Chapter:11 Meeting a new companion
After the heartwarming moment they continued forward towards a mining lift that they went on and Kratos pushed off some rocks so they went up without problem and then Deimos walked up to his brother still touched by the gesture Atreus did to their mother.
" Atreus I love what you did for Mom,she would be proud of you..and I am proud of you now".
Atreus's smile could light the whole mountain,and he gave his brother a big hug.
" Thanks,Deimos and she would be proud of you too for being a good big brother"
Deimos couldn't stop his tears from falling he hugged Atreus while tears continued to fall while everyone else looked with ( except Kratos) tearful eyes since they were still touched from the lantern scene and now by the brothers' big bond with each other.
But after this, Atreus had some questions for the future:
"Father,when we scatter mother's ashes,what then,what comes next?"
" Nothing,we go home"
" The adventure's over?" Deimos asked,sounding horrified by the thought.
" For now, but we Will have much to do"
( He looked at Atreus before continuing):
" You were right on the boat,when the final tree was cut down, you said it felt like something's changed and it has,and our home is no longer safe,but it Will be,and you two must continue your training".
" Okay" they both said.
Della got a bit curious with the " Our home is longer safe" part and decided to ask about it.
" Excuse me but what exactly happen to your home,that made it unsafe?"
Kratos turned around and decided to give half of the truth:
" Our home got attacked,by someone"
"What,who?"
Here he lied:" I do not know"
Her curiosity continued to grow:
" What was the reason you got attacked?"
" You ask too much"
She Held out her hands defensively:
" Easy,I'm just curious that's all"
She opened her mouth to say something else,but then Deimos pointed out and called out:"Look!"
Everyone followed his finger and saw that the elevator was nearing its end.
Atreus didn't believe they were soon there, they would fulfill her wish,finally,he couldn't contain his excitement anymore:
" We are soon at the summit,nothing can stop us!"
Sadly he were wrong,just as he said that, the Wall next to the elevator got blown open and revealing a ebony-scaled,yellow eyed,three-clawed dragon that crawled out of the hole and attacked with a beam out of pure electricity,as it latches onto the lift with razor-sharp talons.
" Yes! There is a dragon in here!" Webby exclaimed first happy that she and Deimos were right but then she realized:
" Right, that's a bad thing!"
Kratos quickly pulled out his axe and began to hack at the talons that Held them in place,and Scrooge with his axe too chopping between the dragon's claws,but first nothing happened.
" It's not letting go!" Atreus yelled in panic.
But then the dragon roared in pain letting go of the elevator and shot a beam at a side tunnel covered in red glarning roots and climbed into it,but caught the elevator in it's tail pulling it and the passengers along with it the elevator broke apart as they fell into the tunnel and the dragon quickly vanished.
Shaked they got up and tried to calm down, but for some it was hard,mostly Louie who was breathing heavily out of panic and shock just said:
" We are dead now,right?"
Della put an arm around him, pulled him into a hug and calmed him.
" Don't worry honey we are safe now"
They began to walk forward when they saw the same glaring roots that covered the tunnel except that they covered the path forward.
" Great, how are we supposed to get past that?" Della asked and almost like the mountain had heard her a big ball of sparking red crystals fell down and destroyed the obstacle.
" Like that,it seems," Deimos answered.
They continued into a tunnel and saw daylight ahead.
Atreus immediately had some theories about the dragon:
" Do you think the mountain is its home?, Did it move in after the Giants left, or is it the reason they left?"
" Boy the air grows thin here,no more questions"
Everyone felt it too. The air really started to be impossible to breathe.
They came closer to the cave's exit but then they heard something unexpected cries for help:
" Go away,help!. Help!, Someone!"
They all stopped at that scream,it sounded familiar.
" Wait, wasn't that Sindri?" Webby asked and now they all recognized the scream it was Sindri!
" Come on!" Deimos yelled as he ran towards the scream.
" Wait for me!" Atreus yelled as he too ran after his brother.
Everyone ran after and came out on the cave,out on a ledge that ended in a crossroad and on the other side they saw the dragon attacking Sindri who hid behind a rock formation.
Atreus quickly rushed towards his direction,but Kratos grabbed his arm and asked sternly:
" What are you doing?"
" We have to help him"
Deimos had a pleading look:
" We can't just let him die"
Silence then and Kratos decided:
He pointed at Atreus
"You break right, find a angle,then wait for my mark"
" Thank you," he said.
He then pointed at other children
" You all need to follow him,and try to keep the dragon distracted,but you need to stay in cover"
The kids nodded and started to walk away but Della stopped them:
" You can't,it's too dangerous,you can get.."
Webby interrupted her:
" Aunt Della,we don't have time for this,Sindri needs us!"
Huey nodded:
" She's right,we must help!"
" Deimos came with his word which convinced her:
" Trust us"
She still looked doubtful but nodded,so the kids ran away to the right, jumped over some rocks and yelled at the dragon which made its attention be on them.
When they got over Atreus turned to a terrified Sindri and asked:
" Are you okay?"
"For now!"
" Follow me!"
Scrooge and Della followed Kratos to the left side and while the dragon was distracted they all jumped on the dragon's back, ran to its head,and slammed their weapons in it,but no damage happened.
" The skin is too thick!" Scrooge yelled.
" Wow,pretty hard to notice!" Della said the voice filled with sarcasm as they jumped down from the head down to the kids,and then they all three saw the only place they could do damage so they all three jumped in the mouth.
Kratos used one hand to held it open as they attacked both the tongue and the upper part of the mouth Della used her mace on the dragon's teeth and one of them finally Kratos slide the tongue with the axe as they left the mouth and came on a big open ground arena type of level which thankfully was big enough for them to fight on,but sadly the dragon was big enough to fit one place of the arena towards them.
Kratos turned to the kids and Sindri and yelled:
" Go!"
They quickly ran away to find a safer place and came on a platform which belonged to a big crane.
" How are we going to defeat that?" Della asked and fear filled her question.
" Well we already tried the mouth but wait he has a wound on his head!" Scrooge said and pointed,they looked and saw it.
" Okay and how are we supposed to reach it?"
" We use it's breath"
They looked at him confused, and he explained:
" Earlier in the cave the crystal that fell had the dragon's power in it which made the obstacle get destroyed,and around we have small roots that contain small versions of that crystal".
They looked around and saw that Kratos was right and they began to understand his plan.
" Wait so you mean that we take the crystals and throw them when he blasts his beam?"
Della began.
" And when they explode they will make him fall to the ground so we can hurt him?" Scrooge asked.
" Yes".
" That's a crazy plan…. I love it!" Della said,this time with a bit of a crazy smile.
Then the battle began.
The dragon jumped towards them but they managed to avoid the attack,but the creature's landing caused a shockwave to disrupt.
Thankfully Kratos equipped the shield and protected them all from it but the dragon then launched his breath attack.
" Look out!" Scrooge yelled as they rolled out of the way and then he saw that he was next to one of the crystals and quickly took one and tossed one near the dragon's open mouth which exploded and got it falling and the wound was completely exposed.
" Attack!"
They all slashed and stabbed which made the dragon roar in pain but then it flew up and bit the plattform that the children and Sindri stood on and tore off a bit of it.
" Kids!,Are you okay?" Della yelled.
" Yeah!" Everyone yelled include Atreus and Deimos.
Kratos noticed that the crane above the children had lowered a bit and got an idea.
" I have a plan,be ready to lower the crane on my mark!"
" But we don't know how it works!" Atreus said.
" I don't care!"
The dragon swiped the claw at them but once again they avoided it and attacked the claw which wounded the creature but not enough for it to go down.
" We need another crystal!"
Della quickly grabbed one from a root near her and when the dragon shot the beam once again she tossed it and the dragon fell once again.
" NOW!"
Atreus shot the rope and the crane fell towards the creature and Kratos ran jumped up and stabbed the crane into the dragon and this time the weapon got through the skin and then he jumped and grabbed the other end of the crane pulling the dragon's neck towards a giant crystal and managed to pull the dragon's neck into it which explored and sent him flying onto the place where the kids and Sindri stood.
He quickly stood up while the dragon's head fell towards him but luckily it did so with it's jaws wide open so he was right between them when it landed,so he was still alive when Scrooge and Della climbed up onto the cliff.
" Did we do it?" Della asked and the answer came from Atreus:
" Yeah we did!" He then ran towards Sindri who quickly backed away, not wanting to get touched and turned his attention to the dead dragon.
"But no one has killed a dragon for hundreds of years,not since the Grand Culling of the Wyerms,and unless i'm mistaken,you did all that for me!" He said hopefully but the answer became:
" You are mistaken,the dragon was in our path,nothing more".
He became a bit disappointed but Della comforted him:
" We wanted to help you".
Sindri smiled a bit and turned to Kratos:
" Deny it all you want,but you saved me and that deserves compensation!"
He began to dig in his bag and pulled out some green arrows that definitely were too small to fit in such a space and he handed them to Atreus.
"Mistletoe arrows,straighter than Heimdall and perfectly weighted"
" Oh" was Atreus' only answer as he put them in his quiver, slightly disappointed.
Sindri noticed that and digged through his bag after more gifts and pulled this time out a heldbard but quickly put it back as he asked:
" You saw my brother again?"
" Yeah!,he said you lost your talent" Atreus said as he took out a mistletoe arrow to test it.
The comment made Sindri's temper rise a tiny bit and began a monologue about his brother's thoughts as he continued to search his bag.
" Oh and that I'm selfish" he pulled out a drinking horn "No"
" That I value a weapon's look over it's purpose"
Next some kind of hook weapon:
" No" he said once again and search while he continued his speech.
" That I'm pretentious,"No!"
( The No came because of the spoon that had appeared from the bag)
" And uptight,fuzzy I know what he thinks but he can't hurt any… Ah!!"
( His short yell came from the last object,a fish which he quickly dropped).
" Burn that" he said, a bit embarrassed.
Everyone (except Kratos) couldn't contain their giggles at the little show before them.
" I don't have time for this"
Sindri quickly blocked his path and had an idea for a gift.
" Wait, wait, I have a better idea."
" What?"
" I just need a tooth from that dragon"
" Oh I have one!"
Everyone looked at Della who held out her mace where a tooth was stuck in it and she pulled it out with a snapping sound to the disgust of Sindri.
" Oh Unclean,so,so unclean" he said,trying desperately not to throw up.
Della Held out it towards him,which he really didn't like.
" Yeahhh,I'm not touched that,just hold it out"
She did just that and he took out some powder which he blew on the tooth that sparks with energy.
" Now stroke it slowly across the boy's bowstring"
She walked over to Atreus who Held out his bow towards her and she began to stroke the tooth over the string which got covered in energy.
"Two passes could do it".
Afterward the bow was full of energy and a new ability.
" So what does the bow do now,Sindri?" Huey asked.
" Watch and learn"
He pointed to a tunnel that was covered in the red crystals.
" Aim at the crystals,but before you let go say Pruma!"
Atreus did that and when the arrow hit the crystals they all exploded and opened the way for them.
" Wow,not bad!" Deimos said.
" Sure now you are impressed…" Sindri muttered.
They all walked to the tunnel but Deimos turned around and waved to Sindri, as a type of thanks and Sindri nodded gratefully.
The tunnel was long which gave Atreus the perfect time to celebrate their victory.
" It feels like it wasn't so long ago since we hunting deer,now we have fought Trolls, Dark Elves, some Ogres I think and a dragon,it feels like nothing can beat us now!"
" We win because we are determined,disciplined,not because we feel superior.
" Yeah sure I know,it's just…, it feels good to be strong,you know?"
" Yes,I do"
He was quiet for a while after that which gave the others room to speak.
" Can any of you believe that actually happened?" Deimos asked, still in awe that they managed to survive that.
" To be honest,no" Louie said,very shaked after all that craziness.
"Well after all that,some good has to come," Webby said,wanting to be optimistic.
They reached a Wall which they began to climb and now they began to feel the cold air which meant they finally were close to their goal.
" Not long now,Mom," The two brothers whispered,but everyone heard them.
At the top another door appeared which Kratos opened,revealing a long small path to the summit.
" Look, we are finally here!" Deimos said happily.
He then added" We did it,Mom.."
Atreus put an arm around him, with a little smile on his face.
" We are soon fulfilling her wish"
Scrooge decided to say something:
" She would be proud of you,lads"
They turned towards him with a smile and Deimos answered:
" Thank you,Mr mcduck,and I hope that you and your family will find what you are looking for"
" We hope that too," The old man answered with a sad little smile.
They began to walk up the small path,but Atreus seemed to have some trouble,he constantly pulled his quiver up,which got Kratos's attention.
" Boy,your quiver".
" The strap broke when we fought the dragon,it's nothing.
"Stop"
Atreus stopped,Kratos walked forward took one of the mistletoe arrows and made a turning motion with his finger which Atreus did.
" A broken quiver will slow your draw,pain we endure faulty weaponry we do not"
The strap had split center,with the remaining attached overstretched fibers creating the loose fit,Kratos jammed the arrow tip through the leather strap and the quiver body to stitch it together,breaking off the unneeded feathered end of the shaft.
" This will do for now,good?".
He tugged the strap " Good"
"Go"
They continued the path which was hard to negative but it was possible, even if it felt like they would fall off because of the wind,but they reached the Wall and climbed up but then a voice was heard from above:
" You know why we are here,did my last visit manage to loosen your tongue?"
The kids,and Kratos immediately recognized it.
" That sounds like the man that was at our house,you said that you killed him"
Atreus whispered but Kratos shushed him to silence and the others decided to follow that example.
They climbed along the side of the summit so silencely they could and saw three men questioning someone beyond their view,which weirdly seemed to be a tree and that voice now spoke:
" I see that you brought your companions this time,must be important if the sons of Thor greet me with their Presence,tell me do you two still tripping over yourself to impress daddy?"
The stranger quickly began speaking again and his words sent chills down the kids spines and even Kratos felt a bit unnerved.
" The tattored man,tracks show he's traveling with children, possibly two of his own also,where is he?"
The unseen person answered with a question:
" Why would I know that?"
" You are the smartest man alive,aren't you?" This time the voice belonged to one of Thor's sons.
" Smartest than all the dead ones,too"
Della and Scrooge gave a quiet gasp,could this be the one they were looking for?
A tense pause clung to the chilled air for a bit before the stranger tried with a offer this time:
" Look you help me,I help you,tell me where they are,and I speak on your behalf to Odin.
The only response was a breathless laugh.
" Your father will never let me go Baldur,and he will never let you kill me,so we are at an impasse. You have nothing to offer me,so take your questions,take your threats,take these two worthless wankers,and piss off!".
The tried unknown voice spoke now:
When no one is looking,we will be back for your other eye
" Do not forget,we are everywhere" his brother chimed in.
" We really are"
" Shut up you idiots,let's go" The stranger,now revealed as Baldur told them before they walked away.
" Are they gone?" Webby asked
" Yeah I think so" Deimos asked
" Come on"
They all climbed up and were finally on the summit,but now they saw that they weren't alone; an old man was encased in a tree with crystalline gnarled roots,only his head and one arm remained exposed.
" Ah the very topic of ours conversation,a tattooed man traveling with children, but he seemed to have forgot the adults,and let me ask,which one of you are his sons?"
Deimos and Atreus quickly raised their hands.
" Boy,both of you check their path make sure that they are gone"
" But we just saw them leave
" Do as I say!"
Atreus and Deimos walked away and Della saw this as a opportunity:
" Kids,could you maybe you go with them they might need your help"
The kids became a bit unsure,but decided to do it since she wouldn't tell them anything even if they tried to ask her.
Kratos,Scrooge and Della walked towards the man who had goat-like horns protruding from a hairless head,entwined with hemp,his long gray beard showed a collection with food scraps and he began to speak:
" Ah I see,they don't know what you are,right?"
" And I expect you to keep it that way,who are you?"
" Ah, I am the greatest ambassador to the gods,the giants and all of the creatures in the Nine realms.
" I know every corner of these lands,every language spoken, every war waged,every deal struck.
"They call me Mimir,the smartest man alive."
Della couldn't believe it,she quickly walked up to Mimir's face and asked very anxiously:
" And you have an answer to every question,right?"
" That's right,lass"
They had finally found him, she could finally ask the question that had tourtuerd her for years,but then..
" Why does the son of Odin Hunt us?"
Mimir seemed to think a little before answering:
" Okay there's a few gaps in my knowledge,but I'm a smart lad,and Odin had me imprisoned here for 109 winters,I'm a clever lad,I can piece it together,just give me time".
Finally she could ask….or no the kids came back.
" No one there,just as I said."
" The boy's mother is dead,she wished for us three to…"
" She wanted us to spread her ashes on the highest peak of the realms" Atreus Said.
" It was her wish" Deimos finished.
" Oh then you're are at the wrong place,little brothers,the highest peak of the realms is in Jotunheim"
" What?!" Deimos exclaimed.
"No!" Atreus yelled,throwing out his arms in frustration.
Kratos was in disbelief:
" That shouldn't have been what she meant…"
" Take a peak"
Mimir's eye suddenly began to glow and a gigantic stone arch that looked like an unframed window on the other side ahead of them lighted up and showed a finger-shaped peak.
" This gate is the last known gate to Jotunheim,and you see that mountain,which looks like a giant's fingers scraping the sky?. That's the peak you need to reach". Mimir said
" Okay,we have a Bifrost,we can use the bridge,right?" Atreus wondered but Mimir came with bad news.
" Sorry little brother,but when the giants destroyed all other bridges to their realm,they locked this one up with a secret rune."
" And everyone left Midgard a long time ago" Atreus said,the hope slowly draining from him.
" True,but today the winds of fate have kicked up a strange vortex of coincidence,fact is, there is only one person who can take you where you need to go, and luckily for you,my schedule is wide open."
" We are doing it,right?" The boys both asked.
Kratos picked up the bag that contained the ashes of his wife,remembering the promise.
" What do we do?"
" Yes!" They both happily said.
" First you need to cut off my head".
" Wait,what?" Atreus asked confusely.
" Odin made sure that no weapon, not even Thor's hammer could free me from these bonds,but luckily you don't need my body,the trick is we need someone who knows the old magic that can reanimate my head".
Huey immediately came up with one:
" How about the witch in the Woods?"
" Great idea,Huey!" Webby praised.
" Magic,it's worthless," Scrooge muttered.
" It could work,but if she fails You will be dead"
Mimir suddenly got a pained expression and said:
"He tortures me,brother Odin,there's no end of his creativity Every Single Day,this…this isn't living".
" Very well"
He pulled out his axe.
" Oh I can't Watch this" Atreus said as he and all the kids decided to walk away.
" Well if this is the end,it's nice to meet a fellow Scotsman" Scrooge said to Mimir who smiled.
" Same to you brother".
Kratos walked forward but before he could cut off the head, Della grabbed his arm.
" No please wait,we need the answer to our question,please we need to know!"
Kratos looked down and saw the desperation in her eyes and agreed.
" Make it Quick,woman"
He backed away a bit as Della approached Mimir and finally got to say:
" Eleven years ago a great tragedy struck our family,we lost two members they disappeared,but for some time now I been having some weird dreams where a voice says the same thing over and over again:
" Travel to Midgard,find Mimir on the mountain he had the answer you seek"
She continued and asks the question she had for years:
" Here's my question: Where is my middle child,Dewey?"
He was surprised by this. Were they looking for a child?
Mimir looked at her for a moment then answered:
" I'm sorry lass,but I don't know that".
Della's heart broke at that statement:
" No" she whispered " No,no no,please" tears filled her eyes.
Scrooge went forward and patted her shoulder but hi sadness was big but he tried to comfort her:
" Don't give up,we will find him,remember ducks never back down"
Della smiled a little from her great uncle's words but she was still sad,but then something happened,Mimir seemed to remember something:
" Wait did you say eleven years ago?"
She looked up with a tearful face:
" Yeah"
He finally had some good news:
" Well I don't know about your son,but eleven years ago a strange event took place it was in the early morning a nice summer,I heard a big sound like a thunderclap and felt a type of energy across the sky which if my ears didn't trick me seemed to open up like a portal or rift and then a sound like a flying projectile was heard and it seemed to land from what I heard in the lake of nine,and I think I heard cries like a baby and then the archway here opened a little, and then everything was quiet".
Della felt a bit of relief,it must have been him.
" Thank you".
She then got a idea:
" ,So then he must in Jotunheim maybe the giants quickly opened the archway and then saved him".
" I am not sure I should have seen it,but it is possible,the giants had it's secrets that even I don't know about".
" Okay,then we will go to Jotunheim" Della Said her hope back.
" Of course,lass," Scrooge said,his hand still on his shoulder.
Della looked at Kratos and said like it was completely normal:
" You can cut off the head now"
Kratos walked forward again but Mimir quickly had some words to say:
" Brother,in case you can't restruct me,there is something you must know,the boy,the bow boy,the longer you keep his true nature from him,more damage you do,he will resent you and you will lose them both forever,cause his brother will never leave him".
"There is much about me I wouldn't let them know"
" Ah, so you value your privacy more than your sons?"
"I'm going to cut off your head now"
" Fair enough"
Then with a Quick,Swift motion the head was released from the shoulders and fell on the ground.
One little root has fallen with the head and Kratos picked up both the items and tied the head to his hip with the root.
The kids came back and Huey, Louie and Webby looked a bit unsure at their family.
" So what will we do?" Huey asked.
Della looked at them and answered:
" We have one more stop,we must get to Jotunheim"
Huey got excited at those news:
" Wait, we are going to Jotunheim, the realm of the giants?"
" Yep!" Della said her positive self finally came back.
" And you two are not going to tell us why we are doing all this,right?" Louie said a bit accusely.
" Later, sweetie I promise" she said.
Deimos looked hopefully at his father:
" Are they joining us for the entire journey?"
He looked at them and nodded since he knew what the loss of a child could do to a parent.
" Yes!" Everyone cheered.
They began to walk down a side path that lead them to a collapsed gateway that Brok had showed them earlier in his shop,which they should use to get back to him,Kratos Held up the blue stone and the gateway repaired itself and they went through it and appeared on some one-way branch in a void.
" I can't believe that Baldur came to our house,the aesir god,Baldur,and you fought him and won!" Atreus said as they slowly began to walk along the branch path
" Yes"
" One of Odin's sons,Thor's brother" the boy continued in disbelief while Della and Scrooge began to understand some things.
" Wait so Baldur was the reason that your house is no longer safe?" Della asked.
"Yes"
Scrooge realized something about the kids' reactions earlier and turned towards them.
" Wait, you got scared when we heard him,have you met him before?"
They looked unsure but decided to not lie about this.
" Yeah when we came here with you,we landed in the middle of a forest,middle of the night and we finally became desperate for help,so when this man appeared and said that he knew someone who could help we followed him and that was Baldur" Webby explained.
" It was wrong,but we just wanted to find you,we had never been alone before,and it was scary". Huey said, his voice breaking a bit.
Della and Scrooge put their arms around their shoulders,comforting them.
" Well we are together now" Scrooge said,hugging them.
Atreus didn't really listen he was to busy with his thoughts and he said them out loud:
" And now Baldur is hunting us with his nephews,why is this happening?"
" If we can raise the head,you may ask him"
" Okay" Atreus said before having another thing to say:
" You know,it's silly but I hoped that we would find a Giant somewhere in that mountain,I guess they really left Midgard,except for the serpent,he may be the last of his kind?".
He then asked a question that got Everyone's attention:
" Are you the last of your kind too?"
" My kind?"
" I mean your family,before mother,Deimos and me,where you came from,did you have a father,mother?"
" A brother?" Deimos asked.
" Now is not the time for that".
" Yes,sir" they both answered.
The mcduck's became a bit curious especially Scrooge and Della,they had heard Mimir's words about Kratos's secret keeping from his sons,but what was it?
A/N I know that I may wrote Kratos a bit out of character when he agreed that the Mcducks would continue with them,but like I wrote,he rencongized Della's pain,and decided ( a bit subconsculy) to help even if he didn't realized it.
And feel free to review and check my other stories if you want,sadly they are not so far with chapters as this one but it can prepare you for new things while you wait.