Iver, an ancient enemy, has opened a new portal into Petla to infiltrate, take slaves, and ravage the land. A sentinel stone in a quiet mountain dell has long promised the help of a powerful king from the line of Anders when the portals were breached. But the stone has vanished, and hope has dimmed. Rory Anderson, an epic-nerd on an ordinary science field trip, is pulled through a portal into Zed and his perception of reality begins to shift. The King of the Fountain of Life commissions him as an ambassador to Petla, and when he arrives he finds himself wearing the insignia of the royal house of Anders. All the weight of the Petlans' hopes and expectations falls on his shoulders. Rory's resources are few: a blessing from the King; his own intelligence; Adam, a warrior with more experience than his age and whimsical nature would suggest; and the Lady Serena, beautiful, adventurous and related to half of Petla. It will require all their wit and Rory's ingenuity, plus perhaps a little video game expertise, to win the loyalty of the Petlans and face the challenges before them.