The book opens with a brief prologue concerning past events, from the creation of the world by seven gods, through the recovery of the Orb of Aldur by Belgarath the Sorcerer, King Cherek, and his children. It explains how Cherek's youngest son Riva was able to hold the Orb while no one else was; thus all of his descendants would be responsible for guarding the Orb. The story begins with descriptions of the experiences by the boy Garion, who