Evan spent the night in the ridge village though sleep came slowly Every creak of the wooden hall reminded him that he was in a world where magic lived in the bones of the land The rescued dawnclaw lynx lay in a corner wrapped in fabric with a faint glow around its paws The golden light rose and fell with each breath like a fragile lantern in the dark

Villagers checked on it often but always from a distance Some whispered prayers some whispered curses No one dared step close except Evan who sat beside the creature the entire night feeling its pulse steady under his hand

By morning the village bells rang calling everyone to the square Curious eyes watched Evan as he stepped outside Dalen met him with a nod The elder wants to speak to you

The elder’s home sat at the highest point of the ridge A long balcony overlooked the plains and the sounds of distant magical beasts echoed with the rising sun Inside the room incense burned with a scent like cedar and lightning The elder an old man with silver hair and deep green eyes motioned for Evan to sit

You are not of this world he said without accusation You arrived in a tear of sky and the land itself trembled How did you survive that fall

Evan told him about the rescue mission the flashing light the collapsing sky and the plain he landed in The elder listened without interrupting his gaze sharp but calm

When Evan finished the elder spoke softly Some say disasters are random Others say they are guided by the will of the world I do not know which is true But you arrived at the exact moment when our beasts need help the most

He stood walked to a shelf and pulled out a weathered scroll spreading it across the table Evan saw drawings of magical creatures storm elk dawnclaw lynx thunder bears crystal horn hares Each species had an X beside it

The elder tapped the parchment These lived in great numbers when I was young Now we count only a few Most have been hunted for trophies or captured by nobles The land changes and no one listens The beasts weaken and the kingdom calls them pests

Evan felt frustration burn in his chest This was too familiar Humans destroying habitats ignoring warnings repeating the same mistakes But here the damage happened faster because magic made everything more vulnerable more fragile

Dalen stepped to Evan’s side We believe someone must restore balance But we are scouts not leaders We do not have the power to protect these creatures or teach people to respect them

Evan straightened his back Then I will do it

The elder raised an eyebrow You would take on a duty that even our kingdom avoids

Evan nodded firmly In my world species vanish forever once gone You cannot reverse extinction Here you still have a chance I can set up a rescue station document species create safe zones train people to understand behavior not fear it And in time maybe we build laws protections systems that stop the killing before it begins

The elder looked at him long and silent Then he smiled You speak as if the land has already claimed you as its guardian

Without warning a commotion erupted outside Screams echoed through the village Dalen rushed to the window and cursed A thunder bear is near the northern fence

Evan’s heart tightened Not again Not another animal hunted or attacked out of fear

He grabbed his pack The elder shouted Wait It is too dangerous

But Evan was already running through the village gates

He found the thunder bear pacing near a broken cart its fur black streaked with glowing cracks that pulsed like molten stone Sparks jumped from its paws with each step It was not attacking only confused injured and cornered by villagers holding axes and spears

Move back Evan shouted You are making it panic

The villagers ignored him The bear roared shaking the earth

Evan stepped directly between the bear and the villagers His voice calm steady like water Bear you are hurt I can tell Let me near you

The bear huffed electricity pulsing in its breath Evan slowly knelt lowering his height making himself small The bear hesitated confused by a human who did not scream or strike

Dalen finally arrived and ordered the villagers to stop The crowd parted leaving Evan and the thunder bear in the open clearing

Evan inched closer saw shards of crystal embedded in its shoulder likely from a magical trap He reached into his pack for gloves and fabric The bear growled but did not swipe Sparks danced across its fur but did not strike Evan

Thunder bears recognize intent the elder whispered from afar They can sense hatred and fear But they can also sense peace

Evan touched the bear’s side felt its ribs tremble It leaned into his palm as though surrendering In slow careful motions he removed the crystal shards cleaned the wound and wrapped the shoulder The bear shuddered then lowered its massive head to the ground pressing it gently against Evan’s chest

A collective gasp rose from the villagers

Dalen stepped forward voice soft You saved another one

Evan stood breathing deeply I did what any guardian of wildlife would do

The elder nodded to himself as if witnessing a prophecy unfold

Evan looked at the villagers their fears melting into awe

This is only the beginning he said If we want peace we must learn not to fear what we do not understand We need a place to heal these creatures A sanctuary where they can recover and where people can learn the truth

The elder raised his staff The Arcane Beast Conservation Station shall begin here

The villagers murmured The idea took root like a seed breaking soil

Evan exhaled knowing the real work was about to begin