After the icy North, Thorgal and his companions now face the oppressive heat of the Middle East. On the road to Bag Dadh, the reluctant hero has got dangerously close to the bewitching Saluma, who tells him the story of the Red Mages - the very same who kidnapped his son Aniel. It doesn''t take long for Thorgal to realise that he isn''t mixed up in a simple crime, but rather in political machinations that could determine the future of the entire, sprawling megalopolis!