Lathah has fallen. Arrin leads a weary group of survivors from the ruins. He presses on in search of O'hra to take the fight to the Grol, but as he nears the Sha'ree homeland, an unexpected adversary bars the way. With enemies massing on all sides, Arrin is forced to take his search deep inside the Funeral Sands. The survivors suffer the terrors of the desert as their lives and hopes dwindle by the moment. As the losses mount, Arrin wonders if the price of saving Ahreele might be more than he can bear.