I sat up, I felt completely refreshed from the long night of training with my father, king Titus. Marie and Fjorn slumbered in adjacent beds in the cabin of the ship. I walked into the cockpit and check the estimated time of arrival to Darru, four days. I sat down and opened up my research tablet and searched for any and all information I could gather on the planet.
Darru, eighty percent of the planet covered in bright green rainforests. The pictures depicted revealed such a tropical and beautiful landscape. Perhaps when this is all over, I could see myself have some rest and relaxation there. The planet hardly had any predatory types of animals. You had your giant tigers with green fur and very sizable snakes, but other than that, it was small animals. The humanoid style inhabitants called themselves Ohlos. They varied in skin color and all had green pigments amongst their skin, much like giant birth marks. The tablet suggested that through their evolutionary chain, they, like many other species, developed these skin patterns for their environment. They were a relatively primitive species. They had advanced just as much as the humans had. They had their cities and just dissolved into one governing society. Usually that means a species was on the brink of galactic advancement and allowed a species into the governing system designed in the Milky Way for all species to coexist under rules. They did not present any dangers to outsiders and currently according to the governing system, no space travel was permitted unless dire for the species survival. Even though I am wanted, I knew I could invoke the law of survival here.
The last four remaining days had passed with seldom to do. I paced around reading more in depth on what to expect from Darru. The realization hit me that I didn't file a report about the horseman of pestilence and Cerberus on Earth. I needed to make that report and save it, one day I will file it, but for now, I cannot risk someone pinging my location from it.
Fjorn and Marie were often just lost in conversation as I worked out and paced around the ship, lost in my own thoughts. We had our usual meaningless conversations and continued with our natural routine of just story telling.
"Approximately three hours from Darru." The ships AI called over the coms.
"So, Hades huh? Or should I say Famine now?" Fjorn asked.
"I will continue as Hades, maybe he is not lost to this power just yet." I said, sounding hopeful but understanding I have to do what I have to do.
"You really believe that he's just gonna turn over a new leaf?" Marie asked.
"I am more so hoping that he sees this Zeus as a fake and helps us defeat him. We need an upper hand at some point. We barely made it to Earth in time to stop Pestilence, I am not sure we will be so lucky with Darru." I said.
"Lad, you have to accept the fact they may be too far gone for you to do anything about. I hate to say it, as a dwarf who has been given the crappy end of the stick." Fjorn said, raising his eyebrows for emphasis.
I nodded. Maybe they were right, maybe the horsemen were lost causes.
We shot clear into the system that Darru settled in. Many moons circled a massive gas giant at the edge of the solar system. One planet was riddled with never ending solar storms, perhaps once inhabited, no longer the case. After a few more minutes, we peered around the planets and Darru came into view. It no longer held the same beautiful scenery that was depicted in the research pictures. We were too late. Half the planet was ablaze.
"Ship, locate unknown readings that match the same signature as Pestilence on the planets surface." Marie called.
"Analyzing. I have located two individuals at the northern pole. Energy readings measured that of Pestilence. There are small traces of that same energy scattered along the entire surface of the planet." The ships AI spoke.
"It's already started. Get me to the northern pole, then take the ship to safety in space. Do not get me until I say so, or both readings have been eliminated." I said. Sweat began to pour down my back. I sheathed my sword and calmed my nerves. Two horsemen? It has to be Hades and Hercules. Maybe I can save them both.
Our ship punctured the atmosphere and quickly cooled the heat. We landed quickly to the surface and I descended from the ship and began my journey towards the readings. I had my coms link on and could communicate with Fjorn and Marie. The pole was cold and I was fairly under dressed for this occasion. But nonetheless, I had to continue. I could make out two silhouettes in the snow. I marched quickly towards them. They came into view and I could clearly see Hades and Hercules talking. I approached cautiously.
"Y'know, he said you would be here soon. We honestly thought Pestilence took care of you, but now we could both see how wrong we were and how weak he was." Hades said.
"Handle this Famine." Hercules said.
"Given the situation, I am surprised you guys have really let this being pretending to be Zeus control you. We could easily take him down ourselves, yet you play slave. Why?" I asked.
"Pretending? He is Zeus. He is the conqueror of galaxies. He has shown us the true path to salvation!" Hades screamed.
Hercules stood there silently eyeing me.
"He hasn't told you? This game of horsemen, its a charade. Your brother, the real Zeus, died at the hands of this being who claims his title." I said, pointing at Hercules.
"Does it really matter who holds a title?" Hercules asked.
"It matters when he kills your father, and your brother. Where do the lies end?" I asked. "Please understand the severity of what is happening. How many civilizations in the Andromeda galaxy has he laid waste to? Using his horseman, only for him to show up and behold the power?"
"You knew?" Hades said, his expression had changed. He was now glaring at Hercules.
"It was either join him, or watch the human race fall to him. He has shown me my true destiny, who I really am. What happens if I sit and rot on that planet. Xander wasn't the only being allowed into the pool of visions. I saw everything. I will rein supreme in this galaxy. I will hold his true power and we will be equals. I have no time to squander and help you fill in the gaps to the puzzle uncle. But you need to do what is called forth. Kill the swordsman. I am to finish what we started here." Hercules said, stepping away.
Hades drew his sword and swung viciously towards Hercules. Hercules merely caught the blade in his open palm.
"Uncle, you have chosen wrong. Time and time again, you bring dishonor to our lineage." Hercules said as he delivered a powerful blow to Hades midsection sending him flying in the air and hard on his back. "You have no idea my power. I will destroy you both." Hercules drew his own blade. It was red, and had a black hilt with a horse on the end of the hilt. I unsheathed my sword and charged towards him. My fathers voice echoed "work with the blade, not against it. It will guide you."
Our swords clinked and clanged hard as we parried and block each others attacks. His strikes were no where near as powerful as my fathers, but he still moved eloquently. Our blades would collide and be at a stand still. I delivered a blow to his face and he staggered a few steps. Hercules opened up with a kick that knocked me to the ground. Hades rushed him from his side, blade swinging wildly, Hercules was able to simply parry him and deliver more blows. Blood rushed from Hades' face as he continued fighting. He raised his hand and a weird energy force released from his tips but did nothing.
"A horseman's powers are useless to another horseman, especially when you are still growing. You are weak and do not deserve the title." Hercules taunted as he rushed and delivered another knockout blow to Hades' face. I leapt in and struck Hercules hard in the back. He fell to the snow momentarily and immediately hopped back to his feet. Our swords collided non stop for minutes as I saw Hades lying in the snow knocked out in my peripheral vision.
"You think you have what it takes swordsman? To defeat a god?" Hercules called once again. We traded blows and I could feel my strength draining over time. Hercules on the other hand, did not slow down a bit. "It is time to end this once and for all." Hercules disarmed me and kicked me to the ground, he raised his sword up high. As he began to bring his blade down upon me, he turned his eyes to the corner and parried Hades, disarming him as well and drove his blade straight through Hades' heart.
Hades gasped for air and stared into his nephews eyes. "You will never be a god boy, you will only fall as a disgrace." Hades collapsed. Hercules stood stunned for a moment, as he did, I held my hand out for my blade. The hilt met my finger tips one more time as I drove my sword into Hercules's stomach. He let out a scream and lurched forward. "This is not over for me, not yet." Hercules said through gritted teeth. He pulled the blade out and stepped away a few paces before being sucked into a portal and disappearing from sight.
"Fjorn, scan for War. He has to be here somewhere!" I said, as I ran to Hades' side.
"I knew something didn't feel right. But seeing Hercules and his loyalty to this lie, I thought maybe I was the one failing them. I wasn't strong enough." Hades whispered as he spat blood into the snow. "Hercules... is hiding.. on.. the Forge." Hades let out his last breath.
"Fjorn?!" I yelled.
"There's no sign of him. The traces of Famine is diminishing from the planet as we speak." Fjorn said in a soft voice.
"Get down here and get me off this planet, I know where War has gone. And his name wasn't Famine, It was Hades, brother of Zeus." I said, tears swelling. Even though he was once a foe, seeing this brought a pit to my stomach. A family ruined at the hands of this being pretending to be Zeus. It was time to head to the Forge. Time to settle this score I had with the being I once thought I was. Hercules, it is time you met your match.