When Tupper Meadowsweet is first hired by the gray mountain’s Keeper, the lad has little concept of the world beyond his village. He’s never heard of oceans, let alone other continents, so he’s just as frightened as the rest of the Flox in Hayward when Freydolf strides into town. If the rumors are to be believed, the mountain’s Keeper is a monster. And with his wild hair, claws, and fangs, the Pred certainly looks the part.

A sheep in wolf’s clothing. The two most prominent species in Meadowsw...