A squire’s oath is to be of service… but to whom? In the kingdom of Basileon, an unremarkable and emotionally detached young man named Obed Kainos is about to stumble into adventure—quite against his will. When the knights of the realm gather in a quest to search for the lost Armor of Arkelon, Obed is chosen at random to replace the recently deceased squire of Sir Lance Valentino. While trying to perform his menial tasks faithfully, the young squire becomes entangled in the plots of mages, thieves, and kings. And that’s just his first week on the job. Unfortunately for Obed, his indifference cannot save him from his new oath. For despite his enigmatic personality (or perhaps because of it), he manages to attract a band of misfits to his cause— the ugly, the arrogant, the clumsy, and the cowardly—putting the legendary armor within the grasp of one who never wanted anything at all. “A remarkable tour de force set in a medieval world where magic is as common as muck, misunderstandings are ten a penny, and everyone but the hero has a remarkably good opinion of themselves. Nick Hayden mixes humor with fantasy to delight the inner eye and ear of the reader.” — Adele Abbot, author, Of Machines & Magics and Postponing Armageddon “Dazzling damsels in distress, a magical suit of armor, mayhem and danger at every turn, a host of unique characters and plenty of laughs make this novel worth reading. Mr. Hayden tells a worthy tale well!” —Phillip Tomasso, author, Sounds of Silence “An engrossing and adventurous novel with echoes of the Arthurian Romances by De Troyes. The unlikely rise of Obed Kainos from contented obscurity to fame and fortune will provide entertainment for readers of all ages.” — Sean Mulcahy, author, Slip Sliding Away