Erki is a careless yet idealistic youth who is neither a hero nor a foreordained savior. He discovers that some of those around him are not what they seem, and while some wish him well, others wish him harm because they believe he represents an older, benevolent power. Believing himself to be the fulfillment of a prophesy that is, at best, only implied in some old writings and by the words of an old woman, Erki embarks on a journey to find an antidote for the plague that is killing his brother and destroying his beloved city. He has some harrowing adventures and is helped along the way by the imperfect magic of the khoirey. He discovers much more: friendship, love, loss, and selflessness, and that it is impossible to go home again unchanged.