Chaos In The City

"Alright... I'm done," Hephaestus rubs the back of her hand across her forehead. That same parchment sits before her with a depiction of the Blades of Chaos. Little notes are scattered across it with lines pointing to different parts of the weapons.

Kratos steps up to the table and grabs the blades, sheathing them on his back quick, "When will you begin your work?" he asks.

The Smith God looks up at Kratos, "Right away. The ideas are fresh on my mind, and I have to put them into action before new ones take over," she responds.

"What about creating a familia?" Atreus asks as he stares up at the woman.

Hephaestus raises her brow, "Oh, about that... Would you mind waiting until I finish the first prototype? I'll be locking myself in this shop, and once I begin my work, it's hard for me to stop," she says.

Kratos nods, "We will wait," he says.

"Aww... I thought I would be able to level up tomorrow," Atreus says, his shoulders sagging and his head dropping to his chest.

Kratos looks down at his son, "Do not whine, boy. She has her own life, and we cannot expect her to drop everything for us," he says.

Atreus hears his father, but it doesn't alleviate the disappointment in the slightest, "Yes, father. I just... I just want to be strong like you," he responds.

Kratos' brows raise ever so slightly, and he sets a firm hand on the boy's shoulder, "You will be strong, Atreus," he says with calm and reassuring words.

Atreus looks up at his father with slightly curled lips, "Do you think I'll ever be as strong as you?" he asks.

Kratos nods, dropping to one knee with his hand still settled on the boy's shoulder, "That is your choice, Atreus. I can teach you anything..." he puts a finger to Atreus' chest, "...But it falls to you to make those teachings your own knowledge. My training for you will only become more strenuous from here, and you know I do not tolerate sloth."

Atreus pauses, staring at his father with hard eyes, "I won't slack, Father. I want to be strong, and I know it won't just be handed to me," he responds.

Kratos nods, patting his son's shoulder, "You are correct," he says, standing with his eyes falling to Hephaestus.

The Smith God stands with a slight smile on her lips, "For an adoptive father, you are incredible at dealing with your child..." she says, suddenly adopting a dour expression, "...You're lucky, even if it isn't truly your child. Being able to raise another human being is... Never mind... Anyway, we've got everything figured out. Where would I be able to find you once I'm done?"

"We've been sleeping in a room at the Hostess of Fertility," Atreus responds.

Hephaestus furrows her brow, "You don't even have a place to call home yet?" she asks, sighing, "...Well, before you do anything else, you should probably find a home. I can help you find one once I'm done with the project, but paying for it will be your problem."

Kratos nods, "We will handle the funds," he responds.

Hephaestus nods back, walking around the table, "Well, I'll show you out. When I'm done, I'll come to the Hostess of Fertility and inform you," she says.

The trio follows Hephaestus out of the workshops and through the wooden doors. Moments pass and they arrive before the elevator. A button clicks and Hephaestus turns with a smile, "Well, I wish you all well in your endeavors. I'll be locking myself away for... Who knows how long," she says with a slight smile, seeming to be excited at the idea of starting a new project.

Atreus steps into the elevator along with his father. His lips curl as he waves to the Goddess, "Bye, Hephaestus! Thank you for everything!" he says as the doors slide closed, the last thing he sees being Hephaestus' wide smile and a waving black glove.

Atreus pushes a glowing button with "1" engraved on it, looking up at his father as he steps back, "She was so nice! See, not all gods are bad," he says.

Kratos scoffs, "Do not trust blindly, boy. I've told you many times about gods... I hope you have not forgotten," he responds, his voice booming in the small elevator.

Atreus shakes his head, "Of course not. But... They can't hurt you, so why are you so worried about them?" he asks with furrowed brows.

Kratos looks down at his son with hard eyes, pausing for a moment. He takes a breath, "What if one of these gods were to take you from me?" he responds with his own question.

Atreus raises his brows and his lips part as his eyes trail down, "Oh..." his words are small, merely a mutter to himself.

Kratos grunts as he witnesses his son's reaction, his eyes slipping to the silver elevator door, "...There are much worse fates than a moment's pain, and Gods are spiteful. When you feel safe, as if nothing can hurt you in a moment, that is when they will strike, deep and precise," he says.

The elevator dings and the duo step out into the sunlit entrance to the dungeon. Atreus looks up at his father with furrowed brows, "But you'll protect me, right?" he asks.

Kratos nods, "You are my son... I will always protect you. However, we will not always be together in the future. My teachings can only go so far, and you will need to form your own vision of the world," he says.

"You'll scare the lad, brother. He's only eleven," Mimir says suddenly.

"It's okay... I know I'll have to get out into the world eventually," Atreus says, stepping light into that massive doorway, gentle sunlight bathing his pale skin as his eyes take in the awe-inspiring view of Orario. The boy's lips curl slightly as he turns to look at Kratos, "We've got a lot to do. So... What should we do first?" Atreus asks.

Kratos raises his chin, taking in that same view, "...What do you think?" his eyes trail down to his son.

Atreus stares up at his father for a moment, suddenly reaching behind his back. His teenage hands grip that spear, and the boy brings the weapon before him. Atreus's eyes linger on the double-bladed weapon as he flips it slowly in his hands, "I want to be stronger... Now," he says with determined words.

Kratos hums as his eyes linger on Atreus for a moment. The Greek God turns, his footsteps echoing through the large room as he walks towards the dungeon, "Come, then... Let us begin your true training," he says, lighter footsteps soon joining his own.

---

"Thank you for doing business with the Guild!" Misha says with a smile as a group of adventurers walk away from the counter. Though that smile soon disappears as the girl is left alone. She taps a finger on the counter, a hand cupping her chin as she stands with a frown.

Eina is still missing in action, and Misha had only one clue as to where the Elf could be, if it could even be called a clue. She had heard from one of the other guild employees that a man had spoken to Eina just before she left the Guild two days earlier. He wore a black cloak that covered his massive body, and due to this, the whistleblower had no clue as to the identity of the man.

Misha sighs, running her hands through her short pink hair, "Where are you? There's so much going on right now... We need you, Eina..." she mutters. On top of the shady situation with Eina, Misha had heard from one of the adventurers that something horrible had happened to the Loki Familia. All of the top members were critically injured yesterday, and the culprits are still unknown. The worst was Finn, the captain. His neck was snapped and his trachea crushed nearly beyond repair. The Pallum had been brought to an inch of his life, but luckily he was healed by Fels, a servant to Ouranos, a god that acts as the leader of the Guild.

Out of all the chaos in the current situation though, Misha had found one detail the most confusing. The adventurer had raised the question, "Who did this?", but the god only stared at the adventurer with wide eyes and trembling lips. It seemed as if the woman was terrified of something, and that single notion sent shivers up Misha's spine. After all, what could scare one of the top Familias in all of Orario?

Suddenly, the front door to the Guild opens, and Misha is broken from her train of thought. Though her brows raise and her lips part after she realizes who it is. The girl runs around the counter, appearing in front of the person in question quickly, "Eina! Where have you been!?" Misha asks with furrowed brows.

"Misha..." Eina looks at the girl with wide eyes, "...I don't know... I just woke up in my bed this morning..." she says, seeming to be confused by her own words as a frown forms on her lips

Misha stands straight, her brows still furrowed, "I thought something had happened to you! You never miss work, ever!" she says.

Eina pauses, staring at Misha with pursed lips, "I know, I'm sorry..." she says, "...Have I missed anything important?" she asks.

Suddenly, Misha's eyes dart around the room and she steps closer to Eina, "Have you heard about the Loki Familia?" she whispers.

With furrowed brows, Eina cocks her head back, "...No?"

Misha raises her brows for a moment, but returns to a neutral expression quickly, "Come with me... You have to hear about it," she whispers again, taking Eina by the arm as they approach the back of the Guild.