Yvayn has returned to a world teetering between ruin and renewal.Escaping with his son, Darion, he seeks refuge in Dymor, where the goddess Cuia restores his strength and renews his purpose. With only a handful of loyal companions, Yvayn journeys back toward Es, confronting the mysterious Ayllyl-the divided sorcerers of light and shadow who once deceived the gods themselves.When the Wood Nymph Emparkaita gifts Yvayn a crystal of living light and later a staff woven from a strand of her hair, the tide of the southern war begins to shift. Yet even the blessing of the forest cannot silence the whispers of Kurionun, the forgotten god who stirs within Darion's heart.Across Lake Aur, Yvayn leads a desperate battle against the Ayllyl and their dark allies. In Careath, the truth is finally revealed: Damas, the dark priest, is none other than Dakaar the Black Wizard reborn. The Catharians fall, the Menians unite-and the war for the soul of the South begins anew.But victory brings no peace. Dakaar escapes, and his vengeance strikes where Yvayn is weakest-his own blood.