Lu meandered the streets with the egg in tow, making a half-hearted attempt not to draw too much attention to himself. His parents warned him not to walk the streets among commoners, but he didn’t really care that much about being recognized; he just wanted some fresh air. If anyone stared too long, he’d just walk faster. No big deal. His peace of mind, however, was abruptly interrupted by a call from you-know-who.

“Hello, sweetie, just checking in- Are you near Sector III?” 

How did she-

“I’ve got eyes everywhere, dear. Now, can you do me a favor? There’s an adorable little creature nearby that I heard grows grass right on its back! It would be excellent for my collection. I’ll send over the details,” Her voice then lost all of the warmth she had dressed it in. “Don’t disappoint me.”

Before Lu could answer, she hung up the phone. In the same moment, something popped up on the interface of his monster-scanning doohickey.

SHRUBBARB. BIOMA-class beast with FLORA affinity. These beasts cultivate personal gardens on their own bodies. Though soft to the touch, they can also produce sharp spines to ward off aggressors. (Found in: Meadow Wilds)

Connecting every group of major city blocks were the wilds, artificial landscapes where one could find most plants, animals, and more importantly- a handful of beasts! Each of them had the climate of a similar Earth habitat. As one would expect, the Meadow Wilds were a flourishing grassland rife with herbs for the apothecaries of Sector III to use in potions.

Shrubbarbs weren’t especially rare, at least so Lu thought. After looking for almost a whole hour, he gave up and went back to town. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he caught an eyeful of that very beast, perched on a nearby balcony. No one would miss it much, right? Besides, he wouldn’t hear the end of it if he came home empty-handed.

Lu withdrew his staff, gifted to him by his father. The highest-end tech straight from Sector VI, it was useful for sparring as well as beast-wrangling. Utilizing experimental warp gate technology, it made transportation a snap. As he approached the beast, it immediately retaliated by flicking razor-sharp blades of grass.

“Ow! You little…” He lost his balance and face-planted on the ground below. “However long it takes, you’re coming with me.

After defeating the beast, Wynn was led by an official to a room where several others were sat chattering amongst one another. Distinguished by her heavy makeup, indifferent expression, and perpetual gum-chewing, the clipboard-toting young woman was seemingly no older than her. 

“W-what’s all this?”

“Those who get tossed into the pits…and survive, are sentenced to work under the Beast Rangers to atone for their crimes. If we see fit, we can put you on track to become an official ranger, if you’d like. Think of it as our own little slice of rehabilitation.”

Wynn’s eyes widened with disbelief. “I could become a Beast Ranger?”

“Sure, if you’ve got the guts. Lucky for you, it’s recruiting season, so we can set you up with a starter pack right away. Even if you don’t get through, you’ll need these tools to get by, so have a seat.”

Wynn tiptoed through the rows of chairs, tensing up as nearly everyone in the room stared her down. Being the center of attention was definitely in her top five- scratch that, top three worst sensations ever. She finally came upon an empty seat, next to a particularly peppy prospect. Without it being asked of her, she immediately launched into introductions.

“Alina Dawns! But most people just skip the ‘A’ and get straight to the ‘Lina’. What’s your name?” she asked, offering her hand for a shake. 

“Oh, um…I’m Wynn.” she took the girl’s hand apprehensively. It was rough and blotched with days-old paint stains.

“What brings you here?”

“Uhh, besides being thrown into a dungeon against my will…?” She’d never really thought about it that hard before. “Well, I guess I’d wanna be able to see all the different kinds of beasts up close…and that’s what Beast Rangers do, right?”

“Yup! I see ‘em on TV all the time. They make the news quite often, which really makes you think about the state of our- ooh, there goes one right now!”

Wynn turned to lock eyes with the emerald-haired spindly girl standing at the front of the room. She cleared her throat and clasped her hands together, almost like a princess would.

“If I may have everyone’s attention…welcome to Beast Ranger orientation! To those who missed the previous sessions, we will now be entering the hands-on portion, so…”

“Don’t worry, you didn’t miss much, just books and paperwork.” said Lina with a reassuring nudge.

“Now, we’ll start rotating through the orientation stations hosted by us Master Rangers.”

The recruits were all split off into groups, and the pair was able to stay together by a stroke of luck. Wynn was glad she had someone by her side through all of this. She thought she’d be behind bars or worse, but it just so happened to be the opportunity of a lifetime. I just hope my family is okay while I’m gone, she thought.

“What’s up, everybody? The name’s Eth, but my friends just call me Sylvie on account of my surname.” The schedule read, ‘Weapons with Eth Sylvan’. Interesting. “I’m in charge of the weapons here. I actually designed some of ‘em myself!”

Oozing charm with every word, this guy was about Wynn’s height. His loose curls were pulled back in a low ponytail. The wrappings on his feet, which exposed his toes, matched the candy-colored garment under his overalls. A beast Wynn had never seen before was perched on his shoulder. It was kind of like a cat, but on second thought reminded her more of a bug…?

PAWNCER. BIOMA-class beast with TOXIC affinity. These beasts are, on average, fuzzy and cuddly, but their saliva is corrosive and their sting is capable of completely numbing creatures multiple times their size.

“Me and Scorpi here’ll go around and get everybody fitted with a weapon that suits them, alright?”

Sylvie and his pal circled the room of curious rookies, explaining how the various weapons work and demonstrating their functions. Applicants immediately began testing their new artillery on one another.

“Y’all still need more time to pick something?”

Lina struggled to lift a huge mallet she’d been eyeing. “This one’s pretty cool!”

“Ooh, one of my personal favorites! Check out what happens when you twist the handle!” Sawblades appeared with a click. “Super versatile,” He turned to address Wynn. “How about you?”

“I-I think I’ll just keep this.” Sylvie recognized the knife she used earlier. All new weapons were exciting to him, but he held back so as not to exacerbate her nervousness.

“Mind if I take a closer look?”

“Um, yeah! Wait, no, I mean- here.” 

He ran his hands over the blade, taking in the intricate etchings on the hilt and the smooth, lustrous blade. It was crystal clear with a slight red tint. “Hm…this is very well put together! I haven’t seen craftsmanship like this since…well, it’s been a while. We’ll have to look through the handbook to make sure it’s up to code, though...”

“Oh…”

“Just yanking your chain. Mine’s been collecting dust since I got it.” He handed it back gently, with the care of someone who knew how to handle such a delicate blade. “Go ahead, knock yourself out! Figuratively, of course.” 

A bell rang, signaling the trainees to move on. “Guess I’ll see everyone off now. Don’t be a stranger!” Sylvie then went on to create a unique handshake for everyone who passed them as they left. Presumably, there was a section in his brain dedicated to memorizing elaborate handshakes.

Lu thought he’d stop by and visit his father in Sector V after delivering the last capture. He’s bound to have some free time now, right?

The fifth sector is where athletic disciplines lie, and where all royal guards are trained. Though unspoken, they more or less play second fiddle to the Beast Rangers in terms of defending Earth and its moon. Nevertheless, the king trains each guard personally, and loves them like his own children. Though he’s had many fierce contenders over the years, he’s never lost a fight against anyone- including his son Lunaire.

“Hey, small fry! Didja follow me or somethin’?”
“With all due respect, Dad…I’m a grown-ass man. And I’m taller than you.” That much was true; Apollo was a short, stocky man with a tight, well-kempt ‘fro and a bushy beard to match.

“Of course, of course. Don’t rub it in,” he said with a hearty belly-laugh, which was an accurate description. Though chiseled from his training, an athlete’s diet crossed with child-rearing left him softer in the middle than he was in his prime. 

“Come to best your old man while he’s got his guard down?...Oh!” He dug in his pocket for a bit. “You just reminded me I had something to give you.” 

Great, more stuff to carry.

“This is the Key of the Moon. It’s been passed down by the Yoghs for cycles and cycles. When I married your mother, it was awarded to me to signify my place in this family- and now the time has come for me to pass it down.” He dangled the key, which bore a deep, cool hue faded by age.

“It is said that this key can open up gateways to disaster! You must never lend it to anyone, for even those closest to you may lurk in the darkness…or whatever it was they told me.” Carefully, he transferred the key to Lu’s neck. “For real though, keep it safe. Just in case.”

In spite of his earlier exasperation, Lu was actually proud to receive such an honor from his father. It was more interesting than the other gaudy garbage- sorry, “family heirlooms” his other relatives tried to pass off to him every five to ten business days.

“Sorry, kiddo, break’s over. Why don’t you go over and spar with the team? And don’t forget to-”
“Warm up and stretch first. I know, I know. See ya, dad.”

When Lu reached out his fist for a bump, he was instead met with a tight embrace. King Apollo did everything loud, especially love. Though he didn’t hug back, his father knew he treasured every second of it. He just wished Lu was more of an open book.