All's not peaceful on the planet Tanul. While the pirates that were responsible for the enslavement of the planets children have been defeated, treachery still lurks the halls of the palace. The King's advisor, Galdon, is no longer happy with his role. He wants more, even if it means the death of his best friend King Alistare to accomplish it. Things continue to unfold with the discovery of Alestrion, the great phoenix and the revelation of Galdon's dark master Techneon. Prophesies begin to come to pass when a young girl named Aria is rescued from a life of slavery. She becomes the planets best-known griffin pilot, but that is not the role she was created for.