God of War: Daughter of War

It didn't take the family and Tyr long to return to Sindri's house, where Tyr marveled at both Yggdrasil and the beauty of the structure that was their base of operations, away from Odin's eyes, especially since the raven that had been left behind by the All-Father had been banished by Flurry once she uncovered his ploy.

"So, how long as we going to be here?" Atreus asked, as he was interested in checking on the wounded animal and he knew that every moment spent in Sindri's house was another moment that the animal was left in danger, especially with the war between the light elves and dark elves raging right now.

"Not long. Just relax for a few minutes, until Sindri is sure the coast is clear." Kratos replied, because the dwarves were good at realizing when a conflict was over and when it was still raging, so he was placing his trust in the brothers to make sure the coast was clear before they returned to Alfheim, as he wanted to explore the desert a little and see if they could find what his son had heard previously, "We will speak of the shrine's secrets when we return from the desert."

While Atreus huffed for a moment, as he wanted to talk about Groa's shrine now, before backing off since he knew how his father usually got his way, especially since Flurry and Pandora backed him all the time, something that caused Flurry to pull out the crystal she had formed at the Lake of Souls before handing it to Brok. The dwarf looked at it for a moment before a look of understanding appeared on his face, followed by surprise and annoyance, since this meant his brother had kept vital information from him, but she knew it was better if the pair talked about it when they had time to do so. Tyr continued to marvel at the surrounding area, taking in the craftsmanship that went into making the inside of the house, especially since there were a fair number of enchantments to keep this place safe and secure, where he found Flurry telling Brok and Sindri about how the 'Tyr' they found in Svartalfheim was actually Odin. Both were surprised by this information, but were pleased to hear that she had revealed his plot, before he could learn the secrets of Ragnarok, and that she had reinforced the magic of this place to keep Odin out, so all of the All-Father's plans had been ruined by her presence.

Such a thing caused him to ask Flurry for a private word for a few moments, as there was something he felt like addressing before the family went back to Alfheim so they could explore the desert and search for the wounded animal, but he made sure to go outside for a time.

"Flurry, I know you mean well, but sooner or later you will need to tell your brother the truth." Tyr said, as while he clearly understood the importance of hiding secrets, in fact the Giants had entrusted him with hiding a lot of theirs before he had been captured by Odin, he also knew that there were times where it wasn't wise to keep one a secret for too long, and this, keeping her godhood from her brother, was one of those times.

"I... I know... it's just that he's not ready for the emotions that will come from such a discovery." Flurry replied, because she knew that some people instantly feared her as soon as they realized that she was the Goddess of Death and was trying to prevent Atreus from feeling that way, especially since his constant desire for war was convincing her that he wasn't ready to learn such a truth.

"I understand... however, I know you will find the best opportunity to tell him the truth. He might not be ready, but he does deserve to know about your godhood." Tyr remarked, where Flurry could see why so many had revered him, as Tyr didn't force others to go with his ideas or demands, rather he understood things and stood on a neutral ground that caused many to agree with him.

Flurry sighed and said she'd think about it, because with her brother she needed to be careful, where Tyr smiled and patted her on the shoulder, showing her that he had faith in her and that he trusted her judgement on the matter, since she was willing to listen to his advice. After making sure Flurry knew his opinion on the situation Tyr headed back into the building to see about getting a proper room, while at the same time offering his aid to those that opposed Odin, causing her to look out at the rest of Yggdrasil for a time. Sindri came out a few moments later and used the Door to head back to Alfheim, as he was going to check on the war and see if the coast was clear for them to head back, so they could check on the wounded animal Atreus had heard, causing Flurry to just stand there and wait for his return. As it turned out she didn't have to wait too long, as Sindri returned to the Realm Between Realms a few minutes later and beckoned for her to follow him, where he headed inside and gave them some good news, the war had died down and he was sure that they would be able to explore the desert for a time, before another assault took place.

With that information in hand Kratos beckoned for his children to follow and the four of them returned to the Door, where he used his Key to open the way back to Alfheim, allowing them to walk on Yggdrasil's branches once more before they were able to return to the area that they had started in not that long ago.

"So you guys are okay with spending time looking for a wounded animal?" Atreus asked, because while part of him was fine with this information, since it was something he wanted to do after hearing the noise for the first time, he was surprised that his father, of all people, would want to go searching for it as well, especially after what was in Groa's shrine, while Flurry quickly found that the wall to the left of the Door had been busted open.

"Yes. I would prefer not to leave an animal in pain, if we can help it... plus it will help take your mind off the shrine." Kratos replied, as he knew that his son needed some sort of distraction and he knew that whatever was in the desert would be the best thing for them right now, to let them really take their minds off the shrine and digest the information that was in there, as the shrine talk could wait until they were back at Sindri's place.

Atreus nodded for a moment as they passed through the opening and headed through a rocky area that brought him and his family to where some hive material rested, where Kratos raised his axe and hurled it through some of the cores that were powering it, destroying the dark structure and opening the way for them to progress. Such a thing meant climbing up a wall to their right, since the material had been covering the top, and at the top they discovered a sandy area that was flat, a lot like the snow back in Midgard by Flurry's reckoning. Across from where the family climbed up happened to be where one of Sindri's workshops was located, who was still hard at work making things and being ready to prepare anything for them, provided they had the materials to make something new to add to Flurry's bag. Flurry checked out his stuff and let Sindri make a few new items, new gear that none of them would wear and even new shields, all of which she acquired and stored inside her bag with the rest of their stuff, adding even more powers to their total, even though it was mostly to make sure her collection was complete.

Once that was done they approached an area that had one of the stone tablets and Kratos read it, which happened to be the moment two Gulon, short creatures in the shape of a dog with some cat features, like the head, ears, and claws, while also having a thick tail that resembled a fox, but they were well behaved, like Speki and Svanna, and were pulling a sled.

"I'm not sure what these Gulon are doing here... they're not native to Alfheim, rather their home is Vanaheim." Mimir said, as Kratos pulled his head around so he could see what had caused the family to stop for a moment, only for them to see that the pair turned for a few seconds and positioned the sled so they could use it, "And they're domesticated... most unusual, in my experience."

Kratos was fine with this since it meant he could use the skills he developed by directing Speki and Svanna for the last three years, where he took his position at the controls as Atreus and Pandora sat in the front, leaving Flurry to spread her wings and take off once more, even though she readied a spell to protect herself from the storm that was beyond this portion of the realm. While he headed into the desert Kratos noticed that there were some chests along the way and signaled for Flurry to loot them, it was easier than him stopping and starting the sled again, before heading out into the swirling sands while Atreus tried, in vain, to locate the animal's sounds. He did, however, find a massive skeleton he could stop by, a skull based on what he was seeing, so he stopped there for a few seconds and located some buried treasure, lightly buried so it was far too easy to retrieve, allowing him to add some unique wood and a new gem to Flurry's bag. Following that they made their way up a stone wall and reached an area that had a golden chest, along with a few grim that seemed to call this area home, causing the family to defend themselves since these creatures were really aggressive, even when they weren't guarding their den.

Once the grim were dealt with Kratos climbed the wall and found the golden chest, which he looted, along with another of Kvasir's poems, which he also handed to Flurry so she could add to her bag, joining the belt from the chest, though once the area was clear they returned to the sled before heading back out into the desert.

As they did that Flurry found what appeared to be an elegant light elf structure near a massive dark elf hive mass, like the two wanted to be near each other to make sure the other didn't get an unfair advantage, though inside the light elf temple were a few dark elves. Of course none of them really stood much of a chance against their might, though this time around Flurry switched her weapons for the Lightforged Twinblade, as sometimes she liked to use her newly acquired weapons for a time and this was a way for her to relax, somewhat. That did annoy the dark elves, since they hated the light elves, but she didn't care about that fact as she tucked in her wings and spun around with the weapon as she slashed through the trio of dark elves like they were nothing, before bouncing it around her hands for a moment to get used to it's weight. While she did that her father looted another golden chest, holding the gauntlets of the armor that the new belt went to, as Pandora just smashed open a wooden chest for it's contents, plus Atreus found a diagram for a sword hilt, which Brok or Sindri might be able to use later.

While the others continued out into the desert Flurry also found one of those runic locks that they couldn't unlock yet, which she kept in mind for when they found the tool that would unlock them, before she and her family found a cave entrance that had to be what they were looking for.

Such a thing caused them to descend into the cave, and the depths it was linked to, even if that meant climbing down the rocky passage that was connected to the entrance, where Atreus told them that this appeared to be where the creature was located, an area Mimir identified as a dark elf refuge, since they were barred from the temple. When they reached a flat area to walk on everyone discovered that it was a large underground area they had entered, with large roots every now and then, though Kratos kept his guard up and cut through the dark core that was in their way, opening more of the path. Sure enough there were more dark elves down here, in fact this was likely going to be a difficult area for them to work their way through with how many of them were likely going to be down here, though Flurry did try to tell them to back off, that they were just seeking a wounded animal. Since the dark elves wanted them dead, and were idiots for not listening to them even when Atreus translated her statement to them, the family defended themselves as they hacked and slashed their way through all of the dark elves that dared to come at them.

There were also Twilight Stones along the path they were following, allowing Kratos to angle his axe and hurl it at the strange stones, reflecting the axe into the dark cores of some hive material that was in front of them, cutting open a new portion of the path Atreus seemed to be following. The interesting fact was that around the corner they found more crystals growing in parts of the walls, though as more dark elves came rushing at them Flurry shifted her stance and let her father deal with all of the dark cores that were powering the hive vines that were blocking the way forward. While she did that she made sure to use her empty hand every now and then as Atreus loosed arrows at the foes she targeted, those that she and Pandora were leaving to him, and the brief gestures seemed to help him focus on what he needed to do right now. As they did that Kratos made sure to track down the best angles to deal with the dark cores, since the hive vines were rather annoying with how many of them there were, but he was happy with how his children were working as a team, despite Atreus not trusting them to help him search the shrines in Midgard.

As they did that Flurry noted that there was a runic bell nearby, meaning they would find two more and the runic chest in the near future, though the hive vines that her father dealt with only lead to a stone chest that they looted without delay, which was just full of more resources for them to collect.

Following that they climbed up a few walls and found a passage leading to another portion of the underground, where part of the ceiling was gone, a massive opening showing the storm above ground, along with a rope line that they used to cross over a chasm. As they did that Atreus explained that some animals he didn't directly understand, like how Brok's beast had spoken directly into his head and whatever this was he could feel what it was feeling, and right now it was in a lot of pain, a fact that worried him greatly. Kratos nodded his head, as this sated his curiosity on the matter, something that surprised his son even though he stated that he was capable of curiosity, especially after everything he and Flurry had done during their many years of traveling and living together, as his daughter had opened many possibilities in his life and he was forever grateful for such a thing. While they talked the family crossed over another gap with their gear, like Kratos utilizing the chain of his blades or Atreus using a feature of his bow, and dropped down into an area with a few wretches, killing them in just a few seconds before Kratos found a way to use the Twilight Stones to break another hive vine that was blocking the path he and his family had to use.

While they did that Flurry also opened a wooden gate that was in the way, as it was right next to the runic chest and just so happened to lead back to where the first runic bell was located, meaning there was another opening they had to unlock so they could access the third bell, not to mention the chest itself.

After doing that they navigated the now opened path that her father had just opened, which just so happened to bring them to the area that the third runic bell was in, allowing Flurry to open the gate before three of them took positions near each bell, allowing them to strike the objects in turn so the runic chest could be unlocked and looted. Once that was done they returned to where the third runic bell was located and dropped into the chamber that was on the other side of it, where all of them found more Twilight Stones and a number of dark elves, causing Flurry to snap her fingers and open portals near each stone. Such a thing allowed her father to throw the axe at one stone and reflect it into a dark elf, only for Flurry's magic to bounce the weapon into another portal so it could come out of another one before hitting another enemy that wasn't expecting that to happen. Pandora clapped her hands for a moment, as this was an interesting show that displayed how well her father and sister knew each other, often sharing only a single glance before the other understood something that the other had in mind, allowing Atreus to realize how much they trusted each other.

Once the area was cleared of enemies, in an unusual fashion since they utilized the Twilight Stones this time, Atreus had to sigh as he realized just how many dark elves they were slaying, but decided to say nothing as they found a way out of the area. crouching and crawling through a passage.

That brought them to an area with two sections of the brass material, with explosives in their backsides, so Kratos let Atreus deal with both bombs so they could move forward some more, allowing him to deal with some dark cores to destroy a set of hive vines and loot a stone chest they had been covering. Following that they dropped down another wall and entered yet another area that had some wretches and dark elves to kill, plus some dark cores and hive vines to destroy, though this time around it was slightly harder since there was one of the crystal containers they had seen in the temple here as well. That also allowed them to loot a stone chest that had been locked behind some hive vines, though there were also nightmares down here as well, not that it mattered since they cut through them as well, only this time it was while they were heading into yet another portion of the underground area. That brought the family to a wall they had to climb and a nest that the nightmares were coming out of, the latter Flurry crushed with her magic while her father and siblings dealt with their enemies, before they climbed the wall and entered what appeared to be a massive underground chamber.

As they did so everyone, Mimir included, laid eyes on what appeared to be a massive jellyfish of some kind, and yet it felt far more than that, in fact Flurry felt that it was majestic in it's own way and felt that it was a shame that it was trapped down here, among the core of the hive material.

"Great Gefjon's ghost! That's the largest bloody Hafgufa I've ever seen!" Mimir stated, confirming that he recognized the large creature that was in front of them, while at the same time Kratos glanced around the area and started to connect the dots on where each dark core was located to free the creature, "I get it now... the creature isn't in pain, rather it's trying to sing the Song of the Sands... but they normally don't sing underground like this. That's what is causing the storm outside, so if we can free it the storm should die down, though that might take some time since it seems like this has been trapped here for dozens of winters."

"Don't worry, Lunch, we'll get you out of here." Atreus said, though in the next moment he found that everyone happened to be frowning at him right now, meaning they didn't like what he had said, even though he had to chuckle a little as he rubbed the back of his head, "Well, I thought that since the last squid-thingy we encountered was called Dinner... well, I thought I'd keep it up?"

Mimir told him that it was a valid attempt at humor, but at the same time it was 'truly terrible wordplay', causing Atreus to lower his head a little as he started to come up with new ways to make some humor, allowing his father to start moving all over the area that was available to them as he used the axe to destroy the dark cores. Such a thing caused sections of the hive vines to disappear on them, granting the Hafgufa more room than it had in the past, and once the majority of the hive matter was gone Kratos told everyone that it was time to free the creature from the surface. Fortunately there was a way out for them to use, leading them by a stone chest that Flurry looted, while Mimir told Atreus that Hafgufa were actually known to burrow, since he didn't want the boy to blame the dark elves for this, causing him to nod as Mimir also informed them that the hive material also belonged to Alfheim, just like the Light. While they thought about it Kratos smashed a stone slab out of the way and let them climb into the exit portion of the cave, allowing them to loot a golden chest that happened to be where the shoulder piece of the armor they had collected so far was located, giving Flurry a complete set in her bag.

From there they moved out into the storm again, finding that the Gulon had tracked them down somehow, where they used the sled to reach the outer core of the hive material so Kratos could strike it with the icy power of the Leviathan Axe, and as soon as he destroyed it the hive cover fell apart and the Hafgufa flew out into the sky, the storm fading instantly.

"Such a beautiful creature, in it's own way." Flurry remarked, as this put a smile on her face, freeing a creature so it could do whatever it was meant to do, while at the same time Kratos and Atreus stood side by side as they focused on the Hafgufa as Pandora held Mimir's head so he could see the scene, though all of them were smiling in their own way.

She knew that their time in the desert was just beginning, because with the storm's disappearance there was more for them to explore and take in, and loot for resources, but for the time being she smiled and watched the Hafgufa, as it was relaxing and they could use a period of rest before worrying about whatever the future held in store for them.