February 10, 2015

Larma was right. The insidious opposition to Ekala becoming queen had not surrendered. Yes, Metro was defeated, but the blood of evil does not die easily. As soon as I entered into Ameram–into the world of the Frog Hunter–I discovered the peace that the kingdom had hoped for was in serious peril.

Queen Ekala Oleen, along with Prince Bolimaz, his friend and bodyguard Camp, and a Force of Oleens had already left Table Top and were on their way to the North Ford of the Sol Linden River. I had to hurry to catch up and got there just in time to see a strange, vicious beast stalking Ekala. Fortunately, it was on the other side of the river, though the queen, in her confident attitude, challenged the creature to a race with her riding the beautiful and fast warhorse, Shadahn. Surprisingly, the panting beast kept pace until quickly disappearing into the forest when Bolimaz rode up to join Ekala.

Meanwhile, Larma had sent Boschina with a message written in an ancient script for Thalmus and his companions.

    “I want you to take a Force, find Thalmus, and give him this,” Larma said calmly, though her demeanor was serious. She did not reach out with the item. Instead, the folded cloth lay in her open palm close to her body, as if she was protecting an object too valuable to expose.

    Boschina carefully lifted the message and immediately felt its weigh. She looked up into Larma’s eyes, and was struck by the sense of importance. Tightening her grasp on the cloth, Boschina tucked it into the inner breast pocket of her vest where she felt it begin to throb in rhythm with her heart.

While on her journey with the devoted Captain Ritzs and a second Force of Oleens, I realized the same kind of creature that was chasing Ekala was also following Boschina on her way to the Great Water. This animal is a wild beast that had not been seen in Ameram for generations. I will not describe it here for you because the creature existed in several forms and sizes and I want to be certain which one it is. I will rely on Thalmus, the hunter, to inform me. The strange animal had been bred for dangerous sport hunting and game fighting by a lord in the northern country of Banyon. This is a kingdom of which I have little knowledge. I will have to research its history at the Heritage Institute, and also visit the Ameram Archeological and Research Center. More on this later–I must go. Boschina is approaching the Great Water in search of Thalmus, and Ekala’s force has discovered an unusual encampment near the North Ford. Both are in danger.