An ocean of tipis, tents, and yurts swarmed around the hooves of the Storm Horse Totem and the tall rock spires called the Wind Bones. Kellen didn’t think he’d ever seen so many people together on Earth. It was like the biggest, wildest, craziest state fair he could imagine, with people shouting, bonded Mana Beasts pushing their way through the crowds and a general thrum of nervous excitement thick in the air.

They’d left most of the band on the outskirts of the camp, then Tama, Hannup, Nokom, Shani, Kellen, Vex, and Professor Gates had continued on, in search of the Goroshu Tribe’s location. Since drawing closer to the gathering, they’d convinced Kiypu to wear a blanket like a hooded cloak, hiding the fact he was an undead person from anyone who couldn’t seem him face to face. Much to his displeasure, they’d also left him and Shakraa behind, partly afraid of people seeing his mummified features up close and partly so he didn’t wander away in the crowd. Tama assigned Shinopah and Ishtas to babysit him until they returned.

Within the gathering each tribe or band had erected mini camps, marked by banners, flags or sometimes even smaller totems that exuded beneficial mana auras. The fact they flauted them openly marked that tribe as particularly powerful enough to obtain and hold such a valued object. Based on the reactions of the locals, Kellen got the sense that showing off a totem in your camp was the equivalent of parking a Ferrari outside of your mansion before you invited people over.

The first totem he saw looked like a great eagle made of fire, perched atop a white pole carved with flame patterns. They passed close enough that Kellen first mistook it for a Mana Beast. The eagle spread its mighty wings and let loose a blast of flame that shot straight up into the sky. If its torso had not blended so seamlessly with the rest of the totem, he would have never known it wasn’t real.

Observing the state of the camps as they passed, it appeared the wealthier and more affluent tribes had their camps closer to the Great Totem. Nokom explained many of them had likely already been there before the summons and that an unwritten rule stated how close one could camp to the Storm Horse Totem. She said they were looking for a camp bearing flags of red with curved lightning bolts on them—the “sign” as she called it of the Goroshu Tribe.

Soon, the throng of people forced them to dismount and push their way single file through the crowd on foot. “Stay close and go in front of me,” Kellen told Vex. He had a brief picture of being separated from Vex or the rest of the group in this human sea of powerful Beastcallers. The safety of the gathering had sounded like a good thing to Kellen. Now, a part of him wished he’d stayed with the rest of the band.

By now, the Storm Horse Totem loomed over them like a giant ready to crush them with its next step. The mass of people made it hard to see just how far they were from the totem’s base. When Kellen craned his head back, he could see nothing above the rearing front hooves. Between the tower’s height and the broiling storm at its crown, the head of the horse was hidden from sight.

The Beastcallers and Mana Beasts weren’t as numerous in the throng as they’d been on the outskirts of the camp. Plenty still flew overhead. One middle-aged Storm Horse woman, riding on the back of a brilliant red and golden songbird the size of a paraglider, almost crashed into Ira and knocked them both out of the sky. Both the songbird and the winged coyote swerved at the same time and fortunately, in opposite directions. Laughing, the woman waved and shouted an apology without stopping.

“Was her hair made of golden feathers?” he asked Nokom, not believing what he’d seen.

“Careless,” the old woman grumbled, still mad about the near collision with Ira. “What’s that? Yes, it looked like it didn’t it? Must be her chieftain’s mark.”

Kellen squeezed past a group of Earth Badger traders headed the opposite direction as them so he could walk beside Nokom. “What’s that?”

Nokom looked surprised. “Haven’t we talked about that? Maybe Kiypu’s rattled brain didn’t think of it. Not like you’re close to getting one anyway.”

“But what is it?” Vex asked. A moment later he yowled as someone passing by stepped on his toe. He let out a brief golden flash, the blue markings on his body glowing in warning. The crowd gave them a little more room after that.

“Thank you,” Nokom said, nodding in approval. “All these people mushed together make me wish I could still fly for long periods like I used to. As it is, I’d have to hop over them like some kind of old toad.”

“The chieftain’s mark,” Kellen reminded her.

“Oh, yes—I’m getting as scattered as that old dead man,” Nokom said. “When a Beastcaller advances to Chieftain strength, most receive a physical feature that marks their progress, the chieftain’s mark. They come in all varieties. You saw Raiqo’s lightning crown. Some are more pronounced than others.”

“Sounds like a mane,” Vex said. “Makes you look awesome and everyone can see it, so they know you’re awesome too.”

“Do they do anything?” Kellen asked. “Can the Beastcaller pick what they get?” He pictured Raiqo’s crown shooting bolts of lightning at his enemies. He also imagined reaching Chieftain strength and having his nose grow twice in size and shine like Rudolph, too.

Nokom snorted. “They are determined by the path you walk that led to you reaching Chieftain strength,” she said. “You don’t pick them any more than you pick your Mana Beast. Some may provide natural advantages in physical combat. I do not know. Now, enough talking! It is making this old woman irritable along with all these people. Vex, you and Inferi take the lead and clear a path for us.”

Sensing the troubles they could get into with Inferi and Vex handling crowd control, Kellen followed close behind as Vex eagerly threaded his way through the crowd to the front of their group. By now, they were deep in the Wind Bones camp. Rows of market stalls populated with a variety of other races than just the Storm Horse replaced the pennants and tribal camps.

The Earth Badger were the most prominent, filling more than half of the stalls. Like the traders Kellen had met out on the plains, these merchants sold a variety of metal items, anything from knives and tools to armor and larger weapons. They passed through the middle of a wide lane fill with vendors barking out to the crowds on both sides, far enough away that Kellen only caught faint snatches of their words. Regardless of what they were selling, the traders made certain to describe it as specifically Western or Eastern Earth Badger, suggested a competition between the quality of their wares.

Continuing through the marketplace, Kellen spotted others selling an indescribable variety of Mana Beast remains. Everything from pouches of mana dust to teeth, bones, claws, skulls, bones and hides taken from every combination of creature and element Kellen could imagine was available. Even without understanding the money system, he knew instinctively that these remains were some of the most expensive items for sale. He made a note to ask Shani about taking the raptor hides and talons around to a few different vendors—getting several appraisals would hopefully keep them honest—to see if they could sell or trade the remnants to get some better blankets and other necessities for some of the Gray Dawn members.

A flash of long blond hair made him stop in his tracks. Down at the end of the vendors, several Viking-travelers,esque men and women moved about a smaller tent. They were the first European-looking people Kellen had seen since awakening in Oras. Were they spirit travelers like him? But no, as they neared their canopy, a rough count showed at least a half dozen of the light-skinned, fair-haired people. Based on what he knew of the frequency of spirit travelers it seemed unlikely that many would have found one another.

“If you don’t stop twisting your head this way and that, it is going to fall off,” Shani grumbled after bumping into him when he slowed down to stare at the strangers. While their hairstyles looked like something out a Scandinavian reenactment, their clothes resembled a combination of medieval northern European with a mixture of other styles favored by the Earth Badger traders. The bronze neck rings and armbands also had a Scandinavian design, as well as the knives they sold. Bundles of white wool stood stacked behind them.

“Move!” Shani hissed, urging him forward with a not-so-gentle push.

“Who are they?” Kellen asked. Part of him wanted to speak with them—as a spirit traveler he’d learned early that he had the gift of understanding any tongue spoken in Oras. He was sure the discovery would fascinate the professor. There’d been captives taken by the Snake cultists from each of the other tribes when they’d rescued Allison. None of them had the look of these people.

“Vinderlings,” Shani said, holding her palm between his shoulder blades with his arm extended so he couldn’t stop again without her say so. “I’ve never met one. They live far away to the east.”

Kellen’s head spun with questions. With everything else he had to learn, manage and cope with, the culture shock of Oras had never left him time to consider what other continents might be in the world. He recalled that Raiqo had called him a Vinderling before realizing Vex was his Mana Beast. That, at least, made sense now.

“How far east? Where do they live?”

“How should I know? They are from Vinderland. It is an island somewhere, I think. Now hurry up, unless you want Inferi and Vex wandering around alone.”

Relenting, Kellen picked up his pace, following the path cleared by Inferi and Vex until they made it out of the market area. The Storm Horse Totem still loomed over them like a human standing above ants, but now the tall, crooked rock spires of the Wind Bones grew in frequency. After seeing several Beastcallers leaping off of ledges on the sides or tops of the columns to soar through the sky, Mana Beasts in tow, Kellen realized they were living way up on the cliff edges.

He blinked hard and focused on the path immediately in front of him. There was just too much to take in.

Thankfully, no more wild surprises greeted him before they spotted the flags of the Goroshu, the curved lightning bolt on a reddish-brown background, flying proudly overhead. It was the largest camp Kellen had seen yet, with an actual perimeter formed by a chest-high rock ledge. Behind the two guards and their Beastcallers standing watching at the entrance, more rust-red flags waved overhead in the distances, stretching back into the surrounding canyons to the southeast.

“Welcome,” said one of the Beastcaller guards, a man with massive, meat-head arms folded over his chest. The vest he wore strained against the muscles of his torso. Long snaking lightning bolt markings—Kellen couldn’t be sure if they were paint or tattoos—ran from shoulder to wrist, white against his gray skin. He wore a number of metallic feathers woven into his dark hair. His Mana Beast, a purple porcupine the size of a sheep, stood beside him, eying Inferi and Vex carefully.

“What business do you have with the Goroshu?” the other guard asked. She was as tall as the man, as just as muscled. Black war paint covered her face and a pair of silver piercings in her lips, eyebrow and ear added to the intimidating look. Her mohawk was spiked, with two long braided and beaded tails of hair in the back. She leaned against a long spear with a curved, scythe-like blade. A wolf Mana Beast with white-brown feathers instead of fur sat next to her, blue tongue lolling out of its mouth. Kellen sensed Guardian strength from both of them, which was probably why neither pair seemed to think the three Beastcallers and their Companion Mana Beasts were a threat. Both looked to be around Kellen and Shani’s age, plus a handful of years.

“We were sent by Raiqo Windstalker, who offered us the protection of the Goroshu” Nokom said. “This is Tama, chief of the Gray Dawn band and Hannup, her peace chief. I am Nokom of Gray Dawn.

“And who are they?” the woman asked with a sneer, tipping her head toward Shani and Kellen and their Mana Beasts.

“That is my granddaughter, Shani and her companion, Inferi. And Kellen, and his companion Vex.”

“Not your grandson, I’m guessing,” the big man said with a deep chuckle. He looked at his female companion and shook his head. “Raiqo sending in more strays. Very well, go straight through until you find a tent with storm clouds and lightning bolts painted on the sides. You will find one of our Chieftains there. Her name is Aniya. She will speak with you.”

Nokom and Tama both scowled at being referred to as strays, but they thanked the pair without a comment. As Kellen and Vex passed the two Beastcallers, Vex eyed their Mana Beasts. “They didn’t look so tough,” he said to Kellen, Shani and Inferi once they were out of hearing.

Inferi gave a laughing whine. “They would have snapped you like a twig.”

“Are you kidding? That wolf looked like he just woke up from a nap and the porcupine was so fat he couldn’t have caught me if he’d wanted to.”

As they walked down the long path between tents, Kellen realized the Goroshu camp was a mini city within itself. Aside from living tents, there appeared to be merchants and weapon dealers, as well as a healthy supply of mana beast remains for sale. Most everyone he saw of any age wore a rust-colored red tunic, belted at the waist over whatever other attire they had on. It felt like I giant military camp with everyone in uniform and moving about with apparent purpose.

The tent the guards spoke of was easy to find. It sat in the middle of camp like the spoke of a wagon. Kellen hadn’t imagined a tipi could be so large. Full grown trees trunks served as the poles. The base occupied a circle big enough to fit dozens of people comfortably. Kellen guessed a row of six cars could have parked side by side within easily. A line of people about twenty long stretched out from the opened flaps, looking much like strays, as the guards described. Were the Goroshu that generous or had Raiqo invited every hard luck band he saw to take part in his tribe’s hospitality?

Vex raised his head and sniffed, catching the scents of a cooking fire and something that smelled unbearably to Kellen like berry cobbler. “Can we look around while you wait?” Vex asked Nokom.

“No!” She pointed to the ground at Kellen’s feet. “You will stand there and not get into any trouble that might ruin our welcome before we have even met with the Goroshu.”

“I don’t see why all of us have to stand here,” Vex grumbled, sitting down. “I’m starving to death.”

Kellen reached into a pouch hanging off his belt and tossed Vex a strip of jerky. “That should keep you on the cusp of life.”

Out of nowhere, Ira stretched out and snapped the dried meat into his mouth. “Hey!” Vex complained.

Ira tipped his head back and swallowed it almost whole. “You must not have been that hungry.”

They slowly made their way to the tent flaps until Kellen could finally peek inside. A row of tunic-uniformed people spoke with people at the front of the line, making marks on what appeared to be wooden tablets as each new group approached. Kellen guessed the larger tribes had to rely on written records in addition to the oral traditions.

A half-dozen people in front of them, Kellen noticed a man with a thick bandage wrapped over the side of his head accompanied by another with a bloodied bandage wrapped on his arm. “That is Chief Yinatsi of the Broken Skies.” Kellen overheard Tama say Hannup and Nokom.

“They look like they were attacked as well,” Hannup said.

The wounded men passed to the front of the line where a woman that could have only been the Aniya that the guards referenced waited. As they’d said, she was a Chieftain strength Beastcaller, based not only on the power Kellen felt calmly gathered around her but by the magnificent silver wings folded behind her back. They were the most impressive Chieftain’s marks he’d seen and were also a bit unsettling to think about. He wasn’t sure he wanted to grow an entirely new set of limbs when he and Vex reached that stage of advancement.

“You’ll probably get a shiny halo or something,” Vex said, reading his mind. “Definitely not as cool as my mane—wait, what if we both get manes? How cool would that be?”

Kellen shook his head. “No thanks. It’s hard enough shaving and cutting my hair without any more of it on my head and face.”

“Suit yourself.”

Aniya spoke briefly to the pair from the Broken Skies group before ushering them down the line. Soon enough it was Gray Dawn’s turn to speak with the woman.

“Welcome. Have you come to swear allegiance to the Goroshu?”