He was learning many things from Doom.

For example, the different kinds of bait you use for catching different kinds of fish.

For example, how long to wait for one side of a fish to cook over a campfire before turning the spit.

For example, how to find really good spots to set up a hammock.

Also, that afternoon naps were a priceless luxury.

Also, that it took six hours to charbroil a Royal Snapper Redfin, which was actually five times bigger than Doom himself. Charbroiled RSR happened to be Har'es-dras' favorite snack.

Mikai found him first. [Darian! You're here! And you have grilled fis.h.!.+]

"Want some?" Darian offered.

Mikai hopped up to the campfire and nibbled. [Nice! What fish is this?]

"This is just a Mini Snapper Redfin. You should see the Royal ones. They're huge." Darian advised him.

[Just a second.] Mikai turned north, and concentrated. A pulse of psionic energy flickered out, sending a message to another lynxmouse.

Doom saw it. He saw Darian talking to a lynxmouse. He saw that lynxmouse sending a message to another lynxmouse. He didn't seem particularly concerned or anything. He just sat there fis.h.i.+ng as always.

Two other lynxmice arrived in minutes. They, too, sniffed eagerly at the grilled fish. Darian shared some of it with them.

Doom saw it, but again, didn't interfere. He just smiled.

But then a wolfcat arrived. It was Lunar. She sniffed at Darian, and wagged her tail upon meeting him, and then happily gulped down some of that grilled fish.

"Hey!" Doom stood up. "We can't give away all our food! Save some for dinner!"

"But we've got lots of smoked fish stored up…" Darian pointed out.

"Ten minutes with Har'es-dras and that'll be the end of them."

"Can't we just magick up some more?" Darian gestured. "Use water magic and grab fish right out of the lake?"

"The world is already running out of mana and you want to use it to catch fish?! Just catch fish the normal way!"

"But we use magic to talk to animals all the time!"

"That's not magic! That's psionics! It's different!"

Darian paused. "Wait. What do you mean, the world is running out of mana?"

"Just like I said. Mana crystals get mined, and used up, and then when it's all gone, what is everyone going to do?"

"Uh…" Darian floundered. "I don't know."

"Neither does anyone else." Doom sniffed. "All those great mages in all those great cities are one day going to find that the only way to power their vaunted machines and magic is to do it themselves, use their own mana. I'm half tempted to move back to Ecclesia when that happens just to see what they end up doing…"

"When is that?" Darian asked, hopefully. Maybe there was an easier way for him to go home…

"About… twenty, thirty years from now, maybe?"

Darian's face fell. So much for an easier way.

Oh, well. Mikai and Lunar and the lynxmice were already here. That means, by now, Remian already knew where he was. It was just a matter of time before they arrived.

And then what? Darian looked at Doom, then at Har'es-dras, then toward Mikai and Lunar and shook his head. He had to admit, he was rather curious to see what they were going to end up doing.

***

"So, are you going to come on out, or are you going to stalk us all day?" Doom asked.

Remian grimaced. So much for the stealthy approach. Throwing ideas of sneaking up out the window, he and Mindy openly walked out and approached the campfire.

"Surprised to see me?" Remian asked, waving.

"Not as surprised as you are to see me, I'd bet." Doom ventured.

"That's true."

Mindy blinked. "Why is it true? We've been chasing him this entire time."

"It's not that I'm surprised to see him, exactly. Actually, I'm surprised to see him here like this." Remian gestured. "Mindy, we know him."

"We do?" Mindy gaped.

"Yes! That's it, exactly!" Remian nodded. "Doom isn't some guy that just appeared out of nowhere. We knew about him from the very start! We were talking about him months ago!"

"Really? How come I didn't know?" Mindy gasped.

"But you did know! Can't you see, Mindy?" Remian pointed. "Crazy guy. Fis.h.i.+ng. At Dragon Lake."

Mindy's eyes widened. "You're right! That does sound familiar! But that means…!"

"Yes. Doom is the Crazy Fisher."

Mindy paused. Then, she grinned and dashed over to Doom. "Hey! Crazy Fisher! Wanna join our Adventurer's Guild?"

Doom a.k.a. Crazy Fisher stared at her. "And here I thought you wanted to kill me or that it was your brother you wanted."

Mindy kept trying. "You know, there's an active reward out for Darian's rescue on the Guild Board. If you join up and bring him back, you could earn five thousand Guild Points."

"You seem oddly keen on having me join this guild of yours." Doom observed.

"Of course! I want the points for recruiting the elusive Crazy Fisher!!" Mindy exclaimed.

"And once again, it all comes down to human greed!" Doom rolled his eyes.

"Ah, but you're human too, right? Doesn't that mean you're greedy as well? Just a little?"

Doom considered it. "Actually, yes. I do get greedy, sometimes."

"So come join us! Teach us how not to destroy nature! We'll even pay you for cla.s.ses!" Mindy cajoled.

"That…" Doom paused. "That actually sounds a bit tempting."

"Well, join or don't join, either way, I need to bring my brother home. Our parents are worried enough as it is."

"Parents?" Doom stared blankly. "You have parents? That can't be right. Out here on the Frontier, none of the kids have parents…"

"We're not from around here, originally." Remian explained.

"So this brother of yours… really is your brother?"

"By blood." Remian confirmed.

Doom glanced from Remian to Darian awkwardly. "But… an eastern boy alone with a viking… out in the open during a Beast Tide…"

"He's not some abandoned orphan. He's very much valued and wanted back, thank you." Remian cleared his throat. "Could we have him back, please?"

"Um…" Doom scratched his head, considering. "But I haven't had time to teach him everything…"

"You taught me the important stuff." Darian a.s.sured him. "I can catch my own fish now."

Remian coughed. "I don't think fis.h.i.+ng was why he brought you all the way out here."

"But that's all he ever talks about!" Darian protested. "That, and how the world is running out of mana."

"It's what?!" Remian jumped.

"That's actually not why I brought you here either…" Doom winced.

"Then why did you bring me here?"

"It's because the Wilds are going to totally overrun the entire world if I can't hold them back any more." Doom explained to Darian. "It's all I can do to let me chase humans out instead of them doing it themselves. I figured, if I had at least one more human on my side…"

"Wait. The Wilds are what…?" Mindy stared.

"They're kind of… meant to keep an ancient enemy sealed up, and humans are throwing off nature so much that the seals can't do their job, so in order to protect nature…"

"Wait. They're protecting us? By destroying us? To protect nature from us, who they're trying to protect?" Mindy asked, even more confused.

"No, no, they're trying to protect this world." Doom explained. "Most especially, this region you call the Wildlands. But humans have already upset the balances of nature and magic in the world, so the next time there's a Beast Tide that goes out under a King of the Wilds, it's not going to stop at the desert edge any more. Next time, it's going to sweep north, freely calling on reinforcements as that King might see fit, and there is no telling, and no need, for it to stop until it's swept through the entire world."

"And you think a Beast Tide poses a serious threat to all humanity?" Mindy asked, blinking.

To her left, Har'es-dras snorted in his sleep.

Mindy took one look at him, and gulped. "Never mind."