Order and Chaos

In the land of Arcelli, magic rules all, a mysterious priestess guards the forests…and Maethya still grieves for her dead apprentice.

Even though it has been three years since Kymio's gruesome murder, Mae can't shake the feeling that she is somehow responsible for his death. Although she still despairs for her loss, when a new boy joins the Order, and begs Mae to take him as an apprentice, she feels obliged to help him hone his terrible gift. This new boy is insolent, insubordinate, and hopelessly clueless about the workings of magic, but even in mourning, Mae is unable to resist the challenge.

But this new apprenticeship does not come without consequences. Almost immediately after his arrival, Arcelli's strange happenings turn even stranger. Barbarians to the north show unprecedented civilized behavior. The distant kingdom Rymid aggressively prepares for a war they cannot win. And some of these perpetrators are building technologies beyond anything the Order has ever seen before.

Behind these strange occurrences lurks a dark power, one which even the Order may not be able to face. To defend Arcelli, Maethya must confront her past, and the terrible things she fears she's done…but this is one challenge she's not sure she's up for.