Thery possessed the knowledge he sought---but first Sander had to find them. The Before People. The few who had survived earth's devastation. If he reached them, he could learn the legendary skills that would set him apart, make him powerful. On his search through the desolate land Sander met Fanyi. She, too, was searching for the secret stronghold of the Before People. For her own, very different reasons. Together, they met unimagined terrors and strange perils. And suddenly they discovered themselves in deadly combat with an unexpected evil that threatened their sanity - -as well as their lives.