Once every century, an ancient evil rises, and five nations send their greatest champions to battle against the darkness. But what was once a test of strength and survival has become a battlefield of deception. Zah'rathis, the regal kingdom of golden dunes; Iskaroth, the frost-bound empire steeped in ancient power; Varethika, the floating isles of unrivaled prestige; Drakmourn, a land of fire and shadow; and Vireldwyn, the emerald forest brimming with arcane mysteries, now see the trials as more than a duty. They are a game of blood and betrayal. Assassins lurk where warriors once stood, and secrets long buried threaten to consume the champions before they even face their true enemy. Each harbors a past they do not yet understand, a truth their homeland has kept from them. But as unseen forces move to keep them divided, the question remains-can they rise above their nations' schemes and learn to fight as one? Or will the centuries-old cycle of treachery and war doom them before the real battle even begins? #6 in fantasy #9 in mystery