The next few days followed a similar pattern. Atreus, Kratos, and Raptalia would travel the lands, training Raphtalia as they went. From early morning, Atreus taught Raphtalia how to fight monsters, as much as he could with only a shield anyway. Kratos swiftly dealt with anything that was beyond what Raphtalia was capable of fighting. The three of them would hunt for food in the evening, spending the night outdoors. At night, the trio would be woken up by Raphtalia screaming during her nightmares, leaving Atreus to calm her down.

One night, after eating dinner, the three of them were getting ready to go to bed. Raphtalia found herself confused when, after she got into her makeshift blankets, Atreus cuddled in after her.

'W-what are you doing, Mr. Loki?' she asked.

'It's cold out,' Atreus explained. 'I thought maybe we'd sleep together. For warmth.'

Raphtalia looked up at him with confusion. Then she slowly nodded.

'O-okay then,' she said. She hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest as she gently closed her eyes, falling asleep. Atreus rubbed her head gently as he and Kratos stared into the fire.

'The poor girl,' Atreus said after a moment. 'I can only imagine what she's gone through. Judging from what she keeps screaming in her nightmares, she didn't have a perfect life.'

Kratos let out a grunt, nodding.

'I pity her,' he replied.

'You've been plagued by nightmares before, haven't you, Father?'

'Yes. A long time ago. I dreamed of my bloody past, nearly every night. It took meeting Faye for the nightmares to end. Even now, I still have those nightmares, occasionally.'

Raphtalia suddenly let out a violent cough, shaking and trembling. Atreus quickly gave her medicine to drink. She sleepily drank it, before the coughing stopped, and she fell back into a peaceful slumber.

'She reminds me of you when you were sick,' Kratos said.

'Yeah. I remember,' Atreus said. 'When I was younger. If it weren't for Freya, I would've died, long ago. We really do owe her, do we?'

'Yes,' Kratos replied. 'She saved your life. I am forever grateful to her for it.'

'Indeed,' Mimir replied.

Raphtalia ended up sleeping peacefully that night. It was the first night that she didn't have a nightmare. It appeared she slept peacefully when she had someone close to her. Atreus decided then that they would sleep together from now on.

The next day of training went well, except for the moment when Raphtalia's dagger broke. The trio head back into Melromarc, where they entered the Weapon Shop.

'Hello again, Hero,' Erhard greeted jovially. 'Anything I can do for you?'

Atreus put the broken pieces of Raphtalia's dagger onto the counter. Erhard let out a small groan, nodding.

'I see,' he said.

'Yeah,' Atreus said. 'Anything you can replace it with?'

'Well…' Erhard seemed to think for a moment. 'Maybe it's time she moved on from a knife. Think you can handle a spear?'

'You think I can handle it?' Raphtalia asked.

'I will train you, if needed,' Kratos replied.

'Sounds like a fair deal,' Atreus said.

'Coming right up! Oh, and I'll apply a magic coat to it so it won't break.'

Erhard went to the back of the shop, coming back out with a spear after a moment. He handed it to Raphtalia, and also a leather breastplate.

'There ya go. They may be a bit old, but they'll do you good for a fair while.'

'Sounds good. Thanks.'

Atreus went through his pouch, handing the right amount of silver to Erhard.

'Hey, kid, ya got a moment?' Erhard asked.

'What is it?' Atreus replied.

'There's a town South-West of here. It's called Riyute Village. It's got some monsters nearby that are good for training. And you may be able to make a fair amount of money there.'

Atreus raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

'Really? Might be worth checking out. Alright, we'll go there. Thank you,' Atreus said, before he, Kratos and Raphtalia left the Weapon Shop.

'Come back next time,' Erhard said.

The trio traveled to Riyute Village, as Erhard recommended. The town had a single inn, but they needed a few medicine. Atreus was willing to sell what he had for a few pieces of Silver.

'Thanks, kid,' the Tradesman said as he handed Atreus his silver. The Tradesman wore a brown cloak with a hood, keeping him from being identified. Something about this man seemed familiar to Atreus, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

'Hey, is there anywhere worth exploring around these parts?' Atreus asked the Tradesman. The Tradesman seemed to think for a moment, rubbing his chin. Then he slowly nodded.

'Well,' the Tradesman said. 'There's an abandoned mine near here. If you got some rare ore, you could sell it for a good price. Or use it to craft things. And that's if you get out of there in one piece.'

'What do you mean?'

'The mine used to be pretty popular, from what I've heard. That was, until the Waves hit. Now it's filled with dangerous monsters. Hence the "abandoned mine". No one else has dared to go in there. The town's economy has taken quite a hit because of this, apparently.'

'Well, maybe if we went in there and cleared the monsters out, we could fix the problem. Your town could get things moving again.'

'You could. But I don't think we'd be able to compensate you for it.'

'Don't worry about compensation. We'll just go in there, go back out.'

'So you'll help? Even knowing you won't be compensated for it?'

'Of course.'

The Tradesman seemed to let out a chuckle as he smiled.

'Ya haven't changed one bit,' he seemed to mutter to himself.

'What?' Atreus asked.

'Uh, nothing, nothing,' the Tradesman said. 'Oh, one more thing. I've lost something in those mines, something valuable to me. It would be great if you got it for me.'

'Of course. What are we looking for?'

'It's…A sword. In a hilt. It's very important to me. I'd get it myself, but, you know…'

He raised one arm that seemed crippled. Atreus nodded, sympathetic.

'Alright. We'll go get it for you.'

'Heh, thanks, kid.'

'Don't mention it.'

They found the coal mine in the north. The road there was overgrown with grass and weeds. Nearby, they found what appeared to be a rest area. The door was locked, but the lock was rusty and old. Kratos cut the lock with his axe. It didn't take much force to break it. Inside, they found several old equipment and rope. Atreus absorbed some of the pickaxes and rope, and got two new shields:

Pickaxe Shield conditions met.

Rope Shield conditions met.

Pickaxe Shield

abilities locked equip bonus: mining skill 1

Rope Shield

abilities locked equip bonus: skill "Air Strike Shield"

equip effect: rope

'Air Strike Shield? What's that?' Atreus asked himself.

'Might be worth trying it out, lad,' Mimir said.

Nodding, Atreus changed his shield to the Rope Shield. It looked like a shield made of coiled rope. Its defence rating was very low. Atreus wanted to try out this rope effect. He looked up at the beams of the roof and focused on them, and a long cord of rope shot out and wrapped around it.

'Ah. It's like a grappling hook,' Atreus said.

'That'll be useful,' Mimir said.

'But what's this "Air Strike Shield"? Better check out the help menu.'

Atreus searched through the help menu, eventually finding help for skills:

Skills

A skill can be used by shouting its title. Some skills can also be used by using certain choreographies.

'I get it. To use the Air Strike Shield, I just have to say it.' He turned to the far end of the building, holding his hand out as he focused on the ground.

'Air Strike Shield!'

A large barrier appeared in front of them, hovering above the ground. It looked like a transparent Shield made of green energy. Atreus and Kratos found themselves amazed. Atreus went up and touched the shield. It didn't move.

'I guess all it does is summon a shield,' he said.

'Aye,' Mimir said. 'Still, pretty useful.'

'Yeah, for defending,' Atreus said. 'I wonder if I could get some attack skills for my shield.'

'Mr. Loki?' Raphtalia asked, confused.

'It's okay Raphtalia. I just got some useful skills, that's all. Are we all ready to go?'

'Y-yes, Mr. Loki,' Raphtalia replied.

'Aye,' Mimir replied.

'We shall follow,' Kratos said.

The three of them left the rest house, and entered into the mines, beginning their quest.

Atreus, Kratos and Raphtalia walked through the dark caves of the abandoned mine, killing any monsters they came across as they went along. Atreus led the way, while Kratos and Raphtalia followed behind him. Atreus held a torch out to light their way. Raphtalia couldn't stop eyeing Mimir as they walked, having something on her mind.

'H-hey, Mimir?' she asked.

'Yes, lass?' Mimir replied.

'How did you end up like…That?' she asked.

'Oh, it's a long story, love,' Mimir replied. Once, many years ago, I used to be the advisor to Odin. Odin was the ruler of Asgard. A nasty piece of work he was. He was paranoid and controlling. I admit that I aided him in some of the atrocities he committed. He trusted me. Or so I thought. Then he had me bound to a tree, where he tortured me daily.'

'Really? That's rough,' Raptalia said.

'Aye. The only way Kratos and Atreus could save me was by chopping off my head, and bringing it back to life with some Old Magic.'

'Yeah. We sought out Freya for that. She was the only one capable of the Old Magic,' Atreus replied.

'So…You were resurrected, right?' Raphtalia said.

'Not exactly. It's more like I was Re-animated. I may be speaking now, but I'm still very much dead.'

'Mimir has been by our side since,' Kratos said. 'He has given us good counsel.'

They eventually came upon a large, wide area, filled with ores and other gems. Within the centre of the area, lay a sword in a hilt. The hilt was tattered and in need of repairs, but the sword remained untouched.

'Is that the sword?' Atreus asked.

'Could be,' Mimir replied.

Atreus picked the hilt up, examining it. The sword appeared to let out a soft twirling sound as it rattled a bit, before suddenly unsheathing itself. It glowed a beautiful gold as he flew around Atreus's head, appearing to chirp happily. Atreus smiled.

'Hey, it's Ingrid!' he exclaimed.

'Ingrid?!' Mimir asked.'Impossible. I thought Ingrid had been destroyed during Ragnarok!'

'Hey, if Ingrid's here…You don't think?'

'No. There's no way Freyr's alive. We saw him perish during Ragnarok, didn't we?'

'Yes,' Kratos replied. 'He sacrificed himself, so that we may live. Even so…'

'Wait…That Tradesman we saw earlier. You don't think that was Freyr, right?'

'That's…' Mimir said. 'That's impossible.'

'Well, we got the sword, did we? We should return it to him. After we clear out all these monsters, of course.'

He put the hilt around his shoulder before the three of them continued onward deeper into the caves. Ingrid chirped happily as it flew around Atreus excitedly.

'Good to see you again as well, Ingrid,' Atreus said.

The group ventured deeper and deeper into the mine, eventually coming onto an open area with a waterfall. There was a small hole up above, which allowed light to filter in. Judging by the light, it must've become mid-afternoon.

'M-Mr. Loki…' Raphtalia said, suddenly becoming concerned.

'Yeah, Raphtalia?' Atreus replied. Raphtalia had tugged at his sleeve.

'Look,' Raphtalia said, pointing to the ground. Tracks could be seen on the ground, heading deeper into the mine. Atreus knelt down, examining the tracks.

'Big footprints,' Mimir said.

'They look like they come from some kind of canine,' Atreus observed. 'Judging from their size, this canine might be pretty big. We should keep a look out.'

A noise could be heard deeper within the cave. It sounded like howling. Raphtalia cowered as she hid behind Atreus, suddenly becoming scared.

'Ears open, eyes up,' Kratos said.

They ventured past the waterfall, heading deeper into the mines. Noises could be heard, getting louder as the group got closer. They peeked around a rock, and that was when they saw the source of the noises.

It was a two-headed dog. It looked far bigger than Atreus had estimated. Raphtalia managed to get a peek at the monster. When she did, she went deathly pale, her eyes widening as she shook in fear.

'N-nooooooo!' Raphtalia let out a shrill scream. Atreus and Kratos quickly hid behind the rock, Atreus making sure the beast hadn't noticed them. Thankfully, it didn't seem to have heard them.

'A-ah! H-help!'

Atreus immediately hugged onto her, rubbing her head to calm her down.

'Raphtalia, it's okay,' Atreus reassured her.

'N-No! I-it's the dog! The three-headed one from the village! It killed Mother and Father! H-help!'

Kratos put a reassuring hand on Raphtalia's head, calming her.

'Calm,' he said. 'It is not threatening us.'

Raphtalia for a moment shook in fear. Tears streamed down her face. She took shallow breaths as she struggled to breathe. It was a while before she finally calmed down.

'Raphtalia,' Atreus said. 'What was that?'

'I-it…' she went silent, not wanting to answer.

'Tell us, please,' Atreus pleaded. Raphtalia closed her eyes tightly, letting out a small whine. Then, she took a single breath, composing herself, then opened her eyes, looking up at Atreus and Kratos.

'B-before all of this, I lived in a small village. It was populated by Demi-Humans, mostly farmers. It's a little way from here, near the ocean. It was still a part of Melromarc though, so life there wasn't easy.'

Atreus nodded, he and Kratos listening intently.

'Go on,' he said.

'But, despite that, my parents were kind-hearted people, and the village was peaceful. Then, the Wave of Destruction occurred. The village was swarmed with skeleton monsters. We were able to hold them back, for a time…But then, other monsters appeared. Monsters like bugs, and we couldn't hold them off. Eventually a giant, three-headed dog appeared. The village couldn't fight anymore, so we were forced to flee. But the monsters wouldn't let us flee. They hunted those that remained and killed them as if it were some twisted sport. Me and my parents fled as well. Soon we came upon a cliff. The three-headed dog caught up to us. There was nowhere else we could run. My parents wished to protect me. So they threw me off the cliff. I watched as the dog killed them both as I plunged into the water. Luckily I washed up on the shore.'

Atreus nodded intently, petting her head in sympathy.

'That must've been what she was screaming about every night,' Mimir concluded. Kratos only grunted in response.

'When I woke up, the Wave was over, and the monsters had been defeated by the knights of Melromarc. I climbed back up the cliff and searched through what remained of the village, hoping to find my parents. Instead, I found bones and stripped flesh. I knew then that they were both dead.'

Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she recalled that fateful day, her face going deathly pale. She took a moment to wipe away her tears before continuing.

'After all of that was over, I tried to fix things. I fought to reestablish the village, as best as I could…'

'But then you were made a slave,' Kratos said. Raphtalia nodded.

'I was made a slave,' she reaffirmed. 'Everyone I know is either captured, or dead. I have no one else I can turn to. My previous owner was very bad to me.'

Atreus hugged her tightly, out of sympathy. Raphtalia hugged him back, fresh tears forming in her eyes.

'What do we do now?' Mimir asked.

'Ain't it obvious? We're gonna kill that dog,' Atreus said. Raphtalia went deathly pale at Atreus's words.

'W-what?! Why?' Raphtalia asked, terrified.

'Because you are terrified of it. And because we need you to be able to fight. We might not be able to bring your parents back…But we can ensure that no one else goes through what you went through again.'

'B-but I'm scared!' Raphtalia protested.

'I know…But you need to face your fear. Do you think you can do that?'

Raphtalia seemed to hesitate for a moment, then slowly nodded.

'O-okay,' she said. 'I…I think I can try.'

Atreus nodded, before they both got to their feet, drawing their weapons.

'Alright,' Atreus said. 'Let's do this.'

Atreus bolted around the rock, just as Ingrid unsheathed itself from its hilt. The dog turned when it noticed Atreus and let out a loud howl, its eyes shining bright red. Atreus leaped just as he morphed into his wolf form, biting deep into the dog's neck. The Two-Headed Dog howled in pain as it lashed about, struggling against him. Atreus lept away as it made to bite at him, as Ingrid slashed the two headed dog repeatedly, leaving behind several wounds all over its body. Kratos bought out his axe and charged at the beast, roaring as he swung and plunged his axe into the dog's side. The dog howled in pain, before trying to bite at him. Atreus morphed back into human form and lunged at the dog, gripping its head tightly. The dog bit into Atreus's shoulder deeply, drawing blood.

'Raphtalia, now!' Atreus said.

Raphtalia only stood still as she stared at the Two-Headed Dog, gripping her spear tightly as she trembled in fear. Sweat beaded down her forehead as she took a step back.

'I…I can't do it!' she screamed.

'Yes you can!' Atreus replied. 'I know you're terrified, but you must kill it! You said you can try!'

'N-No!' Raphtalia said, cowering. 'I-I can't do this! I'm so scared!'

'Then go!' Kratos said. 'Run! And go back to that cage!

Raphtalia's eyes widened in shock.

'W-what?!' she said

'Become a slave again! If we die, we shall no longer be able to protect you from that fate!'

'I-I…Nooooooo!'

Gripping her spear tightly, Raphtalia charged at the Two-Headed Dog. She plunged her spear into the monster's neck, causing blood to splatter onto her face. The dog howled in agony as it fell to the ground, finally expiring. Atreus, Kratos and Raphtalia all gained +480 EXP, allowing them to level up.

'I…I did it,' Raphtalia said, panting as her adrenaline wore off, and exhaustion took its place. She collapsed onto Atreus, hugging him tightly. Atreus pet her gently, making a weak smile.

'Y-you did it,' he said. 'I'm…Proud of you, Raphtalia.'

'P-please, Mr. Loki,' she said. 'P-please don't abandon me! I-I don't want to go back to that cage!'

Atreus sighed and rubbed her head assuringly, calming her.

'As long as you stay by our side, we promise that'll never happen,' Atreus said. 'I swear it.'

Raphtalia looked up at him, sniffing.

'T-thank you,' she said. Atreus smiled.

'Shall we get going now?' he asked.

'C-can we stay here a little longer? Please?'

'Of course. Father, can you butcher that Two-Headed Dog? I might unlock a new shield if I absorb it.'

Kratos grunted, before bringing out his axe and chopping the dog into multiple pieces. Raphtalia and Atreus laid there for a time before Raphtalia finally allowed Atreus to get up, and he began to absorb the pieces of dog meat into his shield. After absorbing the Two-Headed Dog in its entirety, he unlocked a new shield.

Two-Headed Black Dog Shield conditions met

Two-Headed Black Dog Shield

abilities locked equip bonus: alert shield

equip effect: dog bite

Atreus suddenly collapsed onto the ground, gripping his shoulder in pain. Kratos knelt beside him, concerned.

'Atreus!' he said. 'Are you harmed?'

Atreus shook his head, letting out a chuckle.

'Nah. It's just a flesh wound,' he said. He sat up as he focused on healing himself. As if it was magic, Atreus's wound began to close on its own, the blood quickly evaporating. Raphtalia's eyes widened as she watched with awe.

'W-wow!' she exclaimed. 'Y-you can heal yourself?'

'Yep,' Atreus replied. 'Perks of being a God, I suppose.'

'You're a God?!' Raphtalia asked. 'L-like the God Melromarc has?'

'Kind of,' Atreus said. 'Well, half God anyway. I got it from Kratos.'

Raphtalia looked towards both Atreus and Kratos in awe, her eyes beaming in surprise.

'Y-you're both Gods!' she exclaimed in excitement. 'C-can you heal other people as well?'

'Nope. Only ourselves, sadly,' Atreus explained.

'W-what else can you do?'

'Well, I can turn into other animals,' Atreus explained. 'And my Father's really strong. And a good fighter. And pretty tough.'

'Wow!' Raphtalia exclaimed. 'That's so cool!'

Atreus got to his feet, rolling his shoulder in a clockwise motion.

'Right, is that all the monsters?' Mimir asked.

'Seems like it. The sun's starting to set. We should head back to the village,' Atreus said. 'You all ready?'

'Yep!' Raphtalia said.

'Good. Let's go,' Atreus said.

It was starting to become dark when they made it out of the mines. The trio quickly made their way back down the path, making it back to the town before long. They found the Tradesman as he was beginning to close up shop.

'You're back,' the Tradesman said. 'Good. I was starting to worry something had ripped you apart in there. Did you find the sword I lost in there?'

'We might have,' Atreus said, and Ingrid unsheathed itself, hovering around the Tradesman as it chirped happily. Underneath his cloak, the Tradesman smiled.

'Well, whaddaya know, you actually managed to pull it off.' The Tradesman laughed as he gripped the hilt of Ingrid, overjoyed as he examined it. He threw back his hood, revealing Freyr underneath.

'I knew it!' Atreus said. 'It is Freyr! You're alive!'

'In the flesh, Atreus,' Freyr replied. 'Man, you've grown a lot since I've last seen you! Nice beard you've grown!'

'Freyr! Ya shifty bastard!' Mimir exclaimed. 'We thought you perished after Ragnarok destroyed Asgard!'

'Aw, you thought something like that coulda killed me?' Freyr chuckled. 'It's adorable!'

'Uh, excuse me, but do you know this guy?' Raphtalia asked.

'This is Freyr. He was a good ally to us, back in our home realm,' Atreus explained. 'He helped us battle Asgard during Ragnarok. When Asgard got destroyed, he sacrificed himself so that we could escape.'

'Yep. And I survived as well,' Freyr replied. 'But, unfortunately, it came at a price…'

Freyr pulled back a sleeve, showing his arm. The trio had only glimpsed it before, but now they saw the full extent of damage to Freyr's arm. His arm looked severely injured, with scars riddled all over it. A few burns could be seen scattered around his body as well, still healing.

'Yikes,' Atreus said. 'That's rough.'

'Not just my arm. My leg was crippled as well,' Freyr explained. 'I…I can't do much fighting anymore. Not without Ingrid. That was why I asked that you bought the sword back to me.'

'I see. You're probably wanting Ingrid back now,' Atreus said.

'Ah, you can keep her,' Freyr replied. 'See it as my reward. My fighting days are over. I just want to spend the rest of my days here, in peace.'

'Of course. You've earned it, after everything you've been through,' Mimir said.

'Freyr,' Kratos said. 'Thank you. For saving us during Ragnarok. You are remembered fondly back home.'

'Don't mention it. As long as that madman's dead, I wouldn't have cared if I died. It's getting pretty late. Why don't spend the night here? There's an inn nearby.'

'Sure thing. I was getting tired of camping outdoors every night,' Atreus said.

Freyr chuckled, betraying a warm smile.

'Right this way.'

Night had come. The trio ate dinner at the inn, with Freyr. Freyr was more than willing to pay for their meals. They sat at a corner of the room, eating peacefully. No one disturbed them. In fact, the inn appeared empty.

'So, tell me,' Freyr said. 'What have you been getting up to in my absence?'

'We have set up a council, back in the Nine Realms,' Kratos explained. 'Each realm is being represented by a leader, with Freya leading the council. We are trying to ensure peace throughout the realms. Fixing the damage Odin caused. It has been difficult. But I remain hopeful.'

'So you've taken up the council as well?' Freyr asked.

'Yes. It is hard. But I try to be what the people need. I am God of War no longer. Now, I am the God of Hope.'

'God of Hope. It fits ya. What about you, Atreus?'

Atreus took a moment to swallow a piece of meat he was eating.

'I've been journeying outside the Nine Realms,' he explained. 'That was five years ago. There's a few giants alive out there. I've been trying to find them. I think I know where to look. But some have been difficult.'

'I see. So how did you two end up here?'

'We ended up reuniting a while back. On our first adventure together we found a book titled "The Record of The Four Holy Weapons." It ended up summoning us both here. Now I'm the Shield Hero, tasked with fighting off the Waves of Destruction.'

'No shit? Really? As in, the Four Legendary Heroes here?'

'Yeah, along with three other people.' Atreus showed Freyr his shield. Freyr smiled as he let out a whistle.

'Well, that's pretty neat! How's this Hero thing going out for you so far?'

'Not good,' Atreus said solemnly. 'The people here don't respect me. They hate me, just because I'm the Shield Hero. Not to mention, we ended up running into this girl, called Myne Sophia, who falsely accused me and Father of attacking her. Now no one wants to get near us.'

Freyr made a slight frown, letting out a groan.

'I heard about something like that. That's gotta be rough. I definitely know what's it like to be blamed for something you never did. Of course, I don't believe any of it. You two don't look like the kind of people who would do that sort of thing.'

'Yeah. But, on the good side, we ended up rescuing this girl from a slave trader.'

Atreus gestured to Raphtalia, who was currently playing outside.

'Wow. She seems cute,' Freyr said.

'Yeah. She didn't exactly have a good life. She lived in a small village with her parents, until they were killed during a Wave. She ended up being captured and made a slave. Her previous owner treated her poorly, apparently.'

'Woah. That's really rough,' Freyr said.

'Tell me about it,' Atreus replied. 'She's been having nightmares about it. She's quite sick as well. We've been giving her medicine every day. She appears to have gotten better.'

'Yeah…'

'Freyr,' Mimir said. 'If you don't mind me asking, how exactly did you end up surviving Ragnarok?'

Freyr leaned back into his chair, putting his hands behind his head as he tried to remember.

'Oh man, it's a wild story,' he started. 'So, you remember when Ragnarok attacked us, and I held it back while you escaped?'

'That we remember clearly,' Kratos said. 'We were barely able to escape.'

'Well, it happened just after you escaped,' Freyr went on. 'There I was, trying to hold Ragnarok back. He proved too powerful for me to hold back any longer. Then, he plunged his sword deep into the ground, and everything exploded. I found myself engulfed with flames. It hurt. A lot. Then everything went black. For a moment, I thought I died. Then, I ended up waking up in a field, surrounded by people. They said that I fell from the sky and plunged into the ocean, before washing up onto the shore.'

'Really?' Atreus asked. 'So how exactly did you get sent into an entirely different world?'

'I don't know. I was unconscious for…Most of it.'

'Perhaps a chain reaction happened that ended up teleporting Freyr here?' Mimir suggested.

'Yeah, probably… How's Freya doing?'

'She has been doing well,' Kratos replied. She has become Queen of the Valkyries once more.'

'Good for her. She probably thinks I'm dead, does she?'

'Yes. She holds you dear to her heart.'

'Freyr, maybe once all of this is over, you can come back with us?' Atreus said.

'Eh…No. I mean, I would like to, but…I like it here. Nice and peaceful. No. I think it's time I retire. Live a peaceful life here.'

'That we will respect,' Kratos said. Raphtalia ran back inside, and collapsed by Atreus's side, tired from today.

'It's been a long day,' Atreus said. 'We should sleep now.'

'You may spend the night here, if you'd like,' the innkeeper said. 'It only costs 1 piece of Silver per person.'

'Sounds like a good idea. Beats having to sleep outside. Thank you!'

Freyr got up from his seat, turning to leave.

'Time for me to hit the hay as well,' he said. 'Goodnight. It was real good to see you all again. Good luck with the Waves.'

'Thanks! Goodnight, Freyr!' Atreus said, before Freyr left the inn. Atreus paid for one room for all three, and the three of them went to their beds. Atreus held onto Raphtalia tightly as they cuddled together.

'Big day tomorrow,' Atreus said. 'Sleep well, okay?'

'Yes, Mr. Loki,' Raphtalia said tiredly. 'Good night.'

'Good night, Raphtalia,' Atreus replied. They both cuddled each other as they closed their eyes, letting sleep overcome them.