In the kingdom of Oarlund peace and prosperity have come to be treasured. The country was founded over a thousand years previously by refugees fleeing problems on their own continent, hoping for a fresh start they set out across the ocean. Ordinarily this would be considered suicide but desperate people make desperate decisions.

Against all odds they survived the journey with only a few ships full of souls lost to storms and the dwellers of the deep.

The land they settled was rich and prosperous with vast plains, great lakes and large forests. Perfect, if not for the creatures already inhabiting the place...

Through strife and perseverance they built a kingdom that would last, a kingdom with wealth and power in equal measure, a kingdom like no other! Their walls were absolute! Warriors unstoppable!

Then a giant red scaled beast of nightmares flew by and set them back to square one in a rain of fire.

Once again they defied the odds and rebuilt their kingdom upon the smouldering rubble of their past. The years slowly passed as they recovered, building walls and homes of stone, guiding running water through their cities, digging deep into the earth for shelter and praying to their gods for sanctuary.

They built halls so that all may learn of their history and build a better future, Knowledge was thus shared between the common man.

Yet they still felt fear at the thought of desolation once more.

With ingenuity, understanding and faith they built weapons to drive off the scourge! To bring down the terror of flame and shadow! Weapons to pierce the wretched heart of that ash bringing fiend!

They set forth on a quest to slay the creature that brought ruin to their lives.

Through the grand channel feeding the floodplains they marched, their men dying as nature itself turned against them. Yet they continued onward in search of the beast that brought low their kingdom.

Leaving the grand channel they found themselves in a land of rolling meadows and streams, babbling brooks, flowers and bees. Idyllic in setting and hosting no predators, only creatures of peace. Herbivores of large size and a lack of fear for man.

Tranquility at its finest.

Losses heavy and lacking a destination in their search of the winged horror they abandoned their mission, wishing only for peace.

Once more they settled.

Oh, how wrong they were to do so...

Fire reigned for weeks.

Their weapons were too small, too pitiful, too few.

And of the creature they hunted?

It was not alone.

Help can appear unexpectedly in the direst hour. The survivors of the tragedy known as the dead frontier fled in terror to the great forests of the west and to the cave filled mountains to the east where they made a discovery long overdue.

They were not alone.

Five great cities existed hidden amongst the trees of the forest. The inhabitants long lived and peaceful. They offered sanctuary to the humans seeking safety in their time of need despite having problems of their own.

As for the other survivors?

In the mountains of the east they discovered the Holds of the mountain folk. Distrustful of the humans they were turned away. Few humans survived the refusal of sanctuary...

"Fu-ck."

In the royal study of King Cedrin Gildred the sounds of exhaustion, papers being shifted and a broken man crying out had once again become commonplace. Ordinarily he would have finished working his way through the documents requiring his approval, opinion or advisement hours previously. Unfortunately circumstances had more than doubled his responsibilities despite the people in place to reduce the load on his shoulders. At the current rate his hair would turn greyer than normal!

"More tea sire?"

Looking up at one of his closest friends he couldn't keep the exhausted smile off his face.

"If you would Johrn. I will be here for a few more hours at least."

"Surely it can't be that bad?"

The piercing stare Johrn received as a response conveyed more than words ever could. That, and the stacks of papers as tall as children surrounding his majesty.

"My apologies sire..."

"Don't worry about it Johrn. It just goes to show what madness Welard gets up to! Listen to this..."

Clearing his throat and taking his habitual oration posture he began.

"- Facilitation of trade between the Alfen cities and the Holds of the mountain folk could be improved by offering to provide transport through the northern plains if the mountain folk will create a path across the grand channel leading to the eastern pass."

"Does he know about the wyrms sire?"

Letting out an amused chuckle and taking a sip of his freshly brewed tea he read on.

"-This would in turn require an outpost to be constructed at the eastern pass and an entrance to be constructed allowing carriage access to the Holds."

At this Johrns eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"Is he seriously suggesting that they build in sunlight sire?"

Now unable to keep the mirth out of his voice Cedrin continued.

"If an outpost is created and an entrance is opened there is potential to create a port to transport down the channel when the rains flood the plains, this will enable trade further by speeding transport using the swiftness of the floodwaters to our advantage. Potentially cutting a months journey by trade caravan to three days. This would also decrease costs by removing the need of guards and reducing the amount of supplies required to make the journey."

"Is this a joke sire?"

Looking up Cedrin could see Johrn swaying on his feet. He's most likely in shock...

"Take a seat Johrn, you're about to collapse."

Watching Johrn stumble over to a chair and drop into it Cedrin felt like it might be best to say his opinion now while the man was already somewhat braced.

"There's a lot wrong with the proposal but I can see some decent points."

"You must be joking your majesty!?"

"Not really, no. Charging the Alfen to facilitate trade with the mountain folk would be a boon, as would speeding trade using the pass. The grand channel port idea seems a little farfetched however... I may bring up the proposal with the ambassador delegations next month..."

"You can NOT be serious Cedrin!?"

Deliberately ignoring the outburst he pointed at the stack that he pulled the proposal from.

"That entire stack is by Welard. The other two stacks are his correspondence."

You could have slid an egg into Johrns mouth without touching a tooth with how wide it was at the reveal.

"Are they all...?"

"All of them are like that. He seems to know what he's doing but I might take a look into the projects he's managing when the physician lets him out of his bed. The fact he wrote that stack while injured is more than enough incentive."

"Ah... Yes... Did they figure out why the maid stabbed him?"

"Mistaken identity apparently."

"Then who did she mean to stab!?"

"No, no. He was engaged with another maid and mistook them from behind. She freaked out and stabbed him."

"Huh."

A sudden urgent knock at the door caught their attention. Walking over to the door and collecting the message from the servant Johrn practically ran back to pass the message.

"Two of the Alfen cities are gone!"

"What? WAIT WHAT!?"

"There's a black dragon matriarch rampaging in the great forest. That's all the message said besides that that Anroll and Bestill are gone."

"Alert the knights! Get the defences ready! Message the other cities!"

"Yes your majesty!"

Watching Johrn sprint out of the room leaving the door swing ajar Cedrin collapsed back into his chair massaging his temples. To the outside observer he had aged about ten years in thirty seconds. Impressive for a fifty year old king!

"Why would it even attack the Alves? That's drake territory!"

Sighing he got to writing orders for aid to be sent north to the Alves. Hopefully it would be of some help. Relations are truly tested in times of need...

The kings tea was soon forgotten.

At the southern end of the grand channel an entirely different situation was in play.

"Are you serious?"

The look he got in return could have bored holes in stone, being a veteran at the grand channels ranger outpost would do that to you. No other place has you scared of plants and rabbits!

Leaving his superior behind he went to requisition the supplies needed for the trip up the channel.

"I'm so dead. Deader than dead actually. I'm the deadest of dead. I'm so dead it's a capital D for Dead!"

The looks of pity he was getting weren't helping. They probably don't even know he'd been given a suicide mission. Probably... They just saw him talking to himself. Like usual. Because no one talked to him. Hence why he talks to himself. Which makes him avoided. And no one talks to him because of it...

"It's a pretty vicious cycle..."

The ranger he was walking behind made a bit of mess out of suprise when he spoke. Rangers are supposed to be hyper vigilant and quiet but they always jump and yelp when he walks behind them... It's like they're trying to make a joke out of the name...

"Well the name is ranger after all... Not silent watcher or something like that... But some don't even use ranged weapons..."

A ranger walking past with a sword scowled and gave him a rude guesture that was promptly returned twofold.

"Maybe he can throw his sword better than he can shoot a bow?"

*Pffft*

"Deep thoughts as always huh Borrow? No, I don't think he can throw his sword well. That would be kind of stupid if he could."

Turning to Garin he decided to get the question settled. It would probably bother him for months if he didn't know.

"Then why are we called rangers?"

"Because of the distances we patrol. Not for the distances we attack from."

"Oh..."

That answers that. Kind of obvious if you think about it.

"So where are you heading now? Normally you're lead on a roof somewhere around about now?"

"Quartermaster."

"Huh, they're finally sending you to another outpost are they? I'm gonna miss seeing your lazy face wandering around! Where you heading anyway? Southern border? New frontier? Northern plains? Don't tell me it's Blackmarsh?"

Garin shuddered at the thought of having to patrol that dump.

"Up channel."

Garin flinched at the words.

"WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING THERE!??"

Turning his head at the reaction like most of the rangers nearby he thought for a moment and gave what felt like the most accurate response possible.

"Orders. Duh."

Visibly deflating Garin shook his head in disbelief.

"You should be a team leader at this point! And they're sending you up the channel instead? Did you forget to mention that you're part of a team or something?"

"No. It's a solo run. They want a scouting report from up the valley."

Garin couldn't keep the disgust off his face.

"In other words they're getting rid of you."

"Yep."

"So when do they want you gone? If we have time I'll buy you a meal at the Twisted Riven."

"They want me to leave immediately... With only the supplies I can carry."

"That's... That's just..."

"Yeah. I'm dead."

"I'll miss you man, maybe you can seek sanctuary with the mountain folk?"

At this they both just stared at eachother and burst out laughing.

"Thanks Garin. You owe me a meal if I make it back."

"Bye Borrow. Good luck to you."

Watching Garin turn towards the mess hall he continued on to the quartermaster.

"Hopefully I get given supplies this time. I can't eat dirt..."

GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF! EWWWWWWWW!!!

Exploding out of her lair in a wreath of liquid fire and twitching legs Tanya once again resorted to what she does best.

Burning things.

Flooding her lair with as much fire as possible ignoring the burning sensation across her back and claws she watched as the entrance to her lair melted shut. Covering and sealing the roaring deep blue flames inside the mountains stone.