Red Shade

Aurometalsarus is on the brink of war. Charcoal's monarchy, King Rowan and Queen Salwa Ash, are threatening to invade Slate, the last real threat to Charcoal's world rule. Charcoal also has Flint, the third major world power, over a barrel as they are financially indebted to Charcoal. The only hope Slate and Flint have of resisting Charcoal's advances is to gain the support of the mercenary power Shadow. Shadow's Shades, warriors of unparalleled skill, are Aurometalsaurs' last hope of avoiding an oppressive dictatorship. Unfortunately the Shadow are true mercenaries and only respond to money, of which Charcoal has plenty of.

Clara "Red" Ridding, a prodigy with a blade, is the youngest Shadow to ever achieve the title Shade. Clara is a Shadow in name only, having been taken in by the mercenaries rather than born to a clan. She has been an outcast all her life and her proposal to help Slate and Flint without monetary compensation only proves to widen the rift between her and her peers.