Welcome to the world of Era, a harsh, dry land where everything has a cost and even the mercy of rain waits until the deadly magic of the Mother's Tears passes. A world where's it's not the color of your skin that matters, but the color of your magic, known as Icca, that determines life and death. A scholar-turned-reluctant mage and a young, ill fated orphan have to work together to protect the very people that want them dead. That, or risk a failure that means much more than just death.