Polemus, a young Greek magistrate disaffected with the halls of power and the elusive pursuit of pleasure, is drawn along a burnishing vein of discovery on route to unraveling the true source of Life – a marvel uncovered by only an earnest few. Polemus' spirit burgeons as he journeys alongside Belteshazzar, a man of unparalleled purity whose service to four sovereigns not only changes the world, but also the heart of a young man. But, shattered by the prospect of a devastating loss, Polemus must choose to hold to all he has learnt from this ancient mentor, or cut the delicate thread that binds him to a new beginning.