Sequel to Once! After returning from Trelia and breaking the curse, Ryanon and Dak return to Xandria, only to find it a much darker place than what it was. Illness rages through the streets, murder rules their lives, and dark creatures lurk in the streets. As the Trelians arrive in Xandria, the political situations reach their climax. Blood runs on the dawn of civil wars. New allies are made and old enemies return.