15 Strange Silence

"ARES!" Kratos screams to the sky, a pile of dead soldiers beneath him. A man stands before him with a spiked hammer raised above his head, a barbarian king on the brink of victory.

The cloudy sky looms over the blood-drenched battlefield. They separate, and a light descends to the earth, beautifully bright like the sun itself. It transforms into a massive man, and his boots slam to the battlefield. With long hair flaming to his pauldrons, exquisite armor crafted for a god, and a visage that tells of a battle-worn man, Ares, The God of War stands proud as he stares at Kratos.

The barbarian steps back, his eyes wide as the sight of a god in the flesh overrides his bloodlust. Kratos kneels before the God of War, raising his head, "My life is yours, from this day to my last," he promises his servitude to Ares.

Ares smirks, his arms rising as fiery energy envelops his body and transfers to his hands. The ball of energy forms into the Blades of Chaos, and Kratos screams as the chains are seared to his skin, a permanent reminder of his servitude to the God of War.

---

Kratos gasps, leaning up quickly. He clutches his head, grimacing as the dream simmers in his mind. His feet meet the floor, and Kratos glances at Atreus' bed, but just the same as before, the boy is gone.

"The lad is downstairs. Said he wanted to help the owner of the pub with cleaning," Mimir suddenly speaks from his spot at the table.

"Mhh," Kratos responds with a hum, staring at the wood panels of the floor.

"Nightmare?" Mimir asks.

Kratos hums again, standing and grabbing his weapons from the bed. He picks up Mimir from the table, "Brother, I need to ask you something," he says.

"What is it?" Kratos responds, holding the head up before him.

"I know you wanted to teach them a lesson, brother, and I believe that was necessary. But... Don't you think you should have finished the job? They know your secret, and while they should be privy to the consequences, it still leaves some risk," Mimir says.

Kratos pauses, his eyes roaming to the floor before returning to Mimir, "...I am aware, but I do not want to teach that to the boy. He should not let fools treat him as if he is one of them, however, he cannot repeat my past. Violence is an answer... but it should be the final thing he turns to," he says.

Mimir hums, "I understand, brother..." he says as Kratos steps into the hallway, "...Where are we headed today?"

"The boy wanted a sword, and we will try to find one for him... I will also be needing something to cover my back," Kratos says, stepping down the dimly lit stairs.

"Ah... that would be wise," Mimir responds.

Kratos affirms with a grunt, his heavy steps taking him to the counter of the pub. Atreus stands beside Mama Mia, wiping a pot with a wet rag. The tall woman glances at Kratos, "Your boy is a hard worker! I might just have to steal him for myself," Mia teases.

Kratos scoffs, his eyes trailing to Atreus and back, "...We need new equipment, where would we be able to acquire them?" he asks.

Mia raises her brows, glancing at the axe peeking from Kratos' back, "I'm guessing it's for the boy? There are blacksmith shops all across the city, but the tower has the best equipment Orario has to offer," she responds.

Atreus looks up at Mia with furrowed brows, "The tower? You mean the dungeon tower?" he asks.

"Yep, the tower of Babel. It's owned by the guild, but the first twenty floors are occupied by familia businesses... If you want to take a peek at the very best equipment, then your eyes should be set on the fourth to eighth floors. That's where the Hephaestus familia's very best blacksmiths sell their wares," Mia responds.

Kratos hums, "Hephaestus..." he mutters to himself, memories of an atrociously hideous man passing through his mind. His eyes return to Mia's after a moment, "...We will visit this tower of Babel," Kratos says, "Come, boy."

Atreus pauses as he wipes another pot, staring up at Mama Mia with an apologetic expression. Mia cackles, that macho laugh reverberating through the pub, "...Oh, you're alright, Atreus. Thank you for the help though," she says, ruffling the boy's hair.

Atreus nods with curled lips, setting the pot down and walking to his father, "See you later, Mia!" he says, waving as he follows Kratos into the sun-soaked street.

Once again, the godly trio travels through the river of civilization that is the streets of Orario. Atreus walks distracted by his notebook, glancing at signs and parchment stuck to shop windows. The night before, Atreus had sat in his bed and studied all that he had written since coming to this world, and despite his progress, the boy still feels as if he could learn faster, "...Father, do you think we could find someone to help me with the language?" he asks.

Kratos glances down at his son, "Mhh, maybe the pub owner could help you. She seems to have taken a liking to you," he responds.

"What are you having trouble with, little brother? I haven't seen much of the language, but I could be of some use," Mimir asks.

Atreus trails behind his father, raising his notebook before Mimir while pointing to some words with his quill, "This... and This."

"Oh, lad... This is almost identical to the Anglo-Saxon runic alphabet created by the Dwarves. Tell you what, Atreus, you wait until we return to the pub, and I'll try my best to help you out," Mimir responds.

Atreus nods, "Okay, sounds good," he says, tucking the notebook behind his back.

The trio continues their trudge through the streets, and as they cease their earlier conversation, Kratos and Atreus suddenly notice a strange detail, "Father... Was it always this quiet?" Atreus asks with troubled words, glancing at the dour atmosphere surrounding them.

Kratos grunts, "I do not know... Ignore it, we have no reason to care for the condition of the city," he responds.

"Oh, brother... It may just have more to do with us than you think. Did that Elven woman not mention that the Loki Familia is one of the strongest in the city?" Mimir chimes in.

Kratos hums in response, still not convinced that he should care.

"It's okay. Soon, we'll be the strongest, and there won't be a thing that anyone can do about it," Atreus says.

Kratos glances at his son with furrowed brows, "Do not get a big head, boy. I know you remember what has happened with that kind of thinking," he says.

Atreus purses his lips, "Yes, father."

The strange lack of chatter continues until the trio reaches the tower, and they step through the large door at the front, "Oh, I think the shops are through that door," Atreus says, pointing to a wooden door to the side of the dungeon entrance.

The trio enters the door and are met with glass windows lining a hallway that seems to loop around the tower. Potions, items, armor, and weapons sit displayed in the glass with ridiculous price tags attached to them, "Didn't Mia say that the Hephaistos Familia's wares were the fourth floor?" Atreus says, glancing at a dagger with a tag that reads '90,000 Valis'.

"Mhh... We have 60,000 Valis, and it seems most of these items would leave us with no funds," Kratos responds.

"Ah, I'm sure there's a 'broke father and son' section. Maybe we should ask someone?" Mimir says.

Kratos grunts in response, arriving at an elevator with a metal gate before it. The metal gate shakes, and Kratos steps into the small elevator, "Come, boy," he calls to Atreus, who stares at an item displayed in one of the windows.

As Kratos cannot read even the buttons on the elevator, Atreus pushes one of the green glowing buttons that reads "4". The elevator shakes and rises through the shaft at a slow speed. Moments pass, and a ding rings out, the elevator stopping before another metal gate.

The trio steps into the lavish hallway, noticing the lotus-shaped ceiling lights and overall more expensive-looking decorations that line this floor, "It seems the Hephaistos familia is doing well for themselves," Mimir says.

Suddenly, Atreus gasps as he glances at one of the windows with swords and shields lining them, "30 million, 50 million, 70 million... Father, how are people supposed to afford this?" Atreus asks with raised brows.

"I do not know... There is no reason for us to look at these. It will be a long time before we can afford them," Kratos responds, walking past his son.

Suddenly, a door opens between the glass displays, and a small figure slams into Kratos.

"Ow!... Oh, I'm sorry," A small woman says. With long black hair tied into ponytails and bangs covering her forehead, big blue eyes, a red and white uniform, and a voluptuous chest begging to be released from its bonds, the woman stands and meets Kratos' eyes, "How can I help you?" she asks with a smile.

"Do you work here?" Atreus asks, stepping up beside his father.

"Yep. My name is Hestia! Did you need help finding anything?" The woman says with that same smile.

Atreus attempts to keep his eyes from lowering, but fails miserably. A slight blush floods his cheeks, "Um... Is there- Is there a place where everything isn't so expensive?" he asks.