Yennefer sets off for the Conclave of Mages, where the fate of the world is to be decided. She is accompanied by Ciri—the sorceress wants to place the young girl in a school where the princess will be able to study the intricacies of magic. Hired killers are following them closely, but Geralt’s sword strikes them down first. A rebellion begins at the Conclave of Mages. Trying to protect Ciri, Geralt receives numerous wounds and barely stays alive. Ciri and Yennefer mysteriously disappear during this brutal slaughter. The helpless witcher is hidden in a safe place—the kingdom of the forest dryads. The mages’ rebellion is the beginning of a new war. Imperial legions once again move north, sweeping away all living things in their path. Ciri, having managed to escape her pursuers by means of a teleport, finds herself in a distant foreign land long conquered by the Empire. Alone and filled with resentment toward the whole world, she falls in with a gang.