With the fall of the Glyssian Realm a new king rises; one who is bent on vanquishing all of his remaining enemies. Queen Klienne, having survived the siege of Storms Reach Castle, flees to the northern Isle of Payzik to seek sanctuary and naval aid, while the last of the knights who formed the king's Outer Guard set off in different directions after arriving at an impasse. Meanwhile, the surviving princess, Redora Vame, aided by her grand tutor, Sapient Breen, are pursued by a band of militia, who corner them in Eastern Plain.

In an ancient divided realm, where a king lay dying and ruthless militiamen and mercenaries form an alliance as they march toward the realm's seat of power, a small band of warriors must defend the throne against an enemy that seeks to sweep terror across the lands; an enemy who wields an ancient and powerful dark sorcery. Amidst an inevitable war and the impending collapse of a kingdom, a young boy emerges, and he cannot speak, hear, or see, but he possesses a rare gift that may shift the balance of power.