Orphaned as an infant, Lilija is adopted by the priests of Tratalja, a growing militaristic empire. Despite being trained as an elite soldier for the city’s army, Lilija is forced to flee Tratalja. Her exile brings her into contact with a tribe of savage nomads, led by Ari and his wild mountain lion. Together they fight against the colonizing empire and discover a power greater than any civilization: the power to create something out of nothing using only the written word. But very few can wield this magic, and fewer still can survive the consequences.