-Prologue- Sea of sand
From the Journal of Ecathea, heiress of the Servants of Althiria Tribe "Two years ago, there was just sand all around us. Sand, water and the despair the war left behind. Our home was destroyed, as well as everything we knew. We left as girls, and we landed on the beach as wrecks. Burned by the sun, starved and so close to take our last breath that I still find hard to believe we didn't die that day. Sometimes I wonder if any member of our tribe survived the war..If someone is still looking for us... If we will ever be missed again. Aphonia was 13 when the Darthans came. They didn't even wait for a full moon after our mother died. They came at night, crawling like the snakes they are. If they waited until the end of the summer, Aphonia could have been trained enough to protect herself from the archers. She was not ready. When the fiery darts started to light the sky, she froze. I thank the goddesses every day for sparing her life. She lost one eye, but she survived