Shadow on the Sun

When word of the tribute collectors from the mysterious sun cities of the west reached Iciwata's village, he welcomed it, eager to fight and make a name for himself. The filthy westerns were not going to find it easy to take his people's goods. In his turn, Ahal, the lead tribute collector of Lesser Sun City, did not expect to encounter wild villagers set on getting themselves into great deal of trouble. He had other considerations on his mind, such as his favorite niece's impending marriage to the ailing ruler of the great city. Still, when challenged with wild escapades and outright murder, he went about solving the trouble in an innovative way, not fond of executing people, even villagers guilty of proven crimes. And yet, he could not have surmised that the chain of events his decisions unleashed were to cause a storm that was about to shake his city and its royal family to their very core.