The Emperor of Nihon-Ja
 Horace is missing. Months have passed since he was sent on a military mission to the court of the Emperor of Nihon-Ja with his friend and former wardmate George but he has failed to return. Evanlyn is worried, and in company with Will, Selethen, Halt, and Alyss, she sets out to discover what has become of their old friend. They find that Horace has become embroiled in Nihon-Jan politics. The arrogant Senshi sect, a class which believes that they are a superior race, has rebelled against the rightful Emperor Shigeru and Horace has chosen to stay and lend support to the deposed ruler. Their only hope is to find to the fabled Ran-Koshi which they believe is a fortress with impossibly high wall. With only 50 Senshi and around 200 untrained Kikori, they must fight hundreds of trained Senshi warriors. Now he, Selethen, and Will must trainmen willing to face the highly trained Senshi warriors, while Alyss and Evanlyn must overcome their longstanding rivalry to seek aid from a mysterious group of mountain dwellers, called the Hasanu. In the end, Horace and Evanlyn become engaged, as do Will and Alyss.