Seventeen-year old Gray is descended from a legendary hero known as a Ronin, and haunted by his forgotten past. He returns home to a wizards' keep, unaware he is now labeled a murderous traitor for killing his best friend. Returning could be a death sentence, but the journey alone is perilous. Along the way, Gray discovers he has a grandfather. Now he must reach the city before his only living family dies beneath a madman's torture. Getting there will be a challenge, however, as an enthrallingly unpredictable woman, a dangerous desert, and a horde of thieves stand in his way. Wielding the banished power of wind, Gray rallies against the poisonous evil that seeks to convert the world to their mantra, "strength is life, weakness death." Yet with an affable scoundrel and a clever bookworm at his side, Gray discovers the world's greatest secret... He is not the only one with hero's blood, and the legend of the Ronin walk the world once again.