Britain in the fifth century was a land torn by war, while Melchior was a man torn by choice. His son is accused of murder, his daughter is forced to marry a brutal king, and his sister is driving him mad, but a prophetic vision saves him from despair. Threatened by a Mystery Race, the Inter-Alien Alliance Committee decides it must destroy Earth to keep the planet's resources from falling into the wrong hands. But faithful friends fight for humanity's right to prove their worth.