111 Grim Tidings

It was around that time that Remian really started paying attention to him.

"Who is this Wulfgar guy again, and why is he here?" he asked Max.

"Even I'm not sure. He showed up at the Iron Legion HQ one day challenging all our greatest warriors. It seems he's already fought them all, lost most of the duels and came here looking for more people to fight. I think he's traveling for experience and training or something."

"So he's not actually a member of the Iron Legion?"

"Goodness, no, he's not even an affiliate. He's a challenger. But he doesn't seem to be the bad sort. Violent and rowdy, sure, but he's very simple and doesn't seem intent on actual harm. Actually, as much as I hate to admit it, I suspect there's real wisdom hidden in his brash actions. Challenging everything to improve yourself… the simpleness of that idea has its own appeal."

Regardless, Wulfgar spending more and more time with Darrian led to Remian's brother looking more and more lively as the days went by. The pair of them officially joined the Adventurers Guild and then started roaming the wilderness farther and farther away from the Farm, hunting Tier 3 Wilds and bringing back valuable herbs, very quickly amassing Points and climbing up to the 2nd Tier within a couple of days.

At first, Remian was worried about Darrian's safety, but then, he saw about forty Feelo-Wasps following along behind them as they left for one of their trips. With forty head-sized Wasps at his brother's back, Remian figured Darrian would have nothing to fear so long as he remained within Shadowflash Fief.

Eriane, meanwhile, wasn't quite so worrisome. She still stuck with Mindy, learning scroll-casting and crossbows. Denise had given her a little hand-crossbow to practice with, and she practiced earnestly for hours. Mindy sometimes brought her around on the Tug, and she kept trying to hit low Tier Wilds on the ground from low altitudes. So far, her best record was hitting a Tier 3 Wild from two hundred paces. It was actually one of DD's boars, and it didn't even notice when it got shot. The bolt from the little handbow couldn't do any damage at all, literally bouncing off the Boar's hardened bristles.

As for Sabriane, she poured her entire attention into the setting up of the hospital, detailing room after room, ward after ward, office after office...

***

Seven new mines sprung up in Shadowflash Fief over the following days. One was near the site of the old alchemist cave. Two were at the far western end of the Fief, at the Amber Gorge. Two more were at the range of mountains which marked the Fief's new western borders to the south of the Amber Gorge, the Misty Heights, just north and south of the source of the Three Forks River. One more was in the rocky ravine near the Deadly Sands. The last one was at Craggy Falls, tunneling in deeper from the ruins excavation site.

Acres of hardwood tree plantations were also designated along the western end of the Fief during these days, something both Mindy and Tim insisted on together. They ferried hundreds of lynxmice to the Amber Gorge and then set them to line the entire range from the desert edge to the Misty Heights with various hardwood seedlings. George sent a few packs of wolfcats and ten workers to help, but first, he started a secret project at a cool, dry and shady sloped plot of land where the Misty Heights met the hardwood plantations.

"Your job is to protect these seedlings." George told a certain family of wolfcats.

That pack of twenty wolfcats stayed there from that day forward.It was two days' journey by Air Tug from there to Fort Spoas, twice that for wolfcats on the ground and twice that again for lynxmice, but the importance of this secret project was just too great to simply leave unguarded. It was George's utmost intention to add more and more security to that site as the secret seedlings grew.

This security would need to be increased as the mines in the Amber Gorge and Misty Heights got into full gear. The southern Amber Gorge mine was just an hour's wolfcat run away from the Secret Site, and the northern Misty Heights mine not much more than two hours away by wolfcat.

The hardwood plantations project was going to take at least a month or two, maybe even three.

It was probably a good thing they were planting new trees. The old forests around Shadowflash Fief were disappearing at an alarming rate. Not only were they building new towns, they also wanted to upgrade the Skybarge and build two more of them at the same time. The upgraded Skybarge should have at least a proper hull, with internal cabins, plumbing, and lighting. The three Skybarges were designed with cavernous lower decks for cargo, though they could still just carry passengers, albeit a bit uncomfortably. Once those three were ready, the Red Fang and the Red Helm could be freed up for exploration and long-distance trading.

***

Between setting up the new hospital and medical facilities, the new industrial zone and all the factories, the new mines, and the new town areas, Remian totally ran out of money.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Charlie asked, as Remian played his trump card.

"We need the money." Remian said simply.

With that, the Red Helm was given over to Deutero to auction. Based on its estimate value, Remian was allotted ten million Lir as an advance. He never actually saw any of that money. Most of it went straight into equipment and tools.

They focused on the construction industry first; bricks, cement, steel, glass, lumber and tiles. Most of the heavy materials were going to the airport, generally speaking, the newer town areas would be using lighter materials, half wood, half brick. As the heavy factories rose up, so too did columns of smoke and steam.

Remian began to frown every time he saw those columns. He felt disturbed, but the town needed to be built, and they needed the materials.

Then one day, a grim report came from the south.

"The Wilds are massing?" Remian repeated Joshu's report.

"In the hundreds. There could well be a thousand Tier 3's by now." Joshu answered.

Remian exchanged glances with Markus and Song Chen.

Song Chen spoke first. "This is it, isn't it? The Beast Tide we were all worried about. A hundred Beast Waves all coming at the same time with at a King leading them."

"Not yet. It's too small to be a Tide yet, but it's growing." Joshu nodded. "It's just a matter of time."

"What can we do?" Remian asked.

Markus studied the maps for a bit, then said, "They're coming up roughly the same route as the Beast Waves. The first place to be hit will be Craggy Falls. We can't stop them there. We'll need to evacuate everyone and everything we can, including Spike. I'm sorry, Remian, but I'm afraid we'll have to rebuild it later if we survive."

"Understood." Remian grimaced. "Hopefully it won't be too badly wrecked."

"We'll have to evacuate Ravine, both Lakesides, and Rocky Ford too." Markus mused. "Given more time and more fortifications around Rocky Ford, we might be able to hold them there for a time, but as it is, the best we can do is trap the place, see if we can slow them down as they cross."

"Slow them? How would that help?" Remian asked.

"Well, obviously, we're going to be shooting at them the entire time. Or were you planning to just leave the airships sitting around idle as the Beast Tide comes our way?" Markus pointed out. "We're going to be shooting at them all the way from Craggy Falls. You weren't planning to let them just trample through our territory without paying a price for it, were you?"

"I see." Remian paused. Then, he tapped the map twice. "We'll be fending them off at our strongest defense point, then. The same one we've been defending during the last few Beast Waves."

"It's well fortified, and structures are heavily reinforced, and with the Pit in place, it's very defendable." Markus allowed himself a grim smile.

Song Chen nodded agreement. "We're already settled in Kara-Goth. Everyone's familiar with the area. It's definitely out most defensible location. Whether or not we can actually defend it against a King of the wilds, however… that will depend on our weaponry. I have to say, I'm not sure the weapons we have will be any good against a King."

"We have the Pit. It worked well so far." Remian mused. "I'm not sure we'll be able to bait or force a King into it, but just in case we can… we should enlarge it. Make it even bigger. Cover the entire space between Kara and Goth. Any clue as to what exactly this Tide's Tier 6 will be?"

"Big." Song Chen summarized. "Whatever it is, it will be roughly ten times the size of Spike or Jujar. For the Pit to hold something that size, we're going to need to do a lot more digging. I'd like to ask for all the wolfcats we can get on it, plus airship support."

"We have a Sky Barge in refit and two more in construction. How are they doing?" Markus asked.

"The refit is almost done. Mindy just wanted a few more adjustments to the sides of the new hulls." Remian allowed himself a small grin thinking about the adjustments. "The new ones might take a couple more days. We'll send them on evacuations first, then they'll go straight to Kara-Goth to help with the Pit. Is there enough room in Kara-Goth for all the evacuees?"

"Maybe? There could be some spill over to the Encles though."

Remian nodded. "Then we may as well house everyone there and ask the evacuees to help with the pit too. You'll have the bulk of the wolfcats. As for weapons… we better call Arnold and Andros in."

That conversation was a much longer, much more tiring one. Andros left to put the forges to work after an hour. Arnold didn't leave until lunch. After that, the Red Fang was sent to Ashdale, rushing to buy parts and components.

Meanwhile, the Beast Tide grew. Hundreds became thousands over the next few days as the people of Shadowflash Fief scrambled to prepare for its coming.