On the outskirts of civilization, a handful of youths tend their country's border from atop an ancient stone watchtower. Darith Forhild, heir to the greatest military power known throughout the empire and leader of the watch, becomes a refugee when the scrag, creatures believed to be hunted into extinction, besiege his outpost. Kalika, an embodiment of the moon, spares Darith from death, blessing him with a sentient blade and cursing him with a revelation: his country will fall.Battle ravages Ulanta, the walled capital of Kezzah. Darith faces nightmarish creatures, deprivation, and the brutal pressure of enduring fear. With his family slain, his best friend missing, and his home cursed by a vile sorceress focused on destroying all things human, the young watcher must choose to yield to his broken heart or rally a few desperate survivors to hunt the monsters that stole everything from him.