Batazar's Riddle

Despite having a day off, I find myself working almost until the evening. A bunch of urgent tasks surfaced at the bookstore so I had nowhere to run. My colleagues also remained indoors for the entire day, hoping to conclude their work and finally take a moment to rest.

I grab an empty box and head towards the storage room. After a few steps, I'm forced to stop as my vision blurs and my legs feel strangely numb. I'm not panicking. I already know what's going on.

Hunters don't work alone. We receive help from spirits in Bardo. However, to communicate with them, we must meet in a strange place between earth and heaven. 

To reach this world of souls, you must become a soul yourself. When a hunter's soul enters Bardo, their body collapses. Before planned meetings, I usually choose the safest place to protect myself from injury, but with unexpected visits like this, there's just not enough time.

Before my consciousness fully slips away, I curse to myself. If I wake up with another bump on my head, I'm going to lose it.

After a moment of darkness, a blinding light irritates my eyes. The meeting room in Bardo is so sterile white that it always gives me a headache. I press the corners of my eyes a few times and scan the place.

I spot the culprit of this visit sitting at the large round table. He's furiously folding something out of a red sheet of paper. The color is so intense that I squint again.

This short, chubby man with grey hair and a braided beard is quite a peculiar spirit. Usually nice and calm, but occasionally he behaves like a little child. His name is Baltazar. 

The old man doesn't seem to pay any attention to my existence. I cough, making him flinch in surprise. Did he forget that he invited me himself? 

He remains surprised for a moment, but soon a wide smile spreads across his face.

"Nathaniel, it's been a hundred years!" Baltazar exclaims joyfully.

He energetically jumps out of the chair, leaving the red paper aside.

"You could have picked a better time." I sigh with frustration. "A few more surprises like that and my skull might just crack open."

Baltazar laughs and wipes away a rhetorical tear.

"I like your sense of humor. If it weren't for Eleonora, you'd already be here not as a hunter but as a client." He smiles genuinely. "Jokes aside, sorry. I have a little bit of emergency right now. I could use your help."

His words confuse me. During all the years of working with Baltazar, I was never asked to do other jobs beyond hunting. I suspect this might be an incredibly complex job.

"Don't worry. Nothing too serious." Baltazar continues as if he read my mind. "I need you to find one guy. His name is Cody. Keep an eye on him for a while and help him when necessary."

"Since when does Bardo offer private services?" I raise my eyebrow. "Don't have enough work to do?"

Baltazar just chuckles.

"We do. But that guy really needs help." He seriously declares.

Even a bit too seriously. I'm not used to seeing him like this. I still have a ton of questions, but my time here is limited. Moreover, I don't know if those questions are even relevant right now.

"How do I find him?" I ask the most important thing.

Baltazar smiles and begins twirling his grey beard with a short, wrinkled finger.

"Pardon me, but this task is also your responsibility."

The view in my eyes begins to recede again. The time here runs differently, so I have at most thirty seconds remaining.

"Do you even know how many people are named like that?" I hiss hastily.

"To be honest, no idea. But I'll give you a hint. Good luck, I believe in you."

Baltazar snaps his fingers, and a red envelope appears in my hands.

The darkness comes again. I jump as if I suddenly remembered leaving the stove on at home. The back of my head throbs and I realize I hit it hard when I fell. I quietly curse.

"Bad morning." Arthur snorts.

Frowning, I massage my throbbing head and glance at my friends crouched beside me.

"How long was I gone?" I ask.

"Maybe five minutes." Eleonora shrugs. "Why did you leave in such a hurry?"

"Baltazar summoned me. Didn't even have time to sit down." I sigh. "Seriously, who entrusted him with this job?"

Arthur laughs.

"Good question. What did he need?" He asks.

I remain silent for a minute, attempting to find an answer for them and myself.

"Baltazar asked me to find some guy and help him?"

My uncertain statement sounds more like a question. Eleonora and Arthur exchange confused glances.

"What makes him so special? Elle furrows her eyebrows.

"Only if I knew. No idea." I snort while standing up. "Furthermore, I don't know where to find him."

I would gladly return to Bardo and curse at Baltazar but a sudden thought strikes me. I spread out my palm.

The red envelope is still clutched in my right hand. Without hesitation, I open it. Inside, I find a small piece of stiff paper with handwritten words.

"Seems like you got a clue," Arthur murmurs as he stares at my treasure.

"It's such a shame I don't get paid for solving Baltazar's riddles," I mutter to myself, reading the contents of the card once more.

2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4.