After crash-landing their airship, Curesoon and his companions find themselves upon the wrong side of a vast and deadly desert. Their only hope of surviving the perilous journey across the Sea of Fire is a gray-skinned shepherdess named Livid. As they wind their way along the dusty road toward to the edge of the desert, Livid feels uneasy about leaving her old life behind. She has only ever known the life as a slave, and she is quickly finding her newly gained freedom to be somewhat overwhelming.