4 A Mutual Blush

*pip* *pip* *pip*

Moisture flows down a sharp stone on the ceiling of a cave, collecting together at a point to form droplets of water. The droplets fall through the damp air of the cave, landing on the silver hair of a certain man.

The man clicks his tongue, putting a hand to his head before staring at his wet fingers with disgust, "I hate this part of the dungeon," he says. In the midst of his silver hair, two small wolf ears protrude from his head. A blue tattoo sets under his amber eyes. He wears a fur-laced jacket cropped at his toned abdomen and black pants with Mythril leg guards covering his shins.

"Grow up, Bete," A feminine voice rings out from beside Bete. An elven woman with trademark pointy ears and long green hair, she wears a white cloak that drapes over her green military-style coat. A staff stands as tall as the woman herself in her hands with a butterfly-like design at the silver head and studded with sapphire stones.

"Leave me alone, Riveria," Bete responds in an annoyed voice. He turns his head to look at a different woman behind him, "Ais, isn't this around where those minotaurs escaped? You know, the one that attacked the tomato kid?" Bete cackles as he finishes his words.

The woman Bete spoke to, Ais, purses her lips, "Yes, floor 15," she says. Ais wears a silver crown-like head ornament covering the top of her bright blonde hair. The same color breastplate covers her shoulders and perky bosom. Under the breastplate, a short white dress extends down to the middle of her thighs, and that's also where a sword hangs with a blue scabbard.

"He must have been terrified to be saved by a beautiful woman... I would have run away too," A smaller girl giggles as she walks beside Ais. An amazonian girl, scantily clad with a single piece of white cloth covering her flat chest and another to cover her lower parts. She has short black hair and grey eyes. A large double-bladed sword hangs from her back, the points of either side rounded. This teasing Amazonian is known as Tiona.

Another woman laughs like a grown man beside Tiona, "Stop it, Tiona," despite her words, the strangely macho laugh continues. Slightly taller than Tiona, this woman is also an Amazonian with tanned skin and long black hair to frame her face. She wears a red bra and a brown short skirt, with two kukri knives hanging from her side. This is Tiona's sister, Tione.

At the front of the group, Riveria moves briskly through the rocky cave, leading her party to the 17th floor to fight a certain monster encased behind a massive wall. They travel through the 15th floor at the moment, so the party still has some ways to go. Though suddenly, Riveria stops in her tracks, putting her palm out beside her, "Hold on," she says.

"What is it now?" Bete says in his usual annoyed tone. He clicks his tongue, "We're not far from the Goliath, and I'm itching to fight the big fucker," says Bete.

"Shut up, Bete," Riveria responds with short words. The high elf closes her eyes, focusing her senses to the silence and the stone beneath her boots. Ais steps up beside her, staring at Riveria with a clueless look, "What is it, Riveria?" she says.

A stalking silence permeates the air, and Riveria slowly peels her eyes open, "Do you feel that?" she says while staring into Ais' yellow eyes. The Sword princess tilts her head in confusion, but she soon realizes what Riveria speaks of. The stone beneath her boots thuds, again and again, each thud seeming to be closer than the last.

A sharp shing sound echos through the cave and Ais grips her sword tight. The rest of the party follows her lead, with Tiona drawing her sword from her back, Tione drawing her dual knives, and Bete crouching in a battle position. Riveria merely stares forward, almost as if she can sense the looming threat beyond the stone wall before them.

The booms continue, still becoming louder and closer each time. Suddenly, the thuds cease, and for a moment, the immense tension lessens. Riveria sighs, "Maybe I'm being too para-" that stone wall Riveria stared at before explodes and rubble flies through the air at dangerous speeds.

"AHHH!" A deep battle cry slams into the party's ears, and they stare in bewilderment as a man with a red tattoo stomps through a minotaur's skull like a water balloon. Another minotaur leaps above the man, and he sneers with an expression that would topple anyone if looks could kill. He catches the stone axe with one hand, and a boiling rage seems to flow from him as he stares at the beast.

A smaller and younger cry thunders through the cave and a boy jumps on the back of the minotaur, using his bow to strangle the cow-like monster. The tattooed man grunts, ripping the axe from the minotaurs hands. He draws a strange short blade from his back, and a deep crimson flame covers the blade. The blade pierces the Minotaur's chest and flesh sears before it's ripped down until the beast is nearly sliced in two.

The minotaur explodes into black smoke, and the boy falls to the ground, landing kneeled on the stone floor. The tattooed man exhales hard, sheathing the blade on his back. These two are of course our favorite godly duo, Kratos and Atreus. The boy god himself stands and smiles up at his father, "How did I do?" he says.

Kratos stares down at his son, that terrifying rage replaced with a calm, almost caring expression, "mmh... You acted adequately, but you can still be better. Look for your opportunity to strike, and do not act before then," Kratos says.

Atreus' smile widens some, and he replaces his bow on his shoulder. Though he suddenly furrows his brows, "Father... Who are they?" he asks.

Kratos turns and looks at what his son speaks of, finding a group of people with collectively bewildered expressions, "I do not know," he steps in front of Atreus and stares at the group with hard eyes, "Who are you?" Kratos asks.

"We are from the Loki Familia... Who are you?" Riveria asks.

"Hey, that's my name!" Atreus says with raised brows.

"Hold your tongue, boy. I will do the speaking," Kratos says to Atreus. The boy nods and Kratos turns back to face the group, "I am Kratos, and this is Atreus... Where are we?" Kratos says.

The entire party holds confused expressions as Kratos finishes his words, "What do you mean, dumbass? We're in the dungeon," Bete suddenly interjects, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he speaks.

"Bete, quiet," Riveria says, her eyes returning to Kratos, "How do you not know you are in the dungeon? The only way you would have entered is the first floor," she says.

"Brother, I would be cautious of these people. Try to make it seem as if you know what the bloody hell is going on," Mimir whispers to Kratos.

With a stone face, Kratos scans each face before him in silence, "Where are we in this... dungeon? We lost our way," his rugged voice echos through the cave.

Riveria furrows her brows, glancing at Ais, who tilts her head and returns the confusion leaking from the High Elf's eyes. Riveria sighs, "We are on the 15th floor, but If what you say is true then... How have you survived for this long?" she says.

"We have survived worse," Kratos responds. He looks at Atreus, and the boy seems to be distracted by something, a slight blush on his cheeks and his thumbs twiddling together. Kratos follows his son's eyes to find him staring at a small tanned girl with short black hair and a double-bladed sword in her hand. The girl stares back at Atreus with a smile and waves, her cheeks taking on a red hue of their own.

"Well... Let's just say that you've survived in a monster-infested cave for a long time and you can't find your way back," Riveria says, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Just go up, you'll find your way eventually... If you're as strong as you say," the elf seems to be fed up with the situation.

Kratos nods to Riveria, a drop of moisture landing on his pale shoulder, "Come, boy," he says, stepping forward. He walks past the party swiftly and Atreus follows close behind, his eyes switching from Tiona and the ground. The amazonian girl seems to appreciate the attention, even craving it, which is hinted at by her gushing smile.

"You're just gonna let them go like that, Riveria?" Bete asks.

Riveria sighs, "What do you expect me to do, Bete? Hold them here and interrogate them? Don't forget, we have our own reason to be down here, and we can't waste time," Riveria responds as her eyes trail to the duo disappearing in the darkness. The elf squints her eyes as they exit her vision, she can swear that she saw... a decapitated head hanging from Kratos' hip. She sighs again, wiping a hand over her face, "Let's keep moving... We have a boss to kill."

The party travels through the 15th floor in silence, their minds still collectively lingering on the bizarre people they had seen. As they travel down a staircase to the 16th floor, Tiona suddenly gasps, "Didn't that boy say his name was Loki?" she says.

"No, the man said their names were Kratos and Atreus," Riveria responds with her brows furrowed, seeming to realize something.

"Oh," Tiona says, staring at the stone floor with her lips slightly curled. Her mind roams to the boy named Atreus, and she makes a note in her mind.

Atreus may have bitten off more than he can chew...