Twelve-year-old Jason has gone through some horrible experiences. After his parents died in a car accident, Jason was sent to a series of foster homes. He now distrusts the entire system. His latest foster parent, Mrs. Brickles, may be kind, but that doesn't mean that Jason is meant to stay with her for very long. Things never work out the way he wants them to.

Mrs. Brickles isn't the only new face Jason meets in his new home. Earl is a master woodcarver and friend to a mysterious coyote named Bandit. Despite Jason's reluctance to trust strangers, he becomes fascinated by Earl's work and the stories he tells.

There is one tale that immediately grabs Jason's attention. The evil Dagon the Leviathan is intent on finding the three golden keys to immortality, and the noble guardian Derceto wants to protect them from the monster's reach. The most important part of the story is that it's all true Dagon is desperate to snap up the keys, and Earl enlists Jason's help in stopping him.

As Jason embarks on a series of heroic quests, he confronts his greatest fears on this dangerous mission.