In the northern lands where war continues without end, young Almark hopes to be a mercenary like his father one day. Thinking the timid boy ill-suited for such a life, however, his worried father envisions a different future for him all the way at the Nork Magical Academy in the peaceful south, once he s old enough to attend. And so, despite Almark s efforts on and off the battlefield, he eventually sets out for the academy to respect his father s wishes. But what lies ahead on his journey to becoming a magician?