When Prince Kiriath and his father, King Jekoniah, go on a rare horseback ride together, the two unexpectedly come under attack from a horde of Grishnazi, a barbaric race that has sought to destroy the realm of Xandria for generations. The Grishnazi capture the king, and in the ensuing struggle, the prince is knocked over a cliff, where the invaders leave him for dead. However, Kiriath is alive, and he burns with desire to free his father from the enemies' clutches. Because Xandria's military advisors all agree that no host of armed men could reach and free the king before the Grishnazi fulfill their threat to slay him, Kiriath devises a daring plan: to try to slip into the Valley of the Grishnazi from an unexpected direction--accompanied only by his best friend--and free his father.
