"Yo, looks like you two had a good chat."
Merlin, who had come to take over the night watch, leaned casually by the fire with a cheerful smile.
When Samael gave a lukewarm response, the white-haired Incubus tilted his head thoughtfully.
"What's on your mind? Go on, tell me—maybe I can help."
The ancient serpent gave him a glance, hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"How much do you know about Eridu?"
"I don't know why, but the closer we get, the more uneasy I feel. It's like something there really doesn't sit right with me."
Merlin looked back toward the bushes, smiling faintly.
"You should ask the one who was here just now. Wait—no, I mean the daytime Ishtar. Technically, she'd know better than I do."
"Ishtar?"
"Eh, whatever. Since that goddess can't show herself right now, I'll say what I know. Just take it with a grain of salt. Whether it's true or not, don't hold me accountable."
As Samael muttered with a frown, Merlin tapped his staff lightly, scattering faint starlight, and launched into one of his typical gossip-laced tales.
"Actually, Eridu's patron deity is Ea—also called Enki—one of the Sumerian triad gods who rules over earth, water, and wisdom.
According to legend, Ishtar once got him drunk and tricked him into handing over a bunch of divine secrets—known as Me (Divine Decrees)—which represent the essence of civilization and divinity. Ea's job was to guard those treasures.
After sobering up, Ea sent a sea monster named Abgalu to chase her down the Euphrates. But Ishtar, sailing on the Boat of Heaven Maanna, was long gone.
In a way, that was the original high-speed escape for the oldest of priestesses."
Eridu, the city protected by the earth god Ea?
Samael, who barely knew any Sumerian mythology and had personally been robbed by Ishtar before, was genuinely surprised. He furrowed his brow, trying to unravel the deeper meaning behind it.
From a historical lens, Ishtar's theft symbolized not only a divine trick, but also the cultural shift—the decline of Eridu (Ea's city) and the rise of Uruk (Ishtar's city).
Samael picked up a stick, brushed away some dead leaves, and began to draw in the dirt. A few strokes later, he stopped abruptly and looked up at Merlin.
"This axe of Marduk we're searching for—why is it in Eridu?"
"Because the King of Kings, Marduk, is the son of Ea. Eridu is his birthplace."
Merlin answered with a slight, nonchalant smile.
So Eridu is deeply tied to the earth god Ea and his son, Marduk, the King of Kings?
Even more interesting—Ea killed the male primordial god Apsu, while Marduk defeated the female Goddess of Beginning, Tiamat.
This father and son were each enemies of a primordial deity. The original divine rivalries of both genders, in a way.
Was the Mother Goddess afraid of the axe that once wounded her? Or... afraid that I might expose something?
It just didn't feel that simple...
Samael couldn't make sense of it. No matter how much he thought, he found no satisfying answer.
Left with no choice, he pushed the creeping anxiety to the back of his mind.
In short, Eridu gave off an ominous vibe. They needed to split off Quetzalcoatl quickly, retrieve Marduk's axe, and get out of there.
If they stayed too long, Samael couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was bound to happen.
"I solve one of your problems, you answer one of mine. Deal?"
Merlin hugged his staff, gazing into the crackling flames. His voice was soft, and the firelight cast over his face seemed to wash away some of the usual frivolity.
"What's your opinion on the feathered serpent god, Quetzalcoatl?"
Samael blinked, recalling how—at least in his memories—the Incubus still held suspicions toward that South American goddess.
That was why, after Quetzalcoatl defected from the Three Goddess Alliance, Merlin used her trust to set her up, causing her divinity to wane.
The ancient serpent mulled it over and replied cautiously, not giving away everything.
"More or less trustworthy... but I still don't understand her reason for answering the Summoning and descending into Mesopotamia. It just feels... off."
Merlin nodded slightly, his expression unusually serious.
"Rare for us to agree."
"Of the Three Goddesses, the other two are easy to read. She's the strongest by far—and the most unpredictable. She's seen both the end and rebirth of the world."
"Honestly, until I know why she really came to Mesopotamia, I can't bring myself to trust her."
"After all, gods don't descend without a reason. Most of the time, their arrival spells disaster."
Samael could understand Merlin's doubts—especially considering how much of a liar he was, and how many enemies he had. It was only natural he'd project that onto others.
But if the true threat to Mesopotamia wasn't the Three Goddesses, but the "Mandate of Heaven", then Merlin's distrust could prove dangerous.
After thinking it through, the ancient serpent leaned over and whispered in Merlin's ear.
"We're not getting anything out of Quetzalcoatl. That goddess is sharp."
"So maybe... we switch targets. Grab someone whose tongue will spill the truth?"
Merlin's eyes sparkled, and he gave a devious grin.
"Great idea!"
After handing off the night watch to Merlin, Samael paused before parting and gave him a serious reminder.
"Unless Quetzalcoatl makes a clear move against humanity, I don't want you acting on your own."
'Don't trust someone you suspect, but don't doubt someone you've chosen to trust.'
"What do you mean 'acting on my own'? Do I look like the kind of guy who breaks the rules?"
Merlin chuckled innocently.
Samael rolled his eyes and headed into the camp behind the bushes.
He'd said what needed to be said. Whether the old fraud actually listened—that was up to fate.
Still, putting suspicions to rest would depend more on tomorrow's interrogation.
So rest well, replenish your strength, and get ready—for a god hunt.
...
Boom!
The next day, deep within the jungle, an explosion thundered through the trees. Snapped branches, dirt, and leaves showered down like rain.
A ridiculous figure in a tiger onesie crashed to the ground, dazed and smoking, limbs bound and suspended in midair by chains.
"Yo, fancy seeing you again, Jaguar Warrior."
"Mind answering a quick question first?"
Samael strolled over with a grin, chewing on a piece of smoked meat as he looked up at the captured, demoted goddess dangling in the air.
"I refuse! You people are the worst, meow! Using food to tempt a noble Jaguar Warrior!"
"Four-on-one, setting traps and ambushing me! No honor at all!"
"But... if you humbly offer tribute to the Jaguar and sincerely beg for forgiveness, maybe I'll consider letting it go."
Though she grumbled indignantly, the Jaguar Warrior's nose twitched, head leaning forward, eyes locked on the smoked meat in Samael's hand as drool dripped uncontrollably from her mouth.
"Well... guess there's no helping it."
Samael sighed with mock regret, then his expression cooled as he waved behind him.
"Ana!"