Chapter 01: Of Wisdom and War

There is a hidden forest in Maine, where one won't be able to enter. It is inhabited by various spirits of nature of Native American origins. The Gods and their spawn usually ignore the place, as it was never important to them. It was the perfect place for those who were hunted by the gods to lay low or even make a permanent home out of it, provided they can fend of the magical creatures, mischevious to the ordinary mortal but hostile and deadly to the other pantheons.

A fallen god made his cabin there, subduing the forest as he built his cabin by every tree he chopped. His son, ever the Seiðmaðr, made a ward there before travelling the world, temporarily leaving the god to his own device.

That and a decapitated head who still tried to chat with him after three thousand years.

Anomalies, they were. Around the world, those who represent the fates suppress tales of their existence, the so-called travelling Gods. Small their number, but when they combined their might, they were as strong as any other pantheon, if not stronger. Not all gods have the privilege of breaking destiny, after all.

First, we have Kratos, Leader of the small band of Gods who changes domain every hundred years. God of Vengeance, War, rage, hunt, and Hope. The greek called him Ghost of Sparta, the Norse knows him as Fárbauti, Immortals referred to him as Godslayer, the fates around the world despise him as Breaker of Destiny. In the previous cycles, he was Bane of Olympus, scourge of the world, the bringer of sorrow, and the loving husband of Laufey and the distant father of Loki. Sadly, Laufey already reincarnated as someone completely unknown to him and the new Loki is a piece of work Kratos wouldn't poke with a ten-mile pole.

Puck, a mischievous and cunning fairy of Irish mythology who in the previous cycle of Ragnarök became Mimir. Self-proclaimed Smartest Undead and a God of Knowledge, not that he can be proud of that since his current domain was a forest with hardly any people in it, but still Kratos was a general and a great tactician, so his claim still hold a great weight.

And the third leader of the travelling God was Atreus, the Loki of the previous Cycle. He holds the seat of God of Stories, Trickery, Archery, Magic, hunting and duality. He is now known among the second cycle Jötunn as Føroyar-Loki, after the first place they took as their own domain following the rebirth of the world. A time where the name Loki was not known as a menace, but that of a great god and a wise king..or queen if he/she feel like it.

The previous cycle Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Hel (manifesting in the world as a child with blackened and corpse-like lower half) travel with Atreus as his puppy, snake, and daughter respectively. They too, for possessing the blood of Kratos, had been erased from the world history.

But even then, news travels fast, especially among the gods. Pantheons might not wish to interact with each other, but from time to time they do exchange information. When a fire spirit dared to try to bring death and misfortune to Kratos' cabin, the eternally rageful god took care of him with his frost axe, but his allies caught wind of his fate and talked amongst each other. Then the whole pantheon knows. Who talked about it to the greeks, complaining about their supposed "trash".

It was only a matter of time before someone made the first move.

Kratos stopped salting the deer he caught the moment someone knocked on his door. Usually, it was Atreus, and his magic would signal his arrival like a song as the creatures in the forest celebrate his return, the complete opposite of Kratos own presence.

But this aura… Oh, Kratos was more than familiar with it. He's sick of it.

Mimir too was aware of it. In fact, he's familiar with it, having met the owner of the magic few times during his tenure as Odin's advisor.

"Brother, should we summon Atreus?" It's not that Mimir had no faith in the old god's ability to cleave heads and massacre armies, but better be safe than sorry. Having the protection of an entire pantheon was always a good thing.

Especially when it concerns war.

"No" was the only answer. Kratos held out his hand and in an instant, his trusty axe was by his hand. The only reminder of the Laufey he loved. A shame that Jötunn of the previous cycle wasn't reformed with their memory intact like the Gods.

He opened his door and his amber-coloured eyes meet grey. Her form had changed from when he last met her, yet her presence speaks for her. The second god he hates the most amongst the pantheon, yet also the one he regretted killing the most. Her arrival was met with a gust of wind that turned the kindling fire of the hearth into a blaze. Beside her stood a little girl with fire for eyes. Unlike the fire that used to consume him, this was soft and gentle. Like the lady with grey eyes and brown hair, her presence alerted Kratos of their true identity beyond the trapping of mortal flesh.

"Athena" Kratos didn't hide his loath to her for torturing him with her ghostly visions and her curse of that made him unable to fade on his own terms, even if the last one allowed him to meet Faye and have Atreus.

"Kratos" Athena neutrally replied.

"Hello Nephew" the little lady greeted, Kratos only nodded at her.

"Oh my it has been a while since we got guest, aren't we?" Mimir greeted them from his place at Kratos' hips. Kratos only grimaced, inwardly pissed at Mimir's seemingly overjoyed tone. However, Kratos also knew Mimir couldn't help it. He was an ambassador, and he got the tendency to defrost situation.

"Is that you, little Puck?" Athena rose an eyebrow, she knows him from his days as Robin Goodfellows, tricking mortals in her domain before she shooed him away. Even after he becomes the politically powerful Mimir, Athena still called him that.

"Ah my lady, you embarrassed me in front of Lady… Hestia, was it? It's been a while since I saw any of your family members aside from this big grump" Mimir already switched to ancient Greek, though his accent was thick it was still excellent.

"Enough, Head" Kratos dismiss Mimir, as much as he can to a decapitated head that can't move. Mimir got the idea and stay silent.

"Why are you here?" Kratos tone was even, only his eyes betrayed his barely contained rage. It was never directed at Hestia, however, as his attention was singularly on Athena. A small amount of hail rotate around the axe head and Kratos hand turned white from gripping the handle and the small amount of frost covering it.

Athena studied the foreign weapon, curious at the magic of the north. Dwarven craft and Jötunn magic combined to create such an excellent weapon. If Ares was here, no doubt he would try prying that weapon away from Kratos hand, if Kratos didn't scatter his essence first. In fact, she was too into it that Hestia took her chance.

"Can't I see my dear Nephew?" Hestia innocently asked.

Kratos merely grunted at that. What could that mean is anyone's guess.

Hestia never went to war against Kratos, nor she was rude or antagonistic. In fact, she tried to help Kratos by the means of providing a home in a metaphorical sense, but Kratos was already adamant in his desire to ruin the Gods for what he'd done to him. In the end, Hestia grew weaker and seemingly fade as much of humanity were decimated by the disaster. But now she said, unironically, that she merely wanted to see him? Her "dear nephew"? Preposterous.

Athena put a hand on her shoulder, a silent message pass between the two of them. Hestia back off, looking around at the quiet forest.

"We are here to confirm your existence and deliver a message"

"Hermes is the messenger. Or has he not recover his legs?" Low blow from Kratos. Even Mimir start whispering to the ash-covered warrior, mainly because he didn't want to get caught in the crossfire of the battle between two War God. Thankfully Athena ignored that.

"Peace Kratos, we only wish to inform you that Zeus wants to meet you here" Athena extend her hand, offering a small piece of paper.

Kratos grasp it and read it, before using his rage to turn it into ash.

"Leave," said Kratos.

"Will you go there, Spartan?" Athena asked. She had her responsibility to their father, after all.

Kratos already went for the door and about to slam it in front of their face, but Hestia, even with her small form, prevented him to do so, using her little hands to block the door.

"The world has changed a lot, nephew, don't you wish to end your self-imposed exile? There is a place for you somewhere in the world"

Hestia's fiery eyes glow so warmly, it turned his home into something….. more bearable. It was only like this when Atreus was home. When the family was whole. Kratos shrugged the feeling off him. The gods have their tricks. There were virtually no difference between Hestia and Aphrodite in this regard.

"Hmph… Men and beasts change, but not the gods"

"Yet, here you are, rising a son who will not kill his father" Athena's words struck him like a blade, his eyes flickered for a moment, a savage rage flashed before the gods, "You have stopped the cycle. You are our proof"

"An exaggeration"

"Until Gods grow good? The legend might be suppressed among the mortals but we heard the rumour. You break fate to ensure it happens" Athena argued as Hestia nodded, a bit too fast to Kratos' liking.

It was a deafening silence that followed before Kratos took Hestia's hand away from the door. Kratos let out a small sigh, although not low enough that the gods' hearing wouldn't pick up. The forest seemed to breathe with him, the Greek gods now realized, as the forest lost their sounds a while ago, back when he noticed their presence.

"Tell him that I will be there tomorrow, now leave my home" Kratos closed the door with a small thud, Leaving the gods with the sound of crickets and the dim light from the runes surrounding the door

Seiðmaðr: Wizard, Seiðr user

Føroyar-Loki: Loki of Faroe Island

Author's note:

Yeah, this will involve a LOT of alteration with Riordan's canon, mainly the norse mythology.