Life is easy in Ben’s little city until an attack brings the appearance of exciting strangers right out of a tale. Before Ben understands what’s occurring, he embarks on a dangerous journey to greatly help his close friends. A mage, demons, thieves and assassins are simply a few of the perils he will face while trying to make it to safety.

But things aren’t always what they appear and safety is a fragile concept when the destructive behaviors of the powerful are exercised unchecked. In Ben’s world-like our own-politics, the overall economy, and armed forces might create something to keep carefully the elite in power at the expense of the normal man. As the series unfolds and Ben’s knowledge and skills develop, he will have to decide if he wants to live within the machine, flee from it, or break it.