A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

Agnos perched on my shoulder, his tail swaying in calculated movements that matched his pensive tone. His weight was almost nonexistent, yet his presence felt heavier with every word he said.

I had so many questions, but I chose to hold back, unsure if I was ready to hear the answers.

We were walking toward a place Agnos had cryptically referred to as a "detour," and I was beginning to suspect that it wasn't just any ordinary place.

The detour he insisted on had taken us down a winding path through Mythica's dense woods. Leaving the Diyu realm. The air here was cool, carrying faint traces of lavender and something inexplicably soothing, like stepping into an eternal twilight.

"We're heading to meet the guardian of the sixth fragment," Agnos said after a long silence.

I blinked, taken aback. "The guardian of the sixth fragment? But why the detour? What's so special about this place?"

Agnos didn't look at me. His gaze was focused ahead, but I could feel his hesitation. "The fragments are more than just power sources. They're part of something... much larger. The guardians were meant to protect them—not just from outside forces, but from themselves. They're like... pieces of a puzzle that have already been lost."

The words didn't settle easily in my mind. "Lost?"

Agnos nodded, his expression distant. "Not all guardians are here to guard. Some are late arrivals—fragments that have already been tampered with, taken but not absorbed. They linger until they find a worthy soul."

"Worthy soul?" I asked, now more confused than ever. "So, the fragments are—what? Like cursed objects? They only bond with certain people?"

"Exactly," Agnos said, his voice sharp as though he had been expecting the question. "Once a fragment is taken, it can't just be given to anyone. If its memories aren't absorbed, it will haunt whoever tries to control it. Like what happened to Hades. The guardians are the only ones who can prevent further catastrophe—until the chosen one arrives."

"You keep calling them 'guardians,'" I began, unable to hide my curiosity. "But what exactly are they? And why do some of them seem... well, absent or late to the party?"

Agnos paused, turning to look at me, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dark. "They are servants of the Unknown Gods," he explained.

"The Unknown Gods lost their powers after the war, their might shattered into fragments scattered across the realms. To ensure these fragments wouldn't fall into the wrong hands, each was bound to a guardian tasked with its protection.

But the gods were not alone in their downfall. Each Unknown God had seven servants—loyal followers who were punished for their failure to safeguard their masters. As part of their penance, these servants were bound to the fragments as well, their existence now tethered to an eternal duty.

Their sole purpose is to guard the fragments, ensuring they remain protected until someone truly worthy arises to absorb the memories and continue the legacy of the Unknown Gods."

A chill ran down my spine.

"So, they're not... normal creatures?"

"No," Agnos said, his voice quiet but carrying a deep resonance.

"They are bound by duty, by punishment. They guard the fragments not because they chose to, but because they must. If they fail, they are cursed to remain in their roles indefinitely."

I was still processing that when a fresh question formed in my mind.

"What happens when the fragments are absorbed? What's the end game here?"

"That's where things get complicated," Agnos said.

"When my powers were split and scattered as fragments, their original purpose was to help us, the Unknown Gods, heal. But it didn't work as intended. Instead of strengthening them, it weakened them further."

I frowned, my mind spinning. "So... these fragments are supposed to heal the gods? But that's not what's happening?"

Agnos turned his piercing eyes toward me.

For a moment, he didn't talk, just stared as if calculating how much to reveal.

"No," Agnos confirmed. "The gods' powers can't fully return until the memories in the fragments are absorbed."

Then he sighed.

"The fragments that lack active guardians are those that have already been tampered with. Either they've been taken and the memories are not properly absorbed, or someone attempted to use them and failed."

"Failed how?"

"The fragments linger. Their energy attaches itself to the environment or anyone nearby until they're fully absorbed. The memories contained within remain incomplete. That's why some guardians don't appear—they're no longer tethered to their duties, yet not entirely free."

I mulled over his words.

"So, the guardians are stuck in some limbo until someone fully absorbs the memories?"

"Precisely," Agnos replied, his tone sharp.

"And let me be clear—absorbing those memories is no simple feat. Only the chosen one can bear the burden."

I felt a strange swell of pride at that moment, but a nagging doubt lingered. It all felt too... orchestrated. As if my fate had already been decided before I even knew it.

"Chosen one?" I muttered, half to myself. "I'm just... I don't know. I just feel like there's something off about all of this. Like it's all been predestined somehow."

Agnos smirked. "Welcome to the paradox of free will, Carl. You have choices, but the path you're on? That's yours alone."

I didn't have a rebuttal, just a lingering unease that gnawed at me.

We continued walking in silence for a while, the woods giving way to a small clearing where the ground was soft with moss.

And there, in the center of the clearing, stood a small, unassuming clinic—though "clinic" was hardly the right word for it. The sight of the clinic stopped me in my tracks.

A quaint, two-story building sat nestled among glowing dream blossoms. Its sign, illuminated by soft, shifting colors, read: "Nocturnity: Dreams, Nightmares, and Everything In-Between."

I raised an eyebrow. "This is the place?"

Agnos leaped from my shoulder and landed gracefully on the cobblestone path. "Let's go. The Baku is expecting us."

The clinic's interior was like stepping into someone's subconscious—a mix of cozy and surreal. Shelves lined with jars of swirling dream fragments sparkled under warm, flickering lights. The air smelled of herbal tea and something faintly electric, like ozone before a storm.

The Baku sat behind a large desk, its round glasses perched precariously on its trunk. Its scholarly sash looked slightly askew, giving it an endearing charm.

When it saw Agnos, its eyes widened in shock.

"Lord Agnos?" the Baku stammered, its deep, melodic voice quivering.

It stood abruptly, bowing low enough to touch its trunk to the floor.

"I failed you. I failed to protect the fragment. Please, forgive me."

Agnos waved a paw dismissively.

"Spare me the theatrics, Baku. What I need is information. Who did you fight that caused the sixth fragment to ended up with Zhuanlun for safekeeping?"

The Baku hesitated, its trunk adjusting its glasses nervously. "It was a human," it said at last, its voice tinged with unease. "This happened thirty years ago. The human wielded a peculiar artifact—something that put me into a hypnotic state. I couldn't use my nightmare curse against him."

"A human?" I interjected, unable to hide my surprise. "How would a human even know about the fragments?"

The Baku shook its head.

"I don't know. But when the human finally managed to seize the fragment, he couldn't absorb it. Instead, he clutched it in agony, screaming until... until he died."

The room fell silent.

I could feel the weight of the revelation pressing down on all of us.

"And that's how the fragment ended up with the Diyu Judge?" Agnos asked, his tone unreadable.

"Yes," the Baku confirmed.

I glanced at Agnos, confused.

"So, this human tried to take it, failed, died end up in the underworld where the Diyu Judge resides?"

"Looks like it," Agnos said, his voice hardening.

He tapped his paw against the desk thoughtfully. "Zhuanlun is a failsafe. Any fragments that are left uncollected after a being dies will fall into his possession for safekeeping."

Agnos wore a pensive expression before saying, "I need to know more, Baku. Do you still have any records of the incident?"

The Baku nodded. "I recorded everything in a dream orb. I'll retrieve it for you."

It disappeared into a back room, its steps echoing faintly.

Minutes later, the Baku returned with a glowing orb in its paw, its face pale—an impressive feat for a creature already so ghostly. "The recording..." it began, its voice shaking. "It's gone. Deleted. I... I don't know who could've done this."

Agnos's eyes narrowed, his fur bristling. "Deleted? How?"

"I don't know," the Baku murmured, its voice trembling. "I... I was sure it was there. But now... now, nothing. It's just... gone."

I watched the exchange, my mind racing. "Who would go to such lengths to cover this up? And why?"

The Baku slumped into its chair, visibly shaken. "I... I don't know. But whoever it was, they were thorough. The dream orb is completely wiped."

"Do you remember what the human looked like?" I asked, my voice softer than I intended.

It felt odd to bring it up—almost intrusive—but I needed to know.

Baku's expression shifted, the weight of my question heavy on his shoulders.

He blinked a few times, opening his mouth as if to answer, but before any words left him, something strange happened.

His face contorted in pain.

He clasped his head, both hands gripping his skull, as if something inside him was trying to tear itself free.

"Baku?" I called, stepping closer, instinctively reaching for him, though I wasn't sure what good it would do.

He looked like he was being attacked by an invisible force.

His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, and the pained expression on his face only deepened.

It didn't take long for Agnos to notice.

He stiffened beside me, his eyes narrowing. His lips curled into a grim line, and his voice was low, barely audible.

"This is bad."

I frowned, my heart racing.

"What do you mean? What's happening to him?"

Agnos turned his eyes toward Baku, his gaze sharpening.

"Something's wrong. The Baku's memories... they've been tampered with."