A lost and lonely orphaned youth grows up street wise and tough in the poorest districts of a 19th century Scandinavian city before joining the early foreign Legion.

But soon after, he deserts the Legion to become a mercenary for an Islamic Warlord in Mesopotamia, where he near-fatally contracts TB.

When his small company are ambushed and butchered by a Bandit Army he flees into the mountain wilderness. Here, by absolute chance he discovers and consumes the world's rarest plant first stumbled on by an ancient warrior king of Uruk - the flower of born again- so sought after by vast people through history.

The plant's miraculous properties heal his illness and his life enters a seemingly alternate dimension as he embarks on a fantastical journey: this takes him through several coming centuries in his search for love, purpose and meaning in a fast changing world: he finds this world to be one of myriad amazing opportunities as well as one filled with lethal and terrible unknowns and risks beyond count.