Midgar and the Temple of Tyr 2.266

Viggo and Rosewisse had traveled back to the temple of Tyr in the boat they had originally occupied to travel the extensive river that connected the different areas. Everything kept looking calm, except that the sky had darkened as if it were night. The spring vegetation was more beautiful than ever, especially the small plants with petals that glowed a deep blue as if they were fireflies.

Rosewisse and Viggo arrived at the beach near the temple of Tyr, walked calmly until they reached a ramp that ascended three meters and took them to the entrance of the bridge. Everything continued to be quiet, but now the landscape was different. There were a bunch of white corpses impaled on the tridents of the dark elves. The big difference between the two races was that the white elves cut off their horns and dressed completely in white unlike the dark elves who dressed tribal in a loincloth.

Viggo and Rosewisse advanced through the corpses and made their way across the obsidian rock bridge. The carvings on the sides of the road were still complete, also of obsidian stone, but his helmet, spear and shield were made of gold. Something that had not changed either were the structures of that strange sandy and fragile matter.

—Is this serious?— asked Viggo, remembering that Rosewisse had mentioned that it was not good for the sky to darken.

—In terms of getting into a possible problem, it's not good, but if we consider the times the light has changed hands, it's normal— replied Rosewisse, somewhat disgusted by so much slaughter —in the end, war is out of necessity or greed, isn't it?—

Viggo nodded and looked forward, the constructions that looked like the walls of a honeycomb on the sides of the bridge stretched the length, much more than when they arrived and now, they had emitted luminous membranes that cut the passage.

At that moment, in the middle of the bridge appeared a dark portal like dimensional cracks. The portal expanded, and a warrior of great stature with sturdy armor came out. Their footsteps shook the bridge and generated a great noise. That warrior wore a great sword as big and almost as thick as him. He carried it on his right shoulder and held it by the handle with one hand.

—Rosewisse— said Viggo, somewhat troubled by the new road that had appeared before them.

—What?— asked Rosewisse, looking away from the corpses of the white elves and looking straight ahead. Then she saw the sculptures of the warriors with spears and shields on the sides forming a guarded road and at the end of that road a warrior who could be considered armored.

—It's not good— said Rosewisse —he is one of Odin's followers, a traveler—

—What is a traveler?—

—Not right now, occupying your touki, if he hits you with that sword, it will be like receiving a hammer from Thor—

—It's not good— Viggo confirmed, concentrating on the enemy advancing at a slow pace as if he had trouble moving the armor. Viggo was covered with the red touki and Rosewisse did the same with his magic reinforcement.

—Will you let me try?— asked Viggo.

Rosewisse looked at Viggo, with shoulder-length red hair and vibrant blue eyes. For some reason he was smiling. She nodded, but anyway summoned her silver wand in her right hand.

Viggo on his way to meet the traveler, a guy taller than Viggo himself, armored with a powerful turquoise breastplate and carrying a great sword almost as big as him. Viggo reached the five meters away and the traveler who moved slowly, under his great sword to the ground and threw himself in a wheelbarrow. From the size of the traveler in his armor Viggo had the impression that he was going to be crushed by a mountain, but he recovered immediately and prepared for the encounter.

The traveler stopped, raised his great sword with both hands and unloaded it as if it were a huge guillotine ready to split Viggo in half. The latter stepped aside and dodged the cut by a small margin. The traveler picked up the great sword again and unloaded it with equal force. Viggo again elusive, but the traveler seemed unstoppable and attacked him successively until he threw horizontal cuts. Viggo stepped under the blade, dodging all cuts and once he understood the traveler's movement pattern, he began to attack.

Viggo crouched like a boxer, let the great sword pass over his head and punished him with a powerful punch. The traveler's armor gradually began to crack, but none of that mattered to the traveler, he continued to attack with vertical and horizontal cuts. The movement of the weapon cut the air and when it crashed into the obsidian rock floor of the bridge it produced a loud ringing that filled everything for several meters around.

The traveler took his great sword and raised it again with both hands to unload it against Viggo. The latter moved to the side, dodged by a small margin and the great sword hit the ground releasing a ring. Viggo clenched his fist, concentrated the touki and hit very hard, that shattered the traveler's breastplate and fell apart.

The traveler reacted to the impact and forcibly backed away but seemed indifferent to the pain. He only had the gauntlets, boots, and great sword. Once again, he advanced against Viggo, throwing vertical cuts and when he seemed to get tired, he threw horizontal cuts. He hadn't lost strength, but he had lost protection.

Viggo dodged by going under the ultra greatsword, connected a punch and that was enough to break the traveler's rhythm. The latter recoiled from the impact and pain, looked at Viggo, and let out a roar of fury. He was a tattooed, bald, bearded human and brutalized by Seidr magic, as proof of that his eyes were white, giving him the appearance of a vengeful specter. Viggo continued to approach, avoiding attacks with great mastery and hitting the point where the traveler fell to his knees and released the great sword.

—Anything to say before your death?— asked Viggo at a slow pace as he thought he missed his chance to begin evaluating this warrior. However, for that he needed to experience his attacks and it was not the time to get hurt.

—It's useless— said Rosewisse, walking in his direction.

Viggo turned his face and saw the Valkyrie in its gilded ornamental armor with silver hair and wings wrapped in the bulky armor. Viggo looked again at the traveler who was still kneeling on the ground, without the strength to get up.

—It is said that the travelers, those who worship Odin, have lost their humanity in exchange for the gift of Odin—

—Seidr magic that brutalizes them, making them more resistant and stronger—

—There's not much difference between them and the draugrs— Rosewisse added.

Viggo nodded, crouched down and took the great sword by the handle covered with strips of body. It was a good weapon, solid, heavy, and balanced. Viggo lifted it with both hands and threw a horizontal cut. The traveler fell in half and his blood stained the bridge of the temple of Tyr.

Viggo looked at the sword stained by the traveler's blood, raised it with both hands with the tip pointing to the sky and nodded, as if it brought him a nostalgic feeling —I like it— he said.

—Well, you're big— said Rosewisse —so combine with you, let me see it, not have a curse or something—

Viggo held out the great sword with one hand and Rosewisse took it, but instantly, the tip of the blade fell to the ground.

—This is too heavy— said Rosewisse, holding the great sword by the handle. She put her under the sword and released her on the ground. Then she looked at the runes inscribed on a strip in the center of the blade that stretched from the hilt to the tip —nothing unusual— she muttered —is only a dwarf spell to give durability to the great sword—

—In that case, I kept it— said Viggo, he bent down and touched the great sword with his right hand. The next instant it was absorbed by the ring and disappeared from the ground. Viggo made his way to where the traveler's upper torso was.

—What are you going to do?— asked Rosewisse.

—Pigments— Viggo said as if nothing, bent down, took out several glass jars, a knife, and a syringe. He began by cutting off the traveler's thumb, then took a jar and poured blood. He cut a piece of skin from his face, gouged out an eye and several other parts that he stores.

The painted pictures of the goddess Hera were a gift made by a goddess of creation; more pigments could continue to be added to it. That means that new enemies could be added to the picture of violence, they just had to be painted using the pigments that corresponded to that enemy.

—Viggo, we have visitors— Rosewisse said in a worried tone of voice.

Viggo put the jars in his ring, stood up and looked forward. Instead of worrying, though, he smiled —don't worry, Rosewisse, they're friends—

From the other end of the bridge came a bald, tattooed, muscular and large man. Next to him was a boy of about ten years old with copper hair and dressed in animal skins. The tattooed man was watching the surroundings while the boy was kicking the loose things that were on the ground. The tattooed man caught people coming in his direction and stopped while putting a hand on the boy's shoulder to stop him as well. The tattooed man said something, the boy looked forward and without paying attention to what the tattooed man said, he ran out while showing an incredible smile.

—Viggo— Atreus shouted as Kratos scolded him from behind, but he didn't pay attention and ran until he found the red-haired man. He still remembered his hair; it was the reddest thing he had ever seen in his life.

—hahahahaha, Atreus— Viggo laughed and bent down to hug him

—Viggo, Viggo— said Atreus and suddenly began to cry bitterly. Viggo hugged him but hearing him cry like that broke his heart.

—What's wrong, little brother?— asked Viggo in a soft voice, separated a little from Atreus and looked him in the eye.

Atreus had red eyes and tears kept streaming down his cheeks. His sad expression spoke of a pain beyond all understanding. Something that was hard to talk about, but that hurt him harder than any weapon or fist.

Viggo put on a sad look and bit his lips, passing his big, coarse fingers over the boy's eyes. He hugs him again and remembered what should happen. Faye had already told him, but Viggo was so focused on his things that he had completely forgotten about Atreus.

—I'm sorry, little brother, I'm sorry— Viggo said as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Soon they were caught up by Rosewisse and Kratos, both looking at each other suspiciously, but united by the two-crying people in front of them.