1634, Ukraine. Karlis, a young Winged Hussar of Poland-Lithuania, sickened by the carnage of war, deserts. To wash their honour, the men of his old unit hunt him mercilessly, while two people secretly observe the pursuit. They are Cossacks, from a people of freedom-loving warriors - and it is with them that Karlis will eventually find refuge. But if he left his regiment, it's also because of the last orders he was given, which he refused to follow: the king of Poland-Lithuania wants the Cossacks disarmed...

Having defeated his former brothers-in-arms of the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania, the Winged Hussars, Karlis accompanies his new companions to the Sich, the Cossack parliament. Before long, he is faced with the harsh reality that not all Cossacks want him to join their people. Indeed, while his exploits have made him a hero to many, they have also made him into a prime target for jealousy, frustration and ambition...