Twelve-year-old Rowanda lives with her mother in the lush garden country of Neslora. Seemingly an idyllic world with endlessly blooming flowers, buzzing bees and birds chirping, Rowanda and her friends are confronted with the horror of the abduction of their mothers. Rowanda finds herself confronted with the daunting task to find and rescue her mother and the mothers of her friends. A tyrant king abducted and transported the mothers to a desert world where they are being held as slaves. Armed only with four talismans, chosen from many by mystical means, Rowanda goes through a portal to Arolsen where her fate is intermingled with two desert dwellers. Together they join forces to brave the desert, defending themselves from nomads, terrible creatures and scorching desert days and frigid desert nights to rescue Rowanda's mother. The palace city reveals the true identities of Rowanda's traveling companions and the reasons they accompanied her on her quest.