Hightower

After ten years spent in exile in the dry, dusty Western Reaches, Alexei Stanton must now return to the Eastern City-states from which he hails to rule the greatest City of the Twelve Great Eastern Cities: Hightower.

But war has ravaged the Twelve Cities and Alexei's return won't be a magical cure-all. But he'll get by with a little help from his friends.

These first three stories are a prologue, of sorts, dealing with Alexei's life in a small western town, with his best friend Ri Friendly.