Draserraney

*****WPC OCT 2024 Entry*****
When Carl Suis, a fresh zoology graduate, lands an internship with MECCP (Mythical and Endangered Creatures Care and Protection), he expects to work with exotic animals—not be magically whisked into Mythica, a realm brimming with dragons, mermaids, and other magical creatures.

What starts as a dream job quickly spirals into chaos. Feeding creatures is the least of Carl’s worries as he tackles ecosystem meltdowns, interspecies feuds, and cultural clashes straight out of a fantasy fever dream. Forget the myths—these creatures are nothing like the books said.

With Mythica’s fragile world teetering on collapse and MECCP’s future at stake, Carl must rely on his zoological skills, quick thinking, and unexpected allies to save the day. But in this unpredictable land, survival means embracing the wild—and the wildly hilarious—at every turn.

Can Carl protect this magical world, or will his internship be his last adventure?

A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

The room plunged into silence so thick you could slice it with a dagger. My jaw hung open like a fish gasping for air.

Viracocha leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he studied me with an unnerving intensity, like he was examining a particularly strange specimen under a microscope.

Kaleon's son? Me? Shut up!

That had to be the biggest joke of the century—or of whatever eons these gods were measuring time by.

Agnos coughed awkwardly, his usual smugness replaced by something resembling unease. Jiuge's eyes darted between me and Viracocha, her hands gripping the edges of her chair like it might float away.

Then Viracocha hesitated, his expression tightening as if he were grappling with the weight of what he was about to say. Finally, he exhaled deeply and spoke, his tone heavy with reverence and caution.

"It's not entirely impossible, you know," he murmured. "Kaleon was known for his eccentric ways..."

Kaleon's Essence