This was supposed to be fun. She said it would be fun.
“Fun” is not even close to the word I would use to describe my current situation, though it had been like this for almost three months now.
At the beginning of those three months, on some fateful day, life was, well, normal. Then, in some insane turn of events like a dramatic fantasy TV show, I found myself being pulled down an alley by someone most definitely not human, and we were being chased by something even more so.
If I hadn’t had known better, I would have said it was a dragon.
As my luck would have it, it was.
After barely managing to escape the beast which, even though it wasn’t exactly large, was terrifying nonetheless, I heard the three words I remembered wishing to hear as a child, but never as an adult.
“Magic is real.”
Understandably, I was confused. Confused, terrified of the scaly beast that had just been attempting to kill me, and I was questioning the sanity of the person in front of me, though I had been doubting if they were even a person at all.
She introduced herself as Calarel, and it didn’t take a genius to notice her slightly elongated eyes, pointed ears, and almost unnaturally beautiful face.
“I’m an elf.”
Well, that wasn’t expected.
“An elf. Sure,” I replied, sarcasm evident.
“You were just chased by an actual dragon and you doubt the existence of elves?”
She had a point.
In the three months since our meeting, Calarel and I had become close friends as she taught me about an entire society of people that existed among humans, and I had never even suspected it.
I learned that elves, fairies, witches, wizards, dragons, phoenixes, and countless other species existed, many of which spent their lives pretending to be human in public. As it turns out, most dragons and other animal-like beings are companions of sorts to these people.
For a few years leading up to this one, I had been a vet working in a small private practice of my own. Things changed.
After meeting Calarel, my whole life flipped, and I’m still deciding if it’s for the better or worse. She managed to convince me to do something crazy for the good of her society.
Though I still rented the building I had used for my practice, I no longer treated dogs, cats, or any other domestic animal. No, I became a veterinarian for dragons. With the occasional phoenix, griffin, or animal hybrid appearance.
I was more stressed than I had been in medical school.
The biggest danger I faced on the job used to be a bite. Now, it was being burned by a dragon’s breath.
I do have to admit, though, it’s beginning to grow on me. Calarel said there were few people with the ability to treat these creatures. That explained why I was paid so well.
I can’t talk about my job anymore. My hours are incredibly unusual, and they change. Constantly. I’ve gotten three minor burns in the past week, and have seen some things I never want to talk about.
Despite all this, I think Calarel was right. My definition of fun just might be beginning to change.