Someone is born with magic.
Someone without it.

Matteo, an adviser to the ruler of Halruaa, is one of the latter. He devoted his entire life to the truth — until he realized that perhaps a spark of magic still resided in him. With a tramp on his side, he must escape the mysterious Society. His journey leads to the terrible swamp of Akhlaur, where he must find his righteousness on his own and confront the monster, which is even more horrible than his nightmares. But in the wake of it is something even more awful: the ruthless inquisitor of magic, the magician.