Slipping into death, Marak hastily agrees to allow a strange spirit access to his mind and body in order to save him. The arrangement comes with price. The king responsible for his injuries wields his immense destructive powers with the intent to better the Known World by force. The only magic capable of swaying him from imposing his tyranny belongs to a young woman named Laxa. Elsewhere, a strange man appears in a small village. His encounter with...