In the world that lies on the back of the Great Whale, twelve girls are sacrificed every year to avoid disaster. The dungeon of the Auile pyramid consumes their lives. The Saints. Martyrs. Saviors of the world. That's what they are called. One of the chosen ones is Antia, the former princess of Talleria. And she needs to survive to reclaim her father’s crown. Only Vern, a werewolf owl who once walked through a dungeon and found a way back, can help with this. But its secrets are much darker than they seem.