Chapter 5: Embracing

Kratos was not sure how to react. Freya was kissing him. His heart was beating so fast. His convictions and disciplines fell away, one by one. His arms rose and embraced Freya, pulling her closer to him. His lips returned her kiss, he could not stop them. He did not want to stop them. And she did not want to stop kissing him either. His mouth opened, and so did hers. They breathed into each other for a moment. Kratos could feel their Godly powers joining, their souls joining. He welcomed such joining with only brief hesitation, with no problem whatsoever once that hesitation had faded. Freya kissed Kratos, and he kissed her back, with firmness and fervor. Their kissing continued, until suddenly her hand rose and pushed him away.

“Wait,” Freya said to Kratos once they had withdrawn from embracing each other, frowning at him. “I am not sure I like this.”

“I...” Kratos shrugged, grunted, looked away, then back at her. “I am also not sure.”

“Good!” Freya said, relieved. She gasped and relaxed, glaring over her shoulder at something. Kratos turned and looked in the same direction. He saw Aphrodite and the strange boy angel, Thor also, all looking apologetic. Kratos grunted at them, and they disappeared. Kratos then turned back to Freya.

“I am not sure what just happened,” Kratos told Freya.

“Nor am I,” she agreed. “I just...” She made gestures with her hands, looked away from Kratos, then back to him. “I do know this, though. What we just did ... it was a path to Reconciliation between us.”

Kratos had trouble imagining such a path. He stared into the distance blinking. He could swear he saw many visions suddenly waving at him, many beings glowing like angels. Thor, Aphrodite, others. Was that ... was that Lysandra? Fey? His daughter Calliope? His brother Deimos? His mother? Not his father Zeus, but another son of Zeus, Apollo? And another son of Zeus with whom Kratos had once been allies, Hephaestus? Also Hephaestus’ daughter Pandora? And not Athena, but another daughter of Zeus, a Greek Goddess Kratos had not slain but one he was pretty sure was dead, Artemis? Beside Artemis was ... Freyr, Freya’s dead brother? That blue Dwarf next to Freyr, was that Brok? Beside them ... a strange God covered in fading magical tattoos? Balder? Was that Balder? Kratos stared at the waving Angels, blinking, straining to see a blinding light beyond them. He blinked at the light, then quickly looked away.

Freya was staring in the same direction, Kratos realized, also blinking and looking away. There was a black shadow looming over them now, then it was fading, receding. Then lights were flashing before his eyes and Freya was cradling herself against Kratos, gasping and sobbing into his chest. Strange music was echoing in Kratos’ head. He stared into the distance, trying hard to ignore it, looking at Freya and the fading angels in the distance. The God of War blinked again, several times. Then he turned away from the vision, back to Freya.

“I am not sure I understand what is happening,” Kratos said, “what I am feeling.”

“What we are both feeling,” Freya corrected him. She took a series of heavy breaths, then resumed speaking. “I ... I want Reconciliation with you, Kratos. And with my son.”

“You have it,” Kratos told her. “Believe me, Freya, you have it. Or at least ... a path. Did you see it?”

Freya nodded. “I did. I...”

“No need to explain,” Kratos said, repeating earlier words he had told Freya. “Not to me, not for that.” He reached for Freya’s forearm and grasped it. She returned his smile. “You do not need to explain,” Kratos repeated. “Not to me, not for that. I do not regret saving your life and never will. But the choice between life and death was not a choice I should have made for you. I should not have robbed you of that choice.” He hesitated a moment, then continued. “Nor should I have robbed Balder of that choice either.”