An epic fantasy novel featuring Kera No-Clan, a barbarian living in exile getting by (and getting high) by robbing graves, pilfering tombs, and looting ruins.

While digging for fae ash - a valuable narcotic known as 'fairy dust', sought after for its potency and powerful magical side effects - Kera uncovers a living weapon, a psychic sword that calls itself Zephelous.

Zephelous senses a greatness in Kera, and believes she could be the next great champion of light against the forces of darkness.

Kera's pretty sure she can pawn Zephelous for a quick thousand gold pieces, easy.

One successful trip to a shady pawnbroker later, Kera celebrates her new-found wealth with a fae ash induced bender. When she finally comes to, she learns that she's wanted for arson. And robbery. And destruction of property, plus about ten other things. Deciding that it's well past time to leave town, Kera also decides it would be a real shame to leave a sword as valuable as Zephelous behind...

A heist is planned, but unfortunately for Kera it goes poorly - very poorly. More arson is committed, and an innocent young girl is grievously wounded. In short order, Kera finds herself arrested and put in chains, standing before the high priest of Perrus, a man called Speaker Gerhardt.

The Speaker gives her an ultimatum; either she agrees to campaign with a motley crew - an irate artificer, his construct companion, a drunken wizard, a representative of Perrus, and the selfsame pawnbroker she tried to rob - with the goal of slaying a dragon to collect it's blood in order to save the girl...

...or else she faces execution.

Having little choice and armed with Zephelous once again, Kera finds herself finally forced to face the consequences of her actions... and hating every second of it.