Thiago Rodrigo Sebastian Ortega is a proud member of the Ortega family, which can trace its lineage back to the days of Charlemagne. With roots in Spain and a childhood spent in the Spanish colony of Cartagena de Indias, he has always wanted to see more of the world. More importantly, he has always wanted to see the "Old World." However, when Thiago wakes in a cell somewhere off the Mediterranean coast where no one speaks his language, he realizes that he might have gotten more than he had bargained for. From beholding the horrors of slavery to being worked to the bone in the lower deck of a galley, Thiago struggles to keep up his hope for a brighter future. Eventually, he finds himself in the home of his new so-called master-a man named Nimir. Here, life is easier for Thiago, but what does Nimir exactly want from him? How can he achieve greatness without true freedom? Thiago will soon find himself at sea once more, where he belongs, but there is trouble to be found aboard each ship as well as adventure. New and familiar faces pull him in different directions, and Thiago must ask himself who he sides with, and what he believes in. As he recalls life before imprisonment throughout the narrative, Thiago will investigate whether or not he still identifies with his old self, and will discover just how much a new culture can challenge old beliefs.