A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

It took me a second to process what Agnos was saying.

"So, you're telling me the Baku's like a nightmare therapist now?"

I tried to imagine the creature in action, a giant nightmare-consuming monster handing out counseling advice.

I'm sorry, Carl, your fear of the dark is deeply rooted in your childhood trauma.

"Exactly," Agnos continued, his voice steady. "But not just therapy. It's about... transforming fear into something productive. Something... useful."

I couldn't decide whether that was genius or creepy. Probably both. "How does he do that? You can't just turn a nightmare into something productive, can you?"

Agnos gave me a long look.

"Not by conventional means. But the Baku's methods are anything but conventional. Take, for example, Dream Tuning."

I wrinkled my nose.

"Dream Tuning? Sounds like something out of a science fiction novel."

"It's exactly what it sounds like," Agnos said, but his voice had taken on that slight edge I recognized when he was getting into something complex.

"The Baku can take a nightmare, tune it, reshape it. Like tuning an instrument. A fear twisted into strength. Instead of running from the monsters in your mind, you could face them. Understand them."

I wasn't sure if I was more disturbed or impressed.

"So... you're saying the Baku's got this magical ability to turn terror into, what, a life skill?"

Agnos smirked, but it was more a flicker of something grim. "Something like that. It's not always pretty. But it's effective. The Baku's methods don't just help people overcome their fears—they change the way they perceive them."

I let that sink in for a moment.

"So, he's turning people into fear-conquering heroes?" I chuckled.

"Is he handing out 'Fearless Champion' trophies, too?"

Agnos didn't laugh. He just kept his eyes focused ahead, as if what I said didn't matter at all.

"There's more. He can also map out the dream itself."

Now I was really lost.

"Map out the dream? What does that even mean?"

"Dream Mapping," Agnos said, his voice almost reverent now.

"The Baku takes a dream orb, a physical manifestation of someone's dream, and he maps it out. He can track the patterns in the dream, identify the root causes of distress, and sometimes—sometimes—those orbs aren't used for healing."

I felt a chill run through me. "What do you mean 'not used for healing'?"

Then realization hit me. "You're telling me these orbs can be... weaponized?"

Agnos didn't hesitate. "Yes. If the Baku wanted to, he could manipulate those dreams. Control them. Use them as weapons. Imagine having the power to control someone's deepest fears. The potential for manipulation is..." He trailed off, his voice turning darker. "Endless."

My stomach turned. "That's... terrifying. He can weaponize people's nightmares?"

"Exactly," Agnos said flatly. "And that's what makes the Baku dangerous. He could turn someone's fear into a tool, a weapon. He could use that fear against them, even turn it into a way to manipulate their behavior."

I shuddered. "That's like controlling someone's mind by tapping into the worst parts of them. Using their own trauma against them." I shook my head. "I don't care how 'productive' this sounds, Agnos, that's messed up."

"I agree," he said, the words heavy in the air. "But it's also a powerful way to understand people. To heal them. To evolve their fears into something they can control."

"I still don't get it," I muttered, kicking a rock off the edge of the cliff. "It sounds like the kind of power you should lock in a vault and throw away the key."

"It's not that simple," Agnos countered, stopping in his tracks and facing me. "The Baku's intentions aren't all bad. He's using what was once destructive power and trying to turn it into something that can heal, Carl. It's just... dangerous. There's a line. And he might cross it one day."

I stopped too, looking at Agnos, suddenly realizing how much was at stake.

The Baku wasn't some mindless creature—it was something far more dangerous, something that could tip the balance of power in Mythica.

He had the ability to shape dreams, to turn the very essence of fear into a tool that could change everything.

"What happens when he goes too far?" I asked, more to myself than to Agnos.

Agnos didn't answer right away. The wind howled around us, pushing at our backs like it was trying to send us somewhere. Anywhere but here.

"You don't want to find out," he finally said, voice tight. "And I don't think I'm ready to tell you either."

I had no idea what was going to happen next. But one thing was for sure, the Baku wasn't just some oddity I could walk away from.

He was something far more dangerous, and with every new piece of information I learned, the closer I got to understanding just how deep this nightmare went.

But the real question was—could anyone control that kind of power?

**************

The cool breeze cut through the air as Agnos and I made our way through the dense forest. The towering trees, their bark dark and ancient, as though sharing secrets of an era long forgotten.

We were heading to the location of the next fragment—the last one, if I had my count right.

I glanced at Agnos, who was quiet as usual, eyes scanning the horizon with that unnerving, all-knowing gaze of his.

"So, where exactly are we going?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Agnos didn't look at me immediately. Instead, he pulled out a map from thin air, unrolling it with deliberate slowness, the parchment crackling in the quiet forest air.

"Just a little further north, Carl," he said after a pause, glancing at the map.

"Beyond that, we'll cross into the Troll city, where the last fragment should be located."

"Troll city?" I repeated, an eyebrow rising at the unexpected turn of events. "You didn't tell me we were going into Troll territory. Are you sure it's safe?"

Agnos glanced at me with a faint, knowing smirk.

"Safe? Hardly. But I'm sure you'll manage. You've faced worse."