"The capricious young prince Ael dreams of thrilling adventures that will take him far beyond the cold, confining walls of his palace. Little does Ael know that when he meets the young, petty thief Pixie, he is about to embark on a wild journey that takes him beyond the threshold of darkness-- to a kingdom where the most heinous of monsters clash, in a world that spans the limits of reality and fantasy." --v.1 cover.