Prologue Summary

## Landfall

The book opens with Queen Taifa, leader of the Omehi, observing her Chosen warriors as they fight and die on a beach. Tsiory, Taifa’s lover and military champion, recommends that the queen call for a retreat to the ships because the Omehi military cannot hold the beach. Queen Taifa refuses to retreat, and says that she is waiting for the rest of the Omehi to arrive and help. However, Tsiory reminds her that the people who are due to arrive are not fighters, not Gifted.

Originally, the Omehi came from Osonte. They fled because of the Cull. Upon finding land that was arable and defensible, they decided to settle. However, the land was already inhabited. They refer to the original inhabitants as “savages” who have mysterious powers that allow them to fight on equal terms with the Omehi.

Queen Taifa tells Tsiory that her nursemaid, Sanura, died before landing on the beach. She tells a story of how as a child, a dog bit her and she bit it right back. After this, she confesses to Tsiory that a dragon youngling has been born. She plans to form a coterie with the young dragon to win the battle. Tsiory begs the queen not to, stating that they will never be able to make peace with the savages if this happens. The Omehi had planned to follow the dragons to new land, but Tsiory says that if they use the dragons, the land will be destroyed and the Cull will find them again.

## Champion Tsiory

It’s been three days since Tsiory and Queen Taifa talked. Tsiory has been fighting on the beach and is exhausted, but trying to put on a brave face for his soldiers. The rest of the ships have landed, so losing now would mean the death of the Omehi. An Indlovu soldier tells Tsiory that reinforcements are needed elsewhere in the battle, but Tsiory cannot afford to send any. The Guardian Council says that Omehi are severely outnumbered and that the Queen needs to bring the dragon.

## Ingonyama

The Omehi are under attack and are overrun. Queen Taifa decides that she can rule by fiat if necessary to save her people. She sees that Tsiory has become enraged, and fears for his life. She calls for the Gifted and the KaEid, the leader of the Gifted, so that they can commune with the dragons. The Enervators, a type of Gifted person who can cause their enemies to seize, use their powers to incapacitate the savage soldiers. Queen Taifa sees that Tsiory and his other Ingonyama have charged into a group of savages on large blue-skinned demons. She frantically calls to the dragons, and splits her consciousness into two. One part of her mind is observing the battle, and the other part is in Isihogo, a spiritual realm. One of the savages is also in Isihogo, and Queen Taifa sees that he has a gift that she's never encountered before. The gift seems to allow the savage person to create or transport new warriors to fight. Queen Taifa splits her mind into three, and attacks the savage man in Isihogo, breaking the effect of his gift. The remaining warriors are still too much for the Chosen people, and Tsiory dies after severing his connection with his Gifted.Queen Taifa merges with the dragon.

## Monster

In her grief, Queen Taifa burns everyone and everything on the beach. As she does this, Queen Taifa prays to the Goddess Ananthi for forgiveness and "the power to destroy and the will to see it done". She finishes off the lingering savages, and the breaks her connection with the dragon, sacrificing a Gifted person in the process. In the aftermath of the battle, she vows to protect her and Tsiory's unborn child no matter the cost.

Chapter 1