God of War: Daughter of War

"So let me get this straight: Thor was supposed to kill my father, and then I would team up with Odin to... do what?" Atreus asked, after spending a few minutes thinking about everything while staring up at Jotenheim's sky, while at the same time Angrboda seemed to just lean against one of the rock pillars that held up the area she had placed the three stones in, the ones she recreated for him.

"Honestly, I have no idea... that part was never very clear to me." Angrboda replied, especially when she looked at the scene in question, because it looked like there was something at Asgard's walls, like Ragnarok was still coming despite Loki going to Asgard to see Odin, before she sighed as she recalled the important piece of information Loki had given her, "Not that this even matters anymore, since you have an Equestrian as a sister... I knew things were different than what I had seen and what I've been told, but to think one of their members was here. Normally I would say something like 'this is the only path your story can take', but... an Equestrian is involved, and that means this prophecy might be totally worthless now. Since you have siblings, two sisters as far as I know, I would hazard a guess that they will ensure your father survives his encounter with Thor... as for you going to Asgard to see Odin, I'm not sure how that will happen anymore."

"Oh, maybe I'm going there under the false pretense of learning from him, only to end up tricking him in the end?" Atreus inquired, because the All-Father had extended an invitation to him when he and Thor came to visit, meaning he could use that to get some information from their foe and see if they could figure out what he was up to, where he found that his new acquaintance had raised one of her eyebrows, "Okay, I'm not good at lying to others... Flurry usually calls me out on them, though she'll remain silent if I'm omitting information to make a story shorter... but you have to admit that the idea has some merit. Odin even came to our home and personally invited me to come learn from him, in Asgard."

Angrboda said nothing to that for a few moments, because while the ruined prophecy stated that Loki would go to Asgard to see Odin, that much she could guess from looking at the images she had recreated, it didn't give any specifics and she had to accept the fact that things were moving in a new direction.

"If I had to guess... he's got something Giant related and needs a Giant to help him out. Preferably one that doesn't hold a grudge against him, for what Thor did to our people." Angrboda said, as she realized that she wasn't supposed to be doing this, talking and coming up with ideas to match what Loki was talking about, but the existence of 'Flurry Heart' meant that the prophecy she had dedicated a good portion of her life to no longer mattered, meaning she might be able to move with her own agenda in mind now, "Of course you have no idea how to use your Giant powers, and are coming into powers that you have no control over, but maybe... maybe we can fix that. Come, let's go for a walk and I'll teach you a few things."

Atreus nodded and followed after her, where he asked if all Giants had the same power that he demonstrated, though in the next moment Angrboda told him that his transformations were likely from the other half of his powers, his father's side, or at least that was her assumption since she wasn't aware of any Giants with the power to shapeshift. What she had in mind was for them to do her 'everyday stuff' while teaching him some things, which involved getting some food and planting some seeds, plus feeding Jalla, who was an oxen of some kind that seemed to be Angrboda's companion and mount, for riding in the parts of Jotenheim that walking was hard in. The green feed that she had him pick up happened to be Jalla's feed, which he let the oxen, or yak as his new friend informed him, eat, though once Jalla was done Angrboda directed the yak over to the path on the right before climbing up, allowing Atreus to follow her lead as best as he could. It wasn't easy making sure his clawed feet didn't hurt Jalla, and making sure she could handle the weight that was added thanks to his tail and wings, but in the end he managed it as Angrboda brought them out into another portion of the area she called home, heading for an area she worked in.

As they moved down the river she pointed out a type of flower that only grew in Jotenheim, called 'Silents', which she and her mother used to take naps in when her mother and grandmother fought, causing Atreus to nod as he remained silent, as this seemed like a touchy subject and he didn't feel like prying right now. Instead he focused on the strangeness of the realm he was currently exploring, seeing more than he was expecting from getting some sleep, even though he suspected that he would be unable to share it with his family, given that Angrboda's safety depended on people believing that Ironwood was a myth. While they moved through the river he found that they stopped under one of the branches and Angrboda pulled off a yellow-green fruit that was called a 'Greenbulb' and she mentioned that her mother had made her eat one a day to build her strength, but she said they tasted downright terrible, while Atreus remarked that it clearly worked. In the following moment Jalla made a noise and Angrboda said that the yak liked him, probably because he was being nice to his host, and when they passed by another branch he grabbed the fruit when he was asked to do so.

He also discovered that there were instances where he and Angrboda would have to get off Jalla's back, jumping up onto an area to walk through, usually for them to get something and for the girl who had grown up here to direct the yak into a new portion of the river, showing off her skills in this regard.

While they traveled Atreus thought about the prophecy he had seen, where he wasn't sure if he should be thankful that his sister's presence had ended up saving their father or if he should be annoyed that Flurry was costing him his destiny, since he was the Champion of the Jotnar. Angrboda was equally silent about it as well, because she really had no idea what was going on anymore, not with an Equestrian messing with the prophecies of the Nine Realms, so for the time being both of them decided not to talk about the prophecy that was resting on the stones. With that in mind they focused on recovering the fruit that Angrboda needed, since both she and the wolves she was friends with ate them, even using Jalla to push one tree, a flexible one that didn't break with the yak's movements, so they could get the fruit. Atreus also found himself taking a moment to wonder what Odin might want from him, thanks to the invitation he had been given, but refrained from saying a word about it, because he wanted some more time to think about it and what he needed to say to his family.

Eventually they finished the loop they were on and returned to Angrboda's camp, where she pointed out where to deposit all of the fruit that had been collected so far, which Atreus did without delay, before she remembered something in her tool shed and Atreus found that it was a set of armor, scaled to fit his body, and a bow component that strengthened his Talon Bow, like the additions his father found for his weapons.

Once he was done checking out the yellow metal and leather armor, which was different than what he was wearing, Atreus tracked down Angrboda and they got on Jalla's back before heading out into another portion of Jotunheim, where he made a comment about how he drew things as well, things he and his family encountered on their travels. When Angrboda asked if his family were artists as well, however, Atreus chuckled for a few seconds before telling her that they were warriors, from the land of Greece, something that nearly caused her to fall out of her seat, but she was able to right herself. Such a thing told him that either Angrboda thought he was the son of two Giants that had hidden him away or a Giant and someone else from the Nine Realms, so discovering that he was of mixed blood really through her off, making him wonder if Angrboda had been left in the dark by whatever Giants had been left after she was born. It was almost like she was like him, inexperienced in the art of being a Giant, and both of them were learning things from each other while they traveled through the vastness of Jotunheim, and he found that he was grateful for the chance to meet her, even under these circumstances.

When they reached their destination Angrboda showed him how to take out the roots that were part of her routine, in fact he didn't need to use his knife to pull them out of the ground or cut them off, though they were interrupted by draugr that ruined part of the path that she used in this area.

"Loki, show me the wolf!" Angrboda stated, because while she knew they could deal with the threats that were in front of them, like they had done previously, she also suspected that this would be the best time to have him focus on his powers, to try and master his transformations in some manner, "Don't focus on anger... focus on another emotion to draw it out!"

In Atreus' mind there was only one thing that could do what she was suggesting, the desire to protect his father, and calling that to the surface caused a rush that was him transforming into the wolf form he had used earlier, where he rushed around the area they were in, tearing off the heads of the draugr that were coming at him. It was a rush that Atreus wasn't expecting at this point, though it came with a serious side effect as the battle drew out the dragon side of him, as Angrboda had to make sure he didn't burn the entire area to the ground while he focused solely on being a wolf. When the coast was clear he reverted back to his usual form before they made their way deeper into this portion of Jotunheim, though as they did so Angrboda asked about the soul that was inside his knife, as she had noticed it earlier and was now saying something since they were safe, for the time being. Atreus had no idea what she was talking about, in fact this was the first time he was even aware of such a thing, to which he decided to keep it safe until he figured out the owner of the soul, and figured out how to get it out of his knife before he did something stupid with the weapon.

They returned to the camp a few moments later, using another path this time, and they deposited the roots like the fruit, only for Angrboda to beckon for them to use a third direction, as she had something else he needed to be shown, before his time in Jotunheim came to an end. Such a thing was followed by them heading into a rocky passage that Angrboda used a bit of her power on to show the true path, just like she had done previously, allowing Jalla to carry them for a time before they reached an area that they had to wait for her in. With that in mind Angrboda showed showed him how to skip stones, which was fun as something to pass the time, though they ended up angering some draugr and Atreus dealt with them with the aid of his new friend, just like they had done since meeting each other. Once Jalla was on their side of the area the pair climbed onto her back and headed off once more, Angrboda leading the way to a private and secluded area, based on what Atreus was seeing right now, before he discovered that it was an area that was in full view of the peak they had scattered the ashes of his mother on.

While they moved out, having left Jalla behind, Angrboda explained that the corpses were their people leaving something behind to confuse Odin, if he ever found his way into Jotunheim, while all of the Giants had hid away, placing their souls in special spheres to keep themselves safe, and she found an area to pull out a bag of them, only to pause as she found that Atreus had one in his hand.

"Sorry to spoil the surprise, but I found a few of those in the shrines in Midgard." Atreus said, allowing Angrboda to see the ones he had recovered so far, while at the same time he felt something different about the ones in the bag, they actually had the souls of the Giants, just like she had told him.

"There are more out there!" Angrboda commented, because originally she thought she had been given every soul marble, save for a very select few since not every Giant had been part of the plan, but now she knew that there were more out there, waiting to be found and recovered, meaning someone needed to find them.

"Yes... and I think it's about time I told you something I should have told you sooner." Atreus replied, as he had been taking his time thinking about what Flurry had done and knew that it was time to tell Angrboda just how bad things had shifted, as she deserved to know what Groa thought the future held in store for them.

Angrboda listened to his brief story, about how they rescued 'False Tyr', Flurry discovering that it was actually Odin trying to get information, her nearly killing him after freeing the real Tyr from his prison, and, the most important part, the secrets that had been in her hidden shrine, the truth of Ragnarok with an Equestrian involved.

"Loki... change of plans. We're going to see my grandmother, see what she has to say." Angrboda said, because there was far too much information for her to wrap her head around and this made her realize that they had to share the news with her last remaining family member, since this would change everything.

Atreus had no idea what was going on anymore, but he was sure that Flurry's existence in the Nine Realms had changed far more than he had expected, in addition to confusing the remaining Giants, which only made him wonder what the future held in story for him and his family.

Flurry and her family discovered that the morning following Tyr making dinner for everyone, which had been delicious and gave them a real chance to relax a little, that something was wrong instantly, Atreus was nowhere to be seen and Sindri was able to confirm that he wasn't in the branches of Yggdrasil. That told them that he must have waited until it was the dead of night before sneaking out again, why she had no idea since they had planned on talking about the prophecies in Groa's secret shrine, and now they couldn't since they were missing a member of the family. The dwarves ended up spending their time searching the realms that the new Door had access to, which was a limited selection since they didn't have enough Seeds for the other realms, but as far as they could tell Atreus wasn't in those realms, which worried Kratos since he had to wonder if Atreus was doing something stupid again. Flurry, on the other hand, sat down outside the house and meditated for a time, focusing her mind and magical energies as she tracked down her brother's magical signature, finding nothing at first as she carefully searched for her annoying brother.

What ended up surprising her was that the first day passed with next to nothing happening, save for a few small flares that ended a few seconds after they started, preventing her from pinpointing him, and she found that she went well into both the night and the second day before something happened, causing her to get up and track down her family.

"I don't know where he's been, but Atreus just moved back into our house." Flurry stated, as the only realms that would let her brother do such a thing, hide from her for an extended period of time, were Asgard or Jotunheim, the former thanks to Odin and the latter due to the enchantments the Giants placed on their realm.

"Go. Atreus owes us some answers." Kratos said, because he was annoyed with his son right now, especially since Atreus had decided to say nothing to them before vanishing again, and only the truth would soothe things right now, to which he got up and headed out for the Door, while at the same time finding that Flurry and Pandora were right behind him while Brok and Sindri were following at a safe distance.

With such a thing in mind Kratos used his Key on the Door and made sure it would bring them back to their home, and once it was set in place they stepped into the Realm Between Realms for a time, and it wasn't long before the exit Door showed up, allowing him to step out at the same time that Atreus was trying to walk in, a fact that pushed his son back.

"What were you thinking?!" Kratos asked, his tone informing his son that he was displeased with him and his decision to go out on his own, especially since Odin would be looking for ways to get at Atreus while he was alone, based on his offer back when they were made aware of his son's efforts to find Tyr, "Where did you go for two days?!"

"Look, I didn't plan on going anywhere... but I dreamed my way into Jotunheim." Atreus replied, which was at the same time that Flurry and Pandora showed up, meaning they overheard the information as well, meaning he wouldn't have to repeat himself, causing him to make a slight clicking sound to let his friend know what was going on, "And I met someone while I was there... someone who shared a few things with me and taught me a way how to use my transformations."

"Loki, the coast is..." a voice said, where Flurry found a newcomer standing nearby, someone who seemed to be Atreus' new friend he had mentioned, and she was surprised to see them, like this wasn't part of the plan that they had come up with, before she realized what sort of power was inside her, "Oh... oh shit... she's an alicorn! Loki, you didn't say she was an alicorn!"

"Sorry, I didn't think it mattered." Atreus replied, though at the same time a magical barrier surrounded the area, which he knew was his sister at work, which was just in time to stop a barrage of frost blasts from some Hel-Walkers, which was just annoying since they had been here when he and Angrboda showed up.

"Hel-Walkers... I will deal with them... then we shall talk about why you have returned with a Giant." Flurry stated, where it was easy for her to see that the young lady was surprised that her secret had been revealed so easily, before a look of fear appeared on her face as she noticed Flurry's sickles.

In the next moment Angrboda had confirmation of the short information Loki had given her on his sister's powers, as she was able to rapidly move around the area they were in, slashing at the Hel-Walkers before they even had a chance to target her, while her sickles gleamed as both moved with an alarming amount of grace, killing the group with ease as she landed nearby, swung her weapons, and returned her sickles to her belt with ease.

"Whoa, what a show!" Baldur said, as he and his mother came out from one of the paths and he clapped, because he was very impressed with her skills, though it was clear that they were possibly arriving at a bad time, given the looks on some of the faces they were seeing, but he smiled anyway, "Turn those frowns around, because we have good news."

"We've located the source of my curse: it's in Vanaheim." Freya stated, because the family knew she had been looking for the core of that spell for a long time, as it prevented her from actually helping them deal with Odin's schemes, but her efforts had yielded good fruit at long last, something that caused Kratos to nod, as it was very good news, while Brok came over to get the exact location, as he had a Vanaheim Seed.

"Good. Sindri, take Atreus and his friend back to the house... my daughters and I will join Freya and Baldur in tracking down the core of the spell." Kratos stated, where Atreus realized that the conversation was far from over, rather he expected them all to have a talk when they got back with the rest of their allies, causing his son to nod his head despite the fact that he knew Kratos was displeased with him.

Flurry sighed as everyone started to split into two groups, as while she wasn't expecting all of this to happen in such a short period of time, especially after everything that happened in Alfheim, she was grateful that this hadn't enraged her, as she could face whatever the future had in store for them with a clear mind and found herself eager for whatever Vanaheim had to throw at them.