In this prequel to The Tempered Steel of Antiquity Grey, a young man searches for his place in a world far more dangerous than he knows. Jak Dreadth lives a life of privilege and comfort in a far-future city of Erth, the son of a powerful house vying for political leverage and a stronger future against ruling House Angelus. But when a conquering force from the stars returns to subjugate the planet's people, Jak is thrust into the pilot box of Viridian—a massive battle mech built to keep the peace. Unknown to him though, machinations within House Dreadth sabotage his efforts as war scorches the sky, leaving him for dead in a desert wilderness rife with hardship. There, Jak meets Agnez al-Kol, a goatherd who could be a Will Master of an ancient religion or just an eccentric old woman. Together they travel the sands of the Splinter and, as they navigate the harshest of elements, they will discover their lives are intertwined in ways neither could have imagined—for the past is rarely contained in the past, and the future is dependent upon courage discovered in the present. Grappling with family intrigue, bounty hunters, and dragons, Jak will learn that living a life of consequence is the only life worth living. Or he will die trying.