Serpent Mage

Millennia ago, powerful wizards sundered our world into four realms—sky, stone, fire, and sea—and then vanished. Their descendants in the magical arts desperately sought to contact the other worlds for help as these realms began to deteriorate, but their frantic calls went unanswered. Now only those few who have survived the horrors of the Labyrinth and crossed the Death Gate even realize the existence of four separate worlds.

In Serpent Mage, Haplo the Patryn is sent out to further his exploration of the sundered realms, preparing the way for the arrival of the Lord of the Nexus. He journeys this time to Chelestra, the world of sea, where submerged islands encased in bubbles of air drift around an inner sun. It is a place where human, dwarf, and elf have learned to live in peace. They have long cooperated on their greatest venture: building the giant submersibles that will take them to safety when their sun burns out. But the sudden appearance of giant dragon-snakes who feed on fear threatens not only their peace, but their very survival.

As Haplo joins the struggle with the serpents, Alfred the Sartan finds his ancestors at last. Long hidden beneath Chelestra’s waters, they lie sleeping in their magical domain. Alfred wakens them only to realize that he has lived too long among the humans, elves, and dwarves. He can no longer accept the Sartan’s exalted place as demigods…

The resulting titanic conflict will involve mortal and immortal alike—humans and elves, Sartan and Patryn—and forces well beyond any of these. The winner will control not only Chelestra, but perhaps the Death Gate itself.