At last Hilia's friend, Regia Tatria of Cosria, has formal word from the land of Luthgenicca. That land was once part of the heart of the Nuvum Empire. Hilia wants to know what knowledge of the Empire and of magic that they have.

Instead she's told that Luthgenicca doesn't control Nuvus, the seat of the old Empire, nor does it have all that much magic. Luthgenicca has a powerful rival, the "Novium Empire," which commands Nuvus and continues to be a threat to Luthgenicca.

Luthgenicca wants to free Nuvus and the rest of the land they lost to this new Empire. But they lack strength and magic. While trying to think up how to help them, Hilia sees there might be power in words to do what soldiers and magic cannot.