Lumin and Timmy the sea turtle will teach young ones how to see with their heart and not their eyes.

Darien and his companions—Kalos, a knight of the Brigade of Iron; Allura, his childhood friend; Vincent, the Corsair; and Exterra, an elf—made their way to the treacherous Ice Fields of Albakor. They then made their way through the Cave of Ruins to find the Holy Sword that they were seeking, the Lucent Sword. However, finding the sword and ridding Darien of the evil that plagued him from his using the Shadow Sword—one of the Demonic Swords—was only part of the battle. The Empire of Lumin’Valeria still loomed over head. The Empire was not only their problem, but everyone who lived on Gaianterra. And as such, King Alphonse Ashton of the Kingdom of Ballentine had already begun to create an alliance with the other nations around the world. But will his emissaries of war be successful? Will they even be able to complete their missions before Lumin’Valeria could strike? Only time would tell. Meanwhile, Sampson Rockfell is on the trail of a traitor. Will he find whom he sought? Or will this hunt be the end for the Hunter? Jack Destin is still on the trail of the vampires whom he blamed for the murder of his family. Will he find the answers that he seeks, or is he delusional? Has he been chasing an imaginary enemy all this time? Or is he about to unleash a horror upon the world that no one has seen in over a thousand years? Finally, there are the elves. What impact will their actions have on the world of man? Will they help save the world from destruction at the hands of the Lumin’Valerian Empire? Or will they only succeed in starting a war between elves and men?

In a distant time and galaxy, far from any known planet or star.... It is an era of dominance for the Elof Empire. Many planets have come under its sovereignty, including Hupoge, where it has enslaved the people as a tragic example should any choose to resist the Empire's control. On the remote planet of Quarros, Kyd Lumin—betrayer of the Empire and beacon of hope for the Hupogeans—has taken refuge. Though he has carved out a satisfying life for himself, has a wife he loves and a daughter he adores, every day of his existence he lives in fear that the Empire will one day find him and bring an end to all he cherishes. Meanwhile, Mairel Elof—heiress to the Empress's throne—is pursuing the Empire's betrayer and has discovered his whereabouts. She will capture, kill and conquer anything that stands in her way to carry out that mission successfully. But a revolt is coming. With a ramshackle plan in motion, the Hupogeans call on Kyd Lumin to help them gain freedom from the Empire. Now, he must decide if he will risk his family’s safety to save his people….

Explores ways in which ancient theories of empire can inform our understanding of present-day international relations.

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