Lynn Abbey

Water. On Athas, it is life, it is currency, it is power... The watery caverns beneath Urik have become a haven for political refugees and runaway slaves, a place safe from the ravages of Athas and her defilers. Until one such defiler brings destruction to the haven. Mahtra, who fled sunlit Urik for the dark undercity, must now emerge to set all to right. Her quest leads her to the palace of a sorcerer-king, to an ancient druidic grove, and beyond... Book Four in the Chronicles of Athas further explores the harsh life of the Dark Sun world's citizens. A member of the magically disoriented "New Race" from the Pristine Tower area, Mahtra lives among the outcasts beneath the city--until she decides to confront her greatest challenge ever: to hunt down Kakzim, the evil alchemist. Map. Escaping a life of slavery by hiding beneath the city among other outcasts, Maribe of the "New Race" is forced to accept a contract from King Hamanu to search for the alchemist Kakaim, whose views threaten the stability of Urik. Original. 75,000 first printing.