Sitting in a hollowed out tree I felt zero remorse for the guys inside of the camp trying to figure out the mess of tracks I left. It wound up taking their raid group five-days to get into Heps rift, I had to rush through my refit day, wasn’t much I could do, EXP isn’t awarded until I’ve either died, or completed the mission.

I did spend every gold I collected off of the dead one’s buying stuff to set up traps though. There were trip-lines all over the route in, some of them didn’t do anything, but it slowed them down. They weren’t taking me seriously the first day, thought they would just blow through. Suffice it to say; they learned a little respect.

I had set a whole bunch of dead-end traps that didn’t set off for a solid half mile, the last one in that line was dug trench of C-4 spaced out in two foot increments that went back thirty-meters. I killed six guys with that, and wounded another fourteen. If they would have ended me there I would have called it even in an instant, no second thoughts. Unfortunately that’s not where it ended, or fortunately I guess. I managed to lay a metric fuck-ton of false trails, most of them lead either directly back to the lake, or to traps.

I had taken to running attacks on their patrols during the early hours of morning, today didn’t turn out like I wanted it to though; their patrol was ready. I almost got caught in a trap, if one of theirs hadn’t stepped into a pitfall I’d set up a few days ago I’d be headed back to Valhalla. It should have been obvious in hindsight though.

They were pushing around the inside of the lake, in an area they had already covered. I figured they were just rechecking the ground to see if they missed anything, I was terribly wrong, they were dragging me in on purpose, whoever the leader is he’s got me pegged. If I make it out of this, I’m going to need to move on. He’s smarter than me, every move he makes is economic, his soldiers are well disciplined, if his people weren’t invading Heps rift I’d want to make friendly, I might still maybe not so friendly but it’d be nice to get a face to face.

-MESSAGE-

Gnome: Got myself in a tight spot, might be headed for respawn soon. Either way next time we get face to face were going to have a conversation about why you have a well-organized group of mercs looking into your shit.

Hep: That’s fair man, I’d tell you now, I’ll tell you everything. The whole story, it’s short but important. Especially if you want to synch your rift to mine.

Gnome: I doubt I’ll change my mind, these guys don’t seem evil, just committed. I don’t want to come off as a dick here, but, if you feed me some bullshit story and fuck me I’ll haunt you for eternity. And I mean that in the most literal form there can be, I don’t doubt for an instant that Hel would trade the favors I owe to move me over to her realm.

Hep: She’s got a pretty intense wide-on for you, you’re going to have to make a move on that at one point or another.

Gnome: I’m not sure what kind of enhancement’s I need for the kind of abuse that Hel enjoys, but if you have a list handy send it, I could live with being Hels consort as long as she didn’t get jealous. Fuck gotta go, incoming patrol, if I go gray we’re going to have a conversation next jump.

Hep: Anything for you sweet-cheeks.

I hear a patrol coming up the trail I’d come in on, their following my tracks. Shit. I’m gonna have to move soon, I left a present a few meters back though. Just have to calm down, if I’m too amped up to hit the trigger a claymore doesn’t mean a damn thing. Closing my eyes I force myself to take even breaths.

In..1…2….3…out…1…2…3…in…1..2..3…out..1….2… SNAP- I press the trigger on the wireless remote attached to my wrist. -BTOOOOOM- the two-pounds of Symtex I planted up the path explode in a teeth-rattling blast. No time to check the aftermath.

I roll out of the tree and scroll my gun around checking for targets, their patrol is fucked. At least three of them dead I can hear two others groaning in pain, if I had more time I’d grab that free EXP but it looks like they didn’t cinch the noose as tight as they could have. I decide against taking any shots I don’t want to give away that I’m actually in the area.

I keep my safety off, as sweaty and twitchy as I am my finger will probably slide right the switch, I’d rather not leave that much to chance.

It’s been a long time since I felt this much adrenaline. There’s a feeling you get when you are operating at your peak, a sense of balance. Some will liken it to tiptoeing down a razors edge; their doing it wrong. My kind of rush is more akin to drifting a Ferrari, wide-out around the mountains of japan with a bottle of whiskey in one hand, and half a wheel over the edge at edge at every turn. The feeling that you only get from knowing that everything is happening too fast for rational thought; that everything exists in that instant, but that the only thing that matters is what is right in front of you. It’s a beautiful thing if you ever achieve it, but the only time I’ve ever felt it was on the edge of death, maybe I have some issues. I don’t need your judgement.

Moving towards where the patrol came from seems like the best option. Hopefully they were counting on their scouts being competent enough to not need back-up so I can just walk out behind them. Not letting the shakes I feel inside surface, I start sprinting up the scouts backtrail pushing my abused body for everything it has left I barely notice the two armored humans before I slam into the first.

Knowing that in my state if I don’t incapacitate or kill they’re just going to catch me I use viciousness to the fullest extent that I know how. Instead of rolling into and around the first I throw my knee up and put all the force I have into a forward knee to his junk. The move catches him off guard, he had planned to just grab me in a bear-hug. There wasn’t even a token defense to what I did, he makes a high-pitched noise that sounds more like a tea-kettle than anything a grown man his size should make as he falls to the ground.

His friend is stunned at what just happened, not in a position for a drawn-out fight, I pull my knife and jump at him. He’s quicker than his friend, he reaches for the pistol on his hip, I’m faster. I reach out with my left hand, and grab his ascending wrist in a straight arm cycling it up while pushing forward with my right foot I put him slightly out of balance. In the same movement, I slide my right hand with the knife under his left hand, which had reached out to grab my throat, and into his arm-pit.

Letting go of the knife I complete my step by rolling my right hand up and inside his grip to break it, and slam my right palm into his jaw, knocking him unconscious.

I quickly collect my knife and keep on the direction I was going, I’m spent, my breath is coming too heavy, my thoughts are panicky, and after that last engagement I’m not sure I can make it out of the camp radius, much less evade these people while doing it. I’m not even sure what direction my people went. I told them not to tell me because I didn’t want to chance torture, it’s one thing to think ‘All I have to do is not think about it, and ignore the pain.’ It’s another to do that while someone is sticking sharpened sticks under your fingernails. Torture doesn’t work the way most people think it does, no decent torturer is going to cause severe damage before they get the information. If your subject believes they can go back to a nominally normal life afterwards it’s easier to manipulate them, that’s why you don’t cut whole fingers off in one go, you slice them up into little pieces like carrots on a cutting-board. Physical damage will only get you so far, every battle is fought on an emotional level.

With those thoughts in my brain I can feel the shakes I had been keeping under lock start to push through to the surface. No time to deal with that, with a force of effort I can literally feel in my chest, I shove the emotional reaction to the dark place, to be forgotten and come lurking when I have time to stand with it face to face.

Everything from that point always comes back to me as something like an out of body experience. Like watching a movie from the third person, my body does everything right. Reacting with split second instinct to either hide, or run. Using tactics I learned many years ago, in another life, during sniper/counter-sniper training to throw off my pursuers, the memory is just flashes here and there but the experience had to have taken hours, if not days. The only part that stick’s in my mind is a point near the end where I come to laying in a creek and realize that I need to get into some concealment and manage to drag myself another three-or-so miles before I pass-out under a giant rotted log.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Sitting on my best friends porch again, the same scene as before. Whiskey on the floor next to me, fishing pole against the rail, this is how he and I spent any time we could. The only difference is the ferocity of the rain, attacking the lake with a barrage of heavy thick drops that crater the surface like explosives on a battlefield.

“Hel said the place you find refuge was both beautiful, and sad. I had believed it to be one of her usual over dramatic descriptions. I fear she may have under-told herself here.” Baldr is sitting in the chair a couple of feet away from me with his own pole and bottle of whiskey, “I have been waiting for an extended amount of time now, your escape was impressive, were I you; I would hold onto it in my mind as a masterpiece. Unfortunately it is the very reason I am here. You owe lady Hel a small favor, and she is coming to collect.”

“Fucking kidding me man? I don’t mean to be a dick, but if you guys wanted me to turn myself in she could have popped into my head at any time.” I can’t help but get heated, the praise is enjoyable, but if they’re going to ask me to turn myself in I’m going to be pissy.

“Hold your anger Gnome, this is the opposite of what you are thinking, we need you to continue on this course. There is a place you need to go, and a particular human you need to capture. All of the details will pop-up in a mission window once you come out of this refuge, and back to yourself.” I don’t know if it is the scenery, or if this is his usual demeanor is just this different outside of the purgatory area, but he looks relaxed. Calm in a way that I would not have expected from a man who sits at the side of a god as her foremost general.

“I will tell you now, refusing this mission will not hurt your karma in anyway, but completing it will remove the favor you owe hell, and completing it within the expressed parameters will see lady Hel owing you a favor. You would be the first in a very long time with that honor, so if you earn it, make sure you treat it as the gift it is, and not squander it.” The last comment is made with him looking directly into my eyes to make sure I understand how serious it is.

I give him a nod of my head, “I could never consider it anything else. As long as you can promise me this mission will not cripple, or break Heps rift world I will accept it. I am open to almost any kind of mercenary work, but I never work against friends.” Acting on a hunch I follow that with an oath, “In my place of sanctuary, I request that you answer me honestly, and without misdirection” The rain coming down freezes in midair and begins to dully pulsate a deep gold color. Baldr gives me a funny look, then a small, honest, smile twists the side of his mouth.

“I accept” when he says it I can hear it out loud, and in the same way I have heard any of the other agreements that have been made with higher-beings so far. “You’re going to be interesting mister Gnome. The request that lady Hel has will not harm the rift- world, and will not be a detriment, or cause direct opposition, to the people you consider friends.”

The rain stops it’s dull pulsing and goes back to a normal heavy down-pour. “Sounds good to me, I’ll get on it as soon as I am rested up some.”

“I am sorry to inform you, but you must awake and go to rest anymore would put you, and the mission you are about to undertake at risk. Good luck mister Gnome, I genuinely hope you succeed. I do think I would like to sit in your sanctuary for a time? It has a calming effect on this old soul”

“Sure, feel free to stay as long as you’d like. Give me a ring before you drop in next time though, I do enjoy privacy, and every occasionally; shit gets weird.” He nods his head, puts his hand up and makes a shooing motion. With the flick of his wrist, wake up face-first under a mushy log in the middle of the forest.

-MISSION-

-Lady Hels request-

-Hel has requested that you fetch a particular soul residing on this rift-world. You need to find, and escort this person to a junction point where Hel can safely extract him.

-PARAMETERS-

-Soul must reach the extraction point reasonably intact, and alive.

-The soul does not have to be willing.

-Completing this mission will dissolve one of the small favors you owe Lady Hel.

-Time period for escort is four-hours.

-Completing this mission within the parameters, and time-limit will put Lady Hel in your debt.

Sounds easy enough. I take a few moments to look over the information, looks like the main mission pick-up point is about sixteen miles east, and the drop-off point is a few miles north of that it’s doable, and I sure-as-shit would love it for a god to owe me one.

Rolling out from under the log, and brushing myself off I start in the direction I need to at a light jog. It’s not usually advised to move at this speed at night, and there are easier routes if I went back to the main or side roads, but through the woods doesn’t have anything other than a smaller creek, and it doesn’t get any thicker than it is now, so I’m hoping my map reading pays off here.

As I jog I lose myself in thought, wondering about what Kind of person a god formally requests to be retrieved? I hope I’m not delivering someone to a future of endless torture. It’s not going to stop me, but I might feel bad about it. Some. Maybe it’s a genius engineer that she wants to add to her ranks, I guess technically this could be me making a move against Odin, but I feel like somebody would step in. It’s not like they’re on opposing sides. Maybe, maybe, it’s a beautiful woman who wants Hel to take her soul, and ravish her for eternity, if that’s the case I know where that favor is going, whether it’s going to destroy my soul or not.

I spend the better part of the next two and a-half hours, most of my travel time, alternating between being on high-alert worried about the space around me, and musing about what the person I am coming to pick-up is. Once I’m a few miles out I decide to do slow down and recon on the area, the quickest killer is complacency after all.

Within the next mile, I start seeing more and more zombies. Deciding that I’m going to stick to the woods and avoid as much as possible. The town marked on the map isn’t big, a general store, a little factory and a twenty, maybe thirty houses, possibly more I can’t see that are on the side streets. There’s an apartment building on the far-eastern side of town, but I’m not even going to begin to think about looking there. It’s situated at the edge of a river, next to a loch, and surrounded by trees on most sides. I might actually come back and recon this some more after my drop, it’s probably not perfect, but cut down some trees and build walls on every side it could turn into a decent location. The water isn’t flowing too fast, and I’m betting there are other towns up and down the shores, the more I think about it the more I like it.

The building I’m looking for is a single-family home a couple of side-streets into town on a little side street. By the time I’ve circled around the town I’m left with a little over an hour to finish my task. My best bet is to follow a line of trees on a raised hill next to a park. As long as I keep to the side furthest from the general store I shouldn’t be visible to anyone inside the town proper, or the zombies.

Staying low and rushing from one cover to the next I make it to the back fence of the house in a matter of moments. I listen to make sure there’s nothing going to jump me as soon as I hop the fence and jump over. The house is pretty nice for what it is, a yellow single-story with a tiny porch and a fraction of an acre inside the city. Sliding up next to the back-door I place my ear against it and close my eyes, listening for sounds inside. There is something making noise inside, it doesn’t sound like the shuffling noises the zombies make, it sounds more like the sounds of someone whispering and moving quietly. If I have to knock someone out to carry them this is going to get loud and dangerous fast.

Keeping my eyes closed I decide to listen for a few more moments

“I’m telling you Jillian, we can’t stay here were going to have to leave town one way or another. I can get to the general store and get food without dying, but we should just go. We’ve pushed it enough staying here this long.” It’s a man, he sounds like he sounds young, early-adult? Voices alone always make placing an age hard.

“You don’t think I know that Patrick? We’ve gotten lucky my Adare is such a good baby, every time he makes a sound I’m afraid one of those zombie-things are going to bust into this house. What if there are other people in town, shouldn’t we look for them? Aunt Hellen was still in the apartment building, I was on the phone when everything went nuts. Was she as prepared as you? Do you think she is still alive?” Jillian, I presume, another young one. Maybe a young family, with a new baby? No ravishing happening, I guess. We’ll, maybe she’ll be super thankful and her husband won’t mind. I doubt that though.

Steeling myself I give the door a light knock with my fingertip, in a louder whisper I talk into the door, “Don’t freak out, I’m here to help. I can get you and your family out of town, but we need to leave now.”

Jillian squeaks in surprise and I hear a pistol slide out of a holster. Judging by the sound I’m going to say it was kydex, or plastic probably high-quality, well used. The draw was too smooth and immediate to be anything other than someone who carries, and practices on the regular.

“Who’s there? Are you one of the neighbors?” I can hear Patrick trying to quietly move to the door.

“Stop, please. I heard you draw, and I can hear you moving. Neither of us want those zombies on us. I’m not a neighbor, and you don’t know me, if you whip this door open you’re not going to like the outcome. I was sent here by one of the blue boxes to get one of you out.” The mission didn’t give a description of who I needed, and if I offer to help them all their more likely to acquiesce.

“Why would you help us, if you don’t know us?” I hate not being listened to.

“I literally just told you, I was given a mission to get you out, missions have rewards. Besides, I may not be human anymore, but I still have some compassion left.” I immediately regret the last part. Shit.

“ ‘not human anymore’? You’re going to have to explain that a little more before I open this door.” Patrick sounds agitated, I can hear the shallow breathing and throat muscle stress that comes with trying to sound calm when you’re not.

“I was changed into an elf by something, now I run around helping people, and killing monsters. It’s not the perfect life, but it’s as close as I can get to righting all the wrongs I’ve done in the past. I’m not helping completely out of the kindness of my heart either, most would call me a mercenary, and they would be correct. I will be rewarded for the speed, and condition at which I get your family to the safe-point, so It’s in my best interest to get you there quickly and safely.” It probably didn’t put him in a direction to be best friends, but I can hear his breathing calm some.

“O.K. Say I believe you, how do you plan on getting us out? How long do we have to decide? Where is this safe-place?” Questions, questions. Fine, let’s move this along.

“Open the door and I’ll answer your questions, be warned though, don’t point your gun at me. I’ve got mine holstered and I will move slowly, don’t freak out when you see me.” I take a step back and put my hands out to the side when I hear him near the door.

He pulls the door open with the gun pointing out of the gap, and levels it at me. “I literally just said ‘don’t point your gun at me.’ That’s your one bro, everybody gets one, aim it somewhere else, there’s a good chance a shot from a nine-mil isn’t going to take me down in the first hit and you’ll be dead before a second.”

Patrick is probably about six-foot even, a buzz-cut, wearing a pair of jeans with a flannel shirt and some cowboy-boots. He’s got sandy-blonde hair, brown-eyes, and a square-jaw. My guess was right, he’s probably early twenties, but he’s got that 1950’s look that makes it hard to place an age. I can see the shock at my appearance on his face.

“Alright Patrick, you’ve gotten a look, keep the gun out if you have to, but point it somewhere else.”

“You’re a Drow!” His whisper is loud, bordering on stage level.

“You better give me a good reason why you know that, or we’re about to make a hell of a lot of noise Patrick.” The fact he knows there are more than one kind of elf puts me on edge, I can feel my heart speed up, and I slowly start to lower my right arm towards my pistol.

“I read a lot of fantasy, one of my favorite characters is a Drow. You’re a bit different, he didn’t have the markings, were you a slave or something?” I can understand that, I loved those books; carried the whole first couple of arcs of them in paperback my entire first deployment. He keeps the pistol out but lowers it off to the side, maybe he’s a local cop, good instincts, good form.

“No, I’m a Daemon Elf. More physical oriented, and I used to be human. I don’t want to rush you here but I need you guys to make a decision, we’ve got three miles to cover in a little under fifty-minutes. So we need to make a move.” As I’m finishing my sentence a woman with short sandy-blonde hair steps out from around a corner to take a peek. She’s probably an inch or two shorter than Patrick, bobbed hair-cut, and a rounded face. She has Hazel eyes, and a tightly wrapped baby in her arms. She’s either a sister, or a close cousin. Depending on the state I’m in they could be married, but I doubt it. My chances just went up.

“Shit, it’s a baby-baby. I thought you guys were talking about a toddler.”

After her shock of seeing me she responds, “Adare is just under two-months old.” Damn, that’s going to complicate things, I can be mad at adults for making noise, I can’t get mad at a little baby-thing.

“Alright, we need to go. Now. Pack a bag, were going to go out the way I came in. Out the alley and through a little park. The safe place is about three-miles north. I can’t give you people anymore reason to trust me then I already have, so if you’re in let’s go.” I hope they’re in, because my next best option is to rush them and take the baby, it’s the only guaranteed way that both are going to follow. That could get a lot uglier than I want.

Patrick looks at her, “I think we should go with him, grab the diaper bag and some food. We-“

“leave your food, just bring baby-stuff and a change of clothes or two, I’ve got enough food for three people to survive on for at least a week, more if rationed. We shouldn’t need it, but I have it.” Patrick nods at me.

“You heard him Jill. Give us a second to grab our bug-out bags and were in.” He turns and takes the baby while Jillian dips around the corner to grab their bags. Their ready within a couple of minutes, Godamn I love prepared people.

As we get to the back fence I put my hand out “Let me check the alley, don’t fire your gun unless you are unable to put a knife in their skulls, or are about to get bitten. I’d rather you not get into any altercations at all, but that might not be an option.”

Without waiting for a response I open the gate a fraction and look out. Both sides of the alley are clear so I wave and move out. We make it to the end of the alley without any issues, some zombies have shifted on the street though, there’s no way to get across without being seen. We are going to have to just push through.

“Alright, there’s no way we are getting through without being spotted. Our best bet is to set out at a jog, none of them move fast and they are spread around. Just head for those trees over there. I won’t leave you, but I’m going to move around and kill some if they get too close.” I look over at Patrick, “If you need to shoot here don’t hit me, and make any shots count. I don’t carry nine-mil so whatever you have on hand is all you have. Ready?” They check the straps on the baby holder to make sure he is tight, and we start moving.

“Keep your heads down for as long as you can.”

We get most of the way to the trees before the first zombie spots us. We’re in a position that the ones aren’t going to see us from this side of the hill if we keep low. I let Patrick know to hold his fire, and put myself on the side of the hill where any Zombies might come over.

It ends up being a tense five-minute walk to the woods but we make it without having to engage anything.

“Alright guys, we need to move as fast as we can, were pushing the time limit at this point. If you can jog with that baby, we need to jog. But we cannot stop.” I’m hoping they take me seriously. I’m going to be pissed if I don’t make my deadline after what doing all the shit I did.

Jill just gives me a nod and waves her hand in a ‘lead-on’ fashion. Good girl. Patrick looks a little more hesitant, “I was never really good at cardio, most of my workouts are lifting.”

Whatever, “that’s fine, I’ll pick up a slow jog let me know if you need to slow down to catch your breath. If she thinks she can carry a baby three miles at a jog, then I’m sure one of whatever-this-town-is’s finest can keep up.” He looks a bit more determined, but I don’t think he’s going to be able to hold up.

We keep to the woods, but close enough to see the road for the better part of our movement. Once we’re within three-quarters of a mile I move us out to a dirt road and we slow down to a fast walk. I wave Patrick up, and he comes up sucking air.

“Alright, my map says there are a few cabins up this way. I don’t expect opposition since this is supposed to be safe, but in case someone pulls a gun you and your cousin need to put your hands up and do what they say. It’ll take a few shots to put me down, but you and she don’t have the same kind of body I do.” I doubt I’ll run into anyone who doesn’t know were coming, but it’s still best to be safe. Checking my clock, I can see that we have about half an hour so we’re good on time. It’s probably safer to go around into the woods, but if there are people here it will look suspicious, and if there is anything else we’ll see it coming through the sparse tree cover.

We round a bend in the road and up ahead I can see a few things I’m not a huge fan of. There is a group of four zombies meandering around up ahead. Just behind them is a T section of road, our objective is off to the right side of the turn at the end of the road.

“Get a little distance behind me, I’m going to move up and try to take them out with a knife.” I motion for them to slow down some.

“I can help, I’m trained in submissions from the academy.” I’ll give Patrick that he’s brave, but I’m not risking that.

“I’m sorry man, I need you to keep your…sister? And her baby safe. Stay with them.” Do what fishing I can while I can.

“She’s my cousin, and the baby is my sister’s, she didn’t make it through the first night. Jill managed to get the baby out of the house though.” I almost smile, better than I hoped.

“Keep an eye out, once they are down come up.” Moving forward I pick up a few rocks and start throwing them at the zombies, if I can get them coming I can line them up.

After a few minutes of maneuvering I manage to get them in a ragged line, a bit slower than the ones in town, I’m betting these ones haven’t killed anything for a few days at least. Holding my knife in an underhand grip I walk up and push the first zombie while slamming it into his forehead. He is dead halfway through the push and falls back onto the legs of the zombie behind him causing a domino effect, knocking them all down. Easier than I thought, I move in and slam the blade into every head.

Looting them I manage to come out with about thirty coppers, and a lighter. It’s not much, but I didn’t really expect anything. As I finish the looting Jillian walks up “What did you do there? Why were you waving around like that?”

“I looted them, the world is a lot like an RPG now. You just touch them and think about wonder if they have anything on them and a couple of windows pop-up. At least for me they do, I don’t know if you have an inventory.” As we walk towards the last house on the road I try to explain the way her world works now, if Hel doesn’t take her she’s going to ask these questions.

She gives me a look of clear disbelief, “I feel like you’re just pulling our legs here, why would the world be this way I just think ‘Inventory’ and…” she stops walking, I guess they do have inventories.

“And that happens. It’s a brave new world Jillian, and if Baldr doesn’t take you with him I’ll introduce you to people who have banded together to survive.” I reach out and tap her arm, dipping my head towards the house to get her moving again.

All the houses are on the side of a lake, the only properties opposite them are little sheds you would use to keep jet-ski’s or other toys. The last house on the road is pretty much what you would imagine the lake house someone who had money would to build would be. A single story little green house, probably enough space for three or four bedrooms with the any of the amenities you would miss if you were outside of the real world. The road even has a power line with a phone line runner, I bet there would be Wi-Fi out here if the world hadn’t gone bad.

We’ve got about five minutes until the deadline but we made it, I walk around to a gazebo behind the house where the mission marker ends out. As I start walking towards it a portal opens on the far side and Baldr steps out.

“You made it, I am impressed. I really thought you would get bogged down fighting the zombies. I am glad you can see other options than combat as solutions to problems, it speaks well for you.” That faint smile again, I’m probably missing something here, but damned if I know. “I require Adare. One of the other two may come as well, that is the best I can offer.”

Jillian hands the baby off to Patrick, “it’s your sisters baby, you take him. You know I’m bad with kids.” Patrick looks a little hesitant.

“Maybe you should take her and I will stay. I’m a trained police officer, I probably have a better chance of survival.” Jill doesn’t even wait for him to finish before she is shaking her head.

“Don’t fight me on this, Adare will be better off with you, and I’m not walking through that portal. I hated the world before, I feel like I could do well here Patrick, don’t take that away from me.” I just stand off to the side, this is their decision to make and I don’t want to taint it.

Patrick closes his eyes and looks down at his feet. After a moment of thought he nods his head, “Alright, I’ll do it, but you keep yourself safe. You probably would have ruined something anyways, clumsy-ass.” He smiles, and takes his cousin into a hug, “Thank you Jill, I will always remember this.” They give each other a deep hug, and she hands the baby and his bag off to Patrick.

“I hope I see you again someday meat-head, keep him safe.” After another round of hugs, He pulls his gun off and gives her his bag.

“That was not as emotional as I thought it would be.” Baldr says to them, “The boy will come to no harm, and Lady Hel will remand you into his care as guardian once we are on the other side.” He turns to me, “Congratulations. Take care of the girl, Lord Odin says she is of the fate.” Without another word, he takes Patrick’s shoulder and leads him into the portal.

-MISSION COMPLETE-

-Lady Hels Request

-Main objective complete > 100 EXP

-REWARDS-

-Completed without harm to Adare > 100 EXP

-Completed objective within time limit > 100 EXP

-BONUS-

-All objectives completed within parameters set forth > Hel owes you a medium favor.

Shit yeah. After taking a couple of minutes to look at my window I realize that Jillian is sitting on the ground crying, “I’m sorry you lost your family, but those two are off to a better, most likely, safer place.”

She wipes away a couple of tears and looks at me, “I know, I can’t explain it, but I feel deep inside of me that they are better off. I’ll just have to have faith.”

“Next time I talk to Baldr, or Hel I’ll ask them.” I put my hand out and wait for her to take it so I can help her up, “let’s go clear this place out. If we can get a house or two secured before nightfall we can get a good night’s sleep.”

“Are you like them? An alien, or god, or whatever?” I don’t think I’m a god, but to normal people I am something like it I guess.

“I’m not like them, mostly, I did die and work for one now. They call themselves gods, but they could just as soon be aliens. Hell, we’re all aliens somewhere.” That gets me a smile.