#tice

 In the middle of the night, most living beings are resting to begin the next day with as much energy as possible. However, not all beings manage to get their well-deserved rest. Some have the misfortune of having enemies... and their enemies never sleep.

- Oh, but ain’t no way! - A young, brown-skinned god with short, pink-dyed hair stopped at the entrance of a rustic hall, filled with colorful vases and tapestries, a sudden surprise on his face.

- I don't know what you're talking about, Rudá. - A woman with long, shimmering white hair commented, genuinely not understanding what the young man in front of her was saying.

 The woman was sitting on a colorful rug embroidered with all the phases of the moon, her husband was sitting right in front of her—in a holographic form as bright as the sun because of the time of day—and between them a tall, dark-haired man sat confused by the situation with a second woman behind him. The unknown man stood with his arms and legs crossed while the woman applied some tattoos with genipap ink in a clay pot; surprisingly, he didn't seem to mind much. Rudá, on the other hand, was quite bothered by the man's presence. It wasn't because of the surprise or the lack of warning about his arrival, but because he knew who he was.

- Oh mother, do you at least know who this man is? - Rudá asked, rubbing his forehead in irritation.

- Of course I do! He's the new host of Tupã's will, just like I said we would have! - Rudá's mother replied with a wide smile, pointing to the man who remained motionless while receiving his tattoos.

- Yes, yes! But do you know WHO he is without the will of Lord Tupã? - the young man asked, pointing his clasped hands at the man.

 The woman applying the tattoos paused, almost as if pondering the young god's questions. She looked at the couple in front of her as if expecting some kind of response, and when everyone remained silent, she went back to tattooing.

- Seriously, nobody asked where he came from or who he is? - Rudá asked, even more hysterical than before.

- Why would that matter, my son? - the holographic man asked, confused by his son's concern.

- Because he's the Taurus Saint of Athena's Sanctuary, maybe!?

 The air seemed to grow heavier in the place. The woman doing the tattoos stopped what she was doing again, this time in shock. The couple looked at each other, almost as if telepathically asking how this could have happened without them noticing.

- No, he's not. - Rudá's father replied seriously.

- Dad, you can't be serious. . . - Rudá retorted, impatient with the stubbornness of the gods in the room.

- But I am! He's not the Taurus Saint!

- Oh no!? He's not Taurus Aldebaran!?

- No! He's not Taurus Aldebaran!

- Then who is he!?

- Thiago! - As soon as the hologram spoke, the man looked up and waved to Rudá, who remained unimpressed.

- . . . Thiago?

- Thiago!

- You've got to be kidding me!

- But what's the problem with having him here? He's already dead! - The woman who was painting the former Gold Saint questioned in a somewhat acidic tone.

- Okay, he's already dead, but you spoke to Athena first, right? - Rudá, already out of patience, asked, trying to calm himself with a positive response from the group in front of him.

 Once again, silence reigned in the space. The couple exchanged glances, worried by the minimally sensible and coherent question their son had just asked. Meanwhile, the other goddess present – ​​with her short black hair – gripped the paintbrush tighter and hardened her expression, trying to remain calm and failing miserably. The woman with the shimmering hair approached her husband's hologram.

- Guaraci, did you ask the girl if we could take his body? - The woman whispered in the hologram's ear.

- I thought you had asked, Jaci! - Guaraci, the holographic man, murmured back with a worried tone in his voice.

 Rudá couldn't even look at his parents with anything but pure disbelief. He began shaking his head negatively while massaging his temples, his parents desperately staring at each other, trying to figure out what was happening and what the chances were of Athena starting a Holy War against them over a dead man. The second woman grew increasingly tense, to the point of breaking the genipap pot she was holding.

 The other gods - except for Aldebaran, who had just finished amusing himself with a pot of beads he was using to make a necklace - stared at their colleague who, although slightly intimidated, did not back down and quickly composed herself.

- Ticê, you went to get the body, didn't you? - Jaci, the woman with shimmering hair, asked with a more suspicious look.

- Yes, ma'am, it was me. - Ticê, the black-haired goddess, replied, still focused on her work.

- And you asked if you could take the body of the Taurus Saint? - Guaraci asked, watching Aldebaran choose the prettiest beads from the pot.

- Of course! And even if I hadn't, she wouldn't have even cared! - Ticê replied indignantly.

- Ticê, you're not lying to us, are you?

- Guaraci, when did you see that girl even talk to Aldebaran? She won't notice, boy! Stop being dramatic!

 The gods of the Sun and Moon exchanged glances again, but this time they also turned to their distressed son - who by this point was completely horrified by the situation he had gotten himself into - and to Aldebaran, now Tupã, happily making his beaded necklace. After confirming that there was no way to change their situation, the two simply nodded and turned their gazes back to Ticê. - Alright, let’s take your word for it this time. . . - Guaraci stated seriously, as a small glow emerged from the window.

- But if we find out about any conflict with the Sanctuary of Athena. . . - Jaci commented, her body emanating a small white glow.

 Suddenly, the two gods began to glow intensely. The white glow grew and took on a humanoid form, generating four arms and three faces fused into one. The glow darkened, revealing an ethereally bizarre being, with yellowish sclera and the shimmer of hundreds of stars like freckles on its dark sky body. A small sun shone atop its head, between “horns” formed by the waning moon. Its bright golden eyes focused on the goddess of sorcery, who didn’t seem much affected by the transformation, unlike Aldebaran.

- YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST ONE OF THE ONLY ENTITIES THAT UNDERSTAND OUR TRUE NATURE!!! - The voices of the two gods echoed in the room, making Ticê shudder slightly before resuming his posture.

 And as quickly as it happened, the unified image of the eclipse between Jaci and Guaraci dissolved. This time, Jaci was a holographic image while Guaraci assumed a physical body. Outside, the sun had just risen on the horizon. Shortly after the exchange, the hologram disconnected and Jaci's image vanished.

- Is it morning already? I barely got to talk to my infinity! - Guaraci grumbled, resting his head on his hand.

- My! Father! No! Just no! Not now, it will traumatize the poor resurrected corpse even more! - Rudá pleaded, massaging his temples with his hands.

- Oh my son, what is a flirtation between a couple in love to those who have already died in a war against the gods?

- Father, please...

- Can someone explain to us exactly what is happening here? - A female voice asks coldly.

 Two new figures - as imposing as the eclipse entity - entered through the same entrance that Rudá was blocking. The two gods were part of the trio of leaders of the pantheon to which they belonged. Yebá Beló wielded her spear impatiently, and Aomonde merely observed the chaos in silence. Aldebaran/Tupã continued with a mixed expression of confusion and fear, as he seemed to finally realize that he was in the presence of true gods.

- Ah yes, Miss Yebá Beló, we... - Rudá, realizing the problem, turned to the woman dressed in her armor and spear, seeking the best explanation for the problem that had arisen.

- We have a host for the will of Lord Tupã, and they are worried about his acquaintances from his past life! - Ticê explained, omitting more than half of what really happened.

- Ticê stole the body of a former Athena Saint! - Guaraci replied, with traces of weariness in his voice.

 Yebá Beló's eyes widened in disbelief, almost raising her spear to attack the goddess. Aomonde, on the other hand, seemed calmer with the information, holding his companion's spear to prevent greater tragedies.

- What's done is done, and nothing can be undone. Not to mention that anything that happens to him will be our responsibility. - Aomonde inferred, with a contagious serenity in her verbal and physical language. - All that remains for us now is to ensure that Athena has no more reason to be stressed, and we will be fine.

 Yebá Beló gazed at the body inhabited by her brother. Aldebaran stood with his hand outstretched, offering the beaded necklace he had made a little while before to the goddess with a smile on his face.

- Very well, if he's really going to stay with us, he'd better know exactly what he'll have to do. - Yebá Beló commented, lowering her spear and accepting the necklace with her other hand. - And why isn't he saying anything?

- I just didn't have anything relevant to say, and I was also taking a while to process everything that was happening. - Aldebaran replied, surprising everyone with his deeper voice. - One minute you're dying in the depths of the underworld, the next you're returning to the world of the living to carry out the will of the gods for some reason... It's not a very normal thing to live, in my humble opinion.

- Meh, you'll get used to it. - Ticê replied sarcastically. - The paintings are ready! And I'm leaving now. Have fun dealing with him! - The woman's eyes lost their white glow, becoming completely dark, and her body began to "disintegrate" into ashes and wind.

- That woman is going to give me an aneurysm. - Rudá muttered irritably. - If you want, I can ask Cairé and Catiti to take care of it.

- I appreciate the initiative, Rudá, but I believe your father will be able to organize a better tour to introduce our best warriors. Isn't that right, Guaraci? - Aomonde commented, looking directly at Guaraci, who was holding a glass of water while the others discussed.

 The sun god almost choked on his water, coughing as he composed himself to resume his minimally authoritative pose. He simply nodded and stood up, offering his hand to help Aldebaran to his feet. The two passed the three gods at the entrance and left the room. Yebá Beló, still holding the beaded necklace, turned to Rudá with a more serene expression than before.

- Rudá, I want you to keep an eye on that man. - Yebá Beló asked in a low but still firm voice. - We don't know what the Saints of Athena might do if they find out, just as we don't know what the former knight might do, if he might rebel.

- Yes, ma'am. Even though I believe he won't contradict us, I also have my own concerns. - Rudá replied, looking out the window as his father and the newcomer left through the village.

- Perfect! We can't risk any kind of conflict with an army of legendary warriors.

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