In this second book of the Nikeron Trilogy, set in Stonefountain's distant past, Nikeron leaves his home and tries to embrace Mercian culture, but Mercia isn't how he imagined it, and he is thrown into a life of violence and turmoil. As the quest for the Four Powers continues, Tanveer heads north in search of the Crown, and Nikeron faces a Mercian army and a pride of Great Blue dragons on his own. His physical survival depends on mastering his Naga powers as well as the Mercian fighting style. The survival of his personal integrity depends on even more.