Scrooge couldn't believe it what he heard and immedately question it.
" What are you saying lass,that's impossible!"
She looked up at him with tears threating to escape her eyes:
"It was him,I know it,my dreams were right,Uncle Scrooge!"
Deimos looked at Scrooge and Della and Scrooge seemed to be in shock of something she said,he didn't know why but he got a bit curious but he decided not to get involved,and instead went to his brother who stood before a gap which had a light crystal on the other side and Atreus immedately said angrly:
" Great we can't even get out of this temple,the witch's bow string is usless"
" Hold out your bow"
The boys turned around and saw Kratos coming forward with the Bifrost in hand,Atreus did as he said,Kratos gently rubbed the bowstring with it like he was waxing it, and when he was done the string was glowing.
" Unleash a arrow in the crystal"
Atreus did that and a light bridge appared.
Deimos turned around and called to the others:
" Hey look we can get out now!"
They looked up and slowly started moving forward towards the bridge mostly Della and Scrooge who still seemed to be in a secret conversation,when they got over the bridge,they went up some stairs abd saw a light crystal on the floor that Kratos picked up.
" Are you going to carry that crystal around everyehere?" Atreus muttered angriy.
" I just might"
At the top of the stairs they saw the blue door thst they thought was the entrance before but on this side there's was a sandbowl which normaly suggested that a riddle was to expect and the door could be open.
Kratos quickly lifted Atreus to the ledge where the bowl was,and then placed the light crystal abd when Atreus sjot a arrow a bridge was created so he could walk to the bowl.
" What does it say?"
He sighed but said it anyway:
"Greatest man nor tallest tree/begins with any more than me,"It's seed" he began to write the answer.
"Stupid riddles "he muttered as he finished, and the door was unlocked,Kratos opened it and then a swarm of Light Elves entered the temple which surpised many of them,even Della and Scrooge who now had stopped whiserping to each other.
They walked over the main bridge and saw the lake they had traveled on before or the big opened hole where the lake had been actually.
"Great how are going to get back to the boat now?" Louie muttered
They looked around and Deimos had the answer:
" Look we can use that elevator to get down under the lake and then we can just walk back to the boat!"
" Good work,lad"Scrooge said which made the boy smile proudly.
They went to the elevator but when they got down to the next level, the big hatch above them closed up which left them in almost complete darkness,until Della picked up the lantern that had been emerged with the Light of alfhelm which made the lantern illuminate the whole chamber.
" Well at least we can see something,one positive thing" Atreus muttered clearly still upset.
Deimos was very unsure thst he was going to do,if Atreus's temper wasn't controlled a argument was without a doubt doing to happen,but maybe he would calm down a bit.
They moved towards the sandbowl that would bring them back to the boat, which was very easy thanks to the lantern,when Della suddenly went to Deimos put a hand on his shoulder and whispered:
" Deimos,thanks for saving me back there,it was brave"
" I was just doing what anyone else would and I wasn't going to let anyone else lose their mother"He whispered back.
Della got tearyeyed and wraped a arm around his shoulders
" You are a good kid"
He couldn't help to smile a little" Thank you".
Atreus looked on still in his bad mood but decided not to ruin the moment between them, it was nice.
They got to the sandbowl but then from knowhere the horned elf appeared and attacked Kratos who managed to throw him off and the fight began.
Della quickly held up her lantern which managed to blend the Elf,enough for Atreus and Webby to get some shots in it's legs but it ripped out the arrows like they was just toothpicks and swung his spear aganist them but Kratos quickly stepped between them and blocked the attack with his shield while he pushed back and the elf glided back a little which made the perfect moment for Louie to slice it's back which made it fall forward,Kratos saw the opening and grabbed the spear from the Elf,and stabbed it straight in the heart the opponent collapsed on it's back but with blood spurted from the mouth it said it's final words which Atreus understood and couldn't believe.
" No that can't be"
" What did it say?"
" That we made a grave mistake"
This surprised everyone (expect Kratos).
Atreus turned to his father and asked:
" Did we help the wrong side?"
" I..." Kratos began but got innerupted by Atreus:
" Let me guess,you are gonna get smug and tell me we don't get involved"
" That is enough!"
They walked to the sandbowl where Atreus carved the answer and they went up again but then Atreus finally let out his anger in angry mutters:
" Boy read that,Boy what's that say?"
He contuined quietly:
" You know the only time you want to talk to me is when you need something".
" Do you want to tell me something?"
He turned to his father and said clearly:
" I said the only time you want to talk to me is when I need to translate for you,if Mom was here..."
" If your mother were still alive,we wouldn't be here at all"
Deimos opened his mouth to say something but no words came,instead he felt a arm around his shoulders and when he looked up he saw Della standing behind with a sad,but warm smile at him,and he couldn't help to smile back at her.
The elevator reached the tip they went in the boat and Kratos began to row when Deimos asked somethinf that he couldn't hold back anymore:
"Father,was she in the light?"
" Who?"
" You know"
" No,she wasn't"
" Are you sure?"
" Yes"
He stopped there since he realized that no real answer would come,but he sensed that his father must be hiding something.
Atreus had heard this conversation,stood up in the boat and said this:
" Not that you would care if she was..."
He finally had enough of the boy's constant complain but this that the boy seemed to think that he didn't love his mother made him finally adressed him with the right words:
" Mind your tongue,boy,until our journey is over one of us must remain focused,so do not mistake my silence for lack of grief!,mourn how you wish,leave me to my own."
This finally made Atreus calm down and think about his actions towards his father.
" I'm sorry,I didn't know"
"No why would you,you don't know my ways"
This finally stopped the anger that Atreus felt at least for now.
The mcduck family watched this argument and everyone began to understand the deep wounds this little famliy had,which Scrooge and Della really understood.
They reached the beach and began their walk over the bridge towards the realm travel room when Huey and Louie had their own question to Della that they accidentally said at the same time:
" Mom what did you see when you were in the light?"
Her reaction was just silence and blankly staring forward.
Scrooge quickly put a arm around her shoulder and turned to the boys:
"Not now,lads"
He walked with Della away from the boys who were beginning to fume with anger over all the secrecy.
" Not now,lads,we will tell you later,they will never tell us" Louie muttered.
" They need to tell us someday"Huey also muttered.
Meanwhile Atreus admitted something to his father and brother:
" All those voices I heard, this wasn't the first time when we first met Brok his animal warned me about something hiding in the trees,that's why she didn't want to cross"
" She told you?"
" No more like I could feel what she was feeling,why she was afraid"
"If it happens again,you tell me"
" I promise"
They reached the room and with the newpowered Bifrost they traveled back to Midgard and when they exited the temple they saw Brok hammering behind his shopfront,Atreus ran forward and immedately began talking to the dwarf.
"Brok! We just came back from another realm and we meet your brother"
Oh wait not in that order" he finished realized the missplace of the events.
Brok ceased his hammering,wiped his brow and glanced at them at the mention of his brother.
" You let that seed-sop put hand on your blade did you,you know he lost his talent, right?"
" Quite the opposite" he said as he handed the axe to the dwarf.
Brok took a closer look at his brother's handwork, and reactually admitted with his words:
" Well even a blind pig farts up a truffle every now but do you know what really counts?"
He smashed his hammer on the cheek of the blade before continuing:
"Consistency,and I got that comin outta alla my parts"
He took the axe back,now more improved.
" Don't let my brother get his hands on that beauty you hear me?"
" I promise nothing".
They ventured outside and began the journey back to the mountain to finally get in and finish their repective journeys.
Atreus pointed to the statue of Thor as he had noticed something:
" Look we rowed past that statue earlier when we left the witch's cave"
" And what direction is that?"
Atreus began thinking:
" It is midmorning,the sun is over there so, south...southwest?"
" Excellent" This time he really meant it.
They came to the end of the long bridge, walked through the tower and even got to the gondola without meeting any problems,they took the gondola up to the mountain and faced the black breath once again.
Deimos was a bit unsure" So do you think it will work?"
" We will see"
Kratos an Della walked forward with the Bifrost and lantern and when they held the items towards the black subtance it retrated back a bit like it was scared of the lights.
" It works,the witch was right!" Atreus excialmed happely.
" Finally some progress!" Louie said just as excited as Louie but for other reasons then Atreus.
" Finally we will come in the mountain!" Deimos said happly.
The two adults walked through the black breath that contined to retreat and when they reached the items that they had suddenly let out a burst of light which finally disepated the Black Breath and the mountain was open to them.
" Come,let's finish this"
They all walked up the stone stairs but further up the stairs was destroyed.
" What do we do now?"
" We climb"
Just like they had before the kids ( expect Deimos who still climbed with a rope around his waist) rode on the backs of the adults,while they climbed,and then Atreus suddenly remembered some stories because of the mountain,and asked Deimos if he did that too.
" Deimos do you remmber the stories mother used to tell us about the midgard mountains?"
Deimos thought for a second and he finally remembered too:
" Yeah she said that the giants used to visit them before they disappeared"
This got a lot of attiention:
" Disappeared?"
" Yes, but no one knows where they are"Atreus contiuned.
Huey had a theory which he thought was the most logical answer:
" Maybe they returned to their home"
Atreus thought about that theory and realized that was possible and answered:
" Jotunheim?,maybe".
They reached the entrance which was the mouth if the carved stone face in the mountain,there awaited more Black Breath which got destroyed quickly by Kratos and Della,and the path was opened again.
In front of them was a big plank door deep in the cave which had a diamond-shaped plaque in the center depicting a mountain in the shape of a hand.
Atreus recongized it:
" Look that emblem matches the one on the door of Jotunheim in Tyr's temple,the giants did come here!"
Some of the other kids looked excited too about this.
" What if there are giants in there?" Huey asked with his usual knowledge sparkle in his eyes.
Deimos was excited how the adventure would continue from here:
" I bet that ours journey will be fantastic in here,so many things that could happen in there, crazy traps maybe even a dragon!"
" You remeber that's what you hoped will be in the mountain earlier Webby?" He contined and turned to the girl beside him who hasn't forgot her earlier theory.
" Yeah I remeber, and mountains are classic hideouts for dragons so we will without a doubt find one!"
Scrooge placed his arms around their shoulders,and tried to be the voice of reason:
" Kids,maybe you shouldn't create bad luck for us,don't lose that adventours sparkle but when you talk like that ,it usally leads to bad things happening,and now when we are here we should try to hold to the luck we have,okay?"
They nodded slowly, not liking it,but understood it.
Kratos opened the doors and they were finally inside the great mountain.
In front of them was some stairs leading through a mountain tunnel and at the end a siloutte blommed into view.
" Is that...a deer?" Atreus asked.
When they reached the end they saw that the tunnel opened up into a vaulted room bisected by a jagged chasm falling into a pit,across the void,a tall statue of a stag with a man's body,seated on a throne and clutching a scepter stared back at them. On their side was a lever jutted out in the middle of a semicircular dais,with a sandbowl at the center,which was booked by two pedestals,one empty,the other holding a fist sized crystal.
" I don't remember any stories about a giant with a deer head,wonder who he is?" Atreus wondered.
" Read the riddle"
Atreus and even Huey went forward and rend:
"No yoked beast,nor fearful thrall,nor rooted tree doth know my call"
"What's the answer?" Webby asked
" Don't know"the boys said together,but then Atreus got a idea he lighted the crystal which made part of the floor light up revealing runes.
" It's only half the answer,we need another crystal"Huey said disapointed.
" Come on let's look for it!" Webby said excitely and started searching for it in the other room to the left.
One second later she called out:
" Found it!"
They all rushed to her and saw a crystal stuck in the ceiling of the chamber,which Kratos got loose with his axe,carried back to it's place and when it was back in it's place and lighted, and the lever pulled the answer was finally revealed.
" Got it, the answer is freedom!" Atreus and Huey said at the same time and this time Huey wanted to carve the answer which Atreus didn't have a problem with,so Huey borrowed his knife traced the answer in the sand and recited the runic incantation:" Freisa".
The statue responded with tapping it's staff in the ground three times,after which the tip emitted a light beam.
" What's it doing?" Atreus wondered
But his answer came exactly after his question,the light beam hitted the wall to the right of them revealing a hidden door.
" Oh,I thought it may be a bridge" Deimos Said.
" The Giants mean to test us further" he Said as he forced the gate opened, allowing them to drop down in the passage below, and saw a small one they had to crawl through.
" Guess we need to go down to come up?" Atreus said,a little confused.
" These passages seem to small for giants"
This comment made the kids laugh.
" Why are you all laughing?"
" Oh you were being serious" Atreus Said.
" I'm always serious"
" Oh I forgot,Mom said you never took a interest in history,giants are a race,just like elves and huldrafolk,doesn't mean they're big"
Huey was a bit confused
" Wait, really? I thought that all the giants were supposed to be you know,giant"
" No, actually not,Mom had always said that the giants can be in normal size,like you and I". Atreus explained.
" Weird"
" Yeah,Giants
They came into another cramped passage that scraped Kratos's shoulders but a nasty surprise awaited them. The tunnel turned out to be full of corpses,all victims of different traps.
"Lots of bodies,but they look like men, not giants" Atreus said.
" Thieves seeking treasure,do you see the traps?"
" Yeah, lucky for us they set everything off"
" Be grateful they stay dead"
" Even after exploring hundreds of graves,dead people always makes me uncomfortable" Della through as Kratos branched through a barricade at the end that was covered in skeletons and there they saw the rear of the stag statue which made them realize that they had crossed the chasm, but Atreus and Huey were more interested on some writings on the statue and went to read.
" What does it say?" Deimos wondered
" This stag is supposed to be Durapror,one of the four Stags of the world tree" Atreus began and Huey finished with:
" He is apparently the gatekeeper to Jötunheim while the giants slumber".
That got Atreus's curiosity to rise a little and he asked his father:
"Do you think it's possible he is still there,could we be close to Jötunheim?"
" I don't not know" he admitted,and then pushed open a doors away from the statue and they continued forward.
" Father, do you think that Mom knew this was the giant's mountain?"Atreus asked.
" No,her request,has been more complicated than she could forseen"
Webby couldn't help but to get in the conversation:
" But are you sure she didn't know that,I mean she wanted you to spread her ashes at the highest peak of the realms so she must have known in some way"
Kratos didn't answer her,he was deep in thought.
They reached a cliffside and began to climb and on a wall next to them was another writing which Atreus translated:" It's a name, Hrezlyr which means terror".
" Nice, as if we didn't have enough problems,"Louie said under his breath.
When they reached the top of the cliff,they all stood before a long path with flickering torches with a steep drop-off to the left.
" WHO do you think let these torches?,the dead need no light"
" Everyone stay alert"
From the exit,they emerged from a passage leading up to a large open space cluttered with primitive mining machinery,most prominent was a huge two-pronged metal claw dangling at Kratos's eye level.
" This is amazing!" Della exclaimed,truly amazed by the sight.
You are right,this is incredible work!" Huey said,just as amazed.
" Whoa,what is this,and where are we?"
" This is a mine,and if that claw reaches the summit,then our goal is near"
They approached a big wheel crank which seemed to be the control for the crane.
" So does anyone know how to use it?" Deimos asked,and his brother answered:
" Yes or I think I know at least,the claw is on this side,and if we get this unstuck…."
He put his hands on the wheel but when he pulled it down,the wheel went up and he followed it.
" Boy!" He quickly grabbed him,pulled him to safety but the crane went up and the rope got buried under fallen rock but all he could said was:
" That was carless"
Atreus looked down and said: " Yes sir,sorry sir"
Della tried to comfort him:
" Don't worry Atreus it was a accident,it happens"
Atreus felt a little better:
" Thank you miss," he said with a small smile.
" Call me Della, sweetie"
" Della"
Louie decided to focus on the problem ahead:
"Sorry for interrupting the Nice moment but how are we going to free the crane exactly?"
Just as he asked that he knew how:
" We must get up on the ledge there and free the crane, and I think I see a tunnel that leads up there" he Said and pointed to a door in the Wall on the side under the fallen rock.
" Great observation"Kratos grunted with anger,but maybe with some impressness too it was hard to really know.
Kratos went to the door,opened it to reveal a side tunnel that seemed to exactly lead up to the problem just like Louie Said.
They walked down it but then Atreus found something that got his interest,a strange lantern candle holder that had its candle set within a parchment bag inverted over it.
" Huh,no wick"
" Leave it,it's useless"
He dropped it but couldn't really let go of the lantern he found.
" I wonder what they are used for" he thought while they reached the tunnel's end and leaped over a gap and got to the rock which was gigantic,no one could move it which Louie pointed out.
" Okay you know forget what I said before,there is no way we can move that thing".
But just as he Said that,Kratos grabbed the underside of the rock,and lifted it.
" No way…." Atreus, Deimos and Louie Said at the same time while the others just stared as the Ghost-skinned man tossed the rock over the cliff, which freed the counterweight to the crane.
" Now we finally can get to the top!" Deimos cheered.
Down again,Kratos pushed a big plattform under the crane and pulled the crane down to the platform,so it got stuck and then he froze the gear with his axe.
" Everyone on the plattform!"
Everyone climbed on, including himself,and when he called the axe to him,the crane lifted the plattform up like an elevator.
" Do you think this goes all the way to the top?" Deimos asked his father who answered:
" We will see soon enough".
Atreus felt a little uneasy about something which he revealed with the words:
"Something feels strange up there,we are heading into danger"
" Do not concern yourself with what might be,focus on what is,and be vigilant"
" Yes sir" His sons both Said.
Louie became a little worried with Atreus's words:
"Um Atreus, what kind of danger do you think is up there?"
" No idea,but like father Said we shouldn't worry about what might be,just focus on here and now"
Louie agreed to that,but still was a bit worried.
They reached the top, sadly not the mountain's top,but they were at least a bit closer and then Atreus saw something,a lantern that wasn't broken he ran to it, wiped away some dust and saw a note on the lantern:
" It says " Giant's prayer,they are asking their ancestors to watch over them…. to guide them home".
He suddenly got a idea,he wrote something on the lantern took a sharp rock and used his knife on it to light the lantern.
"Watch" he said as he picked up the lantern and let it go,so it floated away over the pathway and in the distance.
Atreus took some steps away but backed in to his father's open hand who had it on his shoulder and Deimos came on Kratos's other side who for the first time placed a hand on his shoulder too.
"What did you write?"
" I …asked them to watch over Mother"
Deimos fought back tears but full of emotions he managed to say:
" I hope they listen,she needs to be safe"
This made him not remove his hands,he kept them both on the boy's shoulders,enjoying the moment with his sons,while the mcduck family watched,some with tears in their eyes Della had her hands over her heart and tears was falling down her eyes, touched by the boys love for their deceased mother,and then she felt arms around her she looked down the kids hugging her,even Scrooge was in the hug, nice family moment all in one.
AN: Sorry if this took a long time,but again I have many other stories so I hope you understand,but I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review and say what you liked.