A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

"A task from the creator?" Jiuge exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief. "What task? To awaken him? You're lying, aren't you? You were confined before the creator even had a chance to release you!"

Agnos's expression darkened, sorrow flickering across his face. "I received the task the moment I was freed from confinement," he said quietly. "The creator left part of his will to me."

"No. That's impossible." Jiuge's voice trembled, but her resolve remained firm. "Mistress sacrificed herself to protect the place and the coffin. If you remove the coffin from the Lake of Tears, the creator's existence will perish! He made an oath, Agnos!"

Agnos straightened, his golden eyes glowing with stubborn determination. "I know he made an oath, but his instructions say otherwise. There's a loophole."

As the voices of their argument ricocheted off the hidden sanctuary's walls, I raised a hand. "Hold on," I interjected, my voice cutting through the tension like a butter knife through very stubborn butter.

"Sorry, I'm confused. Can someone… anyone… explain to me what's actually going on? Like, from the beginning, in simple terms. And maybe with less shouting?"

Jiuge turned to me, her fiery demeanor temporarily extinguished. Her pink eyes seemed softer now, tinged with… sadness? Fear? I couldn't tell.

"Our creator," she began, her voice unusually subdued, "is the most revered and strongest being in Mythica."

"Right. But the whole 'creator this, creator that' thing isn't working for me. Can I get a name? It's hard to picture someone without a name, and my brain's currently filling in a generic fantasy dude with long flowing hair."

Jiuge hesitated, glancing at Agnos, who gave a slight nod. "His name is Kaleon," she admitted, her tone reverent.

"Kaleon," I repeated, rolling the name around like a marble in my mouth. "Okay. Got it. Now, what happened to Kaleon? And… what's this task you mentioned?"

Jiuge's expression darkened. "Before Mythica was born, the world was divided into separate realms. Different cultures, different mythologies, each isolated in their own existence. Aetherion united them into one realm, Mythica."

"Huh? So… Mythica wasn't always 'Mythica'?"

"No," Jiuge said, her voice tight. "He created a balance using nine elemental leylines, each representing a different force of nature. But during the Ancient Realm War, two of the leylines were lost. Now only seven remain."

I blinked. "Wait, wait, wait. There were nine of you guys? What happened to the other two? And what do you mean 'lost'? Like, misplaced? Misfiled under 'miscellaneous'? Or… destroyed?" I blurted out, trying to process the revelation.

"Destroyed or hidden somewhere," Agnos replied, his voice steady but laced with a strange gravity.

"I wouldn't say destroyed entirely," Agnos clarified, his golden eyes glinting with an otherworldly light. "But I can confirm that one is partly destroyed, and the other is most likely hidden somewhere."

"P-partly destroyed?" I repeated, the words catching in my throat. I leaned forward, my curiosity piqued. "Wait, who could've hidden them? Who hides a leyline? Isn't that like hiding a power plant? Or a… cosmic battery?"

Jiuge ignored my sarcasm. "The destroyed leyline was tied to the Iron Dragon, the Unknown God of Metal. It's barely functional now. As for the hidden one… we suspect someone hid it during the war."

"Yes," Agnos nodded. "The region controlled by the Iron Dragon, was heavily damaged during the war. But I can sense his presence… faint, perhaps dormant. Maybe he's still asleep."

His words hung in the air, heavy with implications. The glow of his golden eyes seemed to pierce through the veil of time, as though he could see the remnants of a world long forgotten.

"Okay, back up." I waved my hands. "Iron Dragon? Unknown Gods? So Jiuge…"

"Yes," Agnos said simply. "One of the Unknown Gods."

I turned to Jiuge. "And your element is…?"

"Fire and Lightning," she said curtly.

I glanced between the two of them. "So… do Unknown Gods not get along? Because you two are giving off some serious hate couple energy."

Jiuge's pink eyes flared with indignation. "How dare you—"

"We were married," Agnos interrupted, his tone maddeningly calm.

The moment Agnos dropped the bombshell, I nearly tripped over my own feet. "Wait, what? You mean… like… actual married? As in, husband and wife?"

"Yes," Jiuge snapped, crossing her arms. "And now we are not."

"H-Husband and wife?!" I squeaked, my voice practically bouncing off the walls of the sanctuary. It reverberated so much it sounded like a chorus of confused parrots had joined the conversation.

Jiuge's fiery gaze shot toward me. Her pink eyes practically burned as she crossed her arms, and her scowl deepened.

"Yes, husband and wife. Must you repeat it as though you're auditioning for a melodrama?"

"Sorry! It's just... unexpected." I tried to act casual, adjusting my utility vest as if that would somehow untangle the mental knot I was in. "So, uh, you two—you were married? Like, vows, celestial choir, and divine fireworks?"

Agnos smirked, leaning against the wall with the kind of elegance only a golden-eyed deity could pull off.

"Oh, it was quite the event. The gods themselves attended, and the fireworks were rather spectacular. But alas, those days are long gone."

Jiuge's fingers twitched as if she were resisting the urge to summon lightning right then and there. "If you value your immortal existence, don't start reminiscing like it's a fond memory."

"Noted," Agnos replied smoothly, his smug grin lingering. "Though, if I recall correctly, you seemed to enjoy it."

The bickering erupted into a clash of crackling powers between them.

"Okay, enough!" I said, throwing my hands up. "I'm not qualified to referee divine marital disputes, okay? My zoology degree didn't cover this! Nor does my Conflict Mediator license."

I looked at Agnos, who shrugged. "We got divorced."

"Okay, that's… a lot to unpack," I muttered. Then I couldn't contain my curiosity and asked, "What gives?"

"Irreconcilable differences," they both responded in perfect unison.

"Wow, that's some impressive synchronization for two people who can't stand each other," I said, raising an eyebrow.

Agnos's golden eyes flashed ominously, while Jiuge's pink eyes practically sizzled with irritation. The twin death stares they shot my way were so intense I almost felt my hair singe.

"Okay, okay!" I said, raising my hands in surrender. "But let's stick a pin in that for now. What's this task from Kaleon?"