The Ritual

Theron is the most talented apprentice the Guild of Healers has seen in generations. On the Day of Investiture, he proves his worth to all of Amaranth by using the magic of the rare and precious red gold to cure a dying man.But when the ceremony is interrupted by the zealot monk Sarnik – whose “City of God” campaign seeks to outlaw the guild – Theron is cast out and embarks on a mission to find the source of the gold. He crosses the mountains to a new land where the gold is abundant, but is not used for healing. Instead, it powers a mysterious Ritual that allows members of the corrupt nobility to keep the peasantry in near-slavery.Here, he meets Trella, a young woman whom he is determined to save from the Ritual, while she is equally determined that she does not need saving at all