The trip through the rest of the city was mostly uneventful. As they moved their way further down the slope, the buildings became less rich in construction. Wood appeared more often, and the colourful glass became normal, clear panes. Just because it was not as rich did not mean it wasn’t well built. Every structure in the city showed its age. Just looking at it, Ann could see signs of maintenance and care put into each and every building. Re-done mortar on a large warehouse, a new wooden roof on an inn, the cobbles on one road had been replaced, causing a rough transition between the older section of the street. Despite a bit of the patchwork appearance, all the work was done with a care and expertise that denoted skilled craftsmen had performed the work.

The people themselves began to show the difference in wealth as well. Everyone was the same mix of races, but the clothes were more plain, some dirt here and there. Women dressed in longer dresses that served utility first, fashion second. Men wore simple, but clean, clothes. Ann spied all manner of trousers, overalls, and shirts. Some women also chose to dress in the more masculine fashion as well, something she was beginning to wonder about with Kat’s preference for tight leather pants.

Signs and stores became less ostentatious. Lights still adorned the storefronts, apparently cheap enough to be a standard, but she didn’t spy things like flying books, or any magical enchantments for spectacle’s sake. A book store they passed had their wares set up on wood plinths, a bakery with normal shelves behind a glass window. It was comfortable. Somewhere Ann would be comfortable calling middle class.

Walking, it took a while to get to the edge of the city where the stables Bren and Kat had mentioned were housed. The cave ceiling began to slope down overhead, getting closer and closer before it dove ahead of them.

Taking a left down another thoroughfare, Bren guided them to the building. It was less a building and more a complex. The main structure looked like a museum Ann had been to before, with a wide rectangular first floor, a domed ceiling at the center, and windows on both floors. To the left and right were fenced in locations where she assumed the animals were housed. A crowd bustled to and fro in front of the building, and Ann noticed a section marked for horse purchases. That would be a hot commodity, she supposed. Getting around anywhere that wasn’t by train would either be by walking or by some animal pulling a cart.

“Here we are,” Bren announced. “This is the city stables. While it bears a mundane name, it is more a menagerie than just a simple stable. Scholars of ecology and animal behaviour have been known to take and house creatures here for closer study. I imagine that this will be a perfect place for you, Rosalyn.” Chapters first released on novel⟡fire.net

“Oooh,” Rosalyn marveled, looking up at the building towering before her. “I can’t wait to see it. You think they’ll let us see everything? I imagine that mostly the horses or other beasts of burden are only available to the public, but I want to see something interesting!”

Kat laughed, grabbing one of Rosalyn’s horns as the excitable druid bounced. This shut her down instantly, as she almost went limp. “Easy there, love. This is where I come in. We can get ye a closer look at the more interestin’ stuff. Hells, I’m sure some o’ the stuffy sorts in there’d love yer enthusiasm.”

Entering the large double doors, they made their way to a desk with a receptionist.

“Good morning,” the woman drawled, seemingly bored out of her mind. “Horse rentals are to the left. If you need larger forms of transportation, we will need you to fill out a form and provide proof of experience handling said creatures. We only have elk at the moment, so that’ll have to do.”

“Nae, lass,” Kat said. “We’re ‘ere fer a tour. If it’s not too much trouble.”

The woman looked up, scanning their party. “Do you have an appointment?”

“Nae, but I don’ thi-“

“Bren!” A man cried out from behind the desk.

“Alastar?” Bren repled, craning his head to see. “Good gods, how did you wind up here? Were you not focused on anthropology?”

A frumpy looking man came forward. He had dog ears topping his scraggly brown hair, and whiskers on his otherwise normal face. Large spectacles, and Ann could only call them that, perched on his ears, magnifying his dark grey eyes. He was missing a nose, for whatever reason, but it didn’t seem to bother him much.

“Well, my studies progressed, and Professor Galton said I had a knack for biology in general, so suggested I move my focus to a wider range of subjects than the humanoid races. With us Vulhardrin in the mix, I hardly see the distinction, but he insisted. I’m still in an internship here, as a matter of fact. Kat still dragging you halfway across the kingdom?” He cast a grin and a wink at Kat, grinning.

“Only halfway?” Bren scoffed. “Try the entirety so far. We were out at the border last month. Picked up our Lupine friend out there. Not exactly what we’re here for, though. Rosalyn here was hoping for a tour. She’s been fascinated with the Warped and pretty much anything natural. We figured this might be a good place for her to relax.”

“Oh, do you have any formal schooling, Rosalyn?” Alastar asked, leaning over the desk, slightly pushing the receptionist to the side, causing her to grumble at him.

“No, sir, just the, uh. Just practical experience,” Rosalyn stammered, suddenly very uncomfortable being the point of attention.

“Sir, hah, hear that Bren? Must look older than I am. Anyway, knowledge gained in the field is no less valid than through books. Wait here. I’ll see if I can grab a scholar to give you all the walkthrough.”

Much to the receptionist’s relief, Alastar drew back and hurried off into the back rooms. With a frustrated sigh, she righted herself, straightening her uniform. “Just wait over to the side on the bench there. I guess someone will be right out for you.”

They didn’t have to wait long before an older woman with long silver hair came to greet them. She was tall, slightly taller than Kat, and when she spread her arms to greet them, Ann noticed she had three instead of the normal two. Otherwise she appeared human, with wrinkling skin, worn by years of study and sunlight. She had a deep tan that contrasted her hair beautifully.

“Welcome, highness, and guests. I am Mistress Zidane. Alastar said he went to school with you at one point, Bren?” The woman spoke in an accent similar to what Ann would call Indian. Her voice was rich and smooth; calming to listen to.

“Yes,” Bren confirmed. “I was studying history, while he was more in anthropology.”

“Ah, then I see how your paths crossed. I hear you are looking for a tour of the menagerie?”

“Mostly for our friend here,” Bren gestured at Rosalyn.

Mistress Zidane turned her head, then focused on Rosalyn, who shrank against Kat and Ann.

“No need to be nervous, young one,” Zidane smiled, holding out a hand for Rosalyn.

Tentatively, the Druid reached out and shook it. Zidane didn’t push her, but met her at her own pace.

“Would you prefer that we move to a quieter portion of the building? I understand this may be overwhelming.”

“I would,” Rosalyn nodded, standing hurriedly.

Zidane led them through a door to the left, just to the side of the reception desks, and into a series of halls. Instead of going to a meeting room, she brought them to a glass door. Pressing her citizen badge to the door, it clicked, unlocked, and let them pass.

Stepping through, they were in an open space. Birds chirped happily in the trees, which rustled in a breeze that shouldn’t be there. To their left was a small field, with a couple deer grazing. Gesturing to a bench, Zidane had them sit.

“So, as I was saying. Welcome to the menagerie, Rosalyn. Alastar mentioned you had an interest in the science of life?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Rosalyn said, feeling a bit better now that the crowds were gone. “I told the man that I hadn’t really studied, studied, but I’ve been out in the woods northwest of Graven Keep for years, and picked up a lot.”

“Oh, dear, I can imagine. That long in the field will give anyone, at the very least, the basics,” Zidane hummed. “Was there a specific type of creature that fascinated you?”

“Not really? It was mostly anything that moved. Well, ok, there are the Warped. I do find them really interesting. Just how do they work? How does the amalgamation of so many animals function? They make no sense, so I try to figure them out. Like this weird turtle goose thing that we fought in the last Seed. It had this magical function to generate cold and then openings in its torso, under a layer of skin, that it could channel that cold through, up its throat, and out its mouth. Hadn’t seen anything like it before. Couldn’t tell until we killed it and I got to see inside it.”

“Ah, you’ve been autopsying your kills?” Zidane asked, cocking her head. Ann thought she’d be slightly off put by this, but the woman remained perfectly calm. “That is a good way to learn about a creature. Often better than simple observation. You can learn a lot from, say, the contents of their stomach or stool.”

“You know what? Now that you point it out, I never ran across any shit from Warped,” Rosalyn mused. It took a moment, but she quickly clasped her hands over her mouth when she realized what she’d said. “Sorry!”

Zidane laughed, the sound high pitched and joyous. “No need. Manners tend to degrade when out of civilization for too long. I’ve experienced it myself. You are quite right about the stool, though. How do you think the Warped repair damage to themselves?”

“Oh, that makes sense,” Rosalyn nodded. “I thought that might be only certain types, but if they all consume flesh to maintain their own, then that would explain the lack of excrement.”

“Indeed. Oh, but let’s not focus entirely on this. Come, you wanted a tour, yes? Let’s see what we have on hand.”

She led them further into the complex. Surprisingly, most of it was open air and the entire time, Ann couldn’t see a fence.

“How do you keep them all separate?” Rosalyn asked, picking up on the wall-less design as well. “I mean, clearly there’s something, or the predators, like that snowcat over there, would be munching on the Trideer. It’d be a bloodbath!”

Zidane laughed, a soft sound that echoed from her chest. “A rather marvelous enchantment created by, oh, what was his name? Forgive me, humans generally do not take much space in my memory. Regardless, the founder of this establishment hired an enchanter. There are invisible barriers around that are keeping the creatures separate. It also interferes with their perceptions, allowing them to see outside their pens, but not perceive any other creature. Can’t have a Quillbear charging a wall over and over to get to food just out of reach, now can we?”

“No, I guess that wouldn’t be great,” Rosalyn nodded, her head on a swivel as they walked.

The Trideer, as Ann observed, were named after their antlers. Two in the normal place, and one that jutted up from its forehead. Almost a triceratops, from her perspective.

“Wait, you keep Warped here?” Ann asked, brain finally processing the bit about the Quillbear.

“Yes, we do. We require closer observation to research such things. We only keep those derived from animals here. The military is responsible for any and all Warped research on the more humanoid specimen.”

“There’s still a lot to see here. Oooh, is that a rock crab? I read about those in one of my books, but we’re out in a forest, so we don’t get any of them. They really do look like boulders! Oh they’re so cute!”

Rosalyn kept to the path, but began to dart to and fro as she gushed over the creatures around her. “Oh! Ann! Look! Twinwolves in a pack! They’re so docile! Hard to imagine this after fighting them for so long. Eew, crawlers. Can do without those, thank you. What’s that bird?”

“Oh, that is a Longtailed Stretch,” Zidane explained. “Notable for a couple things. First, their bright blue plumage. Second, their vibrant tails. Careful if you meet one of these in the wild, they hold paralytic barbs in those feathers. Lastly, their necks stretch, allowing them to peck at their enemies from greater range as they swoop past.”

“And this?” Rosalyn pointed to what looked like a hunk of metal sitting in the middle of a field.

“Adamantine Tortoise. One of the more harmless Warped. They are turtles that developed a shell of a material that rivals true adamantium. Do not provoke them, and they will leave you alone.”

“And…”

Zidane laughed before Rosalyn could finish asking her question. “That is a Bellyfeeder. You will not see it, but the creature feeds directly into its chest cavity, using its ribs as teeth. I try to avoid being around for its feeding times.” Zidane shuddered as she looked at the large lizard sunbathing on a rock. It slowly blinked its six eyes, completely unconcerned with its surroundings.

“It’s weird seein’ ‘em so peaceful,” Kat muttered as they walked. “Never made it down ‘ere, but the military’s own research place is a lot more… violent.”

“Yes, well, this is a consideration we can make for the animals. The Warp does cause them to go mad, their natural instincts heightened to the point of obsession, but when left alone, they tend to act as the creature would normally. It is an odd thing, and we have been studying it for quite some time. Did you know that a Twinwolf’s heads can disagree?”

“Can not say that I did,” Bren mused.

“Oh they can,” Zidane assured. “They will snap and bicker with each other, literally butting their own heads together. This independence seems to recede when faced with an enemy. If they were always like this, they would be quite charming, save the whole exposed esophagus, brain, tongue, nasal cavity.”

“Not makin’ a great case fer ‘em,” Kat laughed.

“I suppose I’m not, but my mind wanders. Over there, we have the Bull Elk. Normally Bull would be a designation of the head male, but in this case…”

“It looks like it’s been fused with a yak!” Rosalyn exclaimed. “It’s so big and fluffy, but those antlers are massive! Wow, I would not like to be on the end of those when it charges. Would punch right through me! Oh, look, it’s got paws too!”

“Yes, a strange adaptation to help with traversal. I would have thought hooves would be more beneficial for a rockier terrain, but the Warp disagrees,” Zidane mused. “We do have a strain of normal elk we rent out to citizens, to provide transport. Their paddock is on the other side of the complex.”

A splash from a small lake nearby drew their attention. A long-necked lizard pulled its head above the surface. Sharp teeth pushed through its lower jaw, unsheathing from its own flesh as it let out a bellow, muted by the barrier.

“Holy fuck, it’s Nessie,” Ann gasped in awe. “I can’t believe it.”

“Nessie?” Kat asked. “The feck is a Nessie?”

“Loch Ness Monster,” Ann whispered, still staring. “Something from Scottish legend. Like your accent.”

“Me what? Ah, that’s what it was in yer time, gotcha,” Kat whispered back.

“That,” Zidane stated, turning to the large creature, “is one of our most prized Warped. A Sindolith. A behemoth we have not found a common ancestor for. It may be new to this world after the Gods return. After the ancients were destroyed. Its skin seems similar to aquatic mammals, like a whale, but its form is entirely unique. The Warp seems to be elongating its teeth, causing them to jab into its lower and upper jaws. We fear it may puncture its own brain one day, but cannot stop what is designed. We must simply study.”

“That’s kinda sad,” Rosalyn said, stopping to watch the arrow shaped head as it slowly turned back and forth, scanning the horizon. “It’s so big and beautiful.”

“Well, it might not perish if that does happen. There are plenty of Warped with what would be lethal mutations that function without issue.”

“I want to stop it,” Rosalyn muttered. “Just, it hurting, changing and mutating these wonderful creatures. It makes me sick as much as it fascinates me.” The Druid looked on with a resolve Ann rarely saw in the woman. “I don’t know if we can, but I want to try to fix them. Give them proper lives instead of the constant rage they have to deal with.”

“We’ll do our best,” Ann promised, coming up to hug Rosalyn from behind, wrapping her arms loosely around her front. “Promise.”

“Definitely,” Rosalyn confirmed.

They stood there for a while, watching the beast as it swam lazy circles around its lake, occasionally nipping at a bird that fluttered by. Kat and Bren joined them, standing to either side and simply watching. Zidane gave them all space, sensing the sensitivity of the moment.

After a while, the Sindolith ducked its head back under the water and vanished under the rippling surface.

“I think I’m ready to go home,” Rosalyn said meekly, looking up at Ann with eyes full of emotion.

“Aye. Let’s do tha’,” Kat said, hugging her girlfriends. “The thing I ‘ad planned can wait ‘til tomorrow.”

“Then I will show you out. It has been a pleasure, Rosalyn. I do hope to see you again. Here,” the woman extended a hand. “A token. Give this to a receptionist and they will call on me. I would appreciate it if you would share your observations on any future Warped you encounter.”

“Definitely,” Rosalyn replied, taking the small metal disc. “I’ll definitely come back. There’s probably so much I can learn here. So much I can use to help my team.”

“I look forward to it,” Zidane said warmly, tucking her hand back into her sleeve. “This way.”