Thorgal, his family, and his new friends Tiago and Ileniya have been captured by slavers while attempting to cross the desert. The two adult men are sold to the local governor as fodder for a cruel blood game, where young nobles in chariots practice their archery skills on fleeing slaves. Turning the tables on them, Thorgal earns his and Tiago's freedom, but not the women's – and he has made a mortal enemy in the governor's son...