Time is running out for Lord Goyo’s sick daughter and so is the patience of her father! Entrusting the fate of his offspring to the renowned healer Priest Jizonobu, Lord Goyo’s faith has soured as his child’s mysterious malady has progressed from bad to worse. To be fair, the Lord has offered the Priest one final incentive—heal the girl, or see his temple destroyed and all within it killed! As the Lord’s daughter slips closer to death, there is little Jizonobu can do. Desperate for a cure, the Priest seeks out the hermit Ibaraki and the malefic gods to which he prays. Perhaps the girl’s deliverance lies hidden within the shadows of the hermit’s dark ways. Yet surely Jizonobu must know that for every good deed there must be a payment!

• Also this issue, a full-color back cover pinup by David Petersen, creator of the critically acclaimed series Mouse Guard!