"...And it is written in the Grimoire of Altos, that love is the cause for every force of attraction. Sun and Sky are locked together in embrace because they are lovers. But in the first age, known as the Age of Madness, love did not exist, and altogether different emotions governed the universe. In the beginning, the Great Mages inhabited the Void. They alone had the fortitude to survive in the nothingness; and they were alone. There was no love, no warmth, only the Great Void..." Wings of Steel tells the tale of Zak and his flying machine with 51 manga illustrations. Zak is a talented engineer in service of the Mage Altos, but he is oppressed by the Inquisitors of Altos. The Great Mage himself views engineering as a dangerous craft, inhibiting the development of advanced technology. What's worse, Zak's talent goes unacknowledged when he meets young acolytes Susan and Zoé. The engineering workshop is in the middle of a swamp, no wonder that the boy lacks social grace! "Zoé decided it was time to tighten her grip on the engineer. Zak. That little upstart continually challenged her authority. But after all, he was just a mechanical engineer, a commoner, and not of the priestly caste. She decided it was time to enlighten the little punk..." "...Infinite darkness and Altos was the only light... he was the lonely light. Shadow-forms devoid of life enshrouded him, black thorns of madness reached out to touch him. It occurred to him that a stellar explosion might brighten up the sky. The future-vision manifested itself inside his powerful brain. A star goes supernova, a civilization is caught up in the flames, panic and desperation follows, and the exodus of the mortals... entire civilizations are boarding the gleaming evacuation spaceships. Survival, or annihilation? Who could tell? Should the creatures survive, they would reach the domain of another Mage. There would be a new game. A fun game..." "But then a black thorn of madness pierced Altos. What if his creatures blundered into the territory of a Great Mage, one greater than himself? It was a mistake to hesitate. His imagination rapidly generated a painful Space-Time alternative, reinforcing his bleakest fears. The black thorns of the Void, shredding his soul to bits." ...ONLY FOOLS GO OUT IN THE RAIN... Meanwhile, a mysterious organization is spying on Zak from vantage point in the sky; And a powerful Inquisitor of Altos wants him thrown in a dungeon. "Keep your toes dry, and you'll be fine!" the Sisters Inquisitors insisted. "Only fools go out in the rain! A lightning strike is risky, but fungal spores are by far the greater risk. Aspire the spores, and you're finished!" Lerian smiled, her lips tightly compressed, betraying her annoyance. "I have very limited time to deal with novice girls and their accomplice... Tell me now, corrupt disciples, by what means did you travel?..." Japanese light novels are richly illustrated young adult adventures. Published in serialized form, they are irreverent and funny, feature complex emotional development of the relationships between the characters, and can often explore darker themes.This first volume of the light-novel combines illustrations and text to create an immersive experience for the reader, please Look Inside!