Legacy of War

Close Your Heart

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Chapter 4 - Close Your Heart

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An hour had passed since the trio had departed from their home. During that time, they had learned that a protection stave around their woods, created by Faye to ward off intruders. Though the stave had been broken by Kratos, who had cut down one of the marked trees, as his wife wanted it to be used for her pyre.

'Why did she want father to break the protection stave? Did she know the Aesir would come looking for him?' Timaeus thought as he knelt down to pick up hacksilver from a fallen Draugr.

Having just slain a horde of Draugr, the family spent the last few minutes gathering their spoils of war. Hacksilver, heathstones, ores and other metals, anything Kratos had declared as useful they gathered. While Atreus eagerly gathered the supplies with their father, Timaeus was in his thoughts.

"You are in your head again."

Hearing his father's voice from behind him nearly caused the swordsman to jump in surprise. Instead he quickly stood up and turned around to face the bearded man.

"I was just... thinking about what we'll encounter on our journey to the mountain." Timaeus lied, not wanting to tell his father his true thoughts. "Like those blue things, they're like Draugr, but they're not. With the ice that they used, it's like they came from Helheim."

"Helheim?"

"Mother spoke of it once, she called it a realm of death and despair. It's where those who died an dishonorable death end up, forced to walk through icy lands where no fire can exist." Timaeus explained to his intrigued father.

"Your mother, she spoke much of these lands, yes?" Kratos asked, a thought filling his bald head.

"Just what she knew. She always spoke of her own journeys and stories others told her about the nine realms." Timaeus replied. "Atreus knows more than me, Mother told him more stories."

"All knowledge has its uses, no matter how little or useless it may seem. I have lived in these lands for many years, but know very little of the creatures it houses." Kratos said.

"Do you... want me to tell you about the beasts she mentioned? Just in case we run into them?"

"Only when you can identify the creatures, and can confirm its abilities. Misinformation can lead to death far quicker than any weapon." Kratos explained, just as Atreus called out to them.

"Father! Timaeus! Look at this!"

One short walk later, the father/son duo came upon Atreus standing before a large boulder with runes inscribed into the stone. While Kratos couldn't read the runes, Timaeus and Atreus could.

"There's a Jötnar settlement ahead."

"Jötnar?"

"Giants. Mother spoke of them often. She said they were at war with the Aesir for a long time, but they lost." Timaeus said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"The both you can read the writing?"

"Some, just the ones mother knew. She said that languages and writing can change, it just depends on which realm you're in." Atreus explained. "But they're all sort of connected, so sometimes I can feel my way through stuff I shouldn't know. Ya know?"

"Mother always said you were smart for your age. I can barely understand most of the words she showed us, yet he took to it as easily as a fish could swim." Timaeus said, lightly poking his brother's head.