[Hogan]
Are you sure?
Although Forseti had little direct contact with Thor, he understood Thor's character from his past and present knowledge.
For now, Thor remained one of the most unpredictable figures in Asgard.
"Brunok, keep an eye on His Royal Highness Thor," Forseti instructed.
"Yes." Several others responded.
With that, Forseti turned and flew off, following Venom's guidance.
"What exactly are we dealing with here?" he asked as he flew.
"I'm not entirely sure, but it seems... there's another symbiote," Venom's voice crackled with excitement.
"Another symbiote!" Forseti exclaimed in surprise.
Venom replied, "It seems so, though I haven't encountered one of our kind in a long time. I'm not entirely certain."
Guided by Venom, Forseti quickly arrived at their destination—a field that stood empty, making their target stand out.
"Is that the horse?" Forseti observed a wild horse running not far away.
Before Venom could respond, the horse halted, its gaze fixing on them with an almost human-like surprise.
"Yes, he's a symbiote!" Venom exclaimed with excitement, his tendrils extending and waving.
The wild horse neighed and swiftly galloped over. Its body displayed clear symbiotic traits, with substances akin to asphalt rising and falling on its surface.
After the horse approached, it communicated with Venom.
Typically, symbiotes require a host to speak, but these two communicated non-verbally. As Venom's host, Forseti could roughly grasp their conversation.
"Are you also a symbiote?" The symbiote attached to the wild horse couldn't help but ask, surprise and curiosity evident.
Compared to ordinary symbiotes, Venom, influenced by the Holy Light, possessed unique characteristics and a distinct appearance.
"Indeed, my kin. Without a host, how could I speak Kuntal's tongue?" Venom replied.
"But how did you come to be like this..." The symbiote on the wild horse was still puzzled.
"Because of my host," Venom explained, "surely you know who he is."
"I do not," Mustang shook his head.
The atmosphere grew awkward, both Forseti and Venom momentarily embarrassed.
Venom clarified, "The sun god, of Asgard! You're in Vanaheim, how do you not know the gods of Asgard?"
"Aesir!" The wild horse was moved.
Venom inquired, "Is this your first encounter with the Gods?"
"Yes... I arrived here recently," Mustang nodded.
"How did you end up in Vanaheim?"
"A meteorite," Mustang explained, "our hometown Klyntar suffered calamity, the earth shattered. Many symbiotes, myself included, were flung into the cosmos with the fragments, eventually falling to planets as meteorites. I landed in Vanaheim."
Venom reacted with shock, "When did this happen? What happened to Klyntar?"
"I cannot say how long I drifted among the stars—perhaps hundreds, perhaps thousands of years ago. I do not know what became of Klyntar; it happened so swiftly, I was flung into the cosmos before I could react."
Continuing, Mustang added, "I landed in Vanaheim three years ago. I believe I am the only survivor from that meteorite."
Venom fell silent.
Mustang continued, "In these past three years, I've attempted to find a suitable host in Vanaheim, though I've only found a horse... How did you come here and find a powerful Gods as a host?"
Venom didn't respond, instead asking, "If there was a spaceship, could you find your way back to Klyntar?"
"That should be possible," Mustang replied.
At this point, Forseti interjected, "Eddie, do you plan to return to Klyntar?"
Venom paused before answering, "Yes, it's been far too long since I departed my homeland. If possible, I wish to return with him."
Forseti nodded, "In that case, I will assist you."
Venom had aided Forseti greatly over the years, and now, with Venom's desire to return to Klyntar, Forseti saw no reason to refuse.
Moreover, Forseti had recently awakened his second-order flame powers and crafted the Sulfuron Warhammer. As he increasingly wielded fiery abilities, Venom's role diminished somewhat, no longer as prominent as before.
"Thank you... Forseti," Venom expressed gratitude.
Forseti replied, "Tell him to wait here. Once we've dealt with the fugitive, I'll help you return to your homeland."
"Understood," Venom conveyed to Mustang.
With that settled, Forseti retraced his steps to continue pursuing the fugitive.
Along the way, he couldn't help but worry—what if Thor hadn't followed his orders and impulsively engaged the fugitive?
Upon arriving, however, Forseti found Thor and others standing still. Among them stood a black-haired youth wielding a chained hammer.
"Hogan, what brings you here?" Forseti recognized the youth as Hogan, prince of the Vanir Protoss.
"My lord Forseti," Hogan greeted respectfully. Forseti had rescued him from trolls when he was an infant. "The Vanir Gods were also tracking escaped prisoners and coincidentally encountered His Highness Thor."
Forseti nodded, "In that case, let's apprehend these fugitives together."
"Agreed," Hogan replied.
Hogan couldn't contain his eagerness, "Finally, the chance to take down these miscreants, excellent!"
Over a dozen fugitives hid nearby, shielded by a potent magical barrier within their cave. Had someone not ventured out, Heimdall wouldn't have detected them.
Forseti activated the Eye of Reckoning, eyes blazing with holy light, and led the group into the fugitives' hiding place.
As they advanced, Forseti glanced down and spotted a blood-red figure silently emerging from the ground, poised for a surprise attack.
Observing the figure's approach, Forseti transformed the Sulfuron Warhammer into its fiery form, embedding it in his right arm.
The hammer's fiery infusion heightened his right arm's strength manifold, radiating intense heat.
"Boom!" With a swift motion, Forseti thrust his right arm into the ground as the blood-red figure drew near.