In a region far from Goldenveil, the City of Howling Fire was alive with celebration.
The occasion was the marriage between the son of the city's current lord and the daughter of another lord, the ruler of the City of the Black Dagger.
Following the large influx of migrants in recent months, the population of Howling Fire had swelled to thirty thousand, and its power was now far greater than before.
Together with the City of the Black Dagger, the two cities boasted a combined population of one hundred thousand and could muster an army of twenty thousand men.
In the event of a full mobilization, that number could climb to forty or even fifty thousand.
The engagement had been officially announced, with the wedding set for the end of next winter.
Everyone was celebrating… except for two people.
They were the current Lord of Howling Fire City, Mael HowlingFlame, and his most loyal servant, Theron, whose son had died at the claws of a second-stage beast near Goldenveil.
