A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

The sheer weight of Kaleon's history and choices was almost too much to process. Yet, despite everything I'd heard, something still didn't sit right with me.

It nagged at the back of my mind, a puzzle piece that refused to fit.

"Kaleon started the war for Hestia," I said, my tone laced with frustration.

"And after finding out she was alive, I thought he'd want to stay with her. Isn't that what anyone would expect? But instead, he chose eternal sleep. Forever. Doesn't that strike anyone else as… off?"

Agnos leaned back, arms crossed, his expression sharp.

"I've thought the same thing. When I received the creator's will and instructions, I knew something wasn't what it seemed. He specifically told me to bring his body to the core."

Viracocha's brows shot up.

"Kaleon left instructions for you?"

"Yes," Agnos said with a smug smile.

"Why? Are you planning to challenge me?" His smirk deepened, daring the Incan god to respond.

Viracocha shook his head.

"No. In fact, I find it plausible."

He paused, his gaze drifting as if lost in thought. When he spoke again, his voice carried a new edge.

"The core holds his essence. If he wanted his body brought there, it could mean something's wrong with it."

Agnos scoffed. "What could possibly go wrong with the creator's body? Don't start spinning wild theories."

Viracocha's tone sharpened. "You might not know this, but Kaleon once told me that the essence he left in the core is tied to his creation powers. If his body were ever compromised, that essence could save him."

His eyes suddenly widened, and he shot to his feet. "Oh no. This is bad. This is very bad!"

"What? What's going on?" I asked, startled by his sudden shift.

"Kaleon! His soul and body must be in danger!" Viracocha declared.

"That's impossible," Jiuge interjected firmly. "His body and soul are in the Lake of Tears, protected by Hestia's divine power. No one can touch him."

"You don't understand!" Viracocha began pacing, anxiety etched into every movement. "Kaleon's destructive powers must be growing unstable. They could be trying to consume him! Why didn't I realize this earlier? I should have—"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on," I said, stepping in to stop his spiraling. "Inca god, can we rewind for a second? Maybe explain it in less 'apocalypse is nigh' terms?"

Agnos let out a slow breath, his tone grave.

"Carl, there's something you need to know about Mythica's balance. The nine leylines aren't just sources of creation. They also house destructive powers. These forces must remain in balance. If something tips the scales—like with the two leylines that were corrupted—it affects Kaleon's power balance too."

His explanation hit me like a truck.

My mind raced to connect the dots.

"Wait. So if Mythica's experiencing imbalance, Kaleon's destructive powers are—what, trying to take over his body?"

Agnos nodded grimly. "Exactly. If that happens, Kaleon will awaken. But not as the creator you've heard about. He'll become a god of destruction. Mythica would fall into chaos worse than anything seen during the Ancient Realm War."

My stomach sank. "What do we do?"

Viracocha's gaze turned steely. "We meet the founder of MECCP."

"Huh? What?" I blinked at him in disbelief. "You're telling me Mythica's teetering on the edge of annihilation, and your brilliant plan is to talk to my boss?"

Jiuge slapped the back of my head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being rude to a god," she said flatly. "And for forgetting that your boss is the Unknown God of the metal leylines."

I stared at him. "Wait, what? The metal leyline was destroyed ages ago! What's the point?"

Viracocha fixed me with a pointed look. "Destroyed doesn't mean it can't be restored."

"Hold on." My brain stumbled over his words. "It can be restored? Then why hasn't anyone done it?"

"Because restoring it requires Kaleon's essence and will," Agnos explained, his tone grim.

"But with him in deep slumber, we can't exactly move his body to the core. The only one who might help is the mistress locked away in the Eternal Prison. And unless you've figured out how to casually waltz in there, we're at a dead end."

My stomach twisted as their plan began to dawn on me. "Wait a second. You're not… you don't mean—"

Agnos smirked. Jiuge remained silent, but her expression said it all. Viracocha, though, looked at me with something unnervingly close to hope.

"Oh no. Nope. I'm not his descendant or chosen one or whatever nonsense you're thinking. I'm just a mortal, remember? Agnos, you said that!"

"But the fragments of Kaleon's power chose you," Agnos said, his tone maddeningly calm. "You absorbed them, Carl. That has to mean something. If the fragments accepted you, you might be able to restore the metal leyline."

I groaned, rubbing my temples. "You're not taking no for an answer, are you? Why do we need to meet him? What would that do?"

Viracocha replied with a calm but weighty tone, "We need to restore his leyline."

And then... nothing. Just silence.

I blinked, waiting for someone to fill in the blanks. When no one did, I cleared my throat. "Err, can we try that again but with a full explanation this time? I hate being the guy constantly asking, 'Why?'"

Instead of an answer, Jiuge smacked me on the head—again.

"Stop whining and just do as he says," she snapped. "You'll understand later."

I shot her a glare, rubbing the spot she hit. "Seriously, if I really am Kaleon's son, I'm filing an official complaint to my 'father' about how you treat me," I retorted, narrowing my eyes for extra emphasis.

The next thing I knew, I was being hauled—dragged, really—off to meet the founder of MECCP. My boss. The other Unknown God of Mythica.

********

The MECCP founder stood before me, impossibly poised.

His eyes locked onto mine, sharp and piercing, like they could cut through steel—or maybe just the fact that I was about to have a minor existential crisis. Awesome.

His long, dark hair cascaded down his back like he'd just stepped out of a shampoo commercial, impossibly smooth and voluminous in that "I'm a god, I don't need to try" kind of way.

He wore an earring on his left ear, making him look like he belonged in a high-end fashion magazine or maybe the lead guitarist of some underground dragon rock band.

So... he was the founder?

Something nagged at me. A familiar energy. Like déjà vu, but stronger.

Then he tilted his head at me—that same subtle tilt I'd seen before.

My stomach dropped.

Oh. Oh, no.

A jolt of recognition hit me like a ton of bricks: I had met him before. That guy who'd been lurking in the shadows of the cafeteria, watching me like some sort of creepy, all-knowing divine being.

"Wait." My voice came out slow, realization dawning. "You're the creepy cafeteria guy?!"

Naga blinked once. "Ah, so you noticed."

And then he smiled. Oh boy.