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Chapter 5: The Cold Goal

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There are two things that Kratos tended to hate in specific fights no matter how much time passed and how many reasons came to mind told him to be better: nimble opponents and foes he had to hold back from killing.

In front of him was an intruder that stopped him in the middle of what had been the last woodcutting task for the day. He didn't even need to ask to know that the blond-haired boy was the girl's brother. Twins for sure, and yet there was something that instantly came to mind as the aging god-slayer tried to subdue the troublesome fight-catcher: why did it feel different compared to the girl?

It wasn't in the appearance or nature of the boy, it was in his abilities and the strangely 'fake' pure energy that was exuding from him. He was definitely much faster than his sister as Kratos could account, but even then the 'stress' exerted by the high-paced clash was not something the boy was handling without any repercussions.

Small things, but Kratos could recognize that something about this opponent was already wrong.

The sudden urge of picking a fight with him may be one step, but it was the way he was weaving and ducking from violence, as if the boy's interest was not to harm but to do something else. Kratos couldn't notice that something was happening with one of the items the blond-haired fool was handling with his free hand while his sword-handling one wielded the pure energy sword to deflect and block the strikes from Leviathan.

Before he could get a clean shot in breaking the blade, however, something happened before his own eyes. Something haunting, something that truly raised his wrath without a chance of him holding back. Without a warning, the boy raised the strange item which appeared to be a musical instrument.

Leviathan slammed into the glowing item, but rather than break it or be pushed back, the axe found itself stuck into it, Kratos' strength failing to break the hold as the item left the boy's hand and suddenly lifted itself and the axe up. Letting go of the weapon for a moment, Kratos saw the two items suddenly flying away and towards the icy cold mountain in the distance; Dragonspire.

Frowning, he noticed the cheeky boy trying to get a clean shot at him, but Kratos' shield easily caught the blade and allowed him to push back on the frustrating bastard. Shock flared on the blond's face as he got finally hit on the chest, but while the damage suffered wasn't enough to put him out of commission, it was clear that Kratos was too much for him.

And as the boy fell on one knee, Kratos held his free hand up, expecting for the weapon his late wife gave him to come back but...

The boy snorted.

"You-You are not getting that one back. You're too strong to be given the chance to keep these toys."

He didn't need to hear more to know this was the boy's fault. And his open hand clenched closed into forming a fist, causing the little bastard to bolt away, clearly 'pleased' with what happened but aware he wasn't winning this fight. Rather than just try to catch him as he knew how fast the blond was, Kratos manifested Draupnir and hurled the spear into his running foe's retreating form.

Good news was that blood was drawn, but the injury wasn't enough to either cause the elusive bastard to trip and slow down or get hurt enough to die. There was a pause, then a frown as he turned back to glare at the tall mountain and at its peak where Leviathan had been taken to.

The soft noise of a silent step landing on the grass beside him caused Kratos to turn his gaze to a very uneasy Venti.

"It's not my fault."

His frowning deepened. "What happened?"

"He took my divine instrument. I had it kept in the cathedral as a ceremonial item for my godhood, but I... I am honest when I say I didn't know it could do that."

The honesty mixed with a hint of genuine fear left Kratos in a softer mindset, yet his anger hardly calmed down as he turned to leave, Venti walking beside him as they made it back to Mondstadt.

"Are you going to go to Dragonspire?"

The question was met with a nod. "It's not the first mountain I had to climb."

"The cold is elementally powerful. You should be wary of keeping by heat sources from time to time."

Another nod, and yet Kratos kept his mouth shut as Venti continued to give him company. It wasn't a talkative one as with Atreus and Mimir, or even Freya, but it made him glad that he could get this day wrapped up without having to deal with the walk alone.

Right now, as so many unpleasant thoughts ravaged his mind- the urge to destroy the stupid bastard that caused this, he knew that he had to keep it under control. Anger was a tool, not a reason to do things.

Alas, he doubted Leviathan could be claimed by others due to what happened to it. He could wait a day, a day to rest, recover, plan and then attack at the source of this slight. Patience was a virtue Kratos had Faye and the cold realm of the Norse Pantheon to thank for. Maybe his son too and... and he had to be strong for him. For them.

Huffing, the giant of a man also prepared for something else that would take a toll on what patience he had left today. And that was to tell the girl that her brother was around and, supposedly, influenced by some wicked power.

Hopefully, this will not escalate beyond the headache he envisioned in this upcoming talk.

The conversation had been unpleasant.

Lumine could admit to being less than happy to know that her brother just randomly attacked Kratos, but, at the same time, the bald man's words had left her perplexed over the few details that now worried her.

Her brother was influenced into doing this? Someone had him under control to do their biddings?

Lumine felt disgusted by the idea, but, at the same time, it made sense that he would behave like this if his mind was not as lucid as it should be. The mention of this 'fake power' reminded her that hers wasn't recovering despite how long it's been since she got injured. Whatever the Unknown God did to her seemed to also have spread to her brother and, from the looks of it, also left him pursuing something that cursed him in some manner.

Venti's own testimony about the Abyss Order and how they had a connection with her brother further worried Lumine. Books from Lisa's library about the Abyss and the Abyssal Pollution opened a dangerous world of ideas and potential tricks that were used to capture her sibling, but while Lumine was keen to not believe everything written for the common people of Teyvat, she was also aware that Kratos didn't have a stake in this.

His words bore a degree of honesty and of anger that couldn't be questioned. The latter emotion was also understandable, but equally worrisome to her own concerns. Her brother did a mess for trying to deprive Kratos' Axe from him, yet the real concern lingered over 'why' this was done.

Dragonspire was indeed a dreadful location to visit. She was told by a few adventurers that hardly any in either Mondstadt and Liyue considered visiting it. Even specialist from Snezhnaya hesitated from exploring the highly-dangerous premises of that mountain.

Kratos was quite interested in going there anyway. It all sounded like a trap and half, and Lumine knew she couldn't do much but tag along for the ride. Sighing quietly as she found her back pressing against the pillows of her bed, the blonde turned to the snoring Paimon and her... peculiar design.

Something about the pudgy floating girl was somewhat confusing to her. Familiar even. But, at the same time, any unease at trying to connect her to the Unknown God felt wrong. Paimon looked calm, genuinely peaceful, even when angry about something.

Hardly anyone could manage this, hardly anyone could appear so naturally graceful to the attention of others. Hardly anyone could get a worried Lumine to mellow down to a tiny smile as she poked at Paimon's chubby cheeks, causing her to stir and huff at some 'food-thief' in her dreams.

It wasn't going to be pleasant. Not at all, but Lumine wasn't up to give up this challenge. Especially if this may give her more clues on what her brother was truly up to. What the Abyss Order was up to, actually.

Finding slumber shortly after, another thought crossed her mind as she glanced at the corner of the room where Kratos had found a nice spot to rest on the cold wooden ground.

How can a man of that size be comfortable with that sturdy floor for a bed?

AN

Next time we start with a Lumine's POV as the group goes to Dragonspire. And the Abyss plots to ruin a certain heavenly item that was left there.