In the kingdom of Camaria, three young boys-Joss, Nickolas, and their cousin Mykael-from the quiet village of Caristoke find a strange metallic cylinder covered with curious symbols and images upon it.. Their discovery leads them into an adventure with the wizard Pendravyn when the cylinder is stolen by Gresham, a dog-wizard. Gresham's theft threatens to unleash a long-vanquished evil upon the world again. Along the way, they acquire the services of a knight and his squire, meet an ancient dragon, and rescue a witch as they race to retrieve the cylinder.

Unbeknownst to the boys, they are not the first children of Caristoke to find themselves drawn into danger in the world of magic. Their Aunt Cailie has a secret which she's never divulged to a living soul. But something happened during her last adventure which has left her memories of those times in tatters. A tiny pewter wren is her only link to those long-ago adventures, but now that link is broken. Can she remember enough to be of aid to her beloved nephews in their efforts to retrieve the cylinder and save them all from the evil which threatens their world? And who is the tall stranger whose face she sees in a well?