Antigonus could see the Evernight Goddess's dismissive attitude, which irritated him, but he didn't know how to retort.
After all… even he had to admit that compared to Amanises, he was a rather useless wolf.
Tch, what wolf? He was a demon wolf. Antigonus flicked his tail, staunchly defending his species. Even if he had to be a pet, he'd be a majestic demon wolf, capable of hunting for his master... not some lapdog waiting to be petted.
"Alright, stop teasing the poor pup. If he gets depressed, it'll be a hassle. I don't trust Adam's skills... does he even know anything about therapy?" Alaric said, breaking the tension. He ruffled the demon wolf's head, savoring the slightly coarse but delightfully fluffy texture, before turning to Amanises with a smile. "You know why I'm here."
"I do," Amanises nodded. She'd already guessed Alaric's purpose, and her gaze drifted to Antigonus with a hint of reflection. "Lucky dog. Maybe you should've taken the Wheel of Fortune pathway."
Her words were sincere. From her perspective, Antigonus was undeniably fortunate. When she turned on Flegrea in the Second Epoch, she hadn't gone out of her way to slaughter the other demon wolves, but she hadn't spared them either. Yet Antigonus not only survived, he acquired the Seer characteristic and the Fool's Uniqueness... what was that if not luck? Sure, his life had been turbulent, but compared to the gods and angels who'd fallen, he was still alive, now lucid again, aligned with Alaric, and on the verge of reuniting with his kin. With a new backer, his future was secure. Antigonus was practically luck personified.
Antigonus blinked, utterly baffled as to how he was supposedly "lucky."
Amanises turned to Alaric. "I can give you Philanias. In exchange, I want a sample of your power... not much, just enough for research."
Alaric raised an eyebrow, giving her a kind warning. "My power's dangerous. Be careful not to burn yourself."
"I know, but I fear the unknown more than the danger," Amanises replied candidly. She was well aware of how perilous Alaric's power was, which was exactly why she needed to study it.
Her gaze flicked to Antigonus, pointedly adding, "It's not instantly lethal, is it?"
Alaric chuckled, meeting Amanises's eyes without further objection. "Fair enough. I'm curious to see what you'll discover."
He raised his hand, and Nyarlathotep's power coalesced into a translucent bubble containing a single key. It wasn't a characteristic... just a mass of energy, or perhaps a form of corruption, like the key Amanises had once conjured. The bubble itself was formed from a wisp of Yog-Sothoth's power, drawn from Alaric's body, to safely contain the Nyarlathotep energy.
Alaric wasn't worried about Amanises unraveling his power. If Nyarlathotep's essence were so easily deciphered, he wouldn't be an Outer Deity. In fact, if Amanises did uncover something, Alaric would find it intriguing. His only concern was her potentially botching the research and causing minor trouble.
But since she was insistent, he didn't press further. Handing her the "key," He smiled. "Pleasant deal. The outer bubble is a seal. As long as my power stays inside, it's safe."
"Pleasant deal," Amanises echoed, taking the key. She lowered her gaze, sensing the danger radiating from it, and pursed her lips.
This was her first true encounter with Alaric's power. Only now did she vaguely understand why Aucuses, after receiving Alaric's "treatment," was so reluctant to endure it again.
This power was perhaps even more dangerous than she'd imagined.
…
Amanises was true to her word. Having received what she wanted, she didn't delay. Soon, she released Philanias as promised.
"…Antigonus?" Philanias opened her eyes, dazed. Seeing Antigonus in his demon wolf form, she instinctively called his name, clearly still piecing things together.
"Sister!" Antigonus was far more emotional, lunging into her arms with a dog-like pounce.
The massive wolf, taller than a person, was deftly caught by Philanias. She instinctively smoothed his fur, puzzled. "Haven't you gotten used to your human form? Why are you back to being a demon wolf…?"
Her words trailed off as she froze, noticing the wolf in her arms was whimpering.
"What's wrong? Antigonus, what happened?" Philanias panicked. It had been ages since she'd seen Antigonus so vulnerable.
Aside from their early days in the Second Epoch, when they'd been battered by the harsh realities of life after losing their father's protection, Antigonus had only occasionally whimpered in secret. From the Third Epoch onward, he'd tried to project maturity and reliability, even if he sometimes acted childish, demanding she brush his fur while keeping a stern face.
But now, he was crying in her arms.
What had happened?
Philanias was at a loss, frantically comforting Antigonus, who seemed both heartbroken and overjoyed. As she struggled, a hand reached out from the side. In her confused gaze, it held a bottle to catch Antigonus's falling tears.
"???"
Who was this? What were they doing?
Only then did she notice someone else was present. She looked over, a bit slow on the uptake, and saw a scholarly-looking man.
"Oh, don't mind me. Carry on," Alaric said, satisfied as he stored the "tears of joy." Noticing her gaze, he gave her a friendly smile.
***
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