Quarantine

I explained everything to the last detail to Helsing. We took a booth on the far end of the room, just out of ears reach.

"So, you're telling me. You had your soul split. You lost your memories with that piece of your soul. You thought you were some guy named Hercules. You fought in an arena like on the actual Olympus. Then there were some horsemen. All because a god by the name of Zeus wanted to take Nibiru?" Helsing questioned, trying to make sure he understood correctly. "And then, you find out in some pool of water."

"Pool of visions." I said.

"Pool of visions, whatever. You find out that you're actually Xander and you gotta escape the planet. That eventually leads you to Jotunheim. And the price you paid for your memory and soul is also damnation for the giants on Jotunheim because they remember their past. And they have a dog. With three heads." Helsing said, almost making everything sound crazy when spoken out loud. "Why don't we blow the head of this so called god, Zeus, and call it a day?"

"Well, considering he gave four individuals extreme power that are tough, even for me, I couldn't imagine his own power. Like I said, he's a god of some sort. He has desolated planets, cursed entire civilizations. I have a sword." I said.

"Not just any sword though. You have a sword crafted on Nibiru. If I wasn't so in love with my guns, I might think of getting one on the black market." Helsing said with a smile.

I reached into my bag and pulled an envelope out.

"Here, this is the order that I got to conduct this mission. Seeing as Nibiru is in its eternal realm, I was granted permission to do it." I said.

Helsing grabbed the envelope and looked around before peering at the documents.

"I mean, first glance, it appears to be official to any normal merc. But if you look closely, that's a cheap copy of the stamp the actual tribunal uses. Someone definitely wanted you to think this was a real mission."

"Think you can poke your head where it doesn't belong and find out who sent this?" I asked.

"Look man. Whoever the hell sent this, isn't your petty little corrupted guard. This is the highest end of bad that bad can get. Whoever did this made the Tribunal think it's legit, they had to fake a signal from Jotunheim, more than likely sided with this Zeus guy in a different galaxy and this dwarf, Fjorn. How well do you know him?" Helsing asked.

"Only from the mission, but given he saved my ass multiple times, I don't think he's a person of interest in this." I said.

"And that my friend is why we don't let little swordsmen do mercenary work. Why the hell would you get someone who's a pilot through the void. There's plenty of A-listers out there that probably would sell you under the bus for a few thousand coins. He's gotta have some kind of link. Right?" Helsing may be onto something, but I couldn't imagine it being so.

"Look I gotta go. I'll transfer half the coins to you now and the other half whenever you get the info. I will be staying at the Travelers Inn. I'll let them know I am expecting you, so come up to the room whenever you get there. I really appreciate it brother." I said, using brother as a sentiment that would be recognized by Helsing.

"Anytime man, and by the way. Good to have you back man." Helsing said as he folded the papers back into the envelope, chugged his liquor and began to walk out of the tavern.

I got up from the booth and fist bumped Dragen on my way out. I exited the mercenaries guild sector and walked towards the tavern Fjorn had been in. The place was severely overcrowded, but it actually wasn't hard to spot Fjorn. He had a large group of different species gathered around him while they all sang songs and drank ale. They were having a great time, and I was hopeful that Fjorn really was a good dwarf. After everything he was put through, he deserves it.

"Ayy! There 'e is! The man of power!" Fjorn shouted and was followed by praises from everybody with them raising their glasses as a informal gesture of gratitude. "Where did you go mate?!"

"I had to see a friend." I said with a smile. Fjorns cheeks glowed bright red from all the singing and the brandy.

"A lady friend?!" Fjorn shouted, everyone in the crowd started cheering.

"Just a friend, Fjorn." I couldn't help but continue smiling at his demeanor.

That night, I only consumed a few ales, joining Fjorn in celebration of his return to his people. I guided him back to the Inn that we were staying at. The marketplace was always booming, there wasn't ever a stopping point to travelers and The Forge saw to it that it was fully embraced. I had reached my room and laid in the rickety bed.

I fought the sleep as hard as one could. My thoughts raced and I needed to push back the pain I still felt for Aldonis and Gannd, and of course, for their people. I needed answers and I figured during my quarantine process, it was the right time.

When I received the orders to answer the distress signal from Jotunheim, I was already on The Forge. When Nibiru sends itself to its eternal realm, few swordsman stay behind to help and assist with the needs of the tribunal. It was kind of like a peace bargaining chip. It made a lot of people feel safer knowing there were swordsmen still out and about. Not to mention, we can feed information back to Nibiru on The Forge. It just takes a lot of time and is out of the perimeter granted during the quarantine.

The week was almost through and I haven't heard or seen Helsing. Fjorn took to his home on the citizen levels below the main sectors of the planet. There were massive elevator shafts that led you to each floor. They would scan your retinal and determine if you have access to the lower levels. If you were a tourist, you weren't even granted access to the elevator shaft. If you lived here, you were only granted access to the homes. I had been there once before, when a drunken Agor'rathian had gotten loose down there and some of the guards requested assistance. Of course, being a swordsman of Nibiru, I was constantly bothered with tasks well below my skill and expertise. The The homes were side by side, with little to no space in-between. The sky above was completely artificial to give it a realistic feeling of how their planet used to be. There were panels that covered the metallic ceiling that replicated day and night. Sometimes they would mix it up and have cloudy days. Dwarves and gnomes had taken prosperity in their new homeland, kids would run around playing with toys they had tinkered and ran around playing simple games of tag. The Agor'rathian we were chasing down wasn't any real danger to the people, he actually made it about a hundred feet from the elevator shaft and fell asleep in a pond.

The Agor'rathians were a amphibious species. Their home world was ninety five percent water. They still had advanced in technology, but it was definitely a weird form of it. Most Agor'rathians stayed on their planet. But, the few that escaped to be amongst the stars usually became mercenaries.

I had nothing to do until Helsing came to me with information, so I mainly stayed in my room working out. I passed the time with that and a portable tablet I had taken from the ship. I was entering in notes of what I had seen still and even took notes hoping to piece it together who did this.

A note slid under my door. I ran quickly to open it, but there was no one there. I closed the door and lifted the note. It was blank. But then I remembered that Helsing was one of the best and he had to have a paper note encrypted. I scoffed at this. I turned the lights off in the room and accessed my tablets various lights and selected blue light. Letters formed on the page.

"Xander, I found out everything. This is dangerous beyond belief. But I am glad to be the one you came to. Even though I saved your ass on Kaj'Matar! It turns out this is bigger than you thought. You have to believe every word of this to be true. Sir Edmund Galices. He is partnered with this Zeus guy. I found too many clues. He also had this weird branding on him. Don't ask how I saw it, it still keeps me up at night. It was some kind of skeletal horse. Which I in fact assumed it was something to do with the horsemen thing. Too much of a coincidence. Also, your dwarf friend Fjorn, is a nobody. He was the least qualified pilot but still could make it through the void, which means no ones gonna question him missing. His file they kept had everything he did in a day. Everyone he saw, everyone he knew. He had no living relatives. Also, that guy needs to slow down the drinking. I mean, I am one to enjoy liquor but he consumed enough to take down a fully grown Drekk. Anyways, if you're reading this and I am not there to give it to you, it means I was taken. I will likely be taken to Olympus. Damn arena. Don't worry about me though. Find Galices and rip him apart for me. Also, watch your back, Galices is rich, which means there's plenty to gain in taking you down."

Helsing's note was a lot to take in. The founder of The Forge, the savior of the dwarf and gnome people, wanted me dead. What was his stake in all of this? I needed to find Fjorn and find out what was going on. I need to get to the lower levels. I have to sleep this night away and prepare for tomorrow. Quarantine ends, and I will be getting the answers I have been looking for.