Centuries ago, a Mage lost her sanity but gained the gift of prophecy. Among her ravings, she spoke of the possible end of the world, when someone known only as "The Dreamer" would come and either save the world or destroy it utterly. Kelsin Barsil, the son of a blacksmith, has remained ignorant of these prophecies; they are taught in his land by the Temple of Lumno, which is not trusted by his parents. But when the Temple chooses the girl he loves to become a priestess in their order, whether she wants to be one or not, he decides to help her hide. When the Temple sends an assassin after him, all he can do is escape and hope to find a better life somewhere. Until he dreams of a place he's never been and conversations with people he's never met...