When they had gone through the door,they noticed that the path continued through a cave so they decided to rest there after the events earlier.
They climbed to a little ledge to use as a camping site,and just like in the smaller cave the night before,they made a little fire to keep them varm and sat on the blankents that Kratos had taken,and it was a comfortable moment but they felt a bit tired after everything that happened and decided to get some minutes of sleep.
Atreus laid down on his blanket,but then turned towards his brother with a suriprised request.
" Deimos,can you sing the song mother did when we were little?"
He looked shocked first,but then he gave a sad smile:" Of course I can".
He crouched down and began to sing:
" Don't be afraid,of the unknown,don't fear the world."
"Don't keep your curiousity hidden, let it fill you and drive you to your goal"
" You are stronger together,don't lose your bond."
" You will never truly be alone,as long as you have each other,sleep tight and remember my love for you,my wonderful boys,and remember those final words:
"Protect each other
"Trust each other, trust your father."
And love each other my little angels"
Deimos finished the song and gave his brother a kiss on his forhead which made him fall asleep.
He quickly wiped something off his eyes and turned towards the strange trio who looked at him with sad smiles on their faces.
" You are a good big brother" Huey said to him with pride in his voice.
" I'm trying to be so good as I can be" he answered.
He took a closer look at them and couldn't help to ask:" Which one of you are the oldest?"
Huey pointed proudly at himself and exclaimed" I am!"
" Yeah just don't let the whole world know ,otherwise he will act like that is the best thing in the world"Louie said while he rolled his eyes at Huey who glared angrly at him for his comment.
Deimos chuckled a little and then asked" Is it okay if I ask something?"
" Sure" Webby said
" Who is the boys father?"
The boys suddenly looked depressed,and the answer came from Huey.
" We don't know,we have never meet him before"
"What?,you never had a father before?" Deimos was shocked at what he just heard.
" No only our mom,and great uncle" Louie said.
" Oh that's sad" His father maybe wasn't the best parent,but he couldn't imagine his life without him or his brother.
Webby had a question too
" So since you asked a question,can I ask something too, how was your mother?"
Deimos looked down a little,but answered.
" She was just...kind so incredibley kind,she always treated us with so much love,and never left our side,never."
" It sounded like she was special for you two" Webby said with a sad smile on her face.
" Yeah she really was".He answered but still with his eyes downward.
" Maybe you should get some sleep,Deimos you seem to need it" Huey quickly suggested.
" Yeah,okay" He took his blanket and laid down besides Atreus.
Louie looked at the brothers and couldn't help to feel very sad for them,they seemed to really miss their mom that seemed to have been a big part of their lives,and now she is gone forever.
Suddenly he felt a big need for his own mom,he just wanted to see her ,hug her and just feel safe ,and then he felt something wet run down his cheeks,he seperated tried to wipe them off,but they just contiuned to fall.
Then he felt two arms pulled him in to a hug and heard his brother's voice:" It's okay,Louie,it's okay".
For the most part,he would just pull himself out of this,but he felt like he actually needed a hug at this very moment.
And then Huey started to sing a song from their mom:
" Look to the stars,my darling baby boys"
"Life is strange and vast"
"Full with wonders and joy"
"Face each new sun with eyes clear and true"
"Unafraid of the unknown,because I face it all with you".
He pressed his face to his older brother's chest and mumbled: " I miss her,Huey,I miss them both"
Huey stroked his brother's back and calmly said,
" Don't worry,we will find them"
Webby stroked Louie's hair which calmed him a little and he went to sleep while Huey went over to Kratos to ask something,but what they didn't know was that Deimos was still awake and had a strange reaction to that song,he felt like he recongized it but from where?
He slowly fell asleep and began dreaming:
He stood in their house and suddenly he heard a voice sing: " Mom?" he asked as he recgonized the voice that was his mother voice, she was here! .
And then some figure appeared in a mist and another song was heard, the song that Huey had sung before,that he felt was famliar,but he had never meet this woman had he?
Huey asked his question to Kratos:
"Excuse me,but could I ask you for a favour?"
" What kind of favour?"
" I just wondered if you could help me train with my weapon"
He thought about it,why would he do that? He didn't own these children anything,but even he wasn't so heartless that he would let a child not know how to defend himself..."
He looked at the boy and said" Very well".
The boy looked up at him with happienesw in his eyes"Really!"
" Yes".
They went away a bit from the campsite and Huey pressed his necklace and his weapon materalized,and Kratos took up a big stick.
" Wait why don't you use the axe?"
" Do you want to die?"
" Uh no.."
" Then let's keep the stick"
" Great suggestion"
" First,I must ask,you recongized this weapon,do you know how it are supposed to be used?"
" Yeah this weapon are divided into four divisions,The blade part is mainly for strikes, thrusts, parries and hookings". Huey said and pointed at the different divisions.
"Keep going"
" The front part right below the blade is for controlling the oppnent's weapon, the middle part is for parrying and wresting, and finally the back part is for running up and wreching actions" Huey finished.
Kratos looked a bit surpised and asked:" If you knew all this,why couldn't you fight before?"
He smiled a bit sheepishly " I have read about this weapon,but never used it,or actually any weapon before"
"The first lesson is to learn how to handle your weapon and to study your opponent,you can't just rush in a fight without knowing how you can defeat any opponent depise the size or weapon it has,by being a expert at yours or the enemy,understood?"
" Okay" Huey said and held out his weapon " so how do we begin,I have some ideas...
He didn't have time to say more until Kratos rushing towards him with the stick,Huey quickly raised his weapon and mananged to block the hit.
He quickly pulled away and took a look at how he was holding his weapon like he was using a axe and quickly changed his grip to a more better position like he holding a spear and stuided his trainer.
" Try to parry me this time"
A quick,but not to powerful swing came and he quickly parried it and even managed to get the axe part on the stick and pulled it out of Kratos's grip.
But before they managed to continue train,they heard something from the camp, so they took a look and saw that Deimos was trossing and turning around next to Atreus who woke up because of it.
He began to shake his brother to wake him,but he seemed to deep in his dream.
He heard the mysterious voice keep singing the song,but then the voice began to vanish, he began to yell: "Wait,stay,please,stay!".
He must know who that person is,but then he heard his brother call out to him" Deimos, wake up!"
"Wait!,I must know..." he thought but then the house began to desolve and he felt like he was being pulled up like he was in a ocean.
His eyes flew up and he saw that he was back at the campsite,and Atreus was right beside him and looked at him worrely,his brother quickly asked:
"Deimos are you okay?,you looked like you had a nightmare"
" Yeah don't worry I'm fine" he said,but he felt more than fine,he didn't get what just happened,who was that other voice?, and why was that song so famliar?.
He looked at his father who stood a bit away with a concered look.
" Are you okay?"
" Yeah,don't worry"
" All right,come on then,let's keep moving"
Louie got shocked from this command" Oh come on,we haven't even rested yet!"
Kratos gave him a stern look that had no patience for compliants.
Everyone started packing up but Huey then asked " Will you train me again?"
" Yes but later"
" Good"
When the camp was packed again,they began to walk through the cave to continue their journey,and came close to the exit,when Atreus said" I'm happy that we met Brok,but i,m happier to leave that place"
" It's behind us now"
" Hey do you think that we will maybe meet his brother too?" Webby asked exceltry.
" And how big are the odds that we do that?"Louie couldn't help to ask.
Huey quickly calucated" About maybe onethousand to one"
" Yeah thanks so much for the answer" This time the sarcasm was easely heard.
" Well if you don't want to know,don't ask then" Huey answered with a hint of anger in his voice.
Atreus tried to defuse the situation " Okay,maybe you could calm down a little"
The boys stopped arguing,but they looked angrily at each other.
At the cave exit ,Kratos suddenly cruched down and investigated some tracks.
" Boy,these tracks"
But instead of Deimos or Atreus coming forward,Webby walked forward and investigated, and she recogized them.
" This is a boar,and it must be close too".
Kratos looked at her with a impressed look,and then turned around and said to the children: " Some advice, it is important for a warrior to keep all his skills sharp"
" Thanks for the advice" Louie said,but this time he didn't seem sarastic.
When they came out of the cave,they walked into a big opening glade with big pointy rocks on the sides of the path.
Webby couldn't hold back her excitement" This world is very pretty"
Atreus agreed" Yeah you are right we have always wanted to see more, and now we finally get to do that."
Webby became a little giddly" You know I starting to see smilarities between you and me more and more" she said with a voice that became more higier for every word.
" Quiet!, something's ahead of us!"
They stood still and listened and then suddenly a troll came out right before them,he swung his pillar weapon towards them.
"Look out!" Deimos yelled and they quickly dodged the attack,and the pillar hit the ground which began to shake under the force, which made everyone lose their balance.
Atreus quickly rised up and began firing arrows at the troll and mananged to hit their eyes which made it stumble back a bit, and then Webby used her crossbow and got some hits on the legs of the troll,which gave it some little wounds but not even enough to bring it down.
Deimos rushed forward and when the troll swung down the weapon towards him,he dodged it and stab the troll in the arm,and Louie did the same,but the troll only got wounds that can only be discribled as papercuts.
But Huey understood what must be done,and did what Kratos told him." He is a big opponent so I must also go for the lower parts of his body but with much power so that he goes down on his knees and then Kratos can finish him".
But before he managed to do the plan,he suddenly heard his brother's scream and when he turned towards the sound he saw that Louie was direct under one of the troll's lifting feet and was close to a painful death.
" Louie!" He yelled,but the moment the foot was going to kill his brother,Kratos quickly stepped under it and caught it in time.
" Run,boy!"
" Don't need to tell me twice!" Louie answered and ran away at safety.
Huey felt something bubbling up inside him,that monster had almost killed his brother,he felt a urge to kill it,to destroy it.
His anger risied more and more until he let it out a in a big scream, and ran towards the enemy,without thinking,and without focus,he got in a big, succeful hit on the troll's legs,and instead of a small wound, he mananged to cut up a gaping wound in both the legs which made it collpase on it's knees which gave the perfect opening.
But instead of waiting on Kratos's attack he ran towards it's neck,jumped up and then hus weapon suddenly filled with some kind of magic,some kind of beam that hit the troll's head and cut it right off,sending it rolling away on the ground,and there the battle was over.
Everyone didn't believe what just happened,how was this possible,how could a such thing happened?
" That boy's anger, so destrictive..." he thought with horrible memories fulling his mind.
"What just happened?"Kratos asked with something that sounded like a scared tone.
Huey wasn't sure," I don't know,I just felt so angry,I couldn't control it,it just came out from me"he answered.
Atreus couldn't help to praise him a little"Well it was very impressive in my opinion, how you took that troll so easy,it was fantastic!"
Huey blushed a little
" Thank you",he said with a chuckle.
"We must keep moving"he said desperately to made them focus on the goal,and not encourage this.
They quickly began to go towards a little opening at the far end of the glade,desperate to not meet any more enemies again.
As soon as they reached the opening,Kratos suddenly whispered to Huey:
"You need to control that anger of yours,it is dangerous to lose yourself to it,understood?"
" How do you know that?"
Kratos quickly avodied his gaze and didn't answer the question.
" Just do as I say" was the only answer.
Huey looked at him with a supicious look,but didn't ask anything about his reaction.
When they walked in the opening,they saw that it was a small cave,and the exit was just around the corner,(which Louie thought was a relief since he really began to get tired of all the long obestacles).
They came to the exit when Kratos suddenly said to Atreus
" Boy I hear your animal ahead"
" I knew it was a boar!" the boy said.
They slowly walked forward towards the sound of the animal ahead of them and saw the boar looking for food a bit away from them,meanwhile Atreus laid a arrow on the string,and Kratos gave him advice:
" Shoot when you are ready,remember,draw to your chest a boar's hide is very thick".
Webby looked very scared for the animal" Wait are you going to kill the boar?,it hasn't done anything to us!" She whispered.
Atreus didn't seem to really listen,but she couldn't just let this happen,she quickly jerked his shoulder which made him miss and the animal quickly ran away.
" Hey,why did you do that?"
"I,m sorry,I just shouldn't let you kill him!" She said desperately.
" It's okay,I understand,I actually don't to hurt animals either".
Kratos wasn't so forgiving as Atreus.
" You don't decide what will happen on our path,understood?"
" Father,calm down!,she just wanted to save a life,that is not wrong,right?"Deimos said,defeding Webby,and didn't care about his father's reaction.
" Quiet" was the answer,and he began to walk forward,while the boys tried to comfort the girl but it didn't really work.
" Hey Webs,it's okay" Louie said while he patted her on the shoulder.
Huey tried to rubbing her back,but it didn't seem to help either,so he tried with words too.
" You didn't do anything wrong,Webby you just wanted to help".
Atreus and Deimos just looked angriy at their father,who just keeped walking without caring about their angry glances.
They walked under a little ledge and suddenly came to a little settlement expect it was empty,the buildings was destroyed,and clearly abandoned,some bodies laid
Webby who still was a little sad,let her curiouisty take over and felt a little bit better and quickly asked" Wow what has happened here?"
" I,m not really sure,but it seems like there was a battle here" Atreus said as his gaze flowed over the remains of the settlement.
" Yeah I think you are right" Huey continued.
" Maybe we can keep going?" Louie said and tried to keep his voice steady.
"Yeah,let's keep going"
Kratos quickly lifted up the pillar and let the children go under,and then went under himself, and right in front of them,they saw the boar stand a bit from them.
" Father,do I really have to shoot?"
"Yes,do it"
" But...
" I said,do it.."
The boy put a arrow on the string,pulled back,and relased the arrow.
The arrow hitted the boar in it's underside,which made it run away.
Webby closed her eyes and tried to ignore what happened in front of her.
He wasn't sure why he did it,but Deimos pulled her in to a hug which calmed her down and she cried a little aganist him.
Atreus was a bit excited and quickly ran after the boar,but without noticing his belt got caught in a branch on the log they were hiding behind,and his knife fell to the ground.
Deimos (who had let go of Webby but still stroked her back) looked at his running brother,and saw the knife that his father had picked up and now ran after Atreus.
" Father,wait!"
He and the others quickly ran after Kratos but the area was so foging,so they lost him when he ran after one of his sons.
" Father,we are behind you,wait for us!"
But then he was just gone,in the fog,and no trace after him,or Atreus was there.
" Father!,Atreus can you hear me?" Deimos yelled,desperate for a answer,but no words came back through the fog.
He turned to the others and asked" Do you have any ideas?"
They thought a little and then suddenly Webby pulled out some kind of glasses,and put them on.
" What is that?"
" Oh this is called nightvision goggles you can see in the dark so maybe I can see through the fog".
She powered them up and she saw the path forward but strangely she also saw the tracks of Kratos and Atreus.
"Come on,guys,I can see which path they took"
They quickly formed a chain behind Webby,so she could lead them right,which worked very well,she keeped a close look where they walked,and made sure they followed the tracks,but they started to get more anxious,where are Kratos,and Atreus,how could they have dispeared so fast?.
" Where are you?,please don't leave me..."
Deimos suddenly let go of the handchain and just sat down on the road with his face buried in his hands.
" Hey Deimos don't worry we will find them" Webby said,trying to comfort him as she sat down besides him,and put a arm around him.
" Father promised us that he wouldn't leave us alone again and noeThe boy said,still with his head in his arms.
"He didn't mean it,he was just so quick to make sure that Atreus was safe,such things happen".
" Webby's right,but we will help you now,after all you have protected us under this trip,so let us help you now"
Deimos looked a bit better but Huey's words was the thing he needed to heard.
" Parents aren't perfect,but one important thing that you always need to remember is that they are always going to try to be so good they can be,and Kratos are a big example of such a parent,he may be very angry,but he loves you in his own way,and he will always love you two,so come on let's find your family"
A big smile appeared on Deimos's face and he grabbed
When they had walked a while they suddenly heard Atreus call out which was heard in a echo
" Father,Deimos,where are you?"
" We must find them,quick!"
They walked much faster now,and now they heard Kratos's voice" Where are you?"
They were closer now but then another voice was heard a complete stranger this time.
" What did you do!?"
Now they saw a tiny crack in the cliff before them and saw someone running towards it.
" Father!"
Kratos quickly turned around, and ran to them,he looked at his son,and asked "Are you okay?"
" Yes I am,but where is Atreus?"
" Through there" he pointed towards the opening in the mountain.
They pressed themselves through the opening,Kratos first,the children after,and when they came through they saw Atreus kneling besides the boar,but a woman was also there with brown hair that seemed to be uptighted but still hang a bit near her back,her clothes were some kind of cloak that seemed to be made by animal skins,she also had some kind of pants that reached down halfway to her knees,lastly she had some kind of dress that looked very old and used.
Atreus desperately apogized for what he did
"I'm so so sorry,we didn't know that he belonged to anyone"
The woman answered
" He doesn't,he's my friend"
Kratos decided to say something and while he walked forward,he said:
" The boy was following my command"
She looked up at him and said" Then help me fix this"
She then looked at the other children and asked " Can you help me?"
" Of course!" Webby yelled excitely
The woman quickly moved Kratos over to the wound and gave intrductions
"Hold here,Hold I said he's losing blood"
She then gave Webby a bottle and said" Pour this on the wound so it doesn't get infected and then some in his mouth"
" On it!"
She then moved to the other side of the boar,and suddenly some kind of magic began to swired in her hands.
Webby quickly poured some golden subtance on the boar's wound which seemed to cover it with some kind of protection,but blood were still comint out of the wound,the subtance then was poured in the mouth which made the boar stop moving and became still.
The woman started speak again,this time with a little anger in her voice.
" The last of his kind in all the realm and you shoot him,you needed food?"
Atreus answered very nervosuly
"Target practise"
The woman looked at him with a angry look,and answered bitterly
" Target practise..."
She shook it off however and contiuned" The blame is mine,I should have kept a closer look"
" Will he die?" Atreus and Webby asked in unison.
" I will not let him" She then pointed towards the wound and said" The arrow cut a tideway in him,grab them both and hold them tightly"
Kratos did so and then the woman put her hands over the wound and canted:
" Sunnan Poka"
This little magic healed the round somewhat,but not enough.
" Wait you know magic?" Webby said surpised.
Atreus looked shocked at the woman and then said" You are a witch..."
But instead of answering she instead said:
" I can't finish the healing here,my home is just beyond the trees there".
She pointed towards a path that was covered in vines.
" Oh are you living in a tree?" Webby asked without thinking.
The woman smiled at her" You are somewhat right,little one.
She looked to Kratos and asked " Will you carry him? He must not die".
He looked at his sons,and the cholidren that looked at him so he lifted up the animal in his arms( even if he didn't care about the fate of this creature).
The woman went forward to the vines waved her hands and chanted another spell:
Greioda!"
This spell made the vines move to the side to reveal a path that went under a colorful golden grass floor ,some blue flowers and trees with red leafs.
" Oh wow,it's beautful!" Deimos couldn't help to say.
He got a smile from the woman just like Webby got.
" That feels good to hear,young one"
They began to walk down the path and then the woman looked to Atreus and asked:
" That bow is a little big for you,isn'it?"
Atreus answered a little sad" My mother made it for me,said I'd grow in to it".
" I have never seen you in these woods,She must miss that you and your brother being far away from home"
" She...she's dead"
But before the conversation could continue,Deimos quickly thought how she could know that.
" Wait!,how do you know that he has a brother?"
" I heard him yelling ' Deimos' while he was with me,so I understood this person must be closer then a friend,and Deimos is you I assume?"
" Uh yeah,that's me".
" You two have a strong bond,I see,that's nice"
She then turned to the trio and asked" Are you part of the family too?"
Louie answered quick
" No We are actually for our own family,we got seperated on our's way to this land,and we couldn't find them.
" Maybe your famliy,are closer then you think"
" What do you mean? The trio asked.
" You will see" was her answer.
She turned back to Atreus and countined their conversation. " Your's mother's dead?"
" Yeah she wanted her ases to be spread on the higest peak in the realm" Atreus said.
"Boy!"
" I,m very sorry for your loss"
They saw the end of the path that lead into a big glade and in the middle a giant tree was in the middle of the big glade,which made the place look like something from a storybook.
" I was right!,you do live in a tree!" Webby said as she clapped her hands.
" Not in it,below it"
"What do you mean?" All the children asked.
" Let me show you"
She waved a hand and yelled :
" Heimil!"
Suddenly the trerme began to rise and thet all saw that the tree only was the top of a giant turtle that rised up out of the ground.
" Amazing!" The trio said in unison.
" Fantastic!" Atreus said in happiness
" That is a home!" Deimos said in amazaent.
Atreus become a little worried
" Is he freindly?"
" Don't worry he is not going to hurt anyone"
Kratos carried the boar towards the front door,but then the animal began to scream,it was near death.
" What's happening?" Webby asked in fear
" Quickly"
Kratos and the children went in the house with the boar and came in a big,open room.
" Place him on the stave there,keep him still"
He did so and she went to a shelf and began looking for somerhing when Atreus askes her:
" You live alone?"
" It's better this way"
Deimos understood her " Yeah father doesn't like people either"
"Boy.."
" Well,you don't" the boys said together.
The woman came back with a tiny glass with something in it and a bowl.
" Keep hold him still,before he hurts himself".
She stroked him over the left side on his face whicg calmed him a little.
" I need two more things,fresh red root that grows behind the house,she turned to the children and asked " Can you pull a cluster?"
The trio nodded and went out,but Atreus and Deimos looked at their's father who nodded at them so they walked out too.
The woman approached him and he asked" What else?"
Instead of answering,she said " I know that you're a god,not of this realm but there is no mistaking it"
She reached down,picked up the bowl and contiuned" They don't know,the boys they don't know about your true nature,and one of them doesn't know about his own?"
" That is not your concern"
The answer from the woman was" The gods of these realms don't take kindly to outsiders,trust me,I know.
She looked at him with a sad look and said " Those three children are in danger,because they are not from here at all".
" How do you know that?"
" I will show you all soon,but Deimos is not from here right?"
" Quiet"
She sighed
" Okay but just a warning, when the gods find you and they will,things will become difficult,and the boys are going to want answers".
" That will be my problem".
"Whatever you are hiding,you can't protect them forever,but you're right,doesn't concern me"
She then said the last ingredint" I also need Lamb's Cress, can you get it for me?"
" Fine...Lamb's Cress.
A few minutes later everything was gathered ( and Atreus had gotten his knife back)
The witch put everything in a bowl and began to mix everything in it,Atreus and Webby was a little worried for the creature.
" So he's going to live?" Atreus asked
" Please say he going to live Webby said with her hands clutched.
" Yes"
" Then we are leaving"
" Wait!" Louie and Huey quickly yelled they turned to the witch and Huey asked" You said tjat ours family maybe are closer then we think so please tell us where they are?"
She smiled at them and said
" They are right here9
She clapped her hands,and suddenly a hatch in the roof appeared which opened and revealed something that looked like a attic, a voice suddenly come from there
" Oh finally,is it safe for us to come down,or was it a threat like you said?"
" No it wasn't and you both can come down now"
A ladder came down from the hatch and a pair of feet should be seen on it and another pair,and the people began to climb down and Huey,Louie and Webby just smiled when they saw which they where.
The woman was dressed in a brown outfit with some glasses on her head,and a blue scarf around her neck.
The much more older man was dressed un some kind of winter outfit,with a hat made of animal skins,some kind of winter pants,and black winter boots.
The trio and the two adults sight meet and they looked shocked.
" Kids,is it really you?"
" Hey Uncle scrooge" They said together.