Apep needed to go back to the moon before the geyser in the Trawn woods and Inxialot's lab misaligned. The news of the Lich King protecting Lith's family during his absence had angered Apep, but only until receiving the information about the deal the Tiamat had offered Lotho and Crank. After learning that, the Apophis only needed to verify the rumor to turn an annoyance into an opportunity. While Inxialot was on the moon, they would keep researching the secret of the white core. While he was on a mission, Apep would be free to roam Mogar again and hunt Phloria down. Two birds with no second wasted. "Thank the gods." Only after there was no trace of the presence of the Eldritch did Crank manage to relax enough to revert to his honey-badger form. "Or not." He was now much smaller and the figure of the ten-tailed fox was hard to miss. Tezka was much more famous than Apep, a living legend. According to the lore, meeting him meant death. The Hyperion emitted a low-pitched sound that slowly rose in intensity until it turned into a high-pitched scream, reminding Lith of a teakettle. "FuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU…" "Calm down. Tezka is an ally. He's not going to hurt you." Lith said, but Crank kept yelling at the top of his lungs. "UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU" "Don't worry, kid. I'll protect you." Baba Yaga was a legend as well, but if a fight between such powerful beings broke out, the Hyperion would have been as safe as a snowflake on a fireplace, so Crank kept screaming. "I swear to the gods, make another sound and I'll kill you." Tezka said in annoyance. "…UUuck. Yessir." The Hyperion gave him a deep bow before shutting up for good. "Thanks, Tezka." Lith said. "No problem." "About our deal, there will be no lessons today. I'm tired and my mind is a mess so we'll set it to a later date. Are you okay with that?" Lith asked and Crank shut his own mouth with his paws while nodding. "Still, I want to thank you for your bravery. You knew to be no match for Apep, yet you didn't hesitate to put your life on the line to help my family. The least I can do is offer you food and shelter. Come with me." Lith moved toward his home and Tezka walked beside him while shapeshifting back into his wolf-fox form. The last place on Mogar the Hyperion wanted to be was wherever an Eldritch was, but a simple glare from the Fylgja made Crank trot obediently after them. "By the way, what was that stuff about Mogar's Serpent about?" Lith asked, receiving no reply. "For the gods' sake, you can talk. But only as long as you are not annoying." Tezka snorted. "Yessir." Crank nodded. "The Apophis bloodline belongs to Verendi, just like mine. According to the lore, the Guardian started as a water snake, and even after completing her evolution, she still likes water more than solid ground. "She lives in the ocean ever since and her turf is comprised of the waters that surround the entire continent and a few shores. Apep is one of her sons and back when he still had his physical body, he was obsessed with strength. "In the attempt to exceed the limits of the bright violet core, he discovered ways to increase his size. His theory was that the mana core would grow with the body and give him insight into the white core. "Legends say that at some point he became even bigger than his mother. Some even say that his body had grown so long that by biting his own tail and forming a ring, he could encompass the whole Mogar, hence the nickname." "Is it true?" Lith asked Tezka and Baba Yaga in disbelief. "He wishes." The Mother said with a scoff. "Apep's body grew until he wasn't able to move a muscle anymore. Then, he tried to expand his core. You can imagine the rest." "He was the first creature to turn into an Abomination not because his body couldn't hold the power of his core but because his body sucked the core dry." Tezka said with a dry laugh. "Never trust the origin story of an Abomination. "We all like to embellish them to look wise and majestic instead of the miserable wretches we were." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎 A snap of Lith's finger brought everyone back home, where family and guests were waiting for them with bated breath. "Is everything alright, uncle Lith?" Filia and Frey were the most scared. They had no concept of a Guardian so Tyris' presence didn't do much to keep them calm. On top of that, they were so used to having Tezka around that his absence during a crisis was terrifying to them. Seeing their uncle-in-law and their pet allowed them to sigh in relief. "Yeah, it was just a misunderstanding. There was no bad guy, little girl." Lith ruffled her hair, making her giggle. "Also, I brought a present." He grabbed the honey badger from the sides and shoved him in front of the kids who squealed in joy and amazement. They started to pet Crank and teach him tricks, which of course angered him big time. "This is preposterous! I'm not a pet, I'm a proud warrior and a Divine Beast." He said, making them even happier. "He talks, too! A new friend." Aran started to play with the badger's tail, pissing him off further. "Of course I talk you little-" Only then did Crank notice that Tezka was laying on his belly, his head on Filia's lap who was caressing it. The tenderness of the Fylgja's gaze while looking at her was only matched by the coldness he exuded while looking at the Hyperion. "Am I the bad guy here?" Crank asked. "Yes." Tyris, Baba Yaga, and Tezka said in unison. 'Dammit, when a Guardian, an Eldritch, and a white core agree on something, only a crazy bastard would do otherwise.' Crank resigned to his destiny and offered his soft belly. "Are you strong?" Frey asked while scratching the badger's chin and making him groan in pleasure. "Yes, very." "Do you want a cookie?" Leria asked. "Is that honey?" The sweet scent from the jar made his eyes go wide. "Poor thing. It must be starving." Filia patted Crank while he wolfed down the honey-dipped sweets like there was no tomorrow. 'Best decision ever.' He thought while the kids competed at who stuffed the honey badger more. The dinner went smoothly and soon everyone forgot about the attack. They spent most of the time in silence due to Orion and Jirni being worried about Phloria, Raaz and Elina searching for something to say to Lith, and everyone else finding it hard to forget the images from the three reconquered cities. Small talk sounded stupid and empty so it would never last long. Only the kids would talk, play, and plan several competitions among their pets to put the newcomer to the test. Crank couldn't care less about the pecking order, but eating homemade food in front of the fireplace instead of the usual raw bushmeat while freezing his ass in the wilds was a pleasant change. Soon he fell asleep with a satisfied burp that the kids found hilarious.