Newly graduated imperial officer Justin is convinced he has no future, and hearing the details of the secret mission he’s assigned for the emperor won’t change his mind. Civil war threatens the North Mark. Justin must race against time to form a company and lead his men into the center of the web; but what happens when his loyalty to the empire means the death of those who follow him?

In ADR 2002, the Empire of Argens is still reeling from the usurpation of its centuries-old throne by a landless adventurer. A ferocious, dwarven warrior named Yula and his sorcerous human allies not only defeated the flower of elvish knighthood, but also exposed the former dynasty as nothing less than demons in disguise. Now a young captain, ruined by his loyalty to the old regime, has one last chance to redeem his family name in the officer training corps being established by the hated new emperor.

Captain Justin gets much more than he bargained for, however, as he is sent on a secret mission to the North Mark, hotbed of disloyalty even in the old days and now on a trip wire for revolt. Given only days to assemble a company, march north, and defuse the conspiracy, the new captain will be tested too often, too hard, and far too soon.

The Ring and the Flag is the first story in the Shards of Light saga set in the Lands of Hope, the creation of William L. Hahn. More than 20 years in the making, the Lands hold tremendous adventure, a sense of history, and a strong theme of the difficult choices heroes must make when faced by the power of despair.