"Morning is Approaching" by Sergei Lukyanenko, summary Automatic translate

This book is the final installment in a fantasy duology created in 2000. The plot unfolds in an alternate reality where the Roman Empire survived and the Redeemer did not die on the cross. The main difference in this reality is the absence of free iron. All metal is securely hidden in a magical realm — the Cold. It can only be retrieved with the Primordial Word.

The work received widespread acclaim from readers and critics. As part of a duology, the novel won the prestigious Russian Science Fiction Award for best long-form science fiction work.

Prisoner of the Holy City

Ilmar awakens in the dungeons of Urbis. The head of the Church, Julius, interrogates the thief about the fugitive Prince Marcus. The stepson of God accuses Ilmar of aiding the false messiah. Julius sentences the hero to life imprisonment in a stone sack for his heavenly sins. Finding himself naked in an icy cell, the hero struggles with despair and the cold. Salvation comes unexpectedly: the jailer Jens’s young son falls into a pit, hitting his head with an apple. Ilmar ties up the teenager and forces Jens to help him escape. The monk, tired of his own joyless life underground, agrees. The fugitives knock out the cook, Pierre, change into cassocks, and safely escape the Holy City.

Search for allies

Ilmar and the former warden Jens travel by stagecoach to Lyon. The thief wins money at cards from fellow travelers, paying for their journey. They reach the home of the retired physician Jean de Bagdad, who is hosting the renowned aviator Antoine. The friends ponder the nature of Marcus’s abilities at length. The old physician asserts that the young wielder of the Primordial Word will inevitably travel to Judea through the lands of Pannonia, seeking to discover his true destiny. The heroes decide to split up for safety. Ilmar and the elderly aviator Antoine disguise themselves as Jewish merchants Isaiah and Solomon, then travel to the Magyar city of Aquinicum to intercept Marcus.

Meeting in Aquinicum

At a roadside inn, the would-be Jews encounter Bishop Gerard the Lightbringer. Gerard tests their knowledge of the parable of the barren fig tree, recognizes the notorious thief, but decides to join the group. The freethinking bishop wants to personally discover the true nature of the fugitive prince. In Aquinicum, Gerard miraculously cures the young Peter of cancer. Grateful, Peter becomes their secret guide. The heroes track down Marcus, Arnold, Louise, and Helen at the Rudas sulfur baths. The thief manages to save Marcus from the betrayal of his cousin Arnold. Ilmar uses a wet bath apron as a whip, cutting a path through a crowd of Magyars, while the mighty Arnold scatters his enemies.

Underground route

The combined force is forced to urgently leave Aquinicum. The State and the Russian Khanate coordinate their efforts to capture the fugitives. Spy Farid Komarov offers to lead the men through the ancient catacombs beneath the local theater. The group descends into darkness. A terror of the darkness forces the bishop’s guard, Remy, to turn back. The remaining soldiers crawl through a slippery clay labyrinth, steadfastly enduring the hardships. Soon, army sappers begin blowing up the underground mines, attempting to seal the passages with dynamite. A rockfall pins Ilmar’s feet. Marcus uses the Primordial Word and sends a huge boulder into the Cold, demonstrating incredible power and saving the thief.

Crossing the line

The heroes emerge onto the surface just outside the Ottoman border. The squad finds themselves surrounded by military outposts. Ilmar knocks out the cooks at the field kitchen, acquiring rope. Helen bribes a greedy sergeant with five thousand steel marks taken from the Word. The sergeant transports the fugitives past patrols in a cart under a piece of tarpaulin. Near the border, Marcus uses the power of the Word to destroy the watchtowers of the Sovereign Guard and the Ottoman Janissaries. A bloody cavalry skirmish erupts between the disoriented border guards. Taking advantage of the chaos of the cavalry battle, the squad stealthily crosses into enemy territory.

Flight through foreign lands

In the Ottoman Empire, the fugitives blend in with a crowd of pilgrims. They head to the city of Craiova. Along the way, Ilmar engages in lengthy debates with the Russian spy Komarov about the nature of good and evil. Farid tries to convince the thief of the existence of a personal devil who constantly tempts people. At the caravanserai, the group reunites with Jean and Jens. Antoine shares philosophical parables with Ilmar about the difference between fleeting joy and true happiness. In Craiova, the heroes notice posters with their portraits plastered everywhere. The Ottomans are preparing to hand over the fugitives to the Empire at the first request of the authorities.

Battle in the Sky

The heroes hire cabbies and break into the local airfield. Arnold, Louis the guard, and Gerard scatter the workers near the hangars. The squad seizes two Chinese Falcon of the Celestial Empire gliders with rocket thrusters. Surrounded by advancing soldiers, the fugitives prepare for certain death. At Ilmar’s request, Marcus retrieves a rapid-fire bullet gun from the Cold, hidden there by the slain Lord Hamon. Arnold covers the takeoff with fire from the hot barrel. Helen skillfully pilots the first glider. Antoine takes the controls of the second. The fugitives take off and head south, disappearing into the rain clouds.

Falling into the sea

The pushers’ fuel supply runs out over the waters of the Mediterranean. Due to different connectors, the Chinese fuses do not fit the government-issued machines. The gliders plummet into the raging salty waves. Veteran pilot Antoine admits he can’t swim at all, but Ilmar manages to pull him from the sinking cockpit. Suddenly, a colossal ninth wave appears on the horizon, threatening to destroy the men floundering in the water. Marcus uses the Word again and tears a gigantic chunk of water from the deadly wave. The rescued men are picked up by a Jewish fishing schooner. Captain Avrom-Ber Admoni recognizes the boy as the awaited messiah and joins the squad.

Arrival in Judea

The fugitives secretly land on the Judean coast, avoiding the port of Haifa, which is filled with foreign troops. The heroes reach the sacred hill near Megiddo, where the First Redeemer once determined the future of humanity. Along the way, Ilmar reflects on the heavy burden of unlimited power. At night, the thief converses with an unseen stranger, whose advice is frightening in its cold calculation and pragmatism. Marcus prepares to make his final choice, while the combined armies of the State and Russia encircle the hill. The twelve companions stand frozen in tense anticipation of a miracle.

The Choice of the Messiah

At dawn, regiments of Grey Vests and Russian grenadiers form up at the foot of the hill. The soldiers intend to capture the prince at any cost. Marcus categorically rejects the path of spiritual enlightenment. The boy unleashes the immense power of the Primordial Word and unleashes an unprecedented rain of iron upon the people. All the weapons, machines, gold, and steel hidden for centuries fall thickly from the sky, forcing both armies to bend their knees. Marcus arbitrarily declares himself earthly king. The young man is ready to impose universal peace and absolute prosperity through the power of boundless wealth. Blinded by the grandeur of this miracle, his comrades enthusiastically recognize him as their true ruler.

The end of the road

Ilmar, with undisguised horror, realizes the terrible truth. Marcus has succumbed to the temptation of permissiveness and chosen the fate of the Tempter. An earthly kingdom built on an abundance of iron and brutal coercion will never bring true happiness to humanity. The thief flatly refuses to follow the new ruler, silently muttering, "Farewell." Ilmar parts with his friends, befuddled by the miracle, who obediently follow Marcus. The hero remains completely alone on a barren hill, thickly covered with heavy iron sand. Three days later, the exhausted wanderer reaches the bright shores of Lake Gennesaret, hoping to find his own path to the light.