As Arch Mage Ryker Slade progresses his attacks on Castle Jaden, Head Mage Gabriel faces assaults from Shalaban, Arconia, and specters. Knowing he needs assistance, Gabriel ventures over the Gray Mountains to make a startling discovery. Not only are there powerful Mages, they are enslaved. As Gabriel steps in to rescue them, the task keeps him away from Anatoly, and he will lose something he can never regain.