Diana could never worry when a person disappeared from her life. It was one thing for them to be killed and never be found again, but Pialla’s circumstances meant she could only be taken alive. With Diana’s strange tracking powers, she could follow the girl to every corner of the world and never sweat for the trouble. It helped that Pialla was still nearby, but that didn’t stop the heat in Diana's forehead. She bounced high above the crowd for her sense to flow freely but seeing how large it was only made her brow furrow more.

She had made a mistake and had to admit it. When she heard about the Forward Society she wanted to see their new invention and thought the tool could help the two other girls out. Pialla was not a child of this lifestyle, and it was so alien to Kiara it made it clear she was from another world. Neither of the girls was prepared for what this life could bring, and having one time been in their shoes, she wanted to make their trek easier. She could still remember how scary it had been. A house settling could make her jump; the approach of a stranger could make the scar on her backache. Within a few days of her life-changing, she had seen how ill-prepared she was and wanted the girls to see there was a chance things would be all right. They could have peace, even without Keigo's tea. They could smile again, even if a bad event sat at the forefront of their mind. There were ways for things to be good, but Diana neglected that maybe now wasn’t the time. Maybe a crowded shopping arcade and a hypnotizing stage was not the place and thing she needed to give peace to the girls’ hearts. She had been hasty, but as she followed Pialla’s presence to the dock she was determined to make things right.

Eyes followed her form as she blasted over their heads, coming to a sliding stop as she reached the wharf. Only boats crowded the town over here, but no matter how frantically she looked she could not find their charge. Her presence was nearby, but she couldn’t pinpoint it more than that. Diana decided to scan the boats instead, wondering if there was a spell guarding against the magic she didn’t fully understand. It certainly wasn't on the boat where a father loaded bait with his two sons, nor on the bobbing dingy where two women laughed at whispered jokes. A ferryboat had its gangplank lowered, but the captain sitting on a crate beside it told her they wouldn't be setting sail soon. Every other vessel was just as comfortable waiting, but one, in particular, gave her pause. She recognized the design from a flier she saw a few months ago. It was the latest model of a rune ship, made solely to cross small bodies of water. Aboard it, she saw two idle figures—a young woman in a short navy dress, and a teenage boy casually leaning against its railing. Neither of them acknowledged her, but the woman pulled a trigger from her purse, pressing its button. Runes etched the spokes and it lurched forward, slowly pushing away from the dock before picking up more speed. All the while the two gave no cause for alarm, but Diana's heart raced as she felt Pialla's presence move further. She couldn’t feel it upon the boat, but would rather check than simply let it sail off. The others finally caught up behind, and she pointed the ship out.

“I’m going ahead!” That was all she gave them before blasting into the sky.

Keigo ran to the water after her, calling to Kiara as he flicked a light into his mouth. “Send me flying!”

She jumped but obliged nevertheless. As he soared, she prepared to take off herself, only for Danson to place a hand on her shoulder.

“Let’s leave fighting on board to them for now.” He said. Her jaw tightened but he eased her frustration with a smile. “There are better steps for you and I to take.”

"Like what?" The boat was going fast. The lake was big but it'd be halfway across in a few minutes. Was it the magic equivalent of a speedboat, or was there something else at play?

“Could you create a big whirlpool?” He asked in response, and Kiara considered it.

She certainly had never imagined it before but gave it her best shot with her hands held forward. Storms could make waves and while whirlpools happened somewhere deeper, she thought she might be able to do it with enough force. She imagined the winds swirling and waters stirring, but did little more than toss up a few waves. It made her frown. It would have been great if she grew with words as inspiration but Danson believed more in her than he should.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.” Pialla’s life was out of her hands.

“You might be able to if you cast a spell.” Danson pointed a finger. “Aen sif Tanaes.” An ice swallow rose from it, launching off to freeze a platform upon the lake. Keigo slid upon it and back into the air. “Up until now Kiara, I think you’ve only ever known how to Make Magic. There’s a component to magic, particles that have a name I can’t remember right now. When those particles come in contact with your aura though, they mix and become the magic we use. Ice for me, Fire for you. Even Diana and Keigo’s magic works under the same principle, but as you can see with something like a pocket stone, magic can form in different ways.” His newly bought stone sat on the outside of his pocket. Her eyes dropped to it, but her mind stayed with his words. “There’s all sorts of ways you can use magic differently, but the most important thing you need to learn is how to Cast Spells.”

Her mind could jump ahead. She didn’t have any fancy words when she used her magic, but she had heard plenty by now. That had to mean she needed to name her spells, but if that was all it took she suppose he would have said it outright.

“You probably guessed it, but you need a Spellword. When you make magic you’re doing all the work by yourself, but Spellwords teach the particles to do the work for you. It consumes more of your aura than making magic, but makes your spells stronger and let’s them do more. That spell just now wasn’t a true living bird, but the Spellwords made the magic form and act that way. Including flying, as if that’s something ice can normally do.”

Like a stone that can hold items for you. Kiara was beginning to understand, and yet still didn’t know what she was missing. If she called out Fire Bird would that be enough? She shook her head. Danson seemed to be trying to work out the explanation himself. It was an automatic process now, and he had to step it back.

“It starts with a thought. Your aura is still a part of the spell—the magic still comes from you. Think of the shape in your head and give it a name. Words have meaning, and the power will understand.”

She turned her eyes back to the lake at that, finally able to see. She didn’t know if any of this meant she had limits she’d need to surpass, but it was clear she could do more than she expected. She held her hand up and pictured the water in her mind, breaking, churning, swirling into a powerful eddy. She knew what would hit with enough force, and knew precisely how she wanted to do it. Spellwords? Danson had just put power in her hand, and she could see how much it’d make her change.

“Hurricane Needle!” It wove together as long as her arm, piercing the water like an arrow.

Things were quiet at first—a calm settling before the storm, and then the storm came loud with power. The water didn’t just twirl, it curved up, waves slicing as if to tear the sky. Screams echoed out from even the dock as boats listed toward the whirlpools throat. Meanwhile, Danson grabbed hold of errant power, pulling it toward a spell before the ships crashed against each other.

“Aen sif Tanaes Sadant!” A flock dive-bombed the water freezing it into a jagged slope. He turned to catch Kiara as she went faint, smiling out toward their work as his eyes followed the other’s drop. “I guess our next lesson will be about magic fatigue.” Kiara needed to rest, he thought he could leave things to the couple for now.

Diana had no words as she dropped onto the stalled boat. It seemed the passengers were of the same mind, for they stood defiantly, ready to meet her attack. The boy started forward and stopped as Keigo dropped in his path, but the woman reached for her purse to produce a small book. As she flipped it open, something grabbed her arm. She lowered it instead, and Diana watched the space beside her twist inward. It twisted into a ring on a man's finger, revealing a shirtless and well-toned form towering over the woman. Burgundy hair fell wild to the shoulders of a swarthy body, decorated with the segmented pieces of a snake tattoo. Stepping forward in slender dark pants he gave Diana a heart-pumping fright. It struck her that she still didn't know much about Pialla, because she couldn't understand why a man from the Summer Wilds now stood ready to strike. His tattoos told her he came from the Neba tribe and told her how much she wasn't ready for this fight. To match the magic beasts of that jungle the people had to be strong, and she had seen too many serving as lethal mercenaries. A group of retrievers was already bad enough, making this man a thing of nightmares.

Her eyes went to Keigo standing cautiously back. His opponent, with long blond hair in a ponytail, reminded Diana of the Summer Wilds too. He might be a Rostradt boy, and Diana didn't know which one of them she'd rather fight.

“You know what I am.” The man stepped forward. “I’m willing to let you go.”

She sighed deeply, crossing her arms. “That’d be nice if you weren’t causing trouble for me.”

“Your funeral then.” He shrugged, shifting his stance. She did the same as she considered his words. He might be right, but part of her wanted to see if she could win.

The Neba came forward on four swift hops, his body giving away no sign of his attack. Diana couldn’t anticipate it but still stayed ready, weaving back as his leg shot up, throwing up her arms as he spun around. The pain radiated down her bones and she bounced back before he whipped again. His hop kept him close as his arms shot up, fingers hooking for the sides of her head. She fired a shot at his leg. As he slipped, her calf whipped around. A quick guard caught it. She bounced away, losing the fabric on the back of her leg. The spell silk healed, but she tested her limb just in case. His tattoos were glowing—not only was he strong, there was also venom in his touch. Her leg was fine, but her mind wandered the boat. It would be better to find Pialla and regroup than let this fight go on.

Keigo could not recognize a Wilds’ tribesmen by their look but he knew he was against one when his foot touched the deck. It was impossible to know while dropping from the air, but now he saw the fractured glass-like dome often spoken of in books. A head looked at him from its center, its three eyes assessing as he realized how dangerous the situation was.

“5.” It spoke in a sorrowful voice, and he bit down. He could only suffer five hits inside this dome, and the boy approached confidently to deliver.

Keigo would not boldly face a Rostradt on a good day, but considering his luck he was proud of the form he chose. Black chitin covered a segmented body as two more arms grew out from his back. Unkempt hair remained, but chitin closed over his face like a mask, leaving big red eyes to stare out. With them, he could almost see the impulses firing through his foe's body. Fighting someone from the Summer Wilds was dangerous, but at least he could match it with the might of the Unyielding Frontier. Clouds rolled off the boy as he dashed in and while his punch struck out like lightning, Keigo drove it aside. That turned into a flip, legs swinging around. Keigo caught and pushed them back, sweeping low to take him down. But the Rostradt rolled into a ball in the air. His legs struck down and Keigo flipped back. A ripple rolled out where the Rostradt touched the ground. If Keigo could frown in this form, he would have. That wasn’t his eyes playing a trick on him; the boy had drawn more power from the dome. As their second trade grew closer, his mind went to the same place as Diana’s. Who was Pialla to be targeted by so deadly a force? His eyes went to Diana and hers led him to the cabin. It was the only place the girl could be. They needed a chance to get her out and go.

Suddenly Kiara dropped onto the boat. Their opponents got a second to look at her before hands came up and wind stirred.

“Tornado Breath.” Whirling streams stretched out, tossing them over the edge.

Keigo and Diana charged the door, only for the woman to open her book again.

"Elite guards were always kept on hand, disguised as ordinary guests. It would ruin the festivities for them to so clearly speak of danger, but the captain was no fool, he knew pirates would easily take advantage of hubris." The words peeled from the pages, building two glowing bodies armed with spears.

They dropped in front of the cabin's door, as the Wilds' tribesmen returned to the deck. Ice walls stopped them from rushing in but did not change the circumstances. Chaos was approaching. There would be no easy escape from the situation. The Neba rushed Danson while the Rostradt came for Kiara. Keigo hoped for the best for them both as he and Diana charged the conjured guards. The smell of blood was ready to fill the air until the cabin’s walls came down and a voice shot out.

“Everyone stop!” Pialla cried and they obeyed, bodies suddenly frozen in space. Magic had them at bay, and the girl emerged as if she wasn’t the cause. “No one here is an enemy, please don’t fight!” She said as if they had a choice.

Still, eyes could move and they looked at each other, seeing the confusion no one had addressed. Tension faded from the air and the stasis followed, leaving her protectors to stare in wonder at her. Pialla held her head down but didn't deny their silent request. She had more information to give and would give as much as the situation allowed.

Danson slowly dispelled the ice upon the lake, letting the waters settle as the groups finally met. The tall Neba man went by Ellio, and Rostradt boy was Marco. Alexia was the name of the woman who spent most of her time standing back, and the three of them had known Pialla for a long time. She was sixteen now, the same as Marco, and they had been a part of her life for the past ten years. When her father came to the Summer Wilds looking for help, the three of them eagerly took up the charge. The cause for battle was haste on their part. They knew two men and two women were pursuing their friend and assumed the protectors bore the role. Kiara couldn't entirely wrap her head around that, considering Ellio stole her away while they watched a play together. The man laughed loudly when she voiced her confusion, earning side glances from the others at his foolish impulse. It seemed to be what the boat needed for tension to dissipate at last.

“So why are a Neba, Rostradt, and Conjurer woman all working together to help Pialla?” Diana asked.

“Well to start, Marco’s actually my brother. Same mom, you see? We’re from this new place in the Wilds called Unyo, established to act as a central community for all the tribes.”

“And Pialla comes in,” Keigo looked at her. “Because her family has something to do with that?”

“Yeah.” Marco nodded. “She might have told you her dad is an Oracle? Well, mom used to come to him all the time to see what threats Unyo would face during its establishment. You know how the warlords in the area get when people try for peace. They always choose bloodshed first.”

Kiara raised her hand. “I’m new to a lot of this stuff. Could you explain what the Summer Wilds are exactly.”

Ellio nodded. “Easy enough. It’s a big jungle north of the Summer Seas. Over the course of forever, there have been attempts to establish a safe haven against all the magic beast running around, but Unyo has gone the longest. Without it though, tribes tend to be at each others throat. The magic beast target the weaker tribes, and if you weaken your neighbor you get a lot more restful nights.” He laughed as if he told a joke. Kiara looked at the others.

“I can at least get that Pialla’s family is really important.” Her eyes settled on the girl, working on what she should say. “But does that have anything to do with why Cucumber is coming after her?”

The trio looked at each other.

“That’s not for us to say.” Alexia answered. “You all are clearly willing to fight for her, but things are a lot more complicated than even the connection to Unyo.”

“How much more complicated?”

“Complicated enough that I’m just going to out right ask you four…” Marco faced them, brown eyes meeting theirs individually. “Will you all help us strike against them tonight?”

“Pialla should have at least a two more days to decide though.” Danson replied. Pialla shook her head, ready to talk at last.

“We don’t have the time to hesitate, I’m afraid. If my father is still looking for allies, more than Mirror Town will be at stake. I don’t simply move magic or cast spells...I can communicate with magic powers.”

...