.

Once the road was cleared, their wandering resumed. They made several steps closer to their destination, reaching some open fields and… someone came running from the side, jumped and then… well, trip on herself and fall headfirst on the ground.

"Ghh, I thought I had it," The brunette whined as she got up, then realizing that the trio had seen her mess. "Anyway! State your business, travelers! You're approaching Mondstadt and, as a member of the Outriders, I have to check who you are!"

"...What?"

The source of that rough tone was none other than someone that struck utter fear on the girl. Kratos himself.

"I-I mean, it's just asking, nothing wrong, Sir, I-"

"Kratos! You're frightening the girl!" The brat squeaked and he merely shrugged.

"I am merely standing," He argued and the girl… nodded.

"He is, Paimon," The blonde agreed, but then turned to greet the fellow girl. "Hello, my name is Lumine. The man is Kratos and that is Paimon."

"H-Hello, I am Amber, an Outrider and… sorry for being rude, but I really need to ask what's your business in Mondstadt."

"We are looking for clues on our respective problems," Kratos interrupted the conversation. "Nothing worrisome, we just need to find information in regard to this land. That's all."

"Oh… That's fine. I think."

…

"And?" The brat asked, pushing the outrider for a direct response.

"And I shall help you find a way to Mondstadt…" She paused, glancing again at Kratos. "Even though I have a reason to believe you would not need much of a guide."

"Once again, we mean no trouble-" Kratos assured firmly and-

"We are all here just to find our companions. We believe we can find someone with information on where to look."

As the blonde traveler spoke, Amber's own tension mellowed a bit.

"I… I see. Sorry for appearing so nervous, it's just… it's the first time I have ever felt so uneasy around someone. I just can tell Kratos is quite strong by instinct alone."

Instinct? He didn't think the brunette had enough years to understand a threat through guts alone, but it was clear this one was keen with her inner understanding of the world.

"Anyway, I shall help you to Mondstadt. So, follow me, and I shall lead you to the city!"

The trio nodded and started to follow the outrider through the road, a few more monsters appearing but none causing any major concern as they were equipped to deal with this sort of threat.

But as Kratos felt slightly at ease due to how 'harmless' these monsters were compared to those of the lands he previously explored, he couldn't help but feel something just didn't feel right at this point.

It sure got windy so suddenly…

AN

Next time… different plot! This is not a 'railroaded story'. Some actions, as expected from the fanfic AU detail that is Kratos' presence (plus Mimir and Freya that are in other regions), will be utterly different. Such as the start of the next chapter.