Ben Mason is 121/2 years old, he lives near Stevenage with his mum and dad and two younger sisters. He goes to a local Comprehensive school (Abbot's Grove). He is a very ordinary boy from a very ordinary family. Only one thing sets him apart: Ben suffers from a very rare condition; he is, like his father and grandfather before him, a... WishCaster There are times in his life when the symptoms of this illness steel over him: he gets a headache, he can't concentrate and he feels oddly detached from reality. These are the times when he does everything he can to avoid making a Wish... or even the merest thought of a Wish Because for Ben, Wishes can come true and, despite what most people might think, this is not necessarily a good thing During a long and boring history lesson, Ben gets into trouble for not paying attention and has to stay back after class. As he is being told off though, Ben begins to feel ill. He recognises the symptoms and does his best not to think of anything, to let his mind go blank, but the teacher has a book open on his desk and Ben's eyes are drawn to the brightly coloured picture on display: it is of a Roman Century marching in precise columns across a verdant landscape; a blaze of silver, gold and red. Ben staggers and begins to fall; his teacher reaches out to catch him... and the world around them vanishes - despite his best efforts, Ben had made a Wish. When Ben's teacher regains his senses he finds that both he and his pupil are dressed in the armour of Roman Legionaries and are marching amongst the Cohorts of the Seventh Legion during their first, ill-fated invasion of Britain in 55BC. Convinced that he has lost his mind, or been stricken down by some sudden and debilitating illness, he refuses to accept the reality of their situation, and it is up to Ben, not only to keep his teacher safe, but to find a way of bringing this Wish to its natural conclusion. As the hours turn into days though, even Ben himself is beginning to doubt that they'll ever find their way back home.