The Serpent in the Saint's Shroud

Power is a dangerous game, and in the kingdom of Vryndal, the stakes are higher than ever.  Dalen Thorne, the charismatic advisor to the sorcerer-king Malkor, has seized the throne through cunning and betrayal, his victory echoing in the imposing shadow of the Spiritwood. He stands amidst the ashes of a broken kingdom, hailed as a liberator, but the spectral whispers of his victims haunt his every waking moment.  The serpent wears the saint's shroud, and the kingdom is poised to pay the price.
Kaia, a blind oracle with an uncanny connection to the Spiritwood, sees through Dalen’s charade. Her cryptic warnings ignite a spark of rebellion, threatening to expose the darkness festering beneath Dalen’s carefully crafted mask. He proposes a pilgrimage to the sacred forest, a deceptive act of piety designed to silence her and manipulate her influence.
General Marcus Thorne, Malkor’s loyal commander and Dalen’s estranged friend, is a man consumed by vengeance. Haunted by the horrors of war and the betrayal of their shared past, he rallies the remnants of the king’s loyalists, waging a guerilla war against Dalen’s oppressive regime. His quest for justice becomes a brutal obsession, blurring the lines between righteousness and revenge.
As Dalen’s grip on power weakens, a hidden heir emerges from the whispers of the Spiritwood — Lyra Blackwood, Malkor’s daughter and the rightful queen.  Guided by the ancient wisdom of the forest and the strength of her own burgeoning fire magic, she becomes a beacon of hope for the oppressed, a symbol of the rebellion Dalen desperately seeks to quell.  But her inexperience makes her a pawn in a game far older, and far deadlier, than she can comprehend.
Caught in a web of deceit, ancient prophecies, and escalating violence, Dalen finds himself trapped in a desperate struggle for survival. Will his ambition consume him, or can he find redemption amidst the ruins of his own making?  Enter the world of Vryndal, where magic and betrayal intertwine, and discover the truth behind the serpent in the saint’s shroud.