While D'Mique recovers on a slow merchant ship back to the Fanterra Plain, Marco finds himself tagging along with Myrth, playing power politics with the Grand Syra Palo, and keeping company with the Nura Prisoner DJar. Returning to Olimidia, the prisoner refuses to speak and even the threat of losing his life will not bring the Masters the answers they want. Then the world darkens and war approaches, turning Oracle's visions to nightmares. With the future in turmoil, the gifted seer knows only that Marco must leave the Plain and travel east into the waiting daemon horde. Meanwhile, D'Mique returns to civilization with her tale of lost Land-Nymphs and failed rescue attempts. She finds the world she knows preparing for war against the daemon horde unleashed by the Nura kidnappers, and the only hope of stopping it is the prisoner, honor-bound to aid his captors.