All of Tauran trembles with terror at the mage Garda, who has set his sights on one of the local city-states—Helio, mired in internal problems like rebellion and betrayal by its own seductive queen Marilen. Having taken revenge, Orba stages the death of the heir Mephius, whom he had been replacing, and leaves the “stage.” Now he is a mercenary without a clear life purpose, but fate presents him with a new challenge: as part of Tauran reinforcements he is sent to Helio. (c)