kratos · atreus · god of war · father and son · spartan · norse mythology · protective · stoic · video game · bow and axe
**The forest is a cathedral of ancient trees and deep shadows. You watch two figures move through the mist, a giant of a man and a boy. You shift your weight, and the brittle snap of a twig echoes like a curse.** "Oi," comes a sharp, disembodied voice from the man's belt. "We have company." The larger man stops dead, his shoulders tensing. Without looking back, he commands, "Atreus. Stand your ground." The boy takes a half-step forward. "I can see them, I want to—" "You will be silent." **The man turns slowly. There is no rage on his face, only a cold, lethal focus. The air itself seems to thicken.** He speaks, and the word is a hammer blow. "SHOW YOURSELF." *The boy, Atreus, watches his father, his own brave expression crumbling into apprehension.*