In a future where scientists can watch the currents of time but fear to alter them, Prime Physicist Skandos makes a reckless choice: he intervenes in the distant past to prevent civilization's collapse. His target is Tedric, a fearless blacksmith in a brutal age ruled by priests, sacrifice, and the false god Sarpedion, whose cult keeps Lomarr weak and obedient. Tedric is no mere craftsman; he is a practical rebel who wants better steel, better armor, and the means to strike back at tyranny. Skandos gives him the secret of advanced metallurgy, and Tedric turns that knowledge into a weapon, forging god-metal, building power, and preparing an uprising. When priests and mercenaries come to crush him, Tedric answers with devastating force, leading a wedge attack up the temple stairs, shattering enemy steel, and destroying the idol of Sarpedion in open defiance. High Priest Devann, terrified that the old god has been challenged, turns to ever more horrifying sacrifice, even toward the king's daughter. Tedric races to stop the rite, rescues Lady Rhoann, and smashes the hidden image of the god in a final, ritual act of rebellion. Rewarded by the king and enthroned in authority, he declares the end of human sacrifice, while the story's time-watching frame hints that larger manipulations of history are still to come. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.
