The Ties that Bind: Synopsis

The kingdom of Asirov has enjoyed a reign of peace and prosperity for as long as living memory endures. A fertile land tucked away in a corner of the Hundred Kingdoms, it was once a center of learning and culture, a magnet that drew scholars from far and wide. In recent generations, however, its star has waned as those of neighboring nations rose. Its common folk are content to live their simple lives while the ruling classes waste their efforts in petty in-fighting, clinging to memories of past grandeur. And while the Enclave based in the capital of Lokryn still holds much power, even the eyes of the Gifted may be blinded by long-held traditions.

The death of King Marceon, whom many hoped would bring Asirov out of her decline, throws the country into a state of grief and mourning. He leaves behind a young, foreign-born wife and infant son to carry on his heritage, but almost as soon as the funeral is over, the seven Great Houses begin to bicker amongst themselves. For there are many who would use the tragedy to further their own ends, and mistrust of outlanders runs deep. Just as a rock thrown into a peaceful pond shatters the surface with a great splash, so do the quarelling nobles call into question the dying wish of their late King. Yet every rock creates waves both large and small, and sometimes widening ripples barely visible to the eye may rebound and throw the surface into chaos once more.

For Syphis Vaski, news of the King's death merits only a passing interest. Living in the vast slums of the Lower City, he is far more concerned with his own survival than the fate of the kingdom as a whole. Although few know of his existence and those who do also know the price of betrayal, Syphis finds his life increasingly precarious as his past threatens to catch up to his present. Once more, after years of relative anonymity, his name is whispered in shadowy circles. Thief... Spy... Assassin...

Now, a mysterious stranger has made him an offer he cannot refuse, to turn his skills against one of the Great Houses. The price: the continued preservation of his greatest and most deadly secret. For Syphis wields one of the coveted crystals that bestows power to the Gifted, and in the eyes of the Enclave, he is a dangerous rogue, a Renegade to be killed on sight for disobeying the strictures that govern the use of magic.

House Griflet, already ravaged by an unnatural plague, seems an easy target; its talents lay not in fighting, but in healing. Yet times of great duress bring out hidden aspects of even the gentlest souls, and Lady Griflet is determined to protect her family by any means possible. When confronted by the spectre of death that Syphis raises, she braves the unthinkable and places a Binding on the assassin, charging him with the protection of her son.

Caught in the middle of a conflict whose ramifications he is only beginning to grasp, Syphis is left no choice but to accompany the young lord back to Lokryn. Their mission is two-fold: to find a cure for the plague that stalks the Griflet holdings, and to represent House Griflet at the Convocation, which may well determine the future of Asirov. But Jaeron Griflet has inherited more than his Mother's Gift; he combines her passion for healing with a stong, willful spirit chafing at the confines of his sheltered life. Together, the two set off on their journey, already wary and mistrustful of each others' intentions.

Before them stretches not only the bulk of the Griflet lands, but also the holdings of other noble Houses. It is not long before Syphis realizes that they are not the only ones on the road, as the same powers which wanted House Griflet eliminated step up their efforts to find the destroy the Griflet heir. On their way, the pair encounter plague-ridden villages, sprawling refugee camps, and travelling gypsies, all while confronting the uneasy truce between them. And even as they flee the dark forces pursuing them, they begin to unravel the tangled threads that lurk behind the threat and bind their fates together.

Who hired Syphis in the first place? How did he know of Syphis' secret? Why does he want House Griflet dead? And what does all this have to do with the Convocation set to take place in the capital in a month's time?

As they draw closer to their destination, some questions clear up while others become ever more murky. And the final answer may well lie in a hidden part of Syphis' own past.

Because after all, even the smallest ripple may grow into a tsunami.

The Ties that Bind  (18+) "Syphis Vaski. The names stirs fear and dread throughout the Hundred Kingdoms..." #1247092 by silverfeathers