Tarkas has devoted his life to serving the gods, doing that what must be done at a cost only Heroes dare pay. He has also served his adoptive clan, the NarDemlas, as Brother and Second to the clan leader, in preparation for the day a son comes into majority. That day has come and the delicate balance Tarkas has maintained for more than twenty years is failing, even as it comes to an end. Chaos ensues when forces from his past erupt in the middle of a clan ritual, stealing away both Tarkas and the Heir. In an instant, Tarkas is catapulted into the greatest mission he has ever known. As faceless enemies conspire in unspeakable ways to destroy all those Tarkas holds dear, he can only hope to buy their salvation with his life.