Discovering he is connected to the Tindaya Code, realizing his own magical powers of a healer, and speculating whether he is the Guardian or the Mentor (the role of the one, or many, who will guide or help the Guardian fulfill his world-saving prophecy) along the way, Terrel is visited by Alyssa in the form of animals that speak to him in his mind. He also is contacted and helped by three ghosts—the spirits of Muzeni, Shahan, and Elam. On top of this, his efforts to do as he is guided and follow through with the Tindaya Code, Terrel is visited in his dreams by Jax (whose basic powers involve manipulating people through dreams), whom he does not know is his brother, and tormented by him. It is during this that many mysterious deaths and answers are revealed. Terrel has many experiences regarding the current panicked state of the Empire before arriving at the apparent source and confronting an elemental being, an Ancient, that seems to be connected to all the other recent strange phenomena and the maligning of the moons.