Hiding in a remote corner of the desert, Kyjia guards a precious tablet of gold granting the right to rule the kingdom of Tyar. Her enemies will stop at nothing to possess it and claim the throne. When her father is murdered, she realizes they will come after her next.
On a quest to protect Kyjia, Allenthal travels deep into the desert. He comes to the aid of her father as he falls victim to a deadly ambush. Too late to save him, Allenthal accepts his dying request to help his family. But instead of gratitude, Kyjia believes Allenthal murdered her father, and he finds himself condemned to die for the very crime he tried to prevent.
Kyjia flees from her enemies, taking refuge in an enormous network of caverns. Day by day, their hunt grows closer. Finally, she is cornered and they cast a deadly curse on her, offering her the cure in exchange for revealing the location of the tablet. When Kyjia refuses, they leave her injured, blind and alone.
