Ahriel, a female angel, is a member of the court of Queen Marla of Karishia. She has been sent by her superiors to ensure that the young queen does not stray from the path of virtue. However, Ahriel fails in her mission and is betrayed by her protege. Unable to fly and without any protection or help, she is exiled and incarcerated in Gorlian, a prison without bars,a world made uninhabitable by it barrenness, its torments and the freakish monsters that populate it. There, criminals live by killing and stealing the little they have from each other.In spite of all these adversities, Ahriel manages to survive, largely thanks to a human called Bran.