Driven by cold and hunger, wild aliens - goblins and orcs living in the north of the continent - are invading the lands of people. But this is not yet a Great War, but reconnaissance in force. The dark magician Lessing tests the strength of his enemies, tries to find weak points. Martin Flockhart has to confront not only cannibal aliens, standing at the head of his squad of bounty hunters, but also internal enemies - people. No one in power wants to believe that the prophecy is false, that the magicians are playing their own games... and this leads to Martin's personal tragedy.