After generations of war, an ancient evil threatens a fragile peace between the Abrhaani and the Eniila. Unless they overcome generations of mistrust, they will all perish, since the Nethera have awakened and they are hungry.Rehaak, the Abrhaani Scholar and Laakea, the young Eniila Warrior, are outcasts, men on the run. Laakea, fleeing his father who is honor bound to kill him, and Rehaak, exiled as a heretic, meet and confront their destinies. Rehaak is unsure of his mission, but Laakea swears a "Sword Oath" that forces Rehaak to decide whether the price of friendship is too high.Together with Isil, a woman with a dark secret, they seek the Aetheriad. It contains knowledge their species' lost through centuries of warfare and chaos. Does this ancient tome contain the information to summon the Aethera, the powerful ancient enemies of the Nethera, or is it a hopeless waste of time?Perhaps the help they need lies not in a dusty manuscript, but with the Sokai, a mysterious species who disappeared from Aarda, millennia ago. If Rehaak and Laakea can find them, will the Sokai join the fight?Assassins pursue them and their peoples refuse to heed their warnings. What can three mismatched outcasts do against insurmountable obstacles? Is their friendship strong enough to sustain them to fulfill their destinies and save their world?