The girls continued to the brewery, where the ranger they saw before was waiting. A chartreuse necktie and knee-high boots in other shades of green surely made her presence known, if the hot pink eyes didn’t do it first. With a flourish, long, skinny arms gracefully found her forehead in a facepalm.

“Hydra, go make sure anyone headed to the nursery comes here first to get their solution. I can’t believe they messed that up again…” Wynn scanned the thin, serpentine beast as it darted through the double doors and into the hall.

DOUSNAKE. ATMA-class beast with RAIN affinity. This beast is always wet, but its oily skin prevents it from dripping everywhere. They prefer to dwell in bodies of freshwater.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Ash. Here, we use these herbal mixtures to emulate the incubation processes for various beasts. That’s what makes a beast egg special- what’s inside can change based on its environment. Please be careful to only use authorized concoctions. Feel free to use the brewery’s supplies, or your own as long as it’s verified.”

Every desk was fit with a tiny cauldron and book of recipes. Everyone made quick work of the ingredients at their disposal, mixing leaves, nectars, and powders over the open fire. They meticulously studied the combinations to ensure they’d get a beast they liked. 

Wynn took out the mortar and pestle she’d used to grind up the beans earlier that day. Huh, still a bit of paste left. Before she could do anything else, though, Ash appeared behind her.

“What’s that?”
If Wynn could jump fifteen into the air right then, she actually could’ve, but the ceilings were too low. “Erm…”

Ash held a hand out. “Give it here.” She dejectedly handed it over, humiliated. She expected to be scolded, kicked out, or both, but to her surprise, the indignation on her face turned into intrigue. 

“It couldn’t be…Jack’s Paste?” Ash gave another taste to be sure. “That’s one of the greatest blends of our time, you know. I wasn’t aware that Sector I was also home to herbalists?” she inquired, flipping through the cookbook.

“Yeah, um…I was trying this recipe for the first time.” Wynn was relieved, but understandably still a bit shaken.

“And here I was thinking you were a troublemaker! It has many uses, but I don’t think it’s very popular for beast rearing…” she explained. “You’re lucky I recognized it, because an unidentified formula could have disastrous results. Hm. Well here, it’s in the book, so you should be okay to give it a shot.” She emptied its contents into the waiting pot. “No idea what beast that makes, though. We should really update our catalog. Note to self…” She turned to assist the others with an elegant twirl.

“What are you putting in yours, Lina?”

She checked and double-checked to ensure her recipe was correct. “Coriander seeds, a pinch of ginger, and…one scotch bonnet! That should be the formula for this beast here.” She pointed at a picture of a slender, insectoid beast, accompanied by a blurb bearing a flame symbol.

“That’s a lovely choice. I read that Mantorches are surprisingly friendly, and great for roasting marshmallows.” Coincidentally, friends and marshmallows were two of Lina’s favorite things.

Even though it was approved by Ash, the outcome of Jack’s Paste was still a complete mystery. As she stirred her own pot, she couldn’t help but wonder what beast would come about. 

Next up to visit was the nursery, a lush garden enclosure where beasts skipped happily about. Bumbling workers circled the premises, following after them like hyperactive toddlers. Even though there was something of a language barrier, the beasts and their caretakers understood one another completely. Wynn wondered if she could be stationed here when it came time to work off her sentence.

The third and final Master Ranger they would meet was pretty tall. Like, he towered over practically everyone else in the room. His hair fell in two-strand twists around a pair of bull’s horns protruding from his head. A long tail swished back and forth behind him as he spoke in a mellow, steady tone.

“Yo, I’m Thorn. It’s always a pleasure to see fresh faces around here. Uh…” The nursing grounds obviously had no chairs for them to sit in. “Right…pick an egg from the nest and take a seat on the floor, okay?”

An ornate wreath of foliage stood in the center of the courtyard, filled with the countless progeny of beasts who’d abandoned or volunteered their eggs. Thorn went on to assist everyone individually after they each picked out one of their own.

“Hey, how’s this supposed to work?” Lina whispered.

“W-well, even before they hatch, beasts tend to secrete this fluid…” Wynn could only describe it as ‘territorial slime’. “It’s a bit hard to explain, but the Beast Rangers figured out how to-”

Thorn approached, having overheard a bit of their conversation. “You sure know a lot about beasts, huh?” Wynn fell silent on impulse.

“For reals, she’s taught me so much and it’s only been like, half a day!”

“All the more reason to have you guys on the force, right? Let’s get you situated. You’re gonna wanna place the egg right in the middle of your pot, so it soaks up the formula. Then, it’ll change color.” For instance, Lina’s egg took on an orange-y glow, while Wynn’s was unusually neutral. 

“Alright, hands in! Left, right, doesn’t really matter.” The eggs began to leak a viscous sap, which was somehow hot and cold at the same time. “Notice a mark forming on your wrist? Keep your hand in ‘till it’s totally solid.”

When all was said and done, the girls bore different symbols on their wrists. Thorn showed them his own mark and flashed a smile.  “Now we’ve all got something in common! Whenever you wanna call on your beast, just trace over the symbol with your finger. Takes some getting used to, I know.”

Not realizing what she was doing, Wynn stared at Thorn vacantly.

“Trying to figure out what kind of beast I’ve got in me?”

She quickly averted her eyes. “Oh! Sorry, um…” 

“No worries. Here, I’ll show you.” Wynn handed him her bestiary- despite the enormity of his hands, he handled it in a precisely delicate manner.

BULLAND. TERRA-class beast with EARTH affinity. These beasts travel in herds and use their hooves to dig up mud and clay. They can increase in size to form larger impressions in the earth.

“Tauro and I kinda share a body, but we have the same bond as any other ranger and beast,” Thorn explained. “Just don’t let him get too hungry, you know how that gets…” They all had a good laugh about it, but Thorn paused with a grave sincerity. “Seriously. It’s not pretty.”

Now that every rookie was equipped with the basic materials, the registration process had officially begun and they would be dubbed rangers-in-training, eager to climb the ranks as they grew accustomed to their duties.