Deep within the thick woods in Hell, there was a large tree. A peculiar tree. A tree that had a carving on it that read "M x K".
Approaching the tree was a large, bald, lumbering figure sporting a beard and wearing a sleeveless tunic, bandages wrapped around his arms, long pants and suspenders over his shoulders. He also had ashy, pale skin, red tattoos and yellow eyes. This man was Kratos, Son of Zeus and former God of War.
Kratos approached the tree and examined the bark. He stared closely at the carving on the trunk and at that point, his breathing became a bit sharper. Kratos exhaled deeply as if he was sighing and placed his palm on the tree. Slowly, Kratos lowered his forehead and rested it on the carving and closed his eyes. He spent the time in silence, reminiscing the times they had and the memories they created for a brief moment…
But now was not the time to dwell on the past but to confront the present. The very painful present.
Snapping out of it, Kratos lifted his head up and somberly stared at the tree as he readied his axe.
SWING!
Kratos swung at the tree with the axe and pulled out. He had a regretful expression.
SWING!
"Rah!"
Kratos swung once again. This time, grunting loudly to express his pain and regret.
SWING!
"Grraaah!!"
And again. The tree was about to fall over. The carving was unrecognizable at this point. Kratos couldn't bear to go through with this but he had to. For her.
SWING!
"RAAAAAHHHH!!!"
With a mighty and sorrowful roar, Kratos swings the axe onto the tree one last time, completely destroying it's trunk and making it plummet into the ground below.
Kratos breathed slowly as he stared at the fallen tree. He placed away the axe by setting it on his back and approached the tree but then the bandages on his arms came loose. Kratos looked at the bandages and noticed the way they draped over his arms. Almost reminiscent of those damn chains…
Kratos wanted to tear these bandages off but… No one could ever know… Not even him. With a huff, Kratos wrapped the bandages around his arms, making sure there were even tighter than before.
"Hey! I found something." A youthful voice called out and from the bushes came out an Imp, no older than 16 with a set of short white hair, yellow eyes, red skin, horns that curved backwards, a long tail and was wearing a tunic similar to Kratos's but smaller. This Imp was Atreus, the second child of Kratos. The Imp boy held a branch high up in the air and presented it to his father.
"Let's go home, boy." Kratos stared.
The Imp's face fell as Kratos seemingly didn't appreciate the small gesture and went ahead through the forest in the direction where the cabin would be.
When he was out of sight, Kratos lifted up the tree and hoisted it on his shoulder and followed suit.
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…
Kratos and Atreus were seen walking through the thick woods, the large tree still resting on Kratos's shoulder. Atreus looked around the forest and noticed something odd about it and spoke up. "The forest looks different today."
"Everything is different, boy." Kratos replied. "Especially today… Try not to dwell on it."
"Yes, sir." Atreus responded.
The two continued to traverse the woods until they reached an open area. Within the area was a small wooden cabin surrounded by a fence. In front of that cabin was a small makeshift altar made with small branches and propped up by rocks above a stack of smaller branches.
Kratos set the tree down. "This is the last one." He stated before pulling out his axe and began chopping at the wood. Meanwhile, Atreus walks into the dimly lit cabin and sees… A body wrapped in cloth set on top of the table surrounded by unlit candles.
Atreus walked over to the table and grabbed a lit candle and placed it over the unlit ones, igniting them one by one. When the last one had been lit, Atreus set the candle down and placed his palm on the body. Slowly, Atreus placed his forehead onto the body and started to tear up. His breathing became shaky and fast.
He stood like this for a brief moment, letting the feeling of loss wash over him at that time. Eventually, Atreus's breathing became more stable and he raised his head up and looked at the body. Atreus turned around to leave but was startled to see the silhouette of his father standing by the doorway.
Kratos stood in silence momentarily, watching the scene unfold before him. Then he walked inside the cabin and approached the body. Kratos looked over at the cloth covered body and sorrowfully placed a palm over it. "Find your way home." Kratos then carefully lifted the body off of the table and held it in his arms and walked outside of the cabin with Atreus following suit.
Kratos approached the altar and when he reached it, he gently placed the body on top. When all is said and done, Kratos crouched down at the pile of branches and picked up a nearby stone. He then began to scrape the stone against his axe repeatedly, causing sparks to fly out and ignite the branches.
Once the flames start to engulf the altar, Kratos and Atreus stood back and watched the remains of their recently departed loved one for the final time. Then, without warning, Atreus dashed towards the altar and picked up the knife that was tied on top of the body but due to the intense heat caused by the flames, it scorched Atreus's hand which caused him to yell out briefly and drop it in the ground.
Atreus looked at the knife as the heat simmered down and then back at Kratos with a guilty look on his face. "I'm… I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry." Kratos replied. "Be better." The Spartan then tore a piece of his bandages off and gestured at Atreus. "Your hand."
Atreus gave his hand and rested it on Kratos's palm. Kratos proceeds to tightly wrap the torn bandage around Atreus's hand. Once that was done, Kratos picked up the knife Atreus dropped. "This knife." Kratos then sets the knife in Atreus's hand. "It was hers. Now it is yours."
Kratos stood back and Atreus examined his new knife. The Imp boy stared at it in awe and swung it a bit.
Kratos hummed. "Now, get inside." He commanded his son.
Atreus's smile fell as he looked at his father, confused. "What?"
"I will go hunt. You get inside and stay until I return." Kratos stated, he pulled out his axe and set it on his shoulder.
"But you take forever to return!" Atreus exclaims. "Besides, don't you think I'm ready enough to go hunting with you?"
Kratos closed his eyes and turned back. "No." He stated bluntly. "You are not ready."
"How? How am I not ready?" Atreus interrogated. "Don't you think I can handle whatever is out there? I don't wanna stay cooped up in this cabin forever, you know."
Kratos stood there in silence. He said nothing nor did he move an inch. Eventually, he turned around and stared at Atreus for a brief moment and spoke. "You are not ready." He repeated with a more stern tone than before. "Now stay inside and remain until I return."
Atreus furrowed his brow at Kratos and lightly clenched his fists a bit but his look falters and responds with a dejected tone. "Yes, father." He then heads inside the cabin and closes the door behind him.
Kratos looked at the closed door and sighed. He turned around and headed towards the main fence gate but before he left, he took one last glance at the burning remains of his wife before heading off into the woods once again.
When Kratos disappeared into the trees, the cabin door slightly opens and Atreus pokes his head out and scanned the area. When he confirms that the area is clear, he exited the cabin and sighs. "Not ready? But all my life has been me preparing hard enough to even be ready!" Atreus furrowed his brow again and walked to the side of the cabin.
"If you won't let me prove to you, then I'll have to prove it to you myself." Atreus declared, he picked up his wooden bow that was propped up on the wall at the side of the cabin and his quiver and arrows. With his gear set up, Atreus looked at the woods before him and huffed in determination before sprinting straight ahead into the thick woods. "I'll prove to you, I'm ready."
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…
Atreus didn't know how long he was running for. A few minutes? Maybe even longer? He didn't know, really. In fact, Atreus realizes that he hasn't been this deep into the forest before. A part of him felt scared at the unfamiliar environment and was itching to go back home. But another part wanted to face whatever it was out there in order to prove to his father that he is ready.
Atreus huffed and began to run faster. He honestly didn't know what he was actually looking to hunt for. Maybe all he needed to do was to kill the biggest thing he could see and bring its heart to his father. Maybe that's what it takes as solid proof. Yeah, sounds like a good plan.
As Atreus ran, his knees began to grow weak. His legs started to tire and Atreus had to stop momentarily to catch his breath. While Atreus breathed in and out, he looked over to see what looked like a bright light at the very end of the forest, right between two trees. His eyes widened, did Atreus managed to reach so deep into the woods, he found the other side?
Seeing opportunity shining right there, Atreus started running towards the light. Maybe there was some big bad monster he could defeat and kill! Greatness was at Atreus's reach and all he had to do was grasp it. Just a little further now. The light was getting brighter and brighter as Atreus approached. Eventually, Atreus reached the light and plowed right through.
Atreus tumbled onto his knees and breathed in and out heavily after all that running. The Imp's breathing gradually became stable and he slowly looked up from the ground to see a… Very peculiar sight.
Apparently the lights that came from the other side were from tall buildings and skyscrapers with neon billboards attached to them. The lights were so bright that Atreus had to shield his eyes for a moment before they adjusted to the new environment.
Atreus slowly got up from the ground and stared at the city in awe. "Was this… Always here?" Atreus was confused. Why didn't his father ever mention this place before? He'll have to ask him about that. For now, Atreus wanted to explore the city so he approached it.
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…
Kratos approached the cabin with a dead Helldeer hanging on his shoulders. Once he reached the front door, he dropped the animal and called out to his son. "Boy! I have returned."
No response.
Kratos looked around, confused as to why Atreus wasn't responding so he called again. "Boy?"
And again. "Boy!"
And again. "ATREUS!!"
Kratos's mind was now filled with a sense of panic, dread and urgency when he realized that his son was no longer at the cabin but upon further inspection, he noticed footprints starting from the cabin and heading straight towards where the trees were.
Kratos scowled disapprovingly at the footprints and growled slightly before walking and following the trail which would hopefully lead to his son. He was definitely going to have a long discussion with Atreus after this.
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…
Atreus walked across the streets of the city, looking around in awe and confusion. He also took note of the citizens in the city differing in shapes, sizes and appearances. It was rather strange that this was all here and he didn't even know it was until now.
The Imp boy noticed a billboard on top of one of the many buildings that said in all capital letters. "WELCOME TO PENTAGRAM CITY! WHERE HOPE GOES TO DIE OR SOME SHIT!"
Atreus raised an eyebrow at the billboard. "Pentagram City? How come I never heard of this before?" Atreus continued to walk across the sidewalk, passing by various other demons. Thoughts and questions began to float around in his head. "Did father know about this? If he did, why didn't he tell me? How much more is he keeping from me? Does he not trust me to know about these things? Does he not- Oof!"
Unfortunately for Atreus, his inner ramblings made him disassociate for a moment which caused him to not be aware of where he was going and bumped into a larger demon in front of him. Atreus didn't see who it was or what happened since he closed his eyes but he heard what sounded like liquid spilling on the ground and an angry yell going. "Hey, what the fuck!?"
Atreus stumbled backwards and opened his eyes to see that he had bumped into the large demon and made him spill his drink over his black sleeveless shirt. The demon glared daggers at Atreus and snarled. "I-I didn't mean to! It was an accident!" Atreus pleaded, waving his hands around.
The demon bared his sharp teeth and growled. "An accident?! You think I'd buy that bullshit?" He yelled out, slowly approaching Atreus.
The Imp slowly walked backwards, his legs were shaking with fear. "I swear! I didn't see you there!" He pleaded again but to no avail. Seeing that talking won't sway the demon in front of him, Atreus went for an offensive and pulled out the small knife and pointed it at the demon. "Stand back!"
The demon paused momentarily and raised an eyebrow before bursting into howling laughter. "BAHAHAHAHA!! Is that supposed to scare me?" The demon then continued his slow pursuit at Atreus.
Atreus continued walking backwards until he stumbled onto the floor and landed on his behind. "I said stay back or no one gets hurt!" He yelled again while pointing the knife at the demon with slightly shaky hands.
"Hurt, huh? I'll show you hurt." The demon declared before slapping the knife away from Atreus's hands and grabbing him by the tunic and lifting him up in the air.
Atreus struggled in the demon's grasp as he waved his legs around. "Let… Me go! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" He begged for the demon to release him but to no avail once again.
The demon smirked maliciously. "I don't fucking care." He stated bluntly before winding up his fist for a punch. But before he could even throw his punch, an ominous noise started to emanate from the sky itself.
GONG!
GONG!
GONG!
The demon gasped loudly and his eyes widened and his pupils shrunk. He let go of Atreus which made him fall on the floor and groan in pain. The demon looked at the area frantically and spoke in a fearful tone. "Oh fuck… Oh shit, oh shit! I gotta get outta here!!" And with that, the demon runs away from the area to find a hiding spot.
Meanwhile, Atreus retrieved the knife he dropped and pulled himself up from the pavement and held his shoulder. "What… Was that?" He asked, referring to what sounded like a loud bell ringing across the sky.
Atreus looked up to see where the sound may have came from but what he saw instead shocked him. The usually red sky suddenly opened up to reveal clouds and a bright, golden sky. Through the opening was a city that was looked more like a kingdom with shiny silver buildings surrounded by golden gates. But what was inside the portal wasn't what shocked him… It was what came through that did.
Through the portal, poured out an entire army of winged creatures that wore black, grey and white bodysuits. The creatures also had halos on their heads and wore horned helmets with creepy smiles and unusual eye shapes. The creatures also had weapons. White, glowing weapons like spears, swords and other weaponry.
Realizing the grave danger he is in, Atreus snapped around and sprinted for it. Atreus kept running as the angels wreaked havoc across the city, killing everything and everyone they see. Atreus gasped as he witnessed the many deaths and destruction occuring around him and continued running.
"HELP!!" A call rang which Atreus took notice. He looked over to see a small, young demon being cornered by one of the angels. The angel wore a wicked smile on her helmet and raised the sword up while the demon cowered in fear.
Atreus didn't know why, but he needed to help this poor soul so he readied his bow and arrow and aimed at the angel. It was proven to be quite difficult since he had only been allowed to shoot his bow when ordered by his father and since he wasn't there to direct him, his hands and aim were a little shaky.
So Atreus took a deep breath and closed his eyes and his aim was steady momentarily. When he thinks he has his target, he fired! And the arrow pierced right through the the angel's shoulder.
The angel shrieked in pain and grasped it's shoulder as yellowish blood leaked out of the wound. The young demon saw this as an opportunity to escape and so it did and ran around the corner.
The angel turned around to look at the culprit and locked eyes with Atreus. She gave a death glare at the Imp boy and breathed heavily. Atreus gulped and sweat began to form on his forehead. Without hesitation, Atreus put away his bow and ran off, hoping to escape from the angel.
As Atreus ran, he saw a glowing, white sword plunge itself right in his direction. He didn't react in time as he tripped over the sword and fell over, hurting himself in the process.
Atreus groaned in pain, he looked over to see the angel he had shot was now standing over him. Her smile wicked and her eyes staring at him with bloodlust. "You're gonna pay for that, kid." She said, maliciously before raising her sword high up in the air to plunge it into Atreus.
Atreus's eyes widened and he put his hands up defensively. "Wait! Stop!" He pleaded to the angel but she didn't listen.
WHACK!
Without any warning, a flying axe was plunged right through the angel's chest, sending her flying back, killing her instantly. The axe was lodged deep in the angel as golden blood leaked out of the wound. The axe then removed itself from the corpse and flew right back into the hands of its owner.
"ATREUS!" Kratos yelled with the axe in hand and giving a disappointed dad look.
"Father!" Atreus exclaimed. He got up from the ground and rushed over to Kratos. He began to stammer. "I-I… I can explain! I'm so sorry, I should've listened to you. I didn't know what came over me, I-"
"Boy. Calm yourself." Kratos replied sternly. "We will discuss things later. Get behind me."
"Yes, sir!" Atreus said, rushing to his father's back. Kratos readied his axe for battle as more Exorcists approach.
Kratos glared at the Exorcists while they flash him with wicked smiles. One by one, they began to swoop down towards him. With a roar, Kratos began to swing at the angels. The angels attack him from many angles but Kratos's reflexes makes him dodge almost every attack.
One angel landed right beside Kratos and started swinging it's sword. Kratos avoided the sword swipes and blocked the oncoming attack with his axe. The two clashed for a moment before Kratos overwhelmed her and knocked the sword away. Now open, Kratos swung for a killing blow and did an overhead chop at the Exorcist's head which split it in two. Kratos pulled the axe out and swung harder at the angel's waist, bisecting her in one swoop.
Then another Exorcist attacked, this one with a spear. The Exorcist poked, jabbed and swung wildly with the weapon but Kratos managed to catch it with his bare hands and pulled it away from the angel's own hands. He then impaled the angel by the abdomen with the spear and pulled it out to impale her through the side of the head.
Then in the corner of Kratos's eye, he noticed another Exorcist approaching him. Kratos snapped towards her direction and charged his axe to emit frost. He then threw the axe right at the angel and made her frozen solid in place.
"Father! Help me!" Kratos hears his son's voice and turned around to see that Atreus is now being taken hostage by an Exorcist. The angel has her sword on Atreus's throat.
"Take one more step and the brat gets it!" The Exorcist threatened while Atreus struggled in her arms.
Without saying anything, Kratos outstretched his arm, his palm wide open. The angel took notice and held Atreus and the sword tighter. "Are you fucking deaf? Do you want this brat dead?? Because I can grant you your wi-"
Suddenly, the axe had returned and took the Exorcist's head with it. The headless angel body let go of Atreus and flopped onto the ground, gallons of golden blood pouring out of the neck.
When the axe returned to Kratos's hand, he noticed that the head of the Exorcist was still on the blade. Kratos swung at the opposite direction and the head and the blood came flying off. Kratos then heard his son roaring off the side.
"RRRAHHHH!!! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!!" Atreus angrily began to stab at the headless corpse with the knife repeatedly. "THINK I'M AFRAID OF YOU?!?! YOU'RE NOTHING TO ME!!!!"
Kratos put his axe away and walked towards Atreus who was still going crazy on the corpse. Eventually, Atreus stops the assault and begins coughing loudly. Kratos placed his palm on Atreus's forehead and grunted. "The fever… It has returned."
"I'm fine!" Atreus shoved Kratos's hand away. "Let's just go home."
Kratos stared at Atreus with worry and disappointment. He grunted in affirmation and led the way back to the cabin with Atreus following suit.
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…
Long after Kratos and Atreus left, two angels flew over to where the Exorcist corpses are. "Damn… What the fuck happened here?" The bigger angel of the two exclaimed. He closely examined the bodies and groaned in disgust. "Yep, these girls got fucked and not in the sexy way either."
"That's impossible!" Said the other, smaller angel. "Not a single demon was able to kill one of us before, Adam! Let alone, a handful! We need to find whoever did this and destroy them before it gets out of hand!"
"Wait. Check it out!" Adam pointed at the golden bloody footprints that led towards the outskirts of the city. Adam flashed a mischievous grin. "You thinking what I'm thinking, Lute? Let's pay our 'Angel Killer' a little visit, shall we?"
To be continued…