Kratos x Reader

Forty-One

With a testing gaze, Rota eyed you. She seemed to believe your words, there was no mistrust in her eyes nor the hint of anger.

Your words did not disrespect her, that was good.

But next to you Kratos seemed sceptical. The grip around his axe tightened and as you lay your hand on his, he even flinched.

"Very well.", the valkyrie lowered her head. "However, I must ask something in return."

Sceptical, you frowned but did not dare to disrespect her request.

"What is it that you ask for?", you locked eyes with Kratos, expecting a sacrifice like a drop of blood or an object that he had to leave behind.

But Rota was a sneaky valkyrie, always expecting too much for too little in return.

"I need to bind this monster to a curse.", she replied, making your heart jump.

"A curse?"

Kratos frowned. His mouth twitched and he was trying to move below your hand. But you squeezed it shut, forcing him to calm himself.

"Nothing that would harm him. At least not if he sticks to the boundaries. Here, a curse of peace. I shall cast it on him to prevent his cruel nature from harming the world of my master Hel. He shall not be able to fight while visiting these lands and if he tried, he shall bleed for his sin."

Carefully, you glanced up to Kratos.

He locked eyes with you, letting out a deep, but approving sound.

He was willing to take this curse.

Not for forever, but for the time being. He didn't feel like fighting anyways and he knew this world good enough to know that there were not a lot of dangers.

The last time he had been in this world he had been surprised by Baldur, but he was dead now.

"We will accept your proposal.", Kratos said, putting the axe back on his back.

The blue runes that were engraved in the metal were glowing like little frost crystals.

You wondered if they saw the cold of this world as a friend or as a foe.

"Very well.", Rota stretched her hand out, drawing a few runes onto his arm. "These shall bind you. As soon as you leave this world, the curse will fade and you will be free. Now, I allow you to pass these gates. But be careful. A healer that is friends with death is not a pleasant company in a world where nobody wants to be."

Struck by her words, you frowned.

"The dead don't know that they are no longer alive. They accept death like a new life.", you replied.

"Indeed. But if they have a choice, they always choose life. Remember my words, when you meet a soul that seems a misfit.", with warning eyes, the valkyrie turned away and folded her wings, allowing your group to pass those gates of ice and steel.

Your heart beat like crazy, as you stepped through it. Somehow, there was this feeling lurking inside.

You expected the valkyrie to retreat form her decision and try to kill you through the back. Spirits were nasty creatures, especially when they came from Odin himself.

However, she let your group pass, not even paying attention as Kratos tried to punch the ghost of a dead man to test the curse. The rune on his skin began to glow, earning a sharp hiss from the god of war.

A curse left his lips, strange and in a language that your ears did not know. Then, he fell silent again. His eyes jumped over to you.

You tried to stretch your neck, wanting to take a glance at the curse, but he wouldn't let you. It had probably damaged his skin, left a burning mark or something. If it were for you, you would have treated it right away.

But your powers were weak, barely enough to cure a cold. A burn was something unimaginable at the moment.

Gods, there it was again.

This feeling of being useless and having to rely on the strength of Kratos. Even his son, a boy who couldn't be older than twelve winters, held more strength than you.

It felt like a joke. A bad one to add to that.

With a sigh, you let Atreus run before you and let go of his hand, so you could turn your attention towards Kratos.

"I assume you've been here before.", you said in a lowered voice as you passed the gate guardian, a troll of strange sharpe and colour.

Kratos let out a confining sound, his eyes were fixed onto the guardian. He was ready to fight this thing, even if it meant hurting himself.

The sense of protection that was buried below his mask of stone was stronger than you had expected. On the other hand, it made you smile and feel at ease to know that he was there.

"Where to go?", Kratos asked as the troll was behind and a world of ice and snow grew before you.

Ashamed, you tilted your head and hit your lips.

"My memories are... fogged to say the least. If I'm not mistaken he has hid it somewhere in a cave. Unfortunately, uh, I cannot tell which one. And Helheim was a few of them.", you tried to smile, but it ended with a facial expression that looked sorry.

With a strange sound, Kratos glanced down on you. For a moment, he stopped and stared into your face, making it seem as if he was looking for something in those (E/C) eyes of yours.

"We will find it.", he said and turned away. "Boy."

"Yes, father?", Atreus emerged from a pile of snow that his childish nature had found rather entertaining.

"Seek for footprints."

"Footprints?", the boy frowned. "But why would I?"

"Thor might be a god, but he does need to walk sometimes. Especially in Helheim, when the air is too cold to fly. His footprints are godly and need longer to disappear. Yes, yes your father does have a point lad.", Mimir tried to nod in agreement, but he had no neck. "I'd say this could work. Let's hope Thor is as stupid as his sons were."