God of War: Daughter of War

As the days went by Flurry greeted them with a smile, as she found that the various people of Greece were happy to be alive and were happy to be working a few land, working together to build a better future for everyone while putting the terrors of the past behind them. Some of the Amazons, for example, went out with the hunters from the other cultures, such as the Spartans, so they could mingle and see if there were lessons they could share with each other, especially since Artemis was a good friend of the gods of the warrior city. While they did that, using Flurry's notes on where the good game was located, she noticed that everyone else focused on constructing their new settlement, putting up the houses for everyone to sleep in, storehouses to store excess food and other items, creating farms to grow many of the crops they were used to, and setting up a dock for fishermen to use in the future. Many of the Spartan warriors, of course, spent part of their time training, just in case dangers eventually revealed themselves to the people of the island, while most of it was spent focusing on helping the rest of the people, forming greater bonds between all of them as Kratos nodded his approval.

True to his words Kratos had focused on putting everyone else first, setting up houses and structures for the rest of their people, while their new home was located closer to the heart of the new city, allowing them to head out, greet people, and see what needed to be done for the day. Pandora really started to get into the flow of things after they reached the Land Between Realms, as she helped some of the people set up a smithy and joined them in producing items that the rest of their people might need in their day to day lives, like farm tools or something. Of course that was located more towards the western edge of the city, near where some of the people found a rich mine that was full with ore, at least the starting vein on the outside made everyone think that, meaning it was easy for her and the other smiths to practice their craft. Many of the people were surprised by her skill and helped her hone her abilities, while she also pointed out things that would allow her fellow workers to improve as well, though it was clear that she was having fun and that made Kratos happy.

Flurry knew that part of Pandora's skill had to be the essence that Hephaestus had passed on to her, it likely held some, or all, of his skills as a smith and she was slowly learning everything that her first father had known, but it did seem like she had her own skills that had come to light during the process and she was happy to help the people out.

Part of her own time was spent with Artemis and Apollo, helping the archers and hunters perfect or improve their skills, as some of them went out every now and then to add more food to their stores, though many were surprised by how well she was able to use a bow, as even during training her skills were above everyone else's. Together they were able to help all of the archers and hunters improve their skills to new heights, though she focused on precision over everything else, as she was able to hit a target in multiple spots in a matter of mere seconds, much like when she struck Hermes down back in Argos. It was a harder skill to teach, as one had to practice constantly to be able to perfect it, but she was willing to help the others learn something that might help them in the future, especially since it could help during the various hunts that were planned to gather resources for the settlement. Of course they only hunted when absolutely necessary, though the other outings allowed them to develop a few other skills for the archers, allowing them to track animals and scale places they might need to move through during a hunt, meaning they'd leave for a day or two for training and then return once the lesson was over.

In addition to that Flurry spent her free time flying back to the Temple and checking it out, sometimes finding the goshawk in the area and sometimes finding that it was free of critters, taking notes on the different cultures that seemed to be part of what the Wanderer had been looking at over the years. Even though there wasn't all too much for her to learn from the structure, especially since the god who lived here seemed to be missing, Flurry continued to visit it and study the items that had been left inside it, especially the map of the various realms that the god had visited to create it. The map was one of the most important pieces she could see, and sometimes the goshawk would stare at it for a time when she discovered it inside the structure, though part of her was sure that it was serious about heading north, like it wanted them to follow it, or rather her, her sister, and her father. There was also the time that her father and Pandora followed her to the Temple, allowing them to see what she had seen, plus it gave Kratos a chance to thank the goshawk for the instructions on how to reach the Land Between Realms, as it was a wonderful place for their people.

There was one important thing that Flurry discovered as the weeks and months went by, and that was the fact that her father had no desire to be the leader of everyone, though she wasn't too surprised by that information because the past weighed heavily on his mind, now that he had the time to actually think about it, even though Athena was of the opinion that he'd be great at it.

"Kratos, eventually the people will look for one of us to lead them, and many seem to be thinking that you are the best fit for such a role." Athena commented, as she and the other gods had observed the people while working alongside them, to help grow this place into something that was better than Olympus, and she had to admit that they were making progress in many fields, but they were in need of a leader, be it a single god or multiple to share the power.

"They are wrong. I am not worthy of such a position." Kratos replied, because while he had been the best for Sparta, back in a time where war was a possibility that they couldn't ignore, right now he and his rage, plus all of the dark deeds he had done during his time with Ares, weren't good for the people they had fought to protect, especially since they had been weighing on his mind for some time, "The people need a true leader, not an old warmonger."

"Brother, I understand that controlling your rage has been hard at times, but you've improved so much over the years, all thanks to Flurry's continued presence." Deimos said, as he had learned much about his brother's past from both his family and from the other gods, allowing him to understand Kratos far more than he originally thought he'd be able to, and while he did understand where his brother was coming from, he agreed with the others that Kratos was one of the best options available, other than Flurry herself, "Surely that improvement is enough to justify becoming the leader of our citizens?"

"That might be true, but there are things that father wishes to deal with... before even thinking about such a thing." Flurry remarked, though as she said that the goshawk flew down to where they were standing, on the outskirts of the area that they had been brought to, and dropped a letter into her hands, causing them to glance up at it for a moment before the bird flew to the north once more.

"What does it want?" Artemis asked, because she and the others knew that the bird had come back every now and then, as Flurry had told them about her encounters with it over the time since their arrival on the Land Between Realms, and she was interested in what the goshawk had to share with them, especially since it meant the mysterious god who showed them the way was still interested in them.

"It seems that the goshawk knows of a way to help father with his personal issues and is inviting us to visit 'Midgard' so we can chat with someone," Pandora said, as she read the letter that her sister was holding and reading, before handing it to Kratos so he could read it as well and then pass it to the others, since they had to be interested in what was going on, but there was something interesting on the letter that she was sure the other gods would notice, "however, if we decide to go north for a time, it would appear that there are a few things we must do: first, only three of us can come, because more would only allow the King of the Gods of that realm to become aware of our arrival that much quicker... I suspect that he's not a good person and our friend wants us to be safe, so the fewer the better. The other thing is that we would have to keep an eye out for any maelstroms that might form, because they're very dangerous... I assume there's something about the ones in this world that is causing the Wanderer, as Flurry calls him, to warn us ahead of time."

"Are you sure that leaving, after only spending a year in our new home, is for the best?" Aphrodite inquired, because this was a matter for all of the gods that watched over the settlement, hence why she was here despite having no interest in putting forth her name to become the leader, plus she knew Kratos enough to know he was being serious.

"I... need to go on a journey. One of self discovery... Flurry and Pandora will join me." Kratos replied, as he was planning on heading into an area that might be incredibly dangerous, or at least that was what the warnings seemed to be warning them about, and since only three of them could go he was planning on it being him and his daughters, "I do not know how long we will be, nor can I promise that I will find the peace I am after... we can only travel to Midgard and track down the one who sent the invitation. While we are gone you can set up a council and share the responsibility of leadership."

Athena sighed and told Kratos that if this was the path he wanted to walk, and it sure seemed like it, she wasn't going to challenge him or get in his way, rather she decided to aid him to the best of her ability, something that the others agreed with after they thought about it for a few moments. Aphrodite even had a way for them to get updates from the group, as Flurry had recovered one of her special mirrors and she had made sure to gather those before they left Olympus, as they were important to her, where she gave one to Flurry before showing her how to use the item. Artemis and Apollo did what they did best, they made sure the group had a vessel ready for their departure, constructed without them knowing, due to the fact that Apollo had a vague idea that Kratos would want to do such a thing after a year of peace on the island that had become their home. Both were sure that it had enough food to get them to their destination, though neither Athena nor Deimos had items to gift them, save for their wishes for a safe journey and the discovery that Kratos was after, while Albis, on the other hand, moved onto the ship with her own bag of supplies, as she wasn't about to let the trio leave without her, not after missing out so much in the past.

The reason for leaving so soon, now that they knew the smaller ship was ready, was because Kratos suspected that the people they saved would be disappointed in them for leaving them behind, though as he pushed their ship out to sea, and the four of them took their positions, he found that he was wrong. The people of their settlement were aware of the fact that they were leaving the Land Between Realms, after a year no less, but instead of being annoyed at the group of four, like Kratos expected, they found that everyone, both citizens and gods alike, were seeing them off with smiles and some even saying that they would pray for their safety. Flurry and Pandora smiled for a moment as they waved at the crowd, all while Albis did the same, allowing Kratos to see that she had two curved blades on her back, in case they got into trouble, before he raised a hand as well, letting the people know that they appreciated the gesture. Kratos had to remind himself that the reason this was possible was due to Apollo's sight, he knew things no one else did, so he likely saw them leaving and had the small ship readied for them, to which he was thankful for the aid of their friends as everyone watched the settlement disappear behind them as they headed north.

Fortunately with three gods aboard the ship Albis found that they didn't have to stop or slow down, as the trio had more stamina than an ordinary crew, and since she was a monster she could work on a pace that was nearly like theirs, though she still had to stop every now and then to catch her breath.

While they sailed Albis told them that she was serious, she wanted to travel with her family and help Kratos, though none of them were annoyed by her presence, rather they were happy to have her, especially since she knew how to pull her weight and contribute to the goal they were working towards. Flurry and Pandora also had something that melted Albis' heart for a moment, both girls called her 'mom', which was what she was to the former since she had been the first female figure in her life, causing her to embrace the girls with tears in her eyes. The only downside is that there weren't enough rooms for all four of them, where Albis waved her hand and said it was fine, she'd sleep outside if need be, to keep an eye on whatever was around the ship, which ended with Kratos telling her that she could use his, as he needed the time alone to think about things and he was sure the night air would be good for him. A benefit of being a god was that he could go days, weeks even, without needing to sleep, something he had learned back when he first became the God of War, which both Flurry and Pandora had experienced over their time as goddesses, even if they did sleep more often than he did.

On the fifth day away from the Land Between Realms, as nothing eventful had happened since their departure, the family found that a storm appeared almost out of nowhere and that made it more dangerous for them, only for Flurry to notice that lightning was arcing from the clouds and struck some part of the sea in front of them, causing her eyes to widen as she realized what was going on.

"Maelstrom!" Flurry called out, amplifying her voice with her magic so she could speak over the storm, causing the others to pause for a moment as they realized what this meant, a massive whirlpool was opening right in front of them and, due to how close they were, Kratos knew they would be unable to avoid it, and she could feel that the time based energies of the protected realm were being pulled into this area as well.

Kratos found that controlling the ship was much harder this time around, especially with how rapidly the maelstrom was expanding, to the point where he told Flurry to quickly head into the cargo area and store their supplies inside her bag, as he intended on using it's ability to the fullest. At the same time she made sure that all of their stuff was packed and stored away as well, all safe inside her bag, before she returned to the deck and hurled her magic into the air, blocking bolts of lightning that were coming at them, randomly since there was no one around to control the storm. Unfortunately she and the others found that there were too many lightning bolts coming from the storm, many hitting the water around them until one slammed down into the front of the deck, tearing through the wood as it tore a hole in their ship, causing water to surge through the lower levels. With that happening Kratos and the others barely had time to brace themselves before another tore the ship in half and cast them into the center of the maelstrom, causing him to grab onto Albis and Pandora as he used his body to shield them from the impact, while Flurry braced herself accordingly.

All he could hope for was that they emerged from the maelstrom without any serious damage, because there was no way to know what might happen to them at this point in time, causing him to close his eyes as he waited to see what the near future held in store for them.

Flurry groaned for a moment as she opened her eyes and found that the storm was over, the sky was somewhat clear and full of fading clouds, before noticing something interesting, she was resting on what appeared to be a beach, with bits of wood from their ship around her, only to stop as she spotted something else.

"Father!" Flurry said, where she pushed herself onto her hooves and rushed down the beach, to the left of where she had ended up, and stopped the moment she reached her father, who was holding onto an unconscious Pandora and Albis, all while his weapons had ended up off to his side for some reason.

"I am fine." Kratos replied, though as he said that he carefully sat up and found that his movements caused both Pandora and Albis to stir, where they found that, while they were dizzy from the whirlpool's power, none of them were seriously hurt, allowing Flurry to look at the area that was beyond the beach and found that it seemed to be a forest, one that felt different than what they had experienced in the past, "Where are we?"

"Midgard... I think." Flurry said, giving the other two time to get used to being on solid ground again as her father not only made sure they were fine, but also retrieved the Blades of Chaos, though she held her head for a moment as her magic told her something interesting, something she wasn't expecting to discover, "I'm not sure I believe this, but my power, my magic, is telling me that we... well, we lost nine hundred and seventy-eight years thanks to that time maelstrom... actually, it might be more accurate to say that we experienced those years in the blink of an eye."

"So... we were warped nearly a thousand years into the future? Over the span of a couple of hours?" Pandora asked, as it seemed ridiculous, even with the idea that the Land Between Realms was protected by some sort of time power or ability that made time move differently in two different areas, like how Greece's time would be different from Midgard's, but due to it being Flurry who was telling them about this, whose powers defied reality at times, it was somehow believable.

"Yes. We're older than when we fell into the maelstrom, that much is true, but our bodies haven't aged... can't be any of our godly powers, since Albis is perfectly fine." Flurry replied, where she found that it was hard to explain what might have happened, though one thing did worry her more than anything else, if they had lost nearly a thousand years than that no doubt meant that Aphrodite and the others were worried sick about them, "It's... oddly convenient. And, based on what I can tell, all of our supplies are fine... nothing is rotting or spoiled due to old age."

As Kratos opened his mouth to say something, about how he was grateful that everyone was fine, he was stopped by the sudden movement of the trees, where he found a beautiful woman with pale skin, long strawberry-blond hair, as odd as that sounded, deep blue eyes, and wore a yellow tunic with brown pants and a pair of boots, though she carried what looked like a remarkable and beautiful axe with something on her left arm.

"So, Jophie was right: there are strangers on the beach." the lady commented, which told the family something that was very interesting, either someone had been interested in this area, like how Apollo knew things and planned accordingly, or she had been busy doing something else and an ally of hers had told her about them, causing her to come out to see if any of them were in need of assistance, "Are any of you hurt?"

"No. It would seem that, though our ship was destroyed, we emerged unharmed." Kratos replied, as that seemed to be the truth, none of them seemed to be harmed, which was a good thing after being subjected to the power of a maelstrom, an event he would rather not experience again, before he focused on the lady for a moment as he decided to be friendly and not assume that she was hostile, "I am Kratos, and these are my daughters Flurry Heart and Pandora, with their mother Albis... and no, she is not my wife."

He knew Albis had said she was fine with people not knowing the truth about her, though at the same time it was hard to know if his statement would pain her or not, but for the time being she said nothing as they watched the mysterious lady for a time, who studied them before moving the axe onto her back, likely attaching it to a holder.

"My name is Faye, and it is wonderful to meet you all." the lady, Faye, stated, though as she stepped forward, to approach Flurry and her family, they heard the sound of something moving and turned their heads to their right, or Faye's left, and found a trio of undead that were different from the ones in Greece, as these seemed to be warriors that had been burned by some intense rage, with an intense rage fueling their reanimated bodies, "Draugr... I'll handle them, while you four rest and recover from your ordeal."

Kratos would have protested this situation, none of them were injured enough to justify Faye stepping in to fight the small group of undead, but before Flurry could even stop him he paused as Faye pulled out her axe again while the item that was on her left arm unfurled into a circular shield. The undead, draugr as she called them, seemed to growl at her before raising their weapons, swords to be exact, and charged at her, where they watched as Faye raised her shield and blocked all three of their attacks with ease, before pushing back against them like she was parrying the attack. Such a thing opened the way for her to hack into one of the draugr's chests and killed it in a matter of seconds, though as the other two got up she went on the defensive as she repeated the process, letting them attack her so she could open their defenses and bring them down in a matter of moments. Kratos was amazed, as Faye fought beautifully and effectively, to the point where she was just like Flurry at times, as their movements were nearly the same, though as he watched the fight Albis smiled, as it was good to see Kratos actually move on from her by already crushing on another warrior.

Faye let out a few huffs as she finished off the draugr, who dissolved into ash as soon as they were slain, before standing up and glancing at the family for a moment, who she noticed were unfazed by what she had done to her enemies, causing her to put the axe on her back again as she retracted her interesting shield.

"I have a camp that's not far from here. We can head there and you guys can recover from your ordeal, maybe get some food as well, before we worry about anything else." Faye said, which was interesting that she would trust some strangers like this, but Flurry didn't sense any deceit or trickery in her words and nodded to her father, who told her that they were in her debt for the timely aid.

Faye didn't seem to mind, rather she was more than willing to help them, like she helped those in need based on what Flurry could see, though the group collected what they could from the wrecked ship, bits of wood and rope since there wasn't much for them to pick up, before following Faye as they wondered what the future held for them.