RD 4 Ch 20

"Bran, you need to not antagonize the Borrsons," Hercules rounded on me as soon as we'd returned to the Hero's Clan camp, which was a hotel. I assumed rented out entirely by them. His eyes flicked over the group of us, inspecting everybody. "It seems you've found a very worthwhile instance," he grinned slowly. "I am sure you will share the details with us, although I assume it is in the book?" He asked with an overly large smile. 

"It was a rumor I heard last time, and I couldn't confirm it until I went to see it myself," I flashed Hercules a smile. 

"Well now you have, and you'll surely be able to share. So, where is it?" He asked.

I noticed amid everything there was a massive map laid out on a central table. More than a few groups from the clan were lingering around the map, talking and pointing. It was significantly marked up, so I stepped over and felt comfortable drawing roughly where the instance was located on the map. 

"It's here, in a brewery. It is level 100 SS," I offered.

Hercules' eyes practically lit up. "Very worthwhile. To be frank, we'll probably spend at least a little time inside ourselves. I hope you don't mind.”

“It's not like you're going to hog the whole thing, are you?" I asked.

He dismissed my concern with a wave of his hand. "We can just send larger groups in. That might actually be for the best. Though, it’ll take a significant chunk of our elite forces to actually finish it." 

Circe cut in, joining the conversation. "As you see, the instance is actually close to popping. It’s also incredibly difficult, do not skimp on the elites to close it out or they’ll die. The end is a gauntlett, so you might even want two teams." 

That statement made Hercules frown deeply. "In that case, we'll assemble a group to get started right away on ensuring that that doesn't happen. Thank you for the tip." 

I nodded along in agreement. "As for the Borrsons, why are they even here? I expected them to be busier in Antarctica." 

Hercules stared at me for a brief moment. "You don't realize that they're here for you?" He asked, watching me closely. 

I opened my mouth to say something to refute his statement. However, I snapped it closed a second later. "How would they have even known that I was here?" 

Hercules shrugged. "Now, if I knew that, they wouldn't have known in the first place. What I can confidently say is that Vidar is trying to figure you out and keep a close eye on you." 

I scowled. "Why?" 

Hercules looked over to see if Circe was going to answer that for me.

"It's because, technically, you might have a right to challenge him in the Borrson clan," Circe said after a thoughtful moment. "I'm not entirely clear on the particulars of Thorin's exile, but given how much they want to keep the Titan bloodlines in the family, it wouldn't surprise me that if Thorin's children had a bloodline, those children could be re-accepted back into the fold." 

I snorted. "Yeah, let me walk right back into the 'family'," I quoted in the air, "that was trying to kill my mother." 

"Complain if you wish, but the reality is that he could be concerned that you will challenge him for his position," Hercules continued. "It's not unreasonable at all for him to be wary of you, or better yet, actively remove you as a problem." 

I grimaced at those words, but nodded in understanding. "So he'd pick a fight just to make sure I don't become a problem," I muttered to myself. "Whatever," I said, dismissing his concern. "We have bigger problems that are far more important than the Borrson clan and their feelings." I wasn't going to tell Hercules any plan I had related to vengeance for my mother. Not that I didn't trust him, but if the Borrson clan knew I was here, there were still spies within the hero's clan, likely close to Zeus and Hercules. 

"Well, what are we doing now?" Circe asked with her arms crossed. 

"We're going to go back to Vein City and help with the situation there." I answered.

They turned to glance at Simone, who had stepped off to the side with Gloria and Nyx. They were using the rocky-talkies, as Simone called them, to communicate quickly between various organizations she had set up around the globe. She peeled herself away from those conversations when I looked her way. Her face lit up as it met my eyes and she immediately hopped over to my side, leaning into me.

"Things are going well around the world," she said proudly. 

"Good. It's the best we can hope for. Any news from Vein City?" I asked without revealing exactly where my mind was going.

"The city has been under attack for the last two days. However, the Nester family and the Mul Branova have used that to expand considerably. And the gate guardian inside our little shooting gallery has been dealt with, but they haven't stopped the one at the gate outside the city. Apparently, Thorin was injured when he lost one of Circe's elites." Simone dutifully reported.

I glanced over at the two Heros Clan leaders to see what they thought of that information, only for both of them to remain fairly impassive at the news of loss. They knew the costs of this level of fighting.

Circe realized she needed a reaction if nothing more than for the members around us all. "It's terribly unfortunate, but everyone involved is well aware of the risks. The family of those who died will receive plenty of compensation. And if we can, we'll return their valuables to their family as well. I assume the one that died in the tower had their spatial ring scooped up. If you could at least have that returned, it would go a long way." 

I nodded for Simone to pass that instruction along. 

"As for the other areas," Simone hesitated, looking at the others.

I nodded, I was not opposed to sharing the information with the two leaders with us. Simone started pointing at the map. It included the entire globe and was well over ten feet in both directions. 

"We have a few people stationed in Pakistan that are getting some runoff from the gate in Bangladesh, as well as two instances have popped nearby," she tapped a finger “Here, but that is our lowest recruitment sector." 

She then dragged her finger north towards the border of Russia and China. "Up here, our efforts were fairly small, but they've yielded great returns. Interestingly, on the Russian side, more people than we expected flocked simply for the food and security that we offered. Because we were able to get them so quickly, and they were so eager, we have a significant number of Mul Branova added to our overall forces. And in northern China, we were able to get a fair number as well." 

She dragged her finger then down to Africa. "People down here have been incredibly unwilling to engage in any kind of dialogue with us. That's been the biggest problem. They're spooked." 

I groaned and closed my eyes. "Well, they also have less direct demon presence, so for now they can be less inactive." 

"The other concerning news item is that we're hearing rumors that the Atlantic coast of Africa is pretty much empty of ships, and any that venture out seem to disappear. Like, there's something in the water," she hazarded. 

I frowned at the map. "There is an aquatic hell gate but it's in the Pacific not the Atlantic. My best guess is they have several instances that have popped off the coastal waters. I don't know."

"Speaking of," Hercules interrupted her report, "the gate in the Pacific Ocean is the one we're getting reports on right now. No one has a handle on it. The clans are acting. There's a gate in Russia. It's being dealt with, as well as the one in Bangladesh. The Ennead clan had a gate pretty much pop up in their backyard, and they are on top of it. We don't know what's happening in Antarctica, but you said that the Borrsons are handling it?" He glanced at me and I nodded.

"Most likely. So, my people are dealing with the one near Vein City, and our captured Hellgate. You guys are here, dealing with the one in Copenhagen. It seems like the Borrson have sent a small force here as well. They've also got Antarctica. The Wukong clan is dealing with Russia, and the Kailash clan is dealing with the one in Bangladesh. That just leaves the one in the Pacific Ocean completely unchecked, as well as the one in Australia."

"Wait, there's one more," Simone said, tapping on the map and pointing at Brazil in particular, an area neighboring the Amazon Rainforest.

I waved a dismissive hand at her. "You don't have to worry about the one in Brazil."

Hercules and Circe were looking at me strangely, their eyebrows raised in curiosity.

I decided to give them an answer. "They aren't a formal clan or sect as you would call them, but there is a small cluster of strong initiated down there. I'm not entirely certain if they come to pass as part of the rapture, or if they were already strong from before the event. But right now, I would advise that we leave them be. They'll take care of the mess down there without our intervention."

"If everything remains the same," Hercules added with no small amount of skepticism.

"If everything remains the same," I echoed. "If you would like, you're certainly welcome to send someone down there to keep an eye. But like I said, I'm not overly concerned. I expect them to take care of it themselves. And if they can't, well, then we'll go deal with the issue once the demons are nice and fat with experience."

Everyone was following along and we’d been given a wide berth by the rest of the Heros, many going as far as leaving the room for us to talk.

I looked back down at the map. "As for the Pacific Ocean, I have a theory that I can't confirm. In my past life, there was a significant outpouring of demons that wreaked havoc across the coastlines and cut off any trade. However, about a year into everything, they completely disappeared. Someone acted and slaughtered a good chunk of the demons present. There was also a strong rumor that the demon lord, when he first became active, went into the ocean to deal with an issue." I gestured vaguely at the map, my fingers circling around a number of island clusters. "But right now, we don't have the time or resources to worry much about that, unless you're hiding a much larger army than I've seen thus far." I glanced over at Circe and Hercules.

The big man grunted. "We're strapped as it is. The idea of expending significantly more resources is not high on my list of priorities. If you say they're going to be taken care of, then I'm happy to look the other way and let what happened happen."

I flashed him a smile and a shrug. "Perfect. Moving on. I'll be heading back to Vein City. If they haven't defeated the other gate guardian and Thorin is injured, it's probably best that I at least show my face, if not deal with the situation entirely."

"After that," I glanced over at Merlin, "I would love a ride back."

She nodded. "As long as you let us get some downtime at your fortress, I think I could be convinced to bring us back."

"Tired already?" I teased. "We'll have to work on your stamina."

Simone was behind her, nodding quickly with a strange smile on her face.

I frowned at Simone, not sure why she was so emphatic on that fact. Letting it go, I looked around the group. "Unless anyone has further questions, there's an apocalypse going on and all of us have a responsibility to save as many lives as possible.”