To save creation, the gods eschewed immortality and brought their fight to the worlds of man. The strongest of the gods, Parron, and his dark enemy, Tomu, fell to Draegora, where their ongoing war destroyed the continent before they died. The remaining Draegorans fled, forging a new nation in a foreign land. For a thousand years, the descendants of Parron have filled the ranks of the Draegoran Regiments, defending the borders and guarding against Tomu's return. Freed from his abusive father, Riam appears fated to carry a god-touched blade in one of the Regiments. He vows to enforce the laws of the covenant and stop the Esharii tribesmen who raid along the border. Unfortunately, corruption and power struggles between the Regiments drag him away from his destiny. Nola is stolen away from a loving home she never wished to leave, becoming a dark-skinned foreigner among the Esharii tribesmen. Selected by a dying spirit-walker to be his successor, she must find the strength to join a war against her own people—because among the Esharii there might be a way to banish Parron and Tomu forever. Together, Riam and Nola must bridge the gap between the two cultures to stop the pair of long-dead gods from returning to destroy their homeland.