Centuries ago, the island of Kharkh and the underwater state of Viga renounced their own past, so that the memories of the Tughr invasions would not prevent them from creating new strong societies. Now civilizations are approaching a fatal historical milestone, where the main role is given to the events of ancient times, and their distortion threatens a new war. The royal guard Ummu must bend the knee to the High Priestess Yanga to save his family, while his best friend Drimgur chooses the path of apostasy for other reasons. However, when the opal throne is empty, and the capital is surrounded by an army of oppressed nomadic tribes, friends will already be on opposite sides of the barricades. The long-awaited visit of trade pilgrims from Vig promises trouble: the merchant Eluam is thrust into the role of a harbinger of war between water and land. Will the beggar Ilari, who possesses healing magic prohibited in Vig, be able to stop him from a distance? Or is it too late, and the rejected story does not need an invitation to return?