Before Stone trained Kara Magari or taught the First Vagabond to master the Blood loyalty, he was nothing more than a slave boy named Terric. Terric is a curious loner hellbent on reading his master’s forbidden books. When one heist goes wrong, Terric abandons his old life and runs for freedom—only to fall prey to a ruthless man named Niccoli. Niccoli is an isen—a creature of magic from the hidden world of Ourea—and he awakens within Terric an unimaginable gift. But this gift comes with a catch. Suddenly in control of newfound power he is forbidden to freely use, Terric realizes too late he simply traded one master for another. In Ourea, a world dominated by the gifted, few isen dare defy their masters. Until now.

Unlock the dark beginnings of Ourea's most famous political players in this Grimoire Saga origins series. Ourean legends of the First Vagabond have survived a thousand years, blossoming in pubs and alleys even as the great Bloods of Ourea tried to squelch his name. But the myths glorify the deeds and forget the man he was—Cedric, a boy from a small Hillsidian farming village. As a young man, Cedric discovers a terrifying defect in his nature. He has no blood loyalty, which means he can defy his king—something that has never happened in recorded history. But what begins as a flaw evolves into a strength. Citizens begin to listen to Cedric, and he discovers that if he leads, others will follow. But there’s a catch. The more who follow him, the more famous he becomes. And the more famous he becomes, the more targets he finds pinned to his back. He’s a wanted man. A traitor. And as Cedric begins to embrace the title he’s been given—the Vagabond, the only man alive with no master—he ignites a revolution. After all, no one has defied a Blood and lived to tell the tale. No one, that is, but Cedric.