Long before the Spanish explored the American West, the Creator entrusted seeds from the fabled Tree of Life to a noble Native American tribe. They kept the lightning seeds safe in Mesa Verde for several generations until a fierce skinwalker stole them. In the aftermath, an angel sends the Chief's 15-year-old son, Notah, to retrieve them from the ancient underground city of Shin-au-av in Death Valley. He must complete this quest before the moon is full, lest the devil claim the seeds for his own malevolent use.

Notah travels with a unique band of Japanese warriors, the Hotaru-Raiko. Part human and part firefly, they are unlike anything he has ever seen in nature. Can these two cultures, steeped in the way of the warrior, come together to complete the journey, defeat monstrous creatures, and escape the ancient city with the seeds?