Far away in a distant side of the world tree Yggdrasil was the world Vanaheim. It was once home to the Norse Vanir gods. Now humans and other races inhabited Vanaheim. Unlike Earth, which was pronounced Midgard in the Norse tongue, Vanaheim’s technology never advanced beyond the thirteenth century. There had been five kingdoms that had been established by the order of Arkon, a council made out of five human kingdoms and their ministers. The leaders of other races and nations, with their politicians and ambassadors, made up the entire council. The entire Yggdrasil tree was under Arkon’s jurisdiction.

Within its jurisdiction, guilds made of mercenaries or current soldiers from any race were assembled to carry out missions that each kingdom and nation could not handle on its own. Missions had been usually bounty posters on notification billboards, ranging from D-rank to S-rank. Members of any guild were considered agents of Arkon. A guild could either choose to represent a nation or be independent. Most guilds remained independent mainly due to their allegiance with the order of Arkon. Each guild was appointed a headmaster or had one that founded a guild. Certain guilds were granted privileges by the council to have jurisdiction and guardianship over a realm of the Eight Worlds. For one hundred and twelve years, there was a particular guild whose jurisdiction was to keep unauthorized outsiders and invaders from Midgard.

Its name was Guardians of Midgard.

Its current leader was Stanley Ferguson. Well past his middle age.

Eight years ago, his son Alphonse Ferguson and his wife were returning from their second year anniversary trip from Paris, France, when tragedy had befallen the Ferguson family. His eldest child—Kate Ferguson—was babysitting Eddie at the time, driving home to her lake house in Michigan, and was ambushed by a rogue guild Blackhaven. She was killed in a car accident and Eddie was abducted. Rogue guilds were not legit guilds. Any guild that was not registered under the order of Arkon was branded as outlaws.

They held Eddie for ransom. In exchange, they wanted the Divine Chalice that had been sealed away in a dungeon at the Kentucky Preserve. The chalice itself was an ancient artifact that housed what many had called for centuries, according to legend, the Eternal Flame. It was kept on the Preserve since 1846. No caretaker or patron had any clue as to what the Eternal Flame from the Divine Chalice was capable of, only that the Eternal Flame was a massive fire magic that could sear an entire nation in seconds.

Meeting Darkhaven’s demands, they traveled to Muspellhiem, located south of the Yggdrasil tree and the world of hellfire and brimstone. According to his daughter-in-law, the exchanged was to be made by a masked man, holding their son. The exchange for their son went haywire. Eddie was recovered, but Alphonse went missing while in combat with one of Darkhaven’s agents. It was discovered by Blackhaven that the Divine Chalice was a prison to seal one of the legendary Elder Dragons. Although it was believed by the great wizard Woden the Wanderer that Alphonse had transferred the dragon into his son as its new vessel and host.

For eight years, Stan’s family and his trusted guild colleagues kept the knowledge of Eddie being a container for one of the five Elder Dragons hidden until yesterday, when he received a message from a pigeon that a dark agent of Darkhaven had disguised himself as one of his classmates, approached Eddie, and nearly abducted him. Woden, in disguise as a librarian, watched and guarded Eddie from the shadows. Cassandra and his grandson escaped unscathed, but he was not sure the ancient wizard had the power to overcome the odds back in Midgard.

Blackhaven was on the move once again. Stan knew that they would not stop until they successfully extract the Elder Dragon. The dragon’s life force was soulbound to Eddie’s soul. This meant the removal of the dragon from Eddie would surely kill him instantly. Stanley had cursed the forsaken gods when they took both his children. Now it seemed deja vu was commencing. Maybe this was retribution from his insurrection for not being in favor with the gods. Traveling to the Nexus was very exhausting.

The Nexus was made up of eight portals that were constructed by the first civilization of wizards. It was designed to synchronize with the wormhole leylines that many scribes and scholars believed to be the roots, stems, and branches of the Yggdrasil Tree that connected the Eight Worlds and the entire cosmos together. No modern technology in Midgard had the ability to see the leylines that connected the Milky Way to other galaxies. Each of the Eight Worlds had at least one main portal. The elderly wizards constructed the Nexus so that it took two portals to open a stable wormhole pathway between two worlds. Traveling through it was like riding on a roller coaster for minutes.

Stan mounted on his favorite brown stallion, cantered down a stone and brick slope that led up to the Nexus. In the middle of a plaza in broad daylight, soldiers and guards saluted and greeted him with warmth. His guild insignia, mounted on his saddle, was seen by the onlookers that gathered around him. Stan knew that it had been at least a decade that the inhabitants of Vanhold had seen anyone from Midgard. They were fascinated with the epic stories about Midgard’s modern technology and its Earthling civilization. Earthlings were like celebrities, despite the majority of them being commoners.

Stan waved at the assembled crowd with pride as he trotted past them on his brown stallion. Much as he wanted to get in the mood, he reminded himself why he traveled millions of light years across the universe. His grandson was in great peril. Stanley knew it within his heart that Blackhaven was after Eddie. Only a handful of people in the universe knew that Eddie was a vessel and container for one of the six Elder Dragons. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out who was responsible.

Stanley was dressed in a typical Old West cowboy attire with some knight armor garment that consisted of a black Stetson hat, white and black checkered long sleeve shirt with a chain mail draped over it, blue jeans, a brown woolen poncho draped over, an old-fashioned leather gun belt, and custom-made cowboy steel-toed boots of leather. He also wore a pair of armored gauntlets and a pair of armored leggings hidden underneath his jeans. He had three weapons. His primary was a longsword strapped to his back. On his waist, near his left hip, was a modified short barrel shotgun that was made for him by the CIA. He also carried a six-cylinder magnum revolver that shot armor piercing rounds.

Stanley trotted up a spiral stone walkway that led up to the palace of the citadel. Armored knights and patrols welcomed Stanley as he leaped from the saddle and tied placed his stallion in a stall in the stable. There was no need for identification as the guards knew who he was. However, they were a bit surprised to see him coming without any notification. The captain of the guards approached him, flailing his arms out.

“Grandmaster Ferguson! It’s good to see you well. I was not informed of your arrival. Forgive me for my incompetence.”

“There is nothing to be forgiven, William, old friend of my son.”

Stan shook hands with William, and they embraced each other like family members who hadn’t seen each other in years. William Longhill was a childhood and best friend of Alphonse. William was from a wealthy merchant family and grew up in the northern district of Dragnar’s Reach. He and Alphonse first met each other in an alley while William and his family were being robbed by cutthroats and thugs. Fortunately, William and his family were spared from death. It took the Longhill family a long time to recover financially.

William was convinced that he needed to become a warrior to protect his family and their assets, so Stan enlisted William to join GoM (Guardians of Midgard). There he and Al honed their skills and became war veterans and heroes in the Revolutionary Vanaheimian War years later. Although he served as captain of the Citadel’s knights, he was still a guild member of the GoM.

“What brings you to the Citadel? I’m sure you never travel this far to have a chit-chat.”

“It is very urgent and essential. I request an assembly with Arkon.”

“Very well. I’ll accompany you.”

“No,” Stan shook his head. “Have someone inform the minister of my arrival and requests. There is something else I want to speak with you in private.”

William waved to one of his guards to approach Stan. Stan then proceeded to give the vanguard a parchment. William then led Stan to the stables where it was more secluded. The stable smell of manure, but he was well used to the stench after decades of raising cattle and horses on the Kentucky Preserve. The stallions grew restless as they yearned for a human to pet them. Stan then gave William a scroll.

“Go to the Guildhall after your shift is over. Everything will be explained in the scroll. Do not lose this scroll and let it fall into the wrong hands. A time of crisis is upon us.”

“Oh,” William seemed to catch on.

“I can’t say much here. Too many ears are upon us here in the Citadel. All I have to say is that my grandson is being hunted by you know who.”

“By the gods!” William shrieked.

The color in Williams face vanished. He was one of the few people in the universe who knew Eddie’s secret and how it was linked to the eight-year disappearance of his long-time friend. When word came to William, it nearly tore his heart in half that his best friend was missing in action because of recovering Eddie from being held as ransom and leverage over the Fergusons. He and the guild searched in Muspellhiem for many months and it was treacherous. Too many fiends had forced them to cancel the search and rescue.

“This is madness!” he continued furiously. “How did this come about?”

“There is a mole in our midst.” William backed away and nearly wanted to protest his innocence. “Don’t be alarmed. You’re all I got.”

“I’m honored that you believe in me, but what will you demand from the order of Arkon? You can’t possibly tell them what your grandson carries within him. You are going to cause nothing but mass hysteria.”

“It’s well beyond that. There is no use to cover up the truth. We must assume that Arkon has been informed.”

An ominous feeling washed over Stan as he looked past William. A pair of vanguards with halberds and pikes was approaching them.

“Remember what I said.”

A couple hours had passed since his reunion with William. He sat patiently yet restlessly at the round table in the royal gathering hall as it filled with ministers awaiting the ambassadors from each country. The hall was decorative with many intricate art portraits on the walls and an exotic mural painted on the ceiling. The five kings, most of the ministers and the knights of the round table made up the order of Arkon. The gathering of the five kings with their prime ministers made up the order of Arkon.

King Rurik Knuttsson presented himself in the hall. King Rurik was the current king of Vanhold. Vanhold was home to one of the five great kingdoms of Vanaheim. It was the home of Cassandra and her slain kin, who pledged loyalty and fealty to King Rurik and his family. King Rurik had reached middle age with five children. His eldest child and son, Bjorn Ruriksson, was slain in combat during the Revolutionary Vanaheimian War and was regarded as a national hero. Bjorn came very close to becoming one of Cassandra’s suitors at a young age when Rurik and Cassandra’s father Edward Cormac, nearly sealed the deal with an arranged marriage between the two.

Rurik announced that he would be the only king attending and be a representative in the other four kings’ place.

“Now that were are all gathered here, this council is in session. According to the parchment, Grandmaster Stanley Ferguson of the guild Guardians of Midgard, what is the urgent crisis in Midgard that needs our attention?”

“The circumstances behind my son Alphonse’s disappearance have resurfaced once again.”

The crowd gasped.

“It’s come to my intention that Blackhaven are on the move once again. Classified intel on the Divine Chalice not being lost has been leaked out to them. They know that we still have possession of the chalice and the Elder Fire Dragon. They have invaded my home world, allied with goblins.”

“This is outrageous,” Prime Minister Regis yelled. “That’s contradicting because the Nexus relay team never reported any activity other than the usual in the leylines. Do you have conclusive evidence? Or perhaps it’s a fallacy you cooked up.”

Regis’ outburst was trying Stan’s patience. Stan knew that there could be no mistakes nor could he afford to lose his composure in this heated forum debate. Stan glared at the Prime Minister with anticipation that he could be one of the perpetrators of the trouble. King Rurik was one of the few people in this world who knew about what resided in Eddie. Perhaps he should be suspicious of Rurik too.

“Very well then. It has come to this,” his faded blue eyes landed on the king. “Your Majesty. It is time we told them.”

Rurik’s face was impassive. He was more wary than furious. He knew what Stan was about to say could throw the entire order into mayhem, and his life and reputation were at stake.

“You’re aware of the consequences. I cannot interfere nor go against Arkon.”

“There is no other way. Sooner or later, the word will reach the streets about my grandson.”

Tax Minister Sid coughed, “Grandmaster, how is your grandson related to this crisis?”

Stanley stroked his chin stoically. This was the moment of truth that would shock the universe.

“Sigmund, the Elder Fire Dragon, currently resides in him.”

And then there was chaos.