Winning battles on land and sea, fulfilling the will of the gods that appear in prophetic visions, a man who has risen from the very bottom becomes the sole king of the northern peoples. The chief, a master of military and peaceful crafts, accomplished the truly impossible, forcing yesterday's sworn enemies to stop mutual extermination. But now he is challenged by the revived Holy Roman Empire, which has entered into a temporary alliance with the powerful Byzantium in order to deal with the mysterious Anglo-Norman monarch and the countries flourishing under his protection. Realizing that the Viking longships cannot withstand the galleys throwing Greek fire, the Chief is in search of an equivalent weapons goes on a new campaign - to the East, to the treasury of knowledge of Muslim civilization.