I found myself standing on the edge of a hill. I was looking out toward the ocean. The breeze was calming and peaceful. It felt so nice being here, that it started to bring back my memories throughout my life. I am about to take on my biggest challenge yet, and it won't be within the comfort of my home. I felt like this was going to be a mistake. However, my gut was telling me that there was nothing else I can do, that wouldn't result in billions perishing. 

 

I grip the sword in my hand very tightly. I saw the moon's gaze above lighting up the sky. As soon as I looked up to the moon and stared at it for a while. It gave me the courage to begin my journey to the stars. I lifted my sword above my head and let the energy wrap around my body, before letting it shoot me upwards. Going so fast, that I reached the clouds in seconds. 

 

It didn't take long until I escaped out of the atmosphere, and was finally in the vacuum of space. It's been two months since I was last up here. Today though, was going to be my first time actually exploring what's outside our planet. I couldn't tell if I was excited, or scared for what I was going to fine. However, knowing that the alien friends I met months prior are out there. I know for certain that I'm not alone.

 

Continuing my ascendance through the solar system. I eventually turned around and saw the earth below me. It was just as large as I expected it to be, based on all of the videos and pictures I've seen. Actually seeing my home planet in front of me, gave me a weird feeling inside. I couldn't explain it, but it wasn't entirely a bad feeling either. 

 

Taking a few minutes of looking down at my home planet. I soon started to continue my ascent out of the solar system. Using my sword's energy to intensify my speed and acceleration, I was going so fast that I passed Saturn in a matter of minutes. As soon as I got further than even Pluto, I was left in the abyss of nothing around me. 

 

I couldn't hear anything around me, due to the vacuum of space's complete void of air particles. I could hear the ringing in my ears, with the only form of sound being the energy wrapped around my entire body. It was neither satisfying or annoying, as it was the only thing that kept my sanity intact. 

 

Before I could continue ascending deeper into the unknown. I stopped myself when in the corner of my eye. I noticed lights that didn't seem to come from any star. Instead, the lights seemed to be coming from a man-made structure. I turned toward the direction of the strange object, before beginning to fly toward it. 

 

As I did so, the object with the lights started to come to a much clearer view. The object seemed to be in the shape of a screw. It had a long sharp pointy bottom, like a needle. With the top of it, was a flat surface with a building on top of it. The lights coming from within windows of the building. 

 

When I was several hundred feet away from it. The building had a sign on top, with bright lights making up the letters of it. "Josco Homes." That struck out to me as I slowly got closer. If the name was any indication, this seemed to be some sort of outer space apartment place. Possibly meant for travelers just like me. 

 

Right as I flew over the platform, about to land onto it. I was stopped by an invisible barrier, but it felt like a thicker form of a bubble. I slowly pushed my way through the barrier, until my entire body was on the other side. Almost instantly, my hearing returned back to me. It felt a lot better being able to hear again. 

 

I landed onto the platform, where multiple shapes and forms of alien craft were sitting lifeless. I examined each one of them, which seemed to be a Robanian spaceship. Feeling slightly relieved to know this, I begin heading my way toward the front of the building of Josco Homes. 

 

I didn't see any life forms hanging outside of the Josco Homes. This meant that all of the creatures are likely inside. I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the door. When I calmed myself down, I reached up the doorknob and turned it. Slowly opening it up as the entire room was revealed.

 

Nearly instantly, I was met with the charming smell of a pinecone scent. Not only that, but a wooden interior, mostly spruce, and a nicely dim and calming lighting with a few lights at a dim setting. The interior almost reminded me what most bars look like. 

 

As I walked into the room as the door closed behind me by itself. I saw multiple shapes and forms of creatures spread throughout the room. However, I wasn't able to find any familiar creatures that were part of the Robanian ship months back. That meant, these creatures were completely new to me. I gulped at the sight, before beginning to slowly make my way toward the counter.

 

A large muscular creature that almost appeared human, with the exception of its body being very malformed was behind the counter. Its right arm was extremely muscular, so muscular that it could probably squish a human with its strength. The left arm was skinny, like this creature only exercises with its right arm. The face looked like it was melting off, but was recognizable still. 

 

I went up to an empty seat and sat down. Only an expression of annoyance as it cleaned an empty glass with its left hand. I gulped in slight terror by the sight of the creature. I begin checking the menu hanging up above the bartender. I could tell that this place served a lot of customers. 

 

I saw that they had an option for water, which was good enough for me. Our eyes met, but their face alone gave me chills just from looking at it. I nervously reached up my hand and told it what I wanted. The bartender growled, not saying anything to me as a response. Instead, when it finished cleaning the glass it had in its hand. It took the glass over to a jug of water in the corner filled with clean water. 

 

Once the glass was filled, it handed it over to me. I looked up to the bartender and thanked them. Then, I grabbed the glass of water and reached it up to eye level. Fortunately, the water was definitely clean from eye sight. The bartender growled for a second, before its voice alone nearly gave me a heart attack. "It's a clean stranger, why would you think we'd serve nasty tap water?" The voice was very weird, and frightening. It was like the voice was strained and raspy from damaged vocal cords. 

 

I shrug to the creature, before drinking the water. The creature turned away when I drank the water completely. I felt a lot more refreshed afterwards, allowing me to clear my throat more effectively. When I rechecked the menu, the lack of cost of items surprised me. "Um, do I owe you anything?"

 

The bartender shook its head. "Everything is free here, unless you want the special items. Otherwise, you'd have to pay with credits." 

 

"Oh, interesting. Why is it all free?" 

 

The creature stopped what it was doing, before turning fully to me. "You must be new out here if the first thing you are doing is asking why it's free." When it said, I nodded my head to approve its assumption. "It's quite simple, this place isn't owned by any particular species. This place was made to give those who were affected by extinction level events on their home worlds."

 

"You mean the Robanians?" As soon as I asked that, the entire room fell silent. I could feel eyes landing on me, especially the bartenders. I slowly glanced around the room, where my suspicion was correct. Everybody in the room was looking straight at me. That made me felt embarrassed, like I said something wrong. Eventually, the bartender broke the silence as it whispered to me.

 

"Listen to me kid, we have a few rules here. First off, we don't talk about . . . Those guys. Almost everyone in this room has had history with them. I wouldn't recommend saying their name. Understand?" I looked into the eyes of the bartender's creepy eyes, still embarrassed before I nodded up to it. "Secondly, don't piss anybody off here. We have a "no piss off" policy here."

 

"Why? Is that a very bad thing?" It nodded its head in response. I heard that the room returned back to life with conversations filling the room. I began examining each creature in the room that was minding their own business. Eventually, my eyes laid onto a familiar shape of a figure. Another human, but was dressed extremely fancy.

 

In fact, they were wearing a red tuxedo, a black shirt underneath, red tie, black cloth gloves, red pants with another layer of clothing beneath colored black to go with the style of the clothing. He did wear shoes, but I wasn't able to see them from where I was. His facial features matched perfectly to what a human was. His hair was nicely combed, had a half shaven beard and mustache, with greenish blueish eyes. 

 

Simply the presence of him existing within the room. It felt like I was looking at a being above mortals like myself. I couldn't take my eyes away, The fancy clothed human was talking to unfamiliar creatures beside him. Though, I can recognize by their physical features that they were a female and a male. 

 

Eventually, the bartender noticed who I was looking at and interrupted my staring by speaking to me. "I know who you're looking at. That guy isn't like you or most of the creatures in this place." I finally turned away from the man in the suit to face the Bartender. 

 

"What do you mean? He appears normal." She shook her head as I glanced back at the man in the suit.

 

"That man isn't from around here. His shape shifts into different forms each day he comes in here. Usually always wearing that exact same clothing. So, don't let his physical appearance fool you." I turn back around to face the counter and finish the rest of my water. "So, can I ask where you came from?" 

 

"I came from earth." I informed the creature. 

 

"Earth? You mean the planet with all of the apes?" I nod my head in approval. She grew slightly surprised as she closely examined me. "Interesting, I thought you guys weren't fully developed for space travel?"

 

"Oh, we aren't. I came here with this thing." I lift up my sword, placing it onto the counter. Instantly, the creature with fearful eyes took a step back. 

 

"What the..?!" The creature was in fear by the presence of the sword. "Where did you get that?! How did you get that?!" I felt the room grow silent, feeling eyes upon me. "Why did you bring it inside?!"

 

"Why are you so scared? It's not going to hurt you."

 

"I don't think you understand how serious this situation is. The only way you can possibly get that weapon and still have it. Is it if you destroy or escape from their control ships? Not a single person succeeded." 

 

My eyes grew into excited and surprised eyes when the bartender said this. "Really? Well, I must be one lucky person for destroyed one of their spaceships then." Right after I said this, a voice caught me off guard from behind. 

 

"You did what?!" I turned to look toward the cause, that's when I saw a creature about a foot taller than me, with fur all over its body, standing on two feet. "That's not possible!"

 

"You must be a fraud." Another voice said in the crowd. I begin to hear people whispering to each other as their attention is toward me. 

 

"No, actually. I killed the headmaster of the spaceship too. I tossed him through a window and killed him from the vacuum of space." The room gasped in surprise from my words, making the room silent once more. 

 

The bartender tapped me on the shoulder, prompting me to lay my back against the counter and look over my shoulder. Knowing that people within the crowd were joining into the conversation. I kept the sword on the counter, letting my back feel it so I know where it is in the current moment. "You are extremely lucky. But you are in danger of the man himself. He'll be coming for you next."

 

That's when it struck me, reminding me of the reason I came here. I nodded my head in agreement, "Actually, that's the reason I came here." I looked up to the room and cleared my throat. "Okay, listen up everybody!" I spoke loudly for the entire room to listen. However, I saw that the man with the tuxedo and the two other creatures were ignoring me. I decided to leave them be, as I continued. "I need some intel about the man on top of the dangerous species. I want to find him and kill him, before he does more harm than good." 

 

The entire room was left staring up at me, completely silent. It was as if everybody didn't know what to say. I patiently waited for anybody to say anything, but nobody ever got the courage to speak up. Eventually, the bartender interrupted the silence again. "I don't think anybody knows where that leader is. Not even me." The bartender scanned the room for a minute, before her eyes look down at me. "However, if you truly want to find where they are. Your best bet is the same species that went to war with them years prior."

 

"War? Who was that?" 

 

The bartender nodded, before continuing. "They called themselves the Azorians. A race of powerful dragons with extremely advanced technology, allowing them to space travel without any issues." The bartender helped me with a refill of water. "They were able to gain more territory out of the war, despite the Robanians invading first. Not only that, but they successfully killed the old grandmaster. Winning the war and having the Robanians retreat until the new grandmaster today came into power."

 

"Huh, interesting. Never thought Robanians would lose to another species. Always thought they were always powerful." 

 

As the bartender shook their head, I drank the entire glass of water as I listened closely. "Not exactly, the new grandmaster made them more powerful than before. Which is why nobody has successfully stepped toe to toe with them since then."

 

"Right, so they are who I need to look for? But then, how am I supposed to find them?"

 

"Easy, they are in a place outside the galaxy called, The Untouchable Zone. As soon as you leave the galaxy, you'll find a large cloud of dust easily viewable. Within that place, you should be able to find their technology easily viewable." 

 

"Awesome, then I suppose I should start-." I was about to start leaving quickly, but she stopped me. 

 

"Hold on, I wasn't finished." I apologize to her before letting her continue. "Azorian aren't necessarily nice to outsiders, especially to those that hold a weapon from their greatest enemy." She glances down to my sword on the counter, which I understood instantly what she meant. "If you want to get in there, you'll have to find a way to hide that, also to find a way that wouldn't make them attempt to attack you."

 

"Well, hiding the sword won't be a problem. However, I'm not so sure about getting in without being detected. How exactly will I be able to do that? If they're all dragons, I'm easily recognizable as different."

 

"Good point, which is why it's not my problem at this point." That response surprised me, resulting in me backing away from them.

 

"Uh, what?" 

 

"I can't help you further from that point. If you wanna get into their area. You're alone there to figure it out." 

 

"Can you at least give me a hint? I'll leave after that." I look at them with a demanding expression. They returned an expression of annoyance, before giving up and sighing.  

 

"Fine, there's this species that the Azorians respect heavily with. They call themselves Hunkles. They look just like humans, but are a little larger and have yellow skin. It's believed that the Azorians were given resources by them during the war of the two factions. If you find at least one of them, hopefully they can sneak you inside." 

 

When I heard this, I nodded in understanding. I pointed toward the glass to indicate I wanted a refill. The bartender nodded as she took the glass and filled it up with more water. I took the glass and downed it entirely before standing up. I look at the entire room of creatures at their own tables. Then, I started to head out of the bar. 

 

Knowing now that I need to find at least one Hunkle to get inside. I felt like I was making good progress for my end goal. The only thing I need to do now is search around until I can find one. Hopefully, there are more places like Josco Homes where I can find more creatures. Though, as I look up to the stars above me. I realized that this journey was going to be a tough one alone.