Aralia is at war once again, and the stakes are higher than ever. Emboldened by their alliance with the newly rebuilt Primus Emprius, the Eastern Union strikes on all fronts. With the armies of the West in disarray, it falls upon Aralia's Golden Order to hold the line. Once more, Lieutenant Fordain Abendroth and his friends find themselves in the forefront of the action. But even as they face the enemy out in the field together, Fordain must confront the more terrible foe that lurks within his own mind alone.