Ethereal

21- Meeting Grady and Edaline

"What kind of animal preserve is this?"

(Y/N) walked down a path, looking around her. All around her were fenced off pastures spreading off as far as the eye could see, all of them filled with creatures that (Y/N) had never seen before in her life. A booming roar rang through the area, belonging to something that didn't seem too happy.

"Havenfield is one of the rehabilitation centers for our Sanctuary," Alden started, gesturing to the sprawling pastures surrounding them. "The animals are brought here first for training, before we release them into their protected home- and they're not easy to catch. We're still trying to trap Nessie. She's quite the escape artist."

"These things live around humans?" Sophie asked.

"Where do you think the legends come from? Which is why it's not safe for them. We've even had to collect endangered species-gorillas, lions, mammoths-"

"Mammoths are extinct." Sophie interrupted.

"Tell that to the thriving herd we have at the Sanctuary."

"Really?! There's an entire herd there?" (Y/N) asked in shock.

"We have colonies of everything. Mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, dinosaurs. Every species exists for a reason, and to allow one to die off would rob the planet of the unique beauty and qualities it provides. So we make sure they all continue to thrive. Grady and Edaline train the animals to be vegetarians by feeding them gnomish produce; that way they won't hunt one another once they're moved to the Sanctuary." Alden said, before another roar interrupted him.

(Y/N) kept walking until the path split, one half winding down among steep cliffs to a rocky beach with dark caves. Alden lead them along the other path lined with flowers instead.

(Y/N)'s heart crawled its way into her throat with every step as the path faded away to a wide meadow, where a group of gnomes armed with thick rope were attempting to lasso down a huge reptile covered in lime green feathers.

"Oh, stop being such a drama queen," A husky voice said from somewhere among the feathers.

'Ooooh, talking lizard?'

"Okay. Here goes nothing."

The gnomes pulled on the ropes, tugging the beasts head low enough for a blonde elf to heave himself up.

'Guess that's a no to talking lizard.'

SNARL!

"I'm trying to help you, silly girl," The blonde elf yelled back as the Non-Talking Lizard thrashed.

"Need a hand, Grady?" Alden called.

"Nah, almost got it." Grady lunged, his hand wrapping around something long and black among the feathers. With a yank, the writhing, ink-black thing came loose. The feathery lizard stopped struggling, and Grady tossed the long black thing to the gnomes before sliding down the beasts' back. "Sorry about that." He said once he had reached the ground.

"No problem, my friend. Verdi giving you trouble again?"

"That's why she's our permanent residence."

"Would you like to meet a tyrannosaurus, Sophie, (Y/N)?" Alden offered.

A grin stretched across (Y/N)'s face at the name. 'A real T Rex! Score!'

"Is it safe?" Sophie asked as (Y/N) ran forward, closer to Verdi.

"It is now that he got the jaculus off her neck. It's a winged serpent that feeds off blood."