Chapter 4

Ordria was exhausted. Her body was aching, bits and pieces of her skin were slowly burning due to the plasma that clung to her skin and despite the heat of the plasma, she felt cold all over due to rapid blood loss via the red mist escaping from her orifices. Yet despite all this, she somehow found the strength to crawl towards her unconscious son while muttering his name as unconsciousness threatened to claim her.

As she crawled towards him, she heard the light crunching of snow which indicated that someone was coming. "L.l.l.leave him a.a.alone" she gasps as she struggled to get to her feet, the will to protect her son giving her a little bit of strength. As she struggled to get to her feet, a pair of fur boots appeared in her field of vision.

"It's alright ástin mín" a male voice said, flooding her body with relief as a pair of arms turned her over so that she was laying on her back. "I am here" the voice said as the owner of the voice's hand ran over her face, releasing a surge of energy into her body that stabilized her body while quenching the plasma which not only danced on her face, but also raised her body temperature, causing blood to escape her body in the form of mist.

Opening her eyes, a weak smile grew on her face as she stared at a familiar face; Aldos, her husband. His dark purple eyes stared at her with worry and compassion in them as he stroked her face with the back of his hand. "W.what took you so long?" she coughed, bits of red mist escaping from her mouth. "You missed out on the fun" she weakly chuckled before closing her eyes as unconsciousness claimed her.

Seeing her close her eyes, Aldos first checked her breathing and after confirming that she was still breathing, he walked over to where his son was and after checking to see if he was alright, he lifted him up and placed him over his shoulder. Securing him in place, he moved to pick up his wife, only to stop suddenly. "I see you" he suddenly said before holding out his right hand, a pitch-black spear with purple markings manifesting in his palm. Shifting back a few feet, he pulled the arm that held the spear back and threw it to the sky. The spear sliced through the air, a cone of air forming around it as it approached sonic speeds before suddenly vanishing. "You're welcome" he said before continuing towards Ordria. Picking her up, he made his way back to their home.

Reaching their home, Aldos stares at the dead bodies of the villagers and Grid for a while before pushing open the door to their home and entering. Closing the door behind him with his foot, Aldos's purple eyes scanned the inside of the house that he hadn't seen in around two years. Making his way to the room that he and Ordria shared, he gently placed her on the bed before heading to Ozymandias's room and placing him on his own bed. Placing his hand on his son's chest, a concerned look appeared on Aldos's face before it vanished as quick as it appeared. "Sleep well Ozy" he said before closing the door, off to attend to his wife.

Ordria's eyes snapped open, her dull crimson orbs staring at the ceiling with a mixture of confusion and exhaustion. Confused as to how she got back to her home, where her son was and most importantly, if he was safe. Slowly sitting up, she winced as a wave of agony washed over her body, but she managed to power through. Successfully sitting up, she began looking around the room as memories of Guðrun's attempted snatching of her son resurfaced.

The last thing she remembered before everything went black was Aldos's face. She tried to get up, but exhaustion and pain kept her seated on the bed. Seeing that she wasn't able to get up just yet, she looked around the room, taking note of the bags on the floor which belonged to Aldos. Satisfied that her husband was around, she laid back on the bed and closed her eyes, letting her bandaged body sinking into the bed.

The smell of food woke her up hours later, her stomach growling as it demanded she eat. Obeying her stomach's demands, she got up slowly, doing her best to avoid any unnecessary movements that would bring her pain. Staggering to the door of her room, she pushed it open and made her way over to the kitchen where the scent was coming from. Entering the kitchen, she ignored the empty bowl and spoon that her husband had laid out on the table, her crimson eyes lighting up as they landed on the pot which sat on the table, the source of the wonderful scent that caused her mouth to water. Picking up the spoon that laid next to the empty bowl, she sat down and pulled the pot close to her, judging from how cold the pot was that her husband had set it out hours ago.

Lifting the pot lid, her eyes brightened even more as she stared at the meat stew inside, her favorite. Placing the spoon aside, she gripped the pot by its handles and placed it to her lips, tilted her head back and began to drink the stew, taking great care not to spill any as she savored the taste. Every once in a while, she would come across huge pieces of meat which required her to put the pot down and joyfully tear into the meat, consuming even the bone. Emptying the pot of its contents after a few minutes, she set it down and licked her lips, savoring the taste as it brought back the times she and Aldos spent on the battlefield, her sharpening her weapons and preparing for the next fight while he would prepare this exact stew for her.

She was soon snapped out of her reminiscing by the sound of the door opening which was soon followed by two footsteps; one pair heavy and the other light. Knowing the owners of those footsteps, she slowly got up, wincing in pain as she did so and turned around to face her husband who was had two spears strapped to his back, and her son who was covered with bruises and limping.

"Ástin mín, you shouldn't be moving around in your condition" Aldos cried as he rushed towards her and wrapped his arms around her, gently pouring magic into her body in an attempt to heal her remaining injuries, a barely visible frown appearing on his face as he did so. The magic poured into her body, regrowing her burnt skin while knitting back her torn ligaments and muscles. Satisfied with himself, he withdrew his magic from her body and let go of her, a guilty look appearing on his face.

"Ástin mín, I'm so sorry" he began to apologize "I wasn't" he was cut off by Ordria placing her finger to his lips.

"It's alright" she said before pulling him in for another hug, "There was nothing you could do" she consoled before letting him go and facing Ozymandias who was currently staring down at the floor in order to avoid meeting her gaze. "As for you" she said to him while walking towards him, her crimson eyes glowing.

"Mother, I'm sorry" he choked, tears beginning to fall from his eyes as he prepared himself for the blow that usually followed each time he got into trouble or failed at a task. "I'll do better" his words were cut off as he felt his mother's arms wrap around him and pull him close to her.

"It's okay Stolt" she cooed lovingly as she stroked his hair, ignoring the tears that fell from his eyes, staining her bandages. "I'm so happy that you're alright" she then lifted his head and was shocked at the sight of his left eye which was now purple and red. "You did well for your first real fight" she then kissed his forehead "If anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do." Hearing her words, Ozymandias began to apologize, only to be silenced by a slap to the back of his head "However I now realize that your training is lacking" she said with a stern voice that brooked no argument "From now on, your training will increase" she stated before letting him go.

Seeing that his wife was done scolding their son, Aldos motioned for Ozymandias to come to him. Placing his hand on his son's head Aldos poured some of his magic into his son's body, his purple eyes watched the bruises disappear from his son's body. Satisfied that he had healed him, he took his hand off his head. "Why don't you go and retrieve some of the meat I brought back from my travels?" he asked, nudging his son towards the door that led towards the back of the house.

Hearing the door close behind his son, Aldos's face became serious as he faced his wife who had a similar look on her face. "Ástin mín we need to talk" he said while sitting down. He waited for her to sit before continuing, "I completely agree with you about his training. Things are growing even more dangerous not only out there" he pointed outside the house "But up there" he pointed upwards. "Not only that, but he is also making moves. Dangerous moves" he finished.

Seeing Ordria considering his words, Aldos placed his hand on hers and continued "We need to do this ástin mín" his eyes shown with compassion, moist with tears "We need to do this, we need to keep him safe." Ordria was silent for a while as she contemplated his words before responding

"I agree. I don't like this, but I understand that we have no choice" she answered in a soft voice before pulling in her husband in for a hug. They broke the hug as they heard the back door open and Ozymandias walked in holding three gutted, skinned and frozen creatures in his hands. "Rabbits!" Ordria shrieked joyfully, her eyes glowing with glee as she eyed the rabbits held in her son's hand. "I haven't had those since the war!" she exclaimed, nostalgia in her eyes.

Handing them over to his dad, he sat down on the chair next to his mother who then pulled him closer to her, allowing him to rest his head on her shoulder. "What are rabbits?" he asked with a confused look on his face. Ordria and Aldos shared a look before remembering that rabbits didn't live here, therefore not even the villagers that inhabited the area nor the royals would have seen or eaten rabbits, much less his son.

their son wouldn't have seen one.

"Rabbits are one of the most delicious things you'll ever eat" Ordria responded with a voice of authority, her eyes still locked on the three rabbit bodies in her husband's hand. "Especially when your father makes them" she then licked her lips, remembering the taste.

"Well both of you are in for a treat" Aldos said before getting up from the chair, taking the empty pot that Ordria had left on the table with him. "I'll be making rabbit stew" he said as he headed to the fireplace. Hearing the words rabbit stew, Ordria's eyes widened even more as the thought of food cooked by her husband entered her mind.

"We're helping" she said, getting up and dragging her son with her to the fireplace where her husband had hung the pot over the fire, next to another pot which currently held rapeseed oil. Seeing his wife and son coming to help, Aldos handed the rabbits to Ordria.

"You and Ozymandias can prepare the rabbits" he said, handing the rabbits to Ordria who stood next to him. Taking the rabbits from him, she led Ozymandias to the table and handed him a dagger which she pulled out from its built-in sheath under the table. Pulling out another dagger from under the table, she showed him how to cut the rabbit into smaller pieces. At first he struggled to follow his mother's instructions, but after watching her with his purple and red eye, he felt the process grow easier, his motions slowly matching hers, much to her surprise.

The two spent roughly an hour butchering the rabbits, mostly due to Ozymandias's inexperience. Finally finishing the butchering, the two of them carried the two of them placed the pieces in a large bowl and carried it over to Aldos who was stirring something in the first pot. Pulling out the spoon which held a red sauce, Aldos placed it against his lips, tasting it. Satisfied with the taste, he offered it to Ozymandias.

"What is it?" he asked, hesitant to taste the weird sauce.

"It's tomato sauce" his dad responded, pushing the spoon closer to him, "Its delicious" he pushed it closer to his son's lips.

"What's a tomato?" he asked, cocking his brow, trying to conjure the image of whatever a tomato was in his head.

"This is a tomato" a round fruit appeared in Aldos's free hand. Handing it to his son, Aldos watched him sniff it and poke it before finally taking a bite out of it, tomato juice running down the side of his mouth as his eyes widened in delight its unique taste flooded his mouth. Finishing the tomato in three bites, Ozymandias wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before his eyes landed on the spoon of tomato sauce. Taking the spoon from his father's hand, he put it to his lips and sipped on the sauce, his eyes widening as the taste of garlic and tomato flooded his mouth along with the taste of other ingredients that he had never tasted. He was about to continue drinking the sauce from the spoon, only for it to be snatched out of his hand by his mother who drank the sauce.

Seeing that his son and wife enjoyed the sauce, he took it off the flame and placed it on the floor. "Ordria please get me some rapeseed oil, flour, vinegar and another pot" he asked as he rolled up his sleeve, revealing several tattoos of various objects. Holding out his hand over the floor, Ozymandias watched in awe as various vegetables appeared out of nowhere, not noticing some of the tattoos on his father's arm disappearing. Taking the jar of rapeseed oil that his wife had dropped next to him, he poured some of the oil into the heated pot, the sound of sizzling filling the air.

"Ordria, Ozymandias" he called as he took the rabbit pieces from the bowl and dropped them into the pot of boiling oil, "Help me cut the garlic, onions, potatoes and carrots" he pointed to the uncut vegetables as the sound of sizzling filled the house and soon the smell of fried rabbit filled the house. Using the wooden spoon, he frequently turned each meat piece over until all sides were golden brown as his wife and son chopped the vegetables.

Taking the golden-brown rabbit pieces out of the pot, he placed them back in the wooden bowl and left it to cool. Taking the chopped onions from Ordria, he poured them into the pot and stirred gently. "Ordria, you're on fire duty" he said, causing her eyes to glow in excitement as the prospect of playing with fire ignited something deep inside her. Clenching her fist, the flames turned from yellow to blue, bringing about a significant increase in heat. "Too hot!" Aldos shouted, causing her to reduce the heat.

Once the onions turned translucent, Aldos signaled for Ozymandias to pour in the garlic while his dad stirred constantly for thirty seconds. "Butter" he stated, his son bringing over a slab of butter. Cutting some off, he threw it into the pot and stirred, watching and waiting for it to melt completely. Once it vanished, he signaled for his son to pour in some flour and for Ordria to raise the heat. Letting it cook for about a minute, he signaled for his son to pour in the tomato sauce, vinegar, diced potatoes and carrots.

"Increase the heat." Ordria complied and raised the temperature of the flames, turning it from yellow to blue with hints of white. Taking the golden-brown rabbit pieces he had kept aside, he threw them into the pot and stirred, making sure to cover them with the bubbling stew. Taking out the spoon from the pot, he placed the lid on and started cleaning up while Ordria played around with the fire, raising and reducing the heat of the flames as she saw fit.

After an hour, Aldos lifted the pot off the fire and carried it to the table, the heat of the metal not hurting his bare skin the slightest while Ordria followed eagerly, hunger in her eyes. Placing the pot on the table, he lifted the lid which revealed the stew inside and filled the house with the smell of food. Ozymandias brought out three wooden bowls along with spoons and set them down on the table. The trio sat down at the table as Aldos poured the stew into his bowl before passing it to his son who made use of a cloth to hold the handle and finally his wife.

Snatching the pot from her husband with her bare hands, she pushed the wooden bowl aside and raised the steaming pot to her lips. Tilting her head back, she parted her lips and started drinking the hot stew, not even taking the time to chew unless she came across the rabbit pieces. Watching his mother drink the stew, Ozymandias dipped his spoon in the bowl before bringing it to his lips. Blowing on it to cool it down, he gingerly took his first bite.

Aldos watched in amusement as his son took his first bite of rabbit stew. He chuckled as his son's eyes widened in amazement before attacking the plate with gusto, not even bothering to blow on the food to cool it down anymore. Throwing the spoon aside, he lifted the bowl to his lips and began to drink just like his mother. Chuckling at his son's antics, Aldos started eating.

"Ozymandias why don't you tell me what happened last week" he asked as he tore off a chunk of the rabbit's lap, his face turning serious. Hearing his father's request, he placed down the bowl and wiped his lips.

"But I already told you everything" he responded, licking his lips to catch the stray drops of stew that ran down the side of his mouth.

"I know" his father replied "But your mother has been unconscious for the past week and she needs to know exactly what happened" he tore off another chunk off the rabbit lap in his hand, takin his time to chew.

"Yes sir" he responded and began a detailed recounting of his experience, making sure not to leave out any details. Hearing his narration, Ordria put down the pot and gave him her full attention, her crimson eyes narrowing when her son mentioned the trance he entered when he fought the villagers. He was so enraptured in his story telling that he failed to notice the look of pride his parents shared when he mentioned the voice that had told him to dodge. "And then after I tackled Grid to the ground, everything went black" he finished before placing the bowl to his lips and emptied his bowl. Eyeing the pot next to his mother with hunger and longing in his eyes, he gingerly snuck his hand towards the pot, drawing it back quickly as Ordria's eyes landed on his hand.

"I have come to a decision" Ordria announced, grabbing her husband and son's attention. "I have decided to resume Stolt's magic training." Her words caused Ozymandias's eyes to widen in surprise and excitement. "I wanted to wait until he was older, I have no choice."

"Will I be able to do that flaming fist thing you did against Tryggr?" he asked, envisioning his fists coated in the same flamelike substance as his mother's as he mowed down hordes of enemies.

"That particular wasn't magic" she answered as she unwrapped the bandages around her arm to reveal healthy skin. "It's a result of intense physical training" she then flexed the arm to show off her muscles which strained against her skin. "Once you get into shape, you'll be able to do the same" she told him with a grin.

"I have an announcement as well" Aldos put his empty bowl aside. "I've decided to stop traveling. Permanently." The statement caused Ozymandias's cheer internally. "I've also decided to join your mother in training you" he then got up to retrieve three wooden mugs from a shelf and a large bottle of rum. Placing a mug in front of his wife and one in front of his son, he filled both the cups with mead. Sitting back down, he filled his own cup with mead and raised it in a toast which his wife and son mimicked. "Ozymandias I can tell you have questions" he said as he sipped from his mug.

"What is the Temple?" he questioned as he sipped on his mead, enjoying the sweetness.

"The Temple is an organization made up of those who worship the gods" Aldos started explaining "They have the ears of kings and queens, entire kingdoms are wrapped around their finger" he stopped to take a sip of mead before he continued speaking "They believe that they speak for the gods and their word is law. They also believe that magic is a gift and they alone should control it" he chuckled at that part before emptying the mug in a single gulp. "They're especially notorious for hunting down those that go against their beliefs" he finished off.

"Anyway, it's time for you to go to sleep. You've had an exhausting day and tomorrow will be even worse" he stated, waving his hand to send Ozymandias off to bed. Getting up from his chair, Ozymandias emptied the mug and placed it on the table before going to his room, closing the door behind him.

Hearing the door close, Ordria clenched her fists tightly, her body trembling as sobs racked her body, tears running down her cheeks. "It'll be alright ástin mín" her husband consoled as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her close to him.

"How can you say it'll be alright!" she shouted, hitting him in the chest. "He's too young for any of this and most importantly he's not ready!" she shouted.

"Neither were we Ordria!" he shouted back, his emotions getting the better of him "None of us were ready when the war happened and yet we both walked out stronger than we could have imagined. I believe it'll be the same for him" he said firmly, placing her head on his chest.

"But what if it isn't? What if he's not yet ready?" she mumbled, unable to get rid of the worry that weighed heavy in her heart.

"That's why we're here ástin mín. We'll be here to help him when he needs it"

Breaking the hug, Ordria got up and made her way to Ozymandias's room. Opening the door, she gazed at his sleeping form with motherly love in her eyes. Entering his room, she climbed on the bed and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her. "I'm so sorry Stolt. For everything that you'll go through, everything that I could never prepare you for." She muttered apologies over and over as she stroked his hair lovingly. Standing at the door watching the whole thing was Aldos who had a complicated expression on his face. Closing the door, he made his way to his and Ordria's room.

Pulling the rug on the floor aside, he squatted down and ran his fingers along the floor until he came across several finger sized holes. Sliding his fingers into the holes, he pulled out the floorboard. Reaching into the revealed space, he pulled put an object roughly six feet long and wrapped in the skin of an unknown creature which was covered with red and purple symbols that slowly pulsated with power. Unwrapping the object with great care, Aldos's face was illuminated by a dim glow which emanated from the object. "Hello old friend" Aldos greeted "I have need of you once more."