A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

The second fragment gleamed in Agnos's palm like a shard of crystallized twilight, its violet hue shimmering faintly even in the dim light of the forest clearing.

When he finally ate it, the fragment dissolved into a wisp of smoke, curling briefly around his head before vanishing. I couldn't help but stare.

Watching an ancient god consume pieces of himself was unsettling, like witnessing someone put puzzle pieces into their mouth instead of a picture frame.

"Do you feel any different?" I asked, half-expecting him to erupt into flames or sprout a second head.

Agnos wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, looking wholly unimpressed. "It will take all the fragments for my powers to fully return. This is merely... progress."

Progress. Right.

I had trudged through swamps, dodged raging Basilisk, and endured the world's longest hike for him to call this "progress."

"Great," I muttered, hoisting my backpack onto my shoulders. "So where to next?"

Agnos closed his eyes, his expression serene. For a moment, the air around him seemed to ripple, the forest growing quieter, like it was holding its breath. When he finally opened them, there was a faint glow in his irises.

"Tír na nÓg." he announced, his tone rich with importance.

"A... what now?"

"Tír na nÓg," he repeated, with the air of someone explaining gravity to a child. "The land of eternal youth. A spiritual paradise for the virtuous and heroic."

"Oh, so like heaven?" I tried to summarize, hoping to cut through his melodrama.

Agnos shot me a look so withering it could've curdled milk. "Simplistic as ever, Carl."

I rolled my eyes, wishing—not for the first time—that the Unknown God was less of a cryptic jerk. I frowned. "Well, excuse me for not keeping a catalog of mythical vacation spots in my head."

We walked for hours.

My legs already ached from all the walking we'd done today, and the thought of trekking all the way to some distant, mystical paradise was about as appealing as wrestling a manticore.

"You know, if this place is such a paradise, you'd think they'd have better transportation options," I muttered.

My legs were already protesting at the thought of another hike. "A buggy or even a magical skateboard or something would be nice," I grumbled. "Anything to save my legs."

Agnos ignored me, as usual, while the cat, ever the opportunist, leapt onto my backpack, settling in as if I were his personal sedan chair.

I sighed.

Being a magical creatures intern slash pack mule was not what I'd envisioned when I signed up for this job.

"Stop whining, Carl. Consider this part of your growth."

"Growth? My calves are about to grow out of my boots," I shot back, adjusting my backpack as Agnos hopped onto my shoulder like he owned it.

"Speaking of which," I asked as we trudged forward, "how do you even know where your fragments are?"

He stretched lazily, his tiny paws dangling off my shoulder.

"I can sense them," he replied simply, gazing ahead with an almost regal air.

"And what happens if someone else finds one before us?"

He chuckled darkly. "They die."

I froze mid-step. "Excuse me?"

"Anyone not blessed by the Unknown Gods who touches a fragment will die," he said with a casual shrug, as if discussing the weather.

"So why can I touch them?"

He glanced at me, his golden eyes unreadable. "Because I blessed you."

"Oh, great. I'm honored," I deadpanned. My brain reeled. "Wait, so all this time, you could've collected your own fragments?"

"No," Agnos said firmly, his tone suddenly serious. "Each fragment contains a piece of memory. I need someone with a strong heart and will to absorb the memories stored in them. Without these, the memories would consume the unworthy."

My stomach churned.

"Memories?" My voice pitched higher than I'd like. "You mean these fragments embed memories in me? Forever?"

Before he could answer, a deafening roar echoed across the sky. The shadow of an enormous dragon swept over us, its wings blotting out the sun. My heart leaped into my throat as I instinctively dove behind a nearby boulder.

"What was that?!" I hissed, peeking out cautiously.

Agnos, annoyingly calm, leaped from my shoulder and remained perched on the rock. "A dragon, obviously."

"Obviously?" I whisper-yelled, pressing myself tighter against the boulder.

"What should we do now?!" I asked, clutching my backpack like it could shield me from whatever monstrosity was out there. "Agnos, are we gonna die? Do we fight? Run? Negotiate? WHAT?"

To my utter disbelief, Agnos sat atop the boulder, grooming his paw.

"Seriously? You're just gonna sit there?!"

"Okay, think, Carl. What do we do? Distract it with food? Play dead? Can dragons smell fear? Of course, they can—"

"Must you always narrate your panic?" Agnos interrupted, standing completely still, calm as a summer breeze.

I was about to argue when I heard someone calling my name. Peeking around the boulder, I spotted Dr. Philippe and—oh, great—Sweet Tooth's mom, Queen Isadora, descending in all her draconic glory.

Her scales shimmered like molten gold, and the sheer majesty of her presence made the trees around her seem insignificant.

"Dr. Philippe! What are you doing here?"

Dr. Philippe looked relieved as he approached, though his usual composed demeanor was slightly ruffled.

"Carl, thank goodness, you're alright!"

"We've been looking for you," he said, brushing dirt from his sleeves and adjusting his glasses. "Do you have any idea how hard you are to track? Your phone's been dead."

I sheepishly pulled out my Mythica phone, the screen blank. I held up the lifeless device. "Uh, yeah, sorry about that, it's dead. No juice left."

With a sigh, he handed me a crystal-like power pack inscribed with intricate runes. "Here. Use this. It should last a week. And don't vanish on us again."

"Thanks," I said, plugging it in, grateful for the recharge. As my phone came back to life, I glanced at Dr. Philippe, who looked unusually tense.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Not exactly. MECCP is in disarray. Since the Kraken incident and the Selkie task, we've been swamped with requests. Conservation issues, creature relocations, habitat protections… It's a mess. And frankly, no one handles it as well as you do. And the public isn't shy about sharing their dissatisfaction."

I blinked, taken aback. "Me?"

"Yes, right now MECCP is in chaos without you."

Unsure whether to feel flattered or overwhelmed. Compliments from Dr. Philippe were about as rare as mermaid's tears.

Then he handed me a letter. The seal on it bore the insignia of the MECCP. My stomach sank. Letters like these were never good news.

"What's this?" I asked, unfolding the letter.

"From the founder."

"The founder?" I repeated, dumbfounded. "As in... the founder? The one nobody's ever seen?"

Philippe nodded, watching as I hesitantly opened the letter. My heart sank as I read the first line: Your internship is hereby terminated.

My stomach dropped. "I'm… terminated?" I choked out, staring at the letter in disbelief.