Somewhere along the line, he’d lost consciousness. George only realized it when he woke up to a splitting headache. “Ow.” He groaned. “What... where...?” “We’re on the way back to Sorrel.” Grace told him, appearing by his bedside. And it was a bedside, he realized. He seemed to be in the Kara’s Medical Bay. “I’m sorry. We had to retreat.” “Our... people?” George managed. “The HAC Troopers made it back. The Mechs... did not.” Grace paused. “We have the refugees though. And the Robotic Assembly Plant for Mining Drones. That’s all they managed to grab.” George slurred. “Mech pilots?” “Alive, if battered.” “Good. Alive is good.” George sighed. “This... didn’t go so well.” “Hey, at least we got the guys we were trying to save, and some machinery on top of that. You might say it was a success. A costly one, but a success.” “Casualties?” George asked. “Plenty of injuries to go around, but no deaths. So far.” Grace paused. “Some of the really badly injured might change that before lo
When Remian Vin died and faced his Creator, he wept. “God, not like this!” One of the nearby celestial beings spoke. “It is given for man to live and to die. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. It is the natural order.” “But not now! Not like this! I haven’t done anything worthwhile with my life! I’ve been weak from young, always a burden to my family! People have been kind to me yet I’ve done nothing to pay them back! I can’t die like this! I need to do something for them!” “What worth could your life have, if you remained? What would be the point of returning you to such a weak, frail body? Move on, and leave the past behind.” “I’ll… I’ll make it worth something. I don’t know how long I can last, but I want to make it worth something!” “When?” “Today!” Remian gasped, waking up with cold sweat. His heart thumped painfully in his chest, pain wracking his body as he sat up in bed. Was it real? Was it just a drea
Fort Spoas was a town overlooking a steep cliff over a river. With a steep hill on the west side and the desert to the north, all it really needed was a good wall to the south to form a formidably defensible position. As they were coming in for a landing on the desert side of the fort, the passengers gathered near the exit ramp, and one Iron Legionnaire spoke. “Tan, are you a settler?” The archer from the Empire spoke. “No. I am an adventurer.” “But you are planning to stay here, on the Frontier, are you not?” Tan coughed. “I have nowhere else to go. I cannot return.” “Whatever the reasons for you to be here, the Iron Legion would like to hire you as an informant. We need agents to be our eyes and ears here on the Frontier.” “What interest does the Iron Legion have in this place?” Tan asked. “Opportunity. Just like you.” “I’ll do it.” Remian offered. “I’ll be your informant. It is a paid job, isn’t it?” “It is.”
“You’re in luck.” Max grunted as Remian arrived at the Iron Legion camp at the north side of town bordering the desert with only the token and the shirt on his back. “We just happen to have some extra clothes you could use.” He brought out an oddly familiar looking package. Some leathers and furs, a worn-out bow and a quiver half-filled with arrows, and a broken axe… “That… isn’t that Tan’s…?” Remian pointed. “It was.” Max nodded agreeably. “He’s dead. Got into a fight with a local gang boss in the first tavern he came across. We got there in time to get him away, but he died of his injuries. Didn’t last an hour.” Max eyed him. “What happened to you?” “Got robbed.” Remian grimaced. “At least you survived. There’s something to be said for being weak.” Max grunted. “How did you get the shirt?” “Made a new friend.” Remian shrugged. “Even made friends? Huh. You might last quite a while yet.” Max scratched his head. “
“Remian… is that... a Wild on your shoulder?” Max rubbed his eyes as if doubting them.“Uh… long story.” Remian said sheepishly.Max and the cub exchanged glances. The cub grinned cheekily.“Is that… the barbecue thief?!” Max guessed.“Yeah. Animals would die for food.” Remian shrugged.“Well, you’re not giving it any of my food.” Max grouched. “You can do your own trapping from now on, I’ll loan you some traps and you can feed it whatever you catch on your own.”Remian sighed, turned to the cub that was sitting on his left shoulder. “Now look what you’ve done. I officially have to become a trapper.”The cub let out a small, apologetic whine.“Also, you better explain to Markus before he kills your little furball.” Max went on. “We’re actually preparing to kill a lot of Wilds tonight
Remian turned to the dark figure laying down on the ‘empty’ bed next to him as Kairos went off to find him some food. “What are you doing here?” “Taking a break.” Death answered. “I’ve was rather busy last night.” Remian’s face fell. “How many? How many died because of me?” Death paused, counting. “Three.” “Three? Who were they?” Remian regretted losing control to such an extent. “Irontusk, Third Boar Alpha of the Iron Bristle Boar tribe. He was fighting Markus and Max when you burned a foot-wide hole in him with your light bolt.” Death began. “Ssi-ruuvi, two-headed Acid/Venom Serpent of Forktwig Marsh. They were trying to provide Irontusk some support. A bit more and they could have killed Markus.” “Wait. They were Wilds? Are you saying my Light spell killed Wilds?!” Remian stared. “Not humans?” “No humans were harmed by your magic.” Death said. “Although a lot of them couldn’t see for a few minutes. Some of them were in
“It is ridiculous!” Markus roared at someone in the Iron Legion command tent the next day. “The town wall is in no shape to defend the town! How many lives could have been saved if we could have relied on it? How many more lives will be sacrificed before somebody does something about that useless wall?” “The town wall is not our responsibility.” Someone replied defensively. “Neither is the protection of the town! We were good enough to offer manpower to help out last night and what happened? Half our crew were killed, the other half were all injured! Yet you want us to pay for a new wall, now?” “Or at least spare the manpower to help us build it ourselves!” “We can’t spare any more manpower!” “You mean, you’re too afraid of the other gangs to spare anyone!” “Exactly! The moment we let down our guard, the moment our defenses weaken, we are done for!” Remian scratched his head as he approached Max. “That sounds like a big argument.”
There were five gangs in Frontier Town; Burning Steel, Cruel Rose, Blood Claw, Circling Raven and Secret Waves. Cruel Rose and Circling Raven were based in the north, Secret Waves to the East, with Burning Steel and Blood Claw to the west. It was generally agreed that of the five, Burning Steel was the strongest, simply because they had four Slayers. Cruel Rose and Blood Claw had three each; Circling Raven and Secret Waves only had two. In the minds of many, this meant that Circling Raven and Secret Waves were the weakest gangs, even though Circling Raven supposedly had the largest numbers. As for Secret Waves… they had the least numbers, and the least Slayers. Remian was curious as to how they survived the hostility of the other gangs for so long. That was why, when he set out to meet the bosses, he started on the East side. The East Side of Frontier Town was a jagged row of houses and shoplots on a sheer cliff extending over a river. It could be pretty, if