Aunt Sara burst out laughing. “Queen of what, exactly? This boy is crazy.” “Aunt Sara!” Mandy protested. “Oh, fine, fine. If the most powerful mage in town wants to teach you magic, I won’t get in your way.” Aunt Sara waved it away with a sniff. “Even if he is something of a dreamer. Queen, now? Wouldn’t that make him a king? A king dowager?” “I think it’s the other way around.” Mandy whispered. “And how do you intend to reign over this place unless you can make the warlords kneel?” Aunt Sara snorted. “You don’t have that kind of power.” “The… warlords…?” Remian frowned. “The gang bosses.” Mandy translated for him. Right. “I will just have to become that powerful.” Aunt Sara barked a laugh. “Good luck with that. Jon, get these kids some breakfast. Good day, Mandy, Remian.” With that as farewell, Aunt Sara left with her escorts. Jon the innkeeper went about to get some food for his guests. Mandy glanced a

  [Fireball!] “RUN!!” Another fireball streaked across the battlefield, slamming into a tree behind Remian. Fire splashed around the area, charring the tree bark in moments before disappearing. “Fire!” Mindy had her Fire Bolt scroll out, and was trying to counter, but her little fist-sized Fire Bolt was just no comparison to the Bear’s head-sized Fire Balls. Her little Fire Bolt barely scorched the bear. “Do something!” Remian yelped. Max was angling for a shot, trying to get behind the bear, but it turned and shot out another Fire Ball right at him. “Someone…? Carrie!” He looked for the biggest member of their group, the only one which stood a chance at physically stopping the bear… Only to find her rolling around on her back, all four paws in the air, laughing. “What’s gotten into her?!” Remian spluttered. The bear saw the wolfcat rolling around on the ground roaring with laughter. [It was YOU!] S

Joshu Tarim thought of himself as a true Frontiersman. He was a professional explorer, one of the earliest adventurers around the Frontier who helped draw the very first maps. He was there when Frontier Town was first founded. He had traded furs and ivory with the first airship that landed at its edge. He wasn’t around when the gangs began to form, however; he had been trapped for almost a year in a labyrinth of cave tunnels far, far to the south at the time.Younger adventurers had asked for the secrets of his survival. How did he last so long in the Frontier? Most adventurers quit or died within one or two years. Some dozen or two switched to becoming Hunters and stayed in town when they weren’t out there looking for prey. Yet there was Joshu, still exploring, still venturing into unmapped territories and coming back with just a few more smudges on the map he’d been drawing for nine years.Caution and patience, he’d replied. Alertness and awar

For now, though, the most they could do was offer some light if the battle took place at night. If it happened in the day time, the most they could offer was some fire (and smoke) support. Remian was not about to ask Carrie or Buff to fight on the side of Frontier Town in the event of a Beast Wave. He’d worry about them getting attacked by the human defenders or worse, joining the other side.Why did the Wilds attack Frontier Town anyway? There had to be a reason for Beast Waves and the like.Ten years ago, there had been three towns on the Frontier, but one day there was an event referred to as a ‘Beast Tide’, a large scale version of the Beast Wave. As a result… only Frontier Town was left. There were many dead, and many more fled the Frontier, never to return. Many of the Circling Ravens were babies who were orphaned at that time.If a Beast Tide rose again, the way it was now, Frontier Town would be finished. Already it could barely