With the second fortification of Odin's army reduced to rubble, Atreus and Sigyn make their way back to the Elven temple. Alfheim has never felt so serene in the time that Loki's been here. The soothing melodies of the Light Elves conceal his thoughts from the dangers of Asgard. The sorceress, Sigyn, also adds to the peaceful atmosphere of this brief lapse of time.
Though powerful, her mindset is naturally gentle. She proves to be a fascinating person, unlike anyone he's ever met before. Sigyn's enchanting presence, alluring mystery, and her power with words and action, all tether Atreus's attention to her. Unconsciously, he maintains a close distance to her side, almost protective of her despite her evident ability to fight back. Over and over, he corrects this mistake, to prevent causing her any ill thoughts toward him. For the most part, she's oblivious to his behavior. Sigyn's focus remains directed in conversation with the Elves that guide them.
"Strange," Atreus comments. "How is it that you're able to speak to them?"
"I know many languages," she answers. "The Elves' native tongue is unique. Although it's structured the same, the difference in tone, slurs, and pronunciation makes a significant difference. One wrong noise, and you'll speak like the dark, or like the light."
"I see... So that's why they fled when I spoke to them."
Beneath the trees of the harmonious woods, Atreus and Sigyn continue their conversation. They pass through thick bushes, branches, and fallen over, dead oaks. Taking the polite initiative, he offers a hand to her. Soft with his grasp around her fingertips, he leads her across the cluttered environment. Though his aid was unneeded, courtesy was a trait his mother always taught him to uphold.
"Now for one of my questions," Sigyn adds on. "Why are you here in Alfheim? More importantly, why would you defy the Allfather, alone?"
The hesitance to speak of his goals leaves him silent. Even though Sigyn has been proven to be trustworthy, to spill everything to her might be overwhelming. Still, the sorceress is patient for an answer as they continue to maneuver the jungles of Alfheim.
"Odin and I have a history," Atreus ominously states.
"You've met the Allfather?" She questions in awe.
"Not face to face, but his legacy has left an impact on my life..."
Dwelling on the memories of his harsh life reignites Atreus's internal rage. His fist clenches, popping and cracking his knuckles, and his muscles harden to swell his veins. Though his expression is composed, his body speaks of his struggle.
"Odin has left his mark on all of us," Sigyn comments, grasping her cloth-wrapped arms. "Even if he didn't know it."
Her external pain thwarts away his own emotional conflict. His expression is of guilt when glancing down at her. Though he goes to reach for her shoulder to grant her ease, his resistance pulls him back.
"That's why I'm here, to weaken his hold on this realm, and all others... Why are you here?" Atreus speaks, soft in tone.
The question throws her deeper into discomfort. Her response is delayed as she clenches her arm tighter. Even her breathing becomes slower, along with her pace of speed.
"Ragnarok is upon us," Sigyn states grimly. "I thought that maybe if I came here, I would be safer."
The Twilight of the Gods mention sends unsettling shivers through Loki's skin. An itch beneath his flesh forces him to unconsciously stretch to relieve the tension in his body. Much time has passed since he's even thought about it. So many distractions in the realm of war and discord have directed his focus elsewhere.
"Is that also why you were closing the gate, to prevent Odin's forces from coming here?" Atreus asks.
"Among others..." She replies coldly.
"The Aesir who are following you."
Sigyn stands frozen in shock by Loki's accurate assumption. Her eyes are widened while she stares at him in disbelief. Blindly, he continues walking forward, his mind picturing the Aesir that he encountered. The Skill they displayed and the powers they possessed are still fresh in his memory.
"You know of them?" She asks, dread filling her eyes.
"Yes, and I'm afraid you're too late," he informs her. He, too, firmly plants his feet into the ground, allowing her to catch up. "Three of them have already entered Alfheim some time ago, way before you and I closed off their Bifrost."
"Which ones?" She asks in a panic, her hands grasping the white fur rims of his hide vest.
This harmless gesture of worry invokes concern in Atreus. His firm stance wavers by her desperation for answers.
"Thrud and Ullr, the son and daughter of Thor, and one that was blind..." Atreus answers, yet still questioning his own eyes. The stranger's unfathomable feat pries into Loki's thoughts like thorned branches. The inability to understand the circumstances only fuels his confusion towards the topic.
His eyes hone in on her emotionally distraught state, unsure of what he can do to settle her worries. A moment passes of the two gluing their focus on the other. All becomes silent, and their surroundings irrelevant to them. He warily wraps his fingers around her wrists. Gradually, her hold on him weakens, even though this news is even direr. Frantic, and in denial, Sigyn shakes her head vigorously.
"Höðr..." She states, terrified at the possibility.
"You know of him?" Atreus question. "Who is he?"
"One of the sons of Odin, an Aesir as vicious as the rest..." The more in-depth she describes this Vallhallian god, the more her anxiousness builds. Her breathing rate heightens, fingers begin to twitch and shake, and even her pupils tremble. "He's the most skilled archer among the Aesir, and perhaps in all of the nine realms!"
Atreus nods his head, seeing the Aesir's accuracy first hand. Facing off with him may prove one of the most challenging of his foes, but also a worthy chance to let loose his own proficiency.
"Odin and Thor just love casting away their children, don't they?" Atreus whispers distastefully, recalling Baldur, Magni, and Modi's fate. "Why is a Son of Odin hunting you?"
"The Allfather despises anyone unwilling to bend a knee to him," Sigyn answers, her tense physique gradually softening. "I refused to offer my services to his crusade, and so I fled from him. I've been on the run for days... When I first saw you, I was worried that you were one of Odin's warriors."
The memory of his mental break flashes back to him. The searing rage boiling in his veins, the blind fury clouding his vision, no wonder she would assume that. Even up to this moment, Atreus ponders what came over him back then. What presence infected his spirit so effortlessly, and still meddles with him even in Alfheim? First to antagonize his scar riddled mind, than to tease him with warm thoughts. Who is it that's reaching out to him?
"I don't blame you, it's hard to trust nowadays," he replies, all too familiar with betrayal. "But I assure you, if your enemies are the Aesir, than I will help you."
The air in Sigyn's lungs is stripped like a winter gust through her chest. Both awe and wonder tangle her thoughts, preventing her from speaking. Instead, she stares into his gentle, yet hollow, ash blue eyes. He, too, links his sight with her bright amber pupils. Gazing into them nearly resembles a warm, hearth fire, all the more diverting his focus.
"Why would you help me?" She asks.
"Because I need your help as well," he answers. "If we are to survive and be free, the enemies of the Allfather must stand together. You can speak to the Light Elves, and I can talk to the dark. If we want to stand against the remaining warriors of Valhalla, we must unite Alfheim's clans."
"But they've been at war for centuries, how can you and I break such a conflict?"
The scale of absurdity for his intentions does sound impossible, even to him, at times. However, the crucial need for the truce invokes desperation, no matter the odds and unlikely outcome. Atreus marches ahead, pushing aside branches and leaves of the forest, from the other side, radiance basques them in warmth. The temple of Light stands, it's glow remaining otherworldy. The glistening Elves float and soar around their sanctuary, dazzling the skies above.
"By unlocking the mystery behind it, and why it started to begin with," he answers.
Sigyn stands beside him, entranced by the marvel of the sacred city. The several occasions of viewing the shrine, during his childhood, have mildly numbed his sense of fascination. Instead, he looks to a new, beautiful sight. Once more, the two synchronize their eyes onto the other. The enveloping atmosphere around them is warm, from the rays of the towering beam, and from their hidden allure for the other.
"If you aid me, help me unite the realms, then I swear to you that I will return the favor," Atreus vows.
"Okay," she answers, nodding with bashful cheeks. "But what about Höðr, and the others?"
"I'm not concerned with them... Even gods can die, and I'll be sure to remind them of that..."
Disbelief and shock cloud her thinking, Sigyn, devoid of any rational response, watches as Atreus walks forward. Never had she met one not just fearless towards the gods, but openly ready to stand his ground against them. Determined, he blindly marches to the temple. His fists tightly clenched, the runes and markings on his arms emit a soft blue glow. Höðr and his ally Aesir wander the woods of Alfheim, lurking in the shadows. Unknowing that a new hunter has entered the fray. Which shall be the hunter, and which will be the prey?
"Who are you?" Sigyn asks, dumbfounded by his defiant courage against the gods.
"I'm just a man who's lost too much, to fail now," Atreus answers with a sigh, hellbent on his quest while moving forward.
Sigyn pauses in guilt, sensing only a sliver of the turmoil in Atreus's body, mind, and spirit. Uncertain what to make of it, nor unable to comprehend why it's there, she stands idle. A moment passes before Atreus notices her hesitance to follow. Glancing back to her, she urgently follows, drawn to him and the mystery behind him.
After treading a vast distance, Sigyn and Atreus arrive at the Elven sanctuary. For the moment, the ongoing war that infects the soils of Alfheim has yet to reach these sacred lands. The floating residences pay no mind to the foreign travelers beneath them. Graceful in their flight, the Elves are elegant yet swift with their motions. Atreus and Sigyn also move past them, directing their focus towards the temple itself.
"What are we looking for?" Sigyn asks, walking with haste to keep up.
"We need to find answers about the Elves past," he answers, scanning the sacred gardens and structures. "A shrine, a historical monument, anything that can teach us about their history."
"Wait, like those Jötunn shrines!" Sigyn, sparked by a revelation, latches her gentle fingers onto his arm.
"You know about those?" He asks, halted in shock by her knowledge of the giants.
"Beneath the temple, deep within the halls that the light doesn't touch. I saw it from a distance, but had no reason to look closer at it."
Atreus grins, proud of his luck to come across such a fascinating woman. A soft chuckle slips through his teeth, only producing confused looks from the sorceress. He rests his hand on hers, shaking them lightly, but with tempered excitement.
"Now we do," he replies cheerfully.
"You can read it?" She stunningly asks.
"That I can, please take me to it."
Sigyn nods, gently pulling at his bracer covered arm, she guides him. Without retaliation, he gives in to her intentions and is strung behind her whim. Though her sudden boost in speed catches him off guard, he manages to match her pace. With Odin's forces weakened, this opportunity to pursue knowledge may be his only chance.
Deep beneath the glamorous halls of the Light Elves kingdom, the ruins and chambers of an age that has long passed rests. Only a sliver of light makes the passage visible. The forgotten deceased of both Elven clans litter the floors and rooms of these decrepit halls. Sigyn shows disgust and repulsion towards the ancient carnage, but Atreus moves forward. Taking her hand, he lends whatever comfort and distraction from the appalling sights as he can.
"Keep your eyes forward, don't look down," he tells her to get her mind off the long-dead corpses.
She stays by him, only looking forward, wrapped by his arm, and held close. He's absent-minded to his unintentional contact, while she is warm from his embrace. Eventually, some structural aspects of the temple become familiar to the God of Mischief. The choice in runes, the smoothness of the stone foundation, and the destroyed statues signify one thing.
The lingering aspect and remnants of the giants reside here. The further they traverse the chambers, the more excitement builds in Atreus. He examines and studies the structures around him, the notes and runes left behind by his people, and the ancient statues that tower above them.
"We're close," he tells her.
"You seem to know a lot about the Jötnar," she comments.
"I've had a lot of time to study them," he says. For the moment, his heritage will be kept a secret from her. The fewer people that know who he is, the smoother his efforts will be. And the less Aesir he may have to deal with should news spread of his Jötunn bloodline.
"We're almost there," Sigyn states. "It should be just up ahead."
The sorceress rushes ahead, full of anticipation to know the giants' legends and history. On the other hand, Atreus finds himself thwarted and locked in place. A single step forward, and a body trembling migraine drops him to his knees. He grasps his skull and releases a growl and dry yells from his clenching canines. Sigyn immediately detects this disturbance and hurries back to his side.
Her words are negated by the booming voices and visions clashing in Loki's mind. A furious mix of battle cries, the sounds of metal colliding, screams of terror, and rage all ring and rumble in his thoughts. However, one distinct quote among the disarray stands out to him.
The hands of Death could not defeat me, the Sisters of Fate could not hold me. And you will not see the end of this day! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!
"Father?" Atreus questions, recognizing the booming voice.
Suddenly, the commotion ceases, and Atreus grovels in the silence of the abandoned ruins. The mind-breaking headache gradually weakens, leaving the two in soundless confusion.
"Father?" Sigyn questions, while helping him back onto his feet.
"It's nothing," he says to her.
The light of Alfheim must be closer than he anticipated. The voices and echoes are always more powerful, the closer he is to the tower of celestial radiance. After an irritable shake of his head, Atreus rubs his scalp to relieve the throbbing pain that remains. Only for his efforts to be interrupted by Sigyn, who chooses to massage and treat his migraine herself.
"Are you alright?" She asks, coming close to him.
While this immediate contact alarms him, Loki stays in place, staring at her in wonder. Like a veteran healer, she checks and monitors every aspect of his scalp and face. During the exchange, she keeps locking her eyes onto his, before forcing herself to look elsewhere. Eventually, Atreus's hands tenderly grasp around her wrists, pulling her arms away.
"I'm fine," he says softly. "We should get moving."
She gives an accepting nod and lowers her arms back to her sides. Without objection, they continue down the tunnel. Still, the more Sigyn remains by him, the more questions about him add on. To her knowledge and wisdom, even she can tell that their's more to him than he's letting off. Still, only time will present an appropriate chance to question him.
Finally, the two enter the remains of a millennia-old shrine. More statues of varying shapes and sizes occupy every corner of the chamber. This time, to Atreus's dissatisfaction, does not contain a monument dedicated to his mother. However, it does hold the tablet that they have been seeking. Rushing forward, Loki interacts with the memorial. Sigyn eagerly follows, standing beside him as he opens the shrine.
The pictures displayed portray a far grimmer image than the one before. At the center, the same light stands, but this time, with an ensuing war surrounding it. Instead of raiding the realm, Odin is presenting a gift to the Elves. Who abuse the magic of Alfheims celestial beacon, stripping it from others in their race. Enslaving and creating the first generation of Dark Elves, who are then placed in chains and armed for battle. Inevitably sparking the eternal conflict between the two factions.
"By the gods," Atreus shakes his head in disbelief.
"What does it say?" Sigyn asks.
"Odin started it all, the war, everything..." Atreus begins furiously taking notes. "Instead of expending his own armies to conquer the realm, he created a divide between the two factions. Initially, there was only one clan of Elves, but the Allfather taught them how to use the beacon's power for other purposes. Eventually, the light abused this knowledge for their own gain. They created the Dark Elves to use as slaves... They've been at war ever since."
"That's horrible..." Sigyn shakes her head, yet accepts the level of cunning from the Allfather.
Atreus stands silent, sealing his journal and putting it away. He also finds the story believable, all the more fueling hatred towards the Aesir and their bloodthirsty savagery. But now even toward the denizens of light, who he thought were noble and pure. Only to find them to be just as ruthless as the dark.
"But now we know the truth," he states. "Now, we can end this war, once and for all..."
"How?" Sigyn asks.
Loki and Sigyn gaze at one another, although his words come from confidence, his expression displays uncertainty. A sigh breezes from his nostrils, thinking hard on what must be done next. However, their moment of peace is abruptly ended by an earth rumbling bang. Enough so that the room around them begins to crack and crumble at the tremor. Urgently, Atreus lifts Sigyn and bolts out of the enclosed shrine, surprising the sorceress.
"What's happening?" She questions, frantically looking in all directions.
"I'm not sure," he states, doing the same. "But I'm going to find out."
After placing her back on the flat earth, the two hurry their way out of the ruins. The temple around them crashes and crumbles around them. Debris, clouds of dust, and falling decor surround them. Still, with magic and athletic prowess between them, the calamity around them proves avoidable. Yet, all the more tragic, as once more, a fragment of Atreus's lineage comes crashing down. Regardless, he rushes forward with Sigyn beside him, leaving his heritage behind for what the future brings.