In the sixth century A.D., the Roman Empire is reduced to the eastern part of the capital, byzantium. The empire is divided into the "barbarian lands" south of the Danube and Turkey and the "egypt" and "east of libya." Theodora augusta, the empress, serves her husband in the imperial castle. She is rumored to be an actress or a prostitute. Epidamnos, the warrior-magus, is one of the few men who practices "minor sorcery" despite the power of his power. He quit the Emperor's service in eight years because one of his men died and disbanded the entire band of mercenaries. The blind woman entreats her master to forgive her for having disturbed his slumber. She tells him that she cannot bring her back because she was always the "most beautiful" and that her second attempt at escaping will be her death. She asks her master if she can show her what she is hiding under the water, but he refuses to show her. He tells her that she must move quickly because she is not well enough to make the journey. He no longer hears her. She begs him to tell her who leads the barbarians. She knows him as "zanergane," the one-eyed king. She still has the stone from the hounds